What Are Carotenoids?

Carotenoids are natural compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables like carrots, spinach, sweetpotatoes, and kale. These phytochemicals help protect body cells from damage and support the immune system, eye health, and skin health. When a person eats lots of fruits and vegetables, carotenoids build up in the skin—almost like a record of a person’s healthy eating habits.

How Does the Veggie Meter® Work?

The Veggie Meter® uses a special kind of light to measure carotenoids in the skin. By simply placing a finger on the device, a measurement of the accumulation of skin carotenoids can be obtained in about 30 seconds. The device shines a safe, low-powered light into the skin of your fingertip. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt. The light bounces back and is measured by sensors in the meter.

This method, documented by researchers including Radtke et al. (2021), is called reflection spectroscopy. It’s a non-invasive, scientific approach to find out how many carotenoids are in a person’s body without needing a blood test. The more carotenoids present in the skin, the higher the score will be. A high score reflects a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Why Is This Important for Health?

Higher carotenoid levels are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. Moreover, carotenoids play a role in eye health, immune function, and skin integrity (Cooperstone & Schwartz, 2024). Having a reliable way to monitor carotenoid status serves as both a diagnostic and educational opportunity.

Eating enough fruits and vegetables can help protect the human body from long-term health problems like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even obesity. The Veggie Meter® makes it easier to track this important part of your health. It can also help doctors, dietitians or community health workers teach people about nutrition in a simple and visual way.

Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if someone’s diet is healthy just by asking questions. The Veggie Meter® gives a quick and easy answer that’s based on science. It can also be used in schools, wellness centers or community health programs to help encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Who Uses the Veggie Meter®?

The Veggie Meter® can be used in clinical, research, and community settings. Because it is quick and noninvasive, there is great value in its real time feedback to motivate dietary change and tracking improvements over time.

CITATIONS

• Ermakov, I. V., Ermakova, M., Sharifzadeh, M., Gorusupudi, A., Farnsworth, K., Bernstein, P. S., … & Gellermann, W. (2018). Optical assessment of skin carotenoid status as a biomarker of vegetable and fruit intake. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics, 646, 46-54.
• May, K., Jilcott Pitts, S., Stage, V. C., Kelley, C. J., Burkholder, S., Fang, X., … & Lazorick, S. (2020). Use of the Veggie Meter® as a tool to objectively approximate fruit and vegetable intake among youth for evaluation of preschool and school‐based interventions. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 33(6), 869-875.
• Radtke, M. D., Poe, M., Stookey, J., Pitts, S. J., Moran, N. E., Landry, M. J., … & Scherr, R. E. (2021). Recommendations for the use of the Veggie Meter® for spectroscopy-based skin carotenoid measurements in the research setting. Current developments in nutrition, 5(8), nzab104.