You might want to rethink your breakfast choices as they could be scuppering your chances with the opposite sex, scientists say.
Starting the day off with refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, was linked to lower levels of attractiveness in a small study of men and women.
Refined carbs — foods processed in ways that typically remove much of their nutritional value — have been linked to everything from diabetes to high blood pressure and depression.
Not content with wreaking havoc under the surface, it would appear that refined carbs can also make you appear less attractive in as little as two hours.
Refined carbohydrates can make you less attractive in as little as two hours, study suggests
Preliminary evidence has suggested that consuming high levels of refined carbohydrates might affect a person’s attractiveness.
To further explore this possibility, researchers at the University of Montpellier in France conducted a study involving 104 French male and female adults.
The researchers gave some of the participants a high-glycaemic breakfast—one with refined carbohydrates known to boost blood sugar levels—while others received a low-glycaemic breakfast.
The participants also completed a questionnaire to evaluate their typical habits of consumption of refined carbohydrates.
Additional volunteers were then asked to rate the facial attractiveness of opposite-sex participants in photos taken two hours after the provided breakfast.
Statistical analysis showed that consuming the high-glycaemic breakfast was associated with lower subsequent facial attractiveness ratings for both men and women.
Conversely, eating a diet in fat, such as cheese or milk, made people appear better looking.
The researchers found that scoffing refined carbohydrates during breakfast and snacks was also associated with lower attractiveness ratings, although consumption of high-energy foods at these times was associated with higher attractiveness ratings.
Eating high-energy foods for breakfast appeared to enhance attractiveness
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What's more, men who enjoyed snacking on refined carbs in the afternoon appeared more easy on the eyes than those who indulge in a high-energy meal at this time.
All results held true after statistically accounting for other factors that could affect attractiveness, such as actual age, perceived age, BMI, smoking habits, and facial hairiness.
Further research, including for larger and more diverse sample sizes, is needed to deepen understanding of exactly how refined carbohydrates may be linked to attractiveness and other social traits.
The authors added: “Facial attractiveness, an important factor of social interactions, seems to be impacted by immediate and chronic refined carbohydrate consumption in men and women.”