The Impact of 12 Week Retention of Nutrients on Skin and the Perception of Physical Health Status

Inclusion criteria

• Chinese adults of Asian descent aged 18 and above;
• Daily fruit and vegetable intake < 240g (calculated based on the fruit and vegetable section of the food frequency questionnaire);
• S3 measurement index < 30000;
• Participants must possess basic Chinese reading comprehension and expression skills, and be able to independently complete questionnaire surveys;
• Voluntary participation in the test and signing of the informed consent form;
• Willingness to comply with all evaluation requirements.

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of open facial skin lesions, clearly visible scars, acne marks, etc.;
• Skin lesions, scars, or significant pigmentation on the hand measurement area;
• Symptoms of skin disease on the face or hand measurement areas;
• Having undergone medical aesthetic procedures within the last 6 months;
• Participation in other clinical trials involving product use within the last 3 months;
• Use of health supplements or nutritional supplements (e.g., vitamins, minerals) within the last 1 month;
• Currently planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or lactating;
• Presence of any disease under current treatment;
• Any other health issues or chronic diseases that affect behavioral or cognitive abilities;
• Other iatrogenic reasons identified by experts or professionals that may affect the evaluation results.

The S3 instrument refers to a Raman spectroscopy-based biophotonic scanner. The threshold for the S3 screening value is based on previously published literature, which indicated that participants with a daily fruit and vegetable intake of less than 240g had an average Raman spectroscopy biophotonic scanner score below 25,000. However, considering practical recruitment challenges, the inclusion criterion was set at < 30,000. The S3 device measures the Skin Carotenoid Index, a non-invasive biomarker reflecting skin carotenoid levels.