Rumor Verification: Does eating soy sauce during pregnancy make the baby's skin darker?
Let's first understand soy sauce. Generally, there are two types of soy sauce we use: one is natural and the other is colored. The former is made by processing the raw materials and fermenting them, so it naturally contains pigments. The latter is made by heating caramelized syrup, which turns into dark brown caramel, and then mixing it with soy sauce to adjust the color depth.
1. Amino acids are the savory substances in soy sauce
The amino acids in soy sauce are the products of protein breakdown in soybeans and wheat. The human body requires 8 essential amino acids that can only be obtained from food to form the necessary proteins. Of course, the amount of amino acids in soy sauce is very low and cannot effectively supplement protein for pregnant women. However, it does not pose any harm to the pregnant woman's body.
2. The main ingredient added to soy sauce is salt
The main component of salt is sodium chloride. Pregnant women need to intake sodium for their body metabolism, but excessive intake can be harmful to their health. It can affect the normal function of the heart and kidneys, and may also cause high blood pressure, which is dangerous for pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women should reduce their intake of salt and soy sauce considering this aspect.
3. What affects the baby's skin color
In fact, the skin color of a baby is mainly determined by genetic factors. Similar to gender, the baby's skin color is decided from the moment of conception. Usually, if the parents have fair skin, the baby will also have fair skin. However, there is also the possibility of inheriting skin color from previous generations. For example, if the parents have dark skin but one side of the grandparents has fair skin, the baby may also have fair skin.
Apart from genetic factors, skin color is mainly determined by melanin. More melanin leads to darker skin, while less melanin leads to lighter skin. During pregnancy, the hormone levels in the body undergo changes, such as increased levels of estrogen, progesterone, or melanocyte-stimulating hormone in the blood, which may stimulate the activity of melanocytes and increase the production of melanin. The deposition of pigments often occurs in the early and middle stages of pregnancy and gradually intensifies until full term. Some people mistakenly believe that the gradual darkening of melanin is related to the consumption of dark-colored foods in daily diet, and innocent soy sauce becomes the scapegoat.
Therefore, the conclusion is that neither type of soy sauce will be absorbed by the human body, let alone be absorbed by the placenta to darken the baby's skin.
