Soy Sauce and Skin Color: How Tyrosine Affects the Body
In Soy Sauce and Skin Color: How Tyrosine Affects the Body, host Harith Iskander explains the science behind tyrosine, a compound found in soy sauce and certain tanning products. Tyrosine can convert into melanin, the pigment that colors and protects skin, but this reaction requires UV exposure. Without sunlight, the tyrosine in soy sauce won’t change skin color. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
Lesson Express
Q: What is tyrosine, and where is it commonly found?
A: Tyrosine is an amino acid that helps produce melanin in the body. It’s found in foods like soy sauce and also in some tanning products.
Q: Why can’t the tyrosine in soy sauce change skin color?
A: Tyrosine needs UV rays from sunlight to convert into melanin, so without UV exposure, it doesn’t affect skin color.
Q: How does melanin protect our skin from sunlight?
A: Melanin absorbs UV rays, which helps reduce the risk of skin damage and provides natural protection against sunburn.