Vegetables are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, inorganic salts, and dietary fiber. Eating fresh vegetables regularly is beneficial to health, but some people may develop dermatitis after consuming certain vegetables.
Why do vegetables cause dermatitis? This is because some vegetables can break down in the human body to produce a photosensitive substance, and some people are very sensitive to this substance. When consuming or coming into contact with certain vegetables, such as amaranth, rape purslane, tomato, eggplant, potato, cauliflower, etc., and the photosensitive substance reaches a certain concentration in the body, the skin of exposed parts of the body (face, hands, feet) can be damaged by direct sunlight, leading to metabolic disorders and dermatitis. This dermatitis is medically known as "vegetable-induced solar dermatitis." Its main symptoms include local itching and a burning sensation on the skin, as well as acute edema, ecchymosis, or blisters, accompanied by a stinging pain. In severe cases, the lips, eyelids, and face may swell and turn purplish-red. Systemic reactions such as headache, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite may also occur.
Once vegetable-induced solar dermatitis occurs, consumption of the vegetables related to the onset should be stopped immediately, and sun exposure should be avoided. For those with more severe allergic symptoms, anti-allergic preparations such as calcium gluconate or diphenhydramine can be used, and hydrocortisone can also be used for timely treatment.