To create a skin-supporting sip, Bowe recommends selecting ingredients with protein, antioxidants (specifically vitamin C), skin-friendly fats, and prebiotics. Her smoothie fits the bill quite nicely: She includes banana for prebiotics that nurture the gut-skin axis; almond butter for protein and healthy fats; and blueberries, spinach, and cacao powder for those potent antioxidants.
Specifically, cacao powder “contains polyphenols, which are bioactive nutrients known to quench free radicals and rebalance the gut microbiome,” she explains in a comment. Blueberries, on the other hand, contain anthocyanins (or the pigments that give berries their blue-purple coloring), which have been shown to help support healthy skin aging11 by providing antioxidant protection against environmental exposure and free radicals. Research shows these anthocyanins can also promote natural collagen production22. Vitamin C also has an integral part in collagen synthesis, and it stabilizes the collagen you already have*—it’s present in the berries and spinach.
In short: This smoothie contains antioxidant-rich and collagen-supporting ingredients, both of which can help enhance your glow.*
