The natural color of our skin is determined by the melanin pigment in our skin cells. Melanin is found in higher quantities in darker people than in fair people. You may notice that your skin is turning yellow. Yellow skin could be a problem associated with jaundice. In this case, you will have several accompanying symptoms such as yellow colored eyes, discoloration in your urine and general malaise. Jaundice can be caused by various strains of what is known as hepatitis. It is a condition that affects your liver and is potentially life threatening if not diagnosed and treated properly.
Yellowing of the skin may also result from the excess consumption of carotene. Carrots are full of carotene which gives them their distinct orange color. Carotene is also abundant in other vegetables such as sweet potato. If you are drinking too much carrot juice or consuming too many carrots, you may develop yellowish skin. However, the tone of your skin should be tending more towards an orange-ish yellow. The name of this condition is carotenosis and is not harmful to you. You simply need to reduce your consumption of carotene rich foods and over time your body color will return to its original shade.
If you are not consuming carotene based foods you should get your blood tested by a doctor. There may be some underlying medical condition that is affecting your body and presenting itself with yellow skin. Yellow skin may be a symptom of hypothyroidism. While this symptom is not commonly presented by patients, it is known to occur in some people. What happens is that your lack of thyroid hormone impairs your body’s ability to convert beta carotene into vitamin A. This conversion is the reason why carrots are known to help with night vision problems. If you are suffering from low thyroid hormone production, you should notice other symptoms as well. These include tiredness, feeling excessively cold, low heart rate, aches and pains in the muscles and joints. Hypothyroidism is also linked with weight gain. This is because your rate of metabolism slows down when you are suffering from hypothyroidism. Because your body does not metabolize fast enough, the food you are consuming will not be used fully and you may gain weight as a result. If you see any of these accompanying symptoms, check with your doctor for thyroid tests and make sure that this is not the cause of your yellow feet and hands.