Eating soy sauce will make the skin darker? Whitening every day, but I don't know that these foods are secretly making you black

As the saying goes, "one white covers three ugliness", and having a fair complexion is what many people yearn for.

There are many people in order to whiten, seeing black food is like seeing the plague, and can't wait to hide away.

Therefore, there has been a saying that the color of soy sauce is so dark that it will turn black when you eat it!

The point is, soy sauce, as a senior condiment, is almost meaningless without it.

So, today we will take a look at whether there is any scientific basis for "eating soy sauce to turn black".

Why does the skin turn dark?

The formation of melanin is actually quite complicated. Simply put, when the skin is stimulated by ultraviolet rays, stress, friction and hormones, the body will issue instructions to synthesize melanin, and then the tyrosinase in melanocytes will be activated. produce melanin.

When these melanocytes move into the skin's keratinocytes, they block stimuli such as UV rays and prevent further damage to the cells' DNA.

When the stimulatory factors are reduced or disappeared, the epidermal cells excrete melanin through metabolism and restore the skin to the skin before being stimulated.

Therefore, in fact, the skin produces melanin to turn black, which is a self-defense mechanism of the body. The ultimate purpose is to protect the body from external stimuli.

What are the factors that affect blackening?

It is mainly determined by innate and acquired factors.

Innate factors we cannot change, it is determined by powerful genes. Acquired factors are various, including physical condition, eating habits and living habits.

Physical conditions

Compared with adults, children's skin is generally whiter, mainly because the stratum corneum of children's skin is thinner, the granular layer and the transparent layer are thicker, the skin tone is whiter, and the pigmentation is less.

In addition, gastrointestinal function and endocrine also affect pigment regulation in the body, resulting in changes in skin color.

eating habits

There is a type of food called photosensitive food. They are rich in metal elements such as copper, iron, and zinc. These trace elements are related to the production of melanin, so they will promote the formation of melanin.

Common photosensitive foods include celery, lettuce, rape, spinach, leeks, amaranth, rookie, white radish, carrot, coriander, fig, fennel, apple, strawberry, papaya, etc. Lemons are also photosensitive foods, so it is best not to eat them during the day in summer.

In addition, frequent eating of fried food will also accelerate the oxidation of the skin, the skin's reducing ability will be greatly reduced, and the skin will gradually darken.

life factor

Lifestyle is the most important factor affecting skin color.

Our skin is stimulated by ultraviolet rays, various electronic products and computer screens every day, which in turn produces melanin, and sun protection is the key to preventing skin darkening.

In addition, sleep, exercise and mental state also have a certain impact on skin color.

Does eating soy sauce really make it darker?

The darkening of the skin is due to the production of melanin. Can soy sauce promote the production of melanin?

Most people think that eating soy sauce turns dark because of the color of the soy sauce. Soy sauce is brewed by fermenting grains, and its true color is reddish-brown.

After the pigment in the food enters the human body, it will be digested and decomposed, and it will not reach the skin at all, making the skin darker.

In addition, soy sauce may be "blackening" because it contains tyrosine, an essential amino acid for melanin synthesis.

But in fact, there is no need to worry at all, whether tyrosine or tyrosinase will be digested and decomposed by gastric acid when passing through the stomach, and will not directly promote the formation of melanin at all. This is because eating pig trotters will not supplement collagen a truth.

To give the simplest example, people who think that eating soy sauce will turn black, have eaten white rice for so many years, why haven't they turned white?

Therefore, eating soy sauce will not make people black, and there is no scientific basis for "complementing color with color".

What are the scientific methods of whitening?

sun protection

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and the first line of defense against external damage. Sun protection is the most important way to reduce skin irritation and prevent the production of melanin.

Sunscreen is divided into physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen. Physical sunscreen is to block ultraviolet rays by wearing hats, umbrellas, and clothing. Chemically, sunscreen is applied. Use sunscreen with a higher sunburn and SPF, and apply it regularly.

Hydrate

In addition, hydration of the skin is also very important, preventing the formation of wrinkles and the deposition of pigment, which all contribute to maintaining a healthy complexion.

healthy routine

More importantly, it is healthy from the inside out. Only with healthy eating and living habits, regular work and rest, good sleep, moderate exercise and a cheerful mood can you have both inner and outer beauty.

Don't stop eating soy sauce for fear of darkening

And don't be too obsessed with skin tone

After all, health comes first

Expert of this article: Fan Linlin, Master of Food Safety, Wageningen University, Netherlands

Reviewer of this article: Liu Shaowei, Deputy Director and Professor of the Center for Food and Drug Regulation, East China University of Science and Technology, Ph.D. in Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D., Kansas State University, U.S.