Does carrot juice give you more vitamin A than raw carrots?
Comparative bioavailability of β-carotene from raw carrots and fresh carrot juice in humans: a crossover study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite 2x higher β-carotene levels, no increase in overall plasma antioxidant capacity was detected.
Most people assume more antioxidants in the blood means better protection against oxidative stress — but this study shows that single-dose boosts don’t necessarily translate to measurable systemic antioxidant effects.
Practical Takeaways
Pair fresh carrot juice with a healthy fat like olive or canola oil to maximize vitamin A absorption.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite 2x higher β-carotene levels, no increase in overall plasma antioxidant capacity was detected.
Most people assume more antioxidants in the blood means better protection against oxidative stress — but this study shows that single-dose boosts don’t necessarily translate to measurable systemic antioxidant effects.
Practical Takeaways
Pair fresh carrot juice with a healthy fat like olive or canola oil to maximize vitamin A absorption.
Publication
Journal
Nutrition Research and Practice
Year
2024
Authors
Mi-Ju Choi, Juha Baek, Eunju Park
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Claims (4)
If healthy young adults eat raw carrots or drink carrot juice with a bit of oil, it boosts their body's β-carotene levels a lot—but that doesn’t actually improve their overall antioxidant power in the blood over the next day.
Drinking carrot juice helps your body absorb more beta-carotene than eating raw carrots. This happens because juicing breaks down the carrot's structure, making it easier for your body to soak up the nutrients.
Juicing carrots might help your body absorb more of the good stuff (like vitamin A) even though the juice has less of it per bite — you just need to drink more of it to get the same amount you'd get from eating whole carrots.
If young, healthy adults eat raw carrots or drink fresh carrot juice with a little canola oil, their bodies absorb the beta-carotene quickly—peaking in the blood in just 1.5 hours—and it’s all cleared out within 24 hours.