What to do about a poor complexion? 10 black foods to eat for a healthy glow.

Introduction: A woman's complexion can reflect her health condition. However, many bad habits can lead to a poor complexion. So, how can women improve their complexion? There are many black foods around us, such as black sesame and black fungus, which can help regulate a woman's complexion. Here are 10 recommended black foods to achieve a healthy glow.

1. Black Sesame

Black sesame is very common. Regular consumption can make hair black and shiny, nourish blood and beauty, nourish hair and skin, and expel wind. Moreover, its unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, and other elements can lower cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure.

Research suggests that reducing free radical production, clearing aged metabolic products, and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity are effective ways to delay skin aging. Black sesame is rich in natural vitamin E, the highest content among plant-based foods. Vitamin E is a good antioxidant, and proper supplementation can moisturize and nourish the skin. Additionally, sesame is one of the four major oil crops, and the oil in black sesame is mostly unsaturated fatty acids, with linoleic acid accounting for about half.

Black Sesame Paste

2. Black Fungus

Black fungus, also known as black vegetable, mulberry ear, this fungus, tree chicken, moth, or wood velvet, gets its name from its ear-like shape and dark brown color. It belongs to the Auriculariaceae family and is neutral in nature and sweet in flavor, affecting the stomach and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of nourishing, moistening, enriching blood and benefiting the stomach, activating blood and stopping bleeding, moistening the lungs, and lubricating the intestines. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that black fungus can clear the lungs, replenish qi, activate blood, benefit the stomach, moisten, and strengthen the body. The colloid in black fungus has strong adsorption power and can cleanse the intestines; it also contains nucleic acids and lecithin, which have effects on fitness, beauty, and anti-aging.

Moreover, black fungus itself is a soluble dietary fiber. After being absorbed by the body, it can help with blood nourishment and is excellent for hyperlipidemia and cerebral-cardiac infarction. It can also reduce platelet count.

Celery and Lily Bulb with Black Fungus

3. Mulberry

Mulberry is sweet and cold in nature, with effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys, promoting the production of body fluids to moisten dryness, blackening hair, and improving eyesight. Since ancient times, it has been a common fresh fruit used by the public for diuresis, health care, and summer heat relief. Medical classics like "Compendium of Materia Medica" have detailed descriptions of its medicinal value and usage.

Modern medical research shows that mulberry can enhance immunity. Mulberry contains various amino acids, organic acids, carotene, and other nutrients, with a mineral content much higher than other fruits. It can enhance immunity, promote the growth of red blood cells, prevent hardening of arteries and bones, and promote metabolism. Not only that, mulberry can also improve blood supply to the skin (including the scalp), nourish the skin to make it fair and smooth, blacken hair, and delay aging. However, traditional Chinese medicine considers mulberry a cold food, so women should eat less during their menstrual period and those with a weak stomach to prevent excessive cold from causing abdominal pain.

Mulberry Wine Jelly

4. Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant is rich in vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, anthocyanins, and phenolic substances, which have effects of delaying aging, dredging meridians, and detoxifying. Known health benefits of blackcurrant include preventing gout, anemia, edema, arthritis, rheumatism, oral and throat diseases, and cough.

Natural oils extracted from blackcurrant seeds have been found to contain α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid. These two linolenic acids not only have effects on platelet aggregation, lowering blood pressure, softening blood vessels, lowering blood lipids, and preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, but also have strong anti-cancer effects (e.g., breast cancer, colorectal cancer). They have significant effects on preventing tumors, delaying aging, regulating physiological functions, and increasing immunity. They also have beauty and weight loss effects. Women can eat more blackcurrant to maintain a good complexion.

Blackcurrant Milk Cookies

5. Black Soybean

"Compendium of Materia Medica" records that black soybeans have the effects of prolonging life and rejuvenating. Many ancient medical books record that black soybeans can preserve youth, improve eyesight, blacken hair, and whiten the skin. The famous Song Dynasty writer Su Dongpo once wrote that young men and women in the capital took black soybeans for beauty.

The reason black soybeans have beauty effects is mainly because they are rich in antioxidants—vitamin E, which can eliminate free radicals in the body, reduce skin wrinkles, and achieve the purpose of beautifying and maintaining youth.

Moreover, black soybeans are rich in beneficial amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and various trace elements like calcium and phosphorus. They have effects of expelling pus and toxins, reducing swelling and pain, and are beneficial for preventing and treating high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and heart disease. Li Shizhen wrote in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Long-term consumption of black soybeans improves complexion, making it fair and preventing aging." Therefore, black soybeans are greatly beneficial for women's beauty. Furthermore, black soybeans can also regulate menstruation and balance hormones.

Black Soybean and Fo-ti Root Stewed with Black Chicken Soup