The Orange Man Project

I decided to make up a quick list of questions people ask me as I'm sure many more people have these questions than actually bother to email. Many of these questions are answered somewhere in the Introduction or other pages, but reading through all of that is a bit of a chore for the average person.

Why did you spend two weeks eating only carrots?

My roommate told me that you would turn orange if you ate a bunch of carrots, and I wanted to see if he was right. There was ample evidence that this occurs in small children, but that doesn't necessarily translate into practical for adults.

Does your whole body turn orange?

It seems that the primary places for a person to turn orange are in the palms of their hands and the bottoms of their feet. With enough carrots, your face will also start to turn orange, starting with the tip of your nose..

Why do you turn orange from eating a bunch of carrots?

Carrots contain a significant amount of carotene, which is broken down by the liver into Vitamin A. An excess of carotene in the blood is deposited into the skin, causing an orange discoloration. The lighter the skin color, the more easily visible this is.

Can't you die from Vitamin A poisoning?

Yes. Fortunately for me, your liver only breaks down as much carotene into Vitamin A as your body needs under normal circumstances. If you are having liver problems, or placing your body under extreme stress like running a marathon, your liver may break down excess amounts and cause Vitamin A poisoning. The primary cause of Vitamin A poisoning is from eating livers, which contain high amounts. If you are ever trapped in the wild and have to eat an animal to stay alive, be careful of eating the liver. It may just kill you. I always knew livers were evil, and now I know why.

Are there any other dangers from eating carrots?

Yes, recent studies indicate that if you smoke, eating carrots/carotene can increase your risk of getting cancer. If you like carrots, stop smoking and eat more carrots.

Are you a doctor or do you have any medical background?

No, and the closest thing I have to a medical background is high school biology and my interest in girls. Do not use this site for the basis of any experiments of your own, or base any dietary decisions on it. Doing so could be deadly, and is completely not my fault. I shouldn't have to say this, but anyone that reads a random site by some random guy on the internet, and falls under harm by following it, is an idiot.

How long should the orange last?

A month or two max.

Wouldn't be easier to just eat a bunch of beta-carotene supplements?

It would be if I was trying to turn my skin orange from taking a bunch of pills. But I was trying to see if my skin would turn orange from eating a bunch of carrots. Not the same thing.

What about vegetable X?

See the above answer. I was trying carrots, and only carrots.

If you really wanted to get the most out of your carrots, why don't use steam/mash/juice/etc them?

People keep sending me emails saying that such and such is the best way to eat a carrot for maximum orangeness. I have been eating them a variety of ways that I feel should give a good round effect.

What is the most effective method of eating carrots to turn your skin orange?

I don't really know. To be honest there doesn't seem to be a lot of research into this area. However if I were to guess, I would say that juicing them first probably makes the carotene most available to be absorbed by the body as there is nothing to break down before absorption. It should be mentioned carotene is fat soluble, so to absorb carotene, you will need some fat in your diet. I used olive oil to fill this role. I did get a short comment from a doctor suggesting to juice the carrots as this would allow me to ingest the maximum amount of carotene possible.

Does it turn your poo/pee orange?

See the unrated page for a discussion on this.

Can you eat jello if it contains shredded carrots?

Not if I'm only eating carrots, seasonings, and water. No matter how you prepare it, jello is not a seasoning.

Will you be getting a tattoo of a carrot on your butt to remind you of the glory days?

No. The problem with tattoos is they are so permanent. Maybe I could get a henna instead.

I love you -- The German

Ummm, thanks. You should spread that love around to others.

Why don't you set up an RSS feed?

The project didn't last that long, and that seems like a lot of work for such a small amount of time.

What part of San Antonio were you going to?

The very Northern part of what would still qualify as San Antonio. I guess I ended up down town for the Alamo too.

Are you going to eat asparagus and make your pee really stinky?

I have eaten a lot of asparagus in one sitting many times, and my pee always stinks afterwards. No further experimentation is needed.

Why don't you hold something when getting on the scale to make it reset the weight?

I do. I have a bottle of Listerine that I hold, then put down the bottle and weigh again. It takes a while for the scale to turn off and then on, so it is kind of a pain.

Are you going to return to a normal diet after the two weeks?

That's the plan.

If there isn't a pigment change, will you keep eating carrots?

I plan to run out of carrots on the last day, and I can't really see myself going out to buy more. I guess I could, but I already see pigment coloration, so I guess it doesn't matter. In the future I guess I could start drinking a lot of carrot juice. The biggest problem is that this juicer is a pain to clean. If I can get my hands on a commercial juicer that is easier to clean, the I would probably do that.

Why don't you eat carrots specifically grown for their high carotene content?

Those carrots are used to make dyes, and I don't even know if they are safe for people to eat. Even if they were, I wouldn't know where to buy them. And even if I did, it just seems like a lot of work. Besides, this is about eating carrots, not eating genetically engineered super carrots. Organic is as far as I'm going to go.

Can you see better, or do you have night vision now?

Not that I can tell. I wear contacts so my visibility can be greatly affected by how wet/dry they are, and a host of other factors. I did like this comment though:

Keep up with your patience! Also my uncle (who studied as optician) says that around the 15/20 day You should notice relevant improvements when watching distant buildings or objects thanks to carrot vitamines.

Why don't you read this book about Carotenemia in adults?

Never heard of it. But it doesn't matter since I don't read. More accurately, I can barely read, so I don't. I'm practically illiterate. Besides, I have better stuff to do with my time than spending weeks reading a book, like seeing what eating massive amounts of corn will do to your body.

Will anything else turn you orange?

Any vegetable that is yellow/orange/red probably has carotene in it, and so could probably turn you orange if you ate enough of them. I have also received emails that claim Tang, V8, and SunnyD can all turn you orange if you drink enough of them.

Have you seen the web page by the Steel Girl where she tries to do the same thing back in 2001?

Nope, I hadn't seen it until somebody emailed it to me. Pretty good stuff, but what I am doing is slightly different. I am eating only carrots, where she is eating carrots and other stuff. Anybody can eat 200 carrots in a month, but it takes a real man to eat only carrots for two days and not puke. Besides, who would rather look at pictures of a chick in underwear rather than me without a shirt?

What kind of vitamins are you taking?

Just regular old Centrum. Better than super generic, worse than those expensive multi-packs. They don't cost that much, and I already had a bottle of 250 so it was an easy choice. If I was really into vitamins, I might have bought some fancy ones. A side note is that I take them at night before I go to bed. Back in high school I realized that I will sometimes throw up a few hours after eating them if I eat them in the morning. So like many pregnant ladies with prenatal vitamins, I just take them at night.

Don't you think that you and Stickman have a lot in common?

Can't say that I do.

Will you try beets after you're done with carrots?

I don't really like eating beets. In fact, I'm pretty opposed to placing myself in a situation that would require beets.

Can we sponsor you?

Sure, why not? I really don't know what that even entails.

What do you plan to do if you do turn orange?

The last day of the carrot eating is Halloween, so celebrating that seems like a good idea. The University of Texas is here in Austin, and it's color is orange. Seems like a good place to hang out. Oh, and maybe I will go to work and class.