Anti-Inflammatory Beet Carrot Skin Smoothie
You guys already know I had really bad acne in the past, and lately it’s been creeping back. 😭 I think I’m going through some kind of mid-20s second puberty, so naturally I made a smoothie for it.
This anti-inflammatory beet carrot skin smoothie is one of my favorites for when my skin needs a reset. The color alone is beautiful, and it actually tells you a lot about what’s inside!
Beets get their vibrant color from compounds called betalains, specifically betacyanins (the red-violet pigment). These are well-studied antioxidants with demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. They work partly by inhibiting pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in the body. Most research has been done in cell and animal models (with some clinical work), so the evidence is promising but still building for humans.
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that your body converts, and plays a role in skin cell turnover and maintaining healthy skin tissue. Steaming beets and carrots also helps preserve their water-soluble nutrients better than boiling, because there’s no direct contact with water for those compounds to leach into! Cooking carrots increases the bioavailability of carotenoids compared to eating them raw, so steaming them before blending is the best way to prep them here.
Blueberries and strawberries add another layer of antioxidants, ginger and cinnamon bring the anti-inflammatory support, chia seeds add fiber and omega-3s, and coconut water keeps everything hydrating with natural electrolytes. A date sweetens it just enough without any added sugar.
If you need a refreshing skin reset, then this one’s for you!
🔎DOI: 10.26599/FSHW.2022.9250093, PMID: 25875121
Anti-Inflammatory Beet Carrot Skin Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ cup beets, steamed
- ½ cup carrots, steamed
- 1 date
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- ⅓ cup blueberries
- ½ orange
- 375 mL coconut water
- 1 ” knob ginger
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions Start Cooking
- Steam the beets and carrots until fork-tender, about 30–40 minutes. Let them cool slightly before blending. (See prep note below to save time on future batches.)½ cup beets, ½ cup carrots
- Add all ingredients to a blender.1 date, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, ⅓ cup blueberries, ½ orange, 375 mL coconut water, 1 ” knob ginger, ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Pour and enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Stir or shake before drinking if it sits.
Notes
Hi, I’m Tam!
I’m a Vietnamese American and the creator behind this recipe blog. I was previously a scientist but now do recipe development and content creation. I turned my love for research and food into intentional, science-backed cooking…
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