Quick answer: Carrot and beetroot juice combines beta-carotene from carrots with dietary nitrates and folate from beetroot. The best-supported benefits are modest blood-pressure reduction, improved exercise stamina, better vitamin A status for skin and eyes, and folate for red blood cell formation. Use two carrots to one small beetroot, add lemon, and drink 200–250 ml fresh in the morning. A glass has roughly 90–110 calories.
Carrot and beetroot juice is the simplest version of the vegetable juice habit — two ingredients, both cheap and available year-round in India, and a colour that makes it look far more elaborate than it is.
It is also the core of the more popular ABC juice, which simply adds an apple for sweetness. If you want the nutritional benefits without the extra sugar of the apple, the two-ingredient version is arguably the better daily drink.
Key takeaways
- Ratio: 2 carrots : 1 small beetroot, plus lemon. More beetroot than that tastes like soil.
- Roughly 90–110 calories per 250 ml — lower than ABC juice because there is no apple.
- Beetroot nitrates are the most researched element: modest blood-pressure and stamina effects.
- Pink urine after drinking it is harmless. Kidney-stone history means limit beetroot.
- Blend and keep the pulp if you can — more fibre, steadier blood sugar.
What are the benefits of carrot and beetroot juice?
| Nutrient | Comes from | What the evidence supports |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary nitrates | Beetroot | Modest blood-pressure reduction; improved exercise efficiency |
| Beta-carotene | Carrot | Converted to vitamin A — required for skin repair and night vision |
| Folate | Beetroot | Red blood cell formation; important in pregnancy |
| Betalains | Beetroot | Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in lab studies |
| Potassium | Both | Normal fluid balance and blood pressure regulation |
Blood pressure
This is the strongest claim the drink can make. Beetroot's nitrates convert to nitric oxide, which relaxes and widens blood vessels. Controlled trials of beetroot juice have repeatedly found small but measurable reductions in systolic blood pressure. The effect is genuine, modest, and dependent on drinking it regularly rather than occasionally — and it is not a replacement for medication.
Stamina and exercise performance
The same nitrate pathway improves the efficiency of oxygen use during exercise, which is why beetroot juice is one of the few vegetable juices with a genuine following among endurance athletes. If this is your goal, timing matters: 60–90 minutes before a session is when the nitrate concentration peaks.
Skin
Carrots are one of the densest dietary sources of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A — a nutrient the skin genuinely needs for cell turnover and repair. Combined with beetroot's antioxidants, regular intake plausibly supports a clearer, more even complexion over four to eight weeks. It will not lighten or whiten skin tone; nothing you drink does that.
Hemoglobin and energy
Beetroot is widely recommended in India for "increasing hemoglobin". The reality is more measured: beetroot contains folate and some iron, both relevant to red blood cell production, but it is not a high-iron food and will not by itself correct anemia. Adding lemon helps, because vitamin C substantially improves absorption of the plant-based iron present. If you are anemic, treat this as a supporting habit alongside proper medical advice, not a cure.
Carrot and beetroot juice ratio and recipe
Beetroot dominates fast. The ratio below keeps it drinkable:
- 2 medium carrots (about 120 g total), scrubbed
- 1 small beetroot (about 80–100 g), peeled
- ½ inch ginger, peeled
- Juice of ½ lemon, added at the end
- 120–150 ml chilled water if blending rather than juicing
- Chop to 1.5–2 cm cubes. Both vegetables are dense; large pieces jam a compact juicer.
- Load beetroot and carrot first, closest to the blades.
- Pulse in 20–30 second bursts, shaking between them, rather than running the motor continuously.
- Add lemon after blending so the vitamin C is not heated.
- Drink within 15–20 minutes — nitrate and vitamin content drop as it oxidises.
How many calories in carrot and beetroot juice?
Roughly 90–110 calories per 250 ml glass when juiced, or about 120 when blended with the pulp retained. That is meaningfully lower than ABC juice, which lands nearer 110–170 depending on method, because there is no apple contributing sugar.
If you are watching sugar intake specifically, the two-ingredient version is the better choice. If you find it too earthy to drink consistently, adding the apple is a reasonable trade — a juice you actually drink beats a purer one you abandon.
What are the side effects of carrot and beetroot juice?
- Beeturia. Pink or red urine and stools after beetroot. Completely harmless, but startling if unexpected.
- Kidney stones. Beetroot is high in oxalates. Anyone with a history of calcium-oxalate stones should limit or avoid it.
- Low blood pressure. If yours already runs low, or you take antihypertensives, the nitrate effect can stack. Check with your doctor.
- Blood sugar. Juicing strips fibre, so the sugar hits faster. People with diabetes should blend rather than strain and keep portions small.
- Carotenemia. Sustained very high carrot intake can tint palms and soles orange. Harmless and reversible, but a cue to reduce.
Can a portable juicer handle carrot and beetroot?
These are the two hardest common vegetables to juice, so this is a fair question. A compact rechargeable juicer manages them provided you prepare properly: cube everything to 1.5–2 cm, add at least 100 ml of liquid so the mixture circulates, and pulse rather than holding the button down.
Blade count matters more here than with soft fruit. The NEWDRU 6-Blade Portable Fruit Juicer has more cutting surface per rotation, which reduces motor strain on dense produce. Beetroot also stains badly, so a self-cleaning option like the NEWDRU HS-889 Self-Cleaning Portable Juicer removes the main reason people quit the habit. The full range is on the NEWDRU Portable Juicers collection.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink carrot and beetroot juice daily?
For most healthy adults, one 200–250 ml glass a day is fine. Limit it if you have a history of kidney stones, low blood pressure, or diabetes, and speak to your doctor if you take blood-pressure medication.
Which is better — carrot beetroot juice or ABC juice?
Nutritionally they are close, since beetroot and carrot do most of the work in both. The two-ingredient version is lower in sugar and calories; ABC juice tastes noticeably better because the apple offsets the earthiness. Choose based on which one you will actually drink daily.
Does beetroot juice increase hemoglobin?
It contributes folate and a small amount of iron, both relevant to red blood cell formation, but beetroot is not a high-iron food and does not by itself correct anemia. Adding lemon improves absorption of the iron it does contain. Anyone with diagnosed anemia should follow medical advice rather than relying on juice.
Should I peel carrots and beetroot before juicing?
Peel the beetroot — the skin is tough and tastes strongly of soil. Carrots only need a firm scrub, since many nutrients sit just beneath the skin. Wash both thoroughly regardless.
When is the best time to drink it?
Morning on a relatively empty stomach for general health, or 60–90 minutes before exercise if you are after the stamina effect. Avoid drinking it late at night.
Juice it in five minutes
Rechargeable cordless portable juicers built for dense produce like carrot and beetroot — 6-blade and self-cleaning options included.
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The bottom line
Carrot and beetroot juice is a genuinely useful daily habit with one well-evidenced benefit — the nitrate effect on blood pressure and stamina — and several supporting ones around vitamin A and folate. Keep the ratio at two carrots to one small beetroot, add lemon, drink it fresh, and keep the pulp if the texture allows. Skip it if you have a kidney-stone history, and talk to your doctor if you are on blood-pressure medication.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, especially if you have diabetes, kidney disease, low blood pressure, or are pregnant.