Is Carrot Juice Bad For You?
Short answer
Carrot juice is very good for you. It’s rich in fiber, beta-carotene and other nutrients and can help protect eye and brain health, reduce your risk of heart disease and even fight cancer.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
It’s no surprise that carrots have some pretty amazing health benefits—most of us have been told to eat more of them since we were little! The carrot is a versatile root vegetable that can be grown (in some shape, color or form) all over the world. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which helps protect your eye health. Additionally, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium are plentiful in carrots and help support strong, healthy bones and central nervous system.
And believe it or not, carrot juice is actually healthier for you than raw carrots. Here’s why: a cup of carrot juice is about 236 grams, which is approximately three times the weight of one raw carrot. It’s difficult to eat three raw carrots in a sitting, so one cup of carrot gets you considerably more nutrients in a single fell swoop.
When it comes to macronutrients, one cup of carrot juice has just under 100 calories with 2.24 grams of protein and 1.9 grams of fiber. A raw carrot contains about one-third the amount of calories and protein, but it does offer a full two grams of fiber. It’s also important to note that carrot juice contains more natural sugar—just over nine grams. A raw carrot only has about 3.4 grams of natural sugar, so if you’re trying to control your weight or blood sugar, a raw carrot might be a better option.
In terms of nutrients, carrot juice is richer in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than a raw carrot. It contains an impressive three times the daily recommended intake of vitamin A and fulfills about a quarter of the requirements for vitamin C and E. These antioxidants are important because they help your body fight cell-damaging free radicals, which can cause premature aging, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other illnesses.
In fact, a 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food shared stunning evidence that carrot juice extracts may be effective in treating certain types of cancers. This is largely due to the beta carotene and polyacetylene antioxidants found in carrots, which are bioactive chemicals. In the study, cancer cell growth was inhibited when leukemia cell lines were treated with the extracts.
The benefits of carrot juice are abundant—but if you decide to add it to your diet, there are certain precautions you should take. For instance, opt for organic carrots whenever possible. Because, as previously mentioned, drinking carrot juice packs about three times the potency of a raw carrot. So if those carrots do contain pesticide residue, you may be consuming a high dose of these dangerous chemicals.
Possible short-term side effects
Benefits
- protects eye, brain, skin health
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reduces risk of heart disease
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promotes immune system health
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reduces risk of cancer
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3 times the nutrient density as raw carrots
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