5 surprising foods that inspire a Korean celebrity glow – The Glory’s Song Hye-kyo eats pumpkin soup

We so often run to purchase skincare products used by K-pop idols and Korean actresses, and hastily adopt their skincare steps into our own routines in a bid to get a fraction of their skin’s translucent, glassy glow. But, we’re forgetting that how the skin looks is also affected by what you put – not onto, but into your body too.

Even though popular superfoods like avocado, chia seeds, and blueberries easily come to mind, we’re betting that you’ll be surprised by at least three foods on this list that’ll inspire a Korean celebrity glow.

Read on, because we’re even sharing the scoop on The Glory’s Song Hye-kyo’s favourite dish!

Sweet potato

In an episode of the Korean variety show, Now, Follow Me, Bae Suzy revealed that she eats sweet potato, chicken breast, and a cup of low-fat milk for breakfast.

Her goal might be to keep her calorie count low, but there’s a secret food in the mix that’s good for the skin too: sweet potato.

According to Dr. Nadia Musavvir, N.D, a naturopathic doctor and nutrition expert, “high beta carotene content is essentially a retinol ‘precursor’” – and sweet potato (re: their orange colour) is packed with plenty of it.

One cup of baked sweet potatoes already gives you two times the recommended daily intake of beta-carotene. When beta-carotene gets converted into vitamin A, or retinol, in the body, it helps to fight free radical damage and against premature ageing.

That’s one way to cop a Korean-actress-worthy glow.

Pumpkin

Korean actress Song Hye-kyo, who has starred in the hit series Descendants of the Sun and The Glory, revealed in an early interview that she loves to drink pumpkin soup.

“My favourite food is pumpkin soup (호박죽). Pumpkin is good for health and it is also good for reducing the “swollenness” of the body, so I really like it,” she trilled.

Even though she said she takes pumpkin soup to boost her health and reduce swelling, the fact is that pumpkin paves the way for glowing skin too.

The fruit is rich in skin-friendly vitamin C, which helps with brightening, and vitamin E – an antioxidant that prevents free radical damage such as from exposure to UV rays.

Kimchi

No doubt, Koreans – celebrities, included – love their kimchi, but did you know that kimchi is also a superfood that can dial up your skin’s glow?

Fermented foods emerged as the number one superfood in Today’s Dietitian’s annual “What’s Trending in Nutrition” 2023 survey, and the category includes foods like kimchi, yoghurt, kombucha, and pickled vegetables.

Rich in probiotics, fermented food like kimchi can help to improve not just gut health but skin health too.

Kimchi is also packed with vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, and beta-carotene, and its powerful antioxidant properties will help your body in the battle against free radicals – the enemies of a youthful-looking radiance.

Kimchi does, however, have high sodium content, so, like with every other food, make sure to eat it in moderation.

Red wine

Jessica Jung’s YouTube channel gives us an inside scoop on her everyday life, including what she loves to eat and drink.

In one of her recent vlogs, she brought fans through her days in November with her family and friends. Twice, we spotted her sipping on red wine, perhaps, one of the secrets to her flawless, glass skin.

Red wine contains natural phenols, which have powerful antioxidant properties and can help to reduce the risk of cancer, lower blood pressure, and boost the immune system, depending on the type of red wine you consume.

The antioxidant properties of red wine can also protect the skin cells from free radical damage and the effects of ageing (think: Jessica Jung’s youthful-looking skin).

However, as alcohol is also known to take a toll on the skin by causing dehydration or even redness over time, it’s definitely important that you drink red wine in moderation.

HealthXchange by SingHealth recommends taking no more than one to two glasses of wine per day, and not to start drinking it for health benefits if you don’t already have it in your diet.

Collagen

Pulling out a pack of collagen supplements in one of her YouTube vlogs, MAMAOO’s Solar explained: “It’s a nutritional supplement recommended to me by her [Sujeong Unnie] with me turning 30.”

There’s no debate about it: collagen is a major component of skin and it’s what keeps our skin firm, resilient, and from sagging. There is, however, some back-and-forth around the question of whether consuming more collagen can really boost skin health.

Does eating collagen really give you firmer skin?

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, there are trials showing that collagen supplements help to increase skin elasticity.

And, although there aren’t enough studies to conclude that eating more collagen can improve skin’s health, collagen-rich foods are often recommended as part of a healthy diet plan too.

How can I add collagen to my diet?

There are plenty of collagen-rich foods that you can add to your diet such as brisket, gelatin, and bone broth – Blackpink’s Rosé once said that she loves to eat her mom’s chicken feet collagen soup.

Besides collagen-rich foods, high-protein foods like fish, eggs, soy, and dairy, packed with amino acids, are also believed to help ramp up collagen production in the body.

Finally, if you’ve got no time to check collagen-rich or protein-rich foods off your supermarket shopping list, why not follow in K-pop idol Solar’s footsteps and start adding collagen supplements to your stash?

Collagen supplements make it easy for you to keep track of how much collagen you’re consuming each day without needing to search for specific foods to eat at lunchtime. Often packaged in small bottles or light sachets, they’re also easy to take with you on the go.

Try this popular collagen supplement in Singapore

MAMAOO’s Solar started taking collagen supplements as she entered her 30s, so we’re recommending this particular collagen supplement that’s ideal for those in their 30s: Kinohimitsu Collagen Diamond.

A bestselling collagen beauty drinks brand in Singapore and Malaysia, Kinohimitsu is loved for its Collagen Diamond drink, which helps boost skin’s firmness and turn back the clock on ageing skin.

Infused with 5300mg of marine collagen peptides, Collagen Diamond 5300mg plumps up fine lines and wrinkles and locks in skin’s moisture for a more youthful-looking glow.

Perilla seed extract, rich in protein and amino acids, encourages cell renewal; at the same time, silk protein peptides bind to water and increase the hydration levels in parched skin.

Laced also with soy isoflavone, Collagen Diamond stimulates collagen and elastin production for bouncier skin.

Kinohimitsu Collagen Diamond is super easy to add to a meal plan too. Simply crack open a small bottle of the collagen drink before breakfast or bedtime, and keep to this routine for six days straight to see a slight difference in your skin.

After about a month of taking Kinohimitsu Collagen Diamond, you should start to notice significant changes to the look and feel of your skin: a firmer bounce, tighter pores, plumped-up fine lines and wrinkles, and a dewier complexion!

Kinohimitsu Collagen Diamond retails at S$74.90 on Kinohimitsu. Shop other collagen supplements from Kinohimitsu, here.

Do note that the information provided in this article is intended for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. The effects on skin health may vary and it is important to do your own research and consult with a nutritionist or doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.

Featured image credit: jessica.syj/Instagram, BLACKPINK/YouTube

This article is brought to you by Kinohimitsu.