ABSTRACT
When considering how diet affects the pathophysiology of cellulite, it is interesting to look at how cultural eating habits may contribute. Cellulite is more commonly seen in Caucasian women than Oriental women. It is true that visualization of skin texture irregularities is easier in fair skin, yet Oriental women seem to demonstrate less cellulite. One theory regarding the pathophysiology of cellulite is the effect of diet on circulating estrogens. The consumption of cow’s milk in the Orientals is low; however, much of the milk consumed in the U.S.A. contains estrogens that enter the milk from the food fed to the cows. Another possible explanation is reduced endogenous estrogen production in Oriental women who consume large amounts of fermented soy in the form of tofu or soy nuts. Fermented soy is high in phytoestrogens, which may suppress adrenal and ovarian estrogen production, which is not the case with the estrogens ingested in cow’s milk.
