The One Skin-Supporting Food This Gut Health Expert Can't Get Enough Of
If you're familiar with naturopathic doctor Kellyann Petrucci, M.S., N.D., you likely know she has quite the affinity for bone broth. She's quick to tout the nutrient-rich liquid's mighty skin and gut benefits—but it's not the only thing she eats to support her glowing complexion. Another skin-healthy food Petrucci can't get enough of? Blueberries. Here's why she eats her berries whenever she can.
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Why this gut health expert loves blueberries for the skin.
"Blueberries are really spectacular for the skin," Petrucci says on a recent episode of Clean Beauty School. "They even offer this ability to help [healthy] aging." Specifically, deeply hued blues are chock-full of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins (or the pigments that give berries their blue-purple coloring), which have been shown to help support healthy skin aging1 by providing antioxidant protection against environmental exposure and free radicals. Research also shows the anthocyanins in blueberries can promote natural collagen production2.*
On a collagen-specific note, blueberries also contain a high dose of vitamin C—which, as we know, is a vital part of the collagen production process (Read: Your skin requires vitamin C in order to synthesize collagen). It doesn't just stimulate collagen production; it stabilizes the collagen3 you have, leading to overall wrinkle reduction.*
For these reasons, Petrucci says she includes blueberries "in anything I can get at any time." A blueberry beauty smoothie, some keto-friendly blueberry muffins, a jar of blueberry cheesecake overnight oats—feel free to pop 'em into any recipe you please. Or you can always grab a cup of blues for a snack on the go; really, you can never get enough of these tasty berries.
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The takeaway.
When it comes to skin-supporting foods, Petrucci frequently turns to blueberries (in addition to bone broth, of course). Given the load of antioxidants and phytonutrients, it's not hard to see why she loves incorporating blueberries into her daily meals.
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare. In her role at mbg, she reports on everything from the top beauty industry trends, to the gut-skin connection and the microbiome, to the latest expert makeup hacks. She currently lives in New York City.