Paul is on the newest diet craze. After a couple of weeks of eating only carrots and carrot based products, he begins to notice that his skin has a decidedly yellowish tint. This is because
A) excess carotene from his diet has accumulated in the lipids of the stratum corneum.
B) liver damage has occurred, and bile pigments are building up.
C) excess melanin from his diet has accumulated in the lipids of the dermis.
D) he has recently been exposed to a lot of ultraviolet light.
E) his change in diet has nothing to due with the yellowish tint. It is just a natural change due to aging.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Carrots and other orange and yellow vegetables contain high levels of carotene, which can accumulate in the skin's top layer (the stratum corneum) and give it a yellowish tint. This is not harmful and will go away when Paul stops consuming so many carotene-rich foods. Liver damage or excess melanin would not be the cause of the yellowish tint in this case. Ultraviolet light exposure can lead to skin darkening, but this was not mentioned as a factor in the scenario. Aging can cause skin changes, but it would not explain the sudden appearance of a yellowish tint.

Paul Is on the Newest Diet Craze