Whether your skin is fair or not mainly depends on the ability of melanocytes to synthesize melanin. In the basal layer of the human epidermis, melanocytes are distributed. The tyrosinase they contain can oxidize tyrosine into polysaccharides, which then go through a series of metabolic processes to finally produce melanin. The more melanin is produced, the darker the skin; conversely, the less melanin, the fairer the skin. Why, after spending so much effort on brightening and skincare, is your skin still not fair and remains dull? Perhaps, you should look for the reason in your diet. Some foods are absolute enemies to skin whitening and must be guarded against.
1. Dark-colored foods
Dark-colored foods are also something you should pay attention to. Light-colored foods like milk, eggs, tofu, and fish can help expel melanin and reduce the burden on internal organs. At the same time, you should also eat less dark-colored foods and drink fewer beverages such as strong tea, cola, coffee, and chocolate.
Dark-colored foods also include staple foods like black rice, black beans, red beans, green beans, water caltrop, black sesame, and walnuts; and meat dishes like silkie chicken, beef and mutton, pork liver, soft-shelled turtle, dark-fleshed fish, and sea cucumber. In addition, there are carrots, spinach, purple radish, purple cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and black fungus.
2. Fried foods
Fried foods are a favorite for many people, but the delicious, spicy-smelling fried foods are actually very harmful.
Eating fried foods not only easily leads to weight gain, but the oxides they contain can accelerate skin aging. Therefore, you should try to eat them less. If you really can't resist, you might want to supplement your diet with vitamin E-rich foods before eating them to fight aging, such as pumpkin, rubber, spinach, carrots, whole wheat bread, peanuts, sesame seeds, and brown rice.
3. Photosensitive vegetables
Photosensitive foods tend to darken the skin because they are rich in metal elements like copper, iron, and zinc. These elements can directly or indirectly increase the amount and activity of substances related to melanin production, such as tyrosine, tyrosinase, and dopamine quinone. Eating too much of these foods makes the skin more susceptible to UV damage, leading to darkening or spots, so they should be consumed in moderation.
Vegetables like sweet potatoes, potatoes, spinach, chives, celery, cilantro, white radish, and beans can make skin prone to spots more likely to develop them. Generally, vegetables with a pungent or special aroma are mostly photosensitive.
Blacklist of photosensitive fruits
Lemons, papayas, and cucumbers are photosensitive, and most citrus fruits are also photosensitive. Generally, fruits with a shiny surface are mostly photosensitive.
After eating these photosensitive fruits and vegetables, you should avoid sun exposure or eat them at night. This is because fruits like citrus become powerful whitening agents when eaten at night! During the peak of summer, you should eat more vegetables and fruits that inhibit pigmentation and whiten the skin, such as kiwis, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage, and cauliflower.
When your skin is recovering from an injury or burn, try to eat less photosensitive fruits and vegetables!
4. Foods rich in tyrosine and rare elements
Research has shown that the activity of tyrosinase is closely related to elements in the body such as copper, iron, and zinc. Regularly consuming foods rich in tyrosine and rare elements like zinc, copper, and iron—for example, animal organs like liver and kidney, shellfish like clams, crabs, river snails, and oysters, aquatic products like roe, beans like soybeans, lentils, green beans, and red beans, nuts like peanuts, walnuts, and black sesame, and raisins—will result in darker skin color. Therefore, people living by the sea, such as fishermen, have darker skin because they consume more of these aquatic products.
5. Imbalance between alkaline and acidic foods
Balance is the most beautiful and healthy state in nature, and the same applies to food intake.
The body fluids of a healthy person are slightly alkaline. If the intake of acidic and alkaline foods is unbalanced, the blood tends to become acidic, which can bring various discomforts to the body and promote the formation of skin pigmentation. Eating more fresh fruits, edible fungi, and other foods while controlling the intake of strongly acidic foods like meat, alcohol, and sugar is the key principle to maintain a slightly alkaline state of body fluids, and to prevent and fade spots.
6. Additives
A healthy person's internal organs maintain normal metabolism, allowing melanin to be expelled smoothly. However, excessive artificial additives in food can burden the internal organs, leading to melanin deposition and the formation of dark spots and freckles.
In modern life, many foods contain additives. If you want to whiten your skin, you must be cautious. Food additives like chicken essence, preservatives, and artificial colors can burden the internal organs, hinder the expulsion of melanin, and lead to the formation of dark spots and freckles.
Perhaps it is difficult for you to stop eating these foods you love, but for the sake of whitening, you must learn to restrain yourself as much as possible.