QuickCheck: Can eating too many carrots turn you orange?

IN THE world of quirky health advice, some claims border on the absurd, but occasionally, there’s truth to them.

If you’ve ever wondered whether munching on an abundance of carrots could tint your skin, you’re not alone.

Could this seemingly bizarre effect of turning orange be more fact than fiction?

VERDICT:

TRUE

It sounds like a myth, but your skin can indeed develop an orange tint if you consume excessive amounts of carrots.

Carrots, pumpkins, and yams contain a pigment called beta-carotene. When you eat too much of this pigment, it can build up in your body and potentially change your skin colour.

“Consuming around 20 to 50 milligrams of beta-carotenes daily for a few weeks could lead to skin discoloration,” said dermatologist Dr Melissa Piliang, MD.

A single medium carrot contains roughly 4 milligrams of beta-carotene.

Dr. Piliang added that while it’s rare, eating about ten carrots a day for several weeks might result in carotenemia, a condition where the skin becomes orange.

The best treatment for carotenemia is to adopt a low-carotene diet, which can cause the skin to return to its normal colour after a few months.

However, don’t replace carrots with too many tomatoes, as this can lead to a similar condition called lycopenemia, where the skin takes on a yellow-orange hue due to an excess of lycopene, the pigment found in tomatoes.

In conclusion, a balanced diet is key to avoiding such issues while maintaining healthy, glowing skin.