Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Food provides energy and affects the human functions, especially those organs with fast renew metabolism cells, such as skin, hair. Vegan diets are rich in containing antioxidants and polyphenols (e.g., flavonoids) may have potential to protect skin aging. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of diet habits on physiologic function and anti-inflammatory, anti-aging effect of the skin in different diet habit. 80 healthy Taiwanese were assessed using the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and collect the serum to determine the inflammation cytokines. The skin of upper limbs of participants was detected by Cutometer MPA580 to measure the skin elasticity, hydration, pigmentation, and pH levels. Compared with omnivorous, vegetarians has lower serum uric acid, LDL, total protein level, and metabolic burden of BUN; however, vegetarians had higher TG, lower total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and free iron. Higher hydration, elastin score, and lower erythema levels were noted had in vegetarians, but skin melanin and pH value were not influenced by the diet habits. Matched those results with FFQ and the plant food soybean has high correlation (P < 0.001). Vegan diets is rich in containing antioxidants which have potential to protect skin aging. Our ﬁndings strongly suggest that soybean or genistein-rich compound has signiﬁcant beneﬁcial anti-inﬂammatory and anti-photoaging effects.