Carrot juice: beta-carotene the body absorbs well, with no disease outcome tested

Carrot juice delivers its beta-carotene into the blood more readily than raw carrots do. In a randomized crossover trial on 16 healthy young adults, fresh juice from a low-speed juicer gave a blood beta-carotene response 2.09 times larger than raw carrots at the same 25 mg dose, in a single sitting with oil added to both. The US survey database puts a 240 g glass at about 22 mg beta-carotene, 2294 ug of vitamin A and 96 calories, recomputed from one generic entry per 3.5 oz (100 g). Juice is still a weaker carrier than a supplement powder. In a 6-week trial with 4 volunteers per group, about 18 mg a day from a carrot juice drink raised blood beta-carotene by 1.71 umol/L, while 21.6 mg as water-dispersible powder raised it by 5.04 umol/L. What happens after absorption is far less clear. The trials here measured blood and skin carotenoids over two to six weeks, and we found no trial of carrot juice on a disease outcome.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• The UK food table lists carrot juice at 8115 ug carotene, 24 calories and 5.7 g sugars per 3.5 oz (100 g), a second figure beside the US value. — UK composition data, CoFID (n = 1 food code) Evidence E source
  Carotene 8115 ug, retinol equivalent 1355 ug, energy 24 calories, total sugars 5.7 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• In healthy men on a low-carotenoid diet, 11 fl oz (330 mL) of carrot juice a day for 2 weeks (27.1 mg beta-carotene) quickly raised blood carotenoids without matching changes in immune function. — healthy men on a low-carotenoid diet, 330 mL/day for 2 weeks Evidence B source
  Plasma carotenoids up (p < 0.0002); NK activity, IL-2, IL-4 not changed in step

What a real portion looks like

• A 240 g glass of carrot juice carries about 2294 ug vitamin A (RAE), 22 mg beta-carotene, 96 calories and 701 mg potassium in US survey data. — US household measures, FNDDS (n = 1 food code) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: vitamin A 956 ug RAE, beta-carotene 9303 ug, 40 calories, potassium 292 mg

What your body absorbs

• In 16 young adults given 25 mg beta-carotene with oil, fresh carrot juice gave a 2.09 times larger blood beta-carotene area under the curve than raw carrots. — 16 healthy non-smoking adults aged 20-30, 530 g juice or 320 g carrots plus 3.4 tbsp (50 mL) canola oil (n = 16) Evidence B source
  AUC 32.56 vs 15.58 ug/mL (2.09x); peak 8.72 vs 3.74 ug/mL at 1.5 h (2.33x)
• Over 6 weeks, beta-carotene from a carrot juice drink raised blood levels far less than the same dose as water-dispersible powder, 1.71 vs 5.04 umol/L at about 20 mg a day. — volunteers, 4 per group, 6-7 or 18-22 mg beta-carotene daily for 6 weeks (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Increment 0.42 (juice, 6 mg) vs 3.84 (powder, 7.2 mg); 1.71 (juice, 18 mg) vs 5.04 umol/L (powder, 21.6 mg)
• In 9 men eating carrots four ways, carrots with mayonnaise raised blood beta-carotene more than plain carrots or carrot juice. — 9 adult men, single meals in random order (n = 9) Evidence B source
  Higher incremental AUC for carrot with mayonnaise than carrot or juice (size not in abstract)

What cooking and storage change

• Benzene forms in heat-processed infant carrot juice, but estimated infant exposure of 1-10 ng/kg a day gave a margin of exposure above 100,000. — infants 3-12 months, DONALD study consumption data Evidence C source
  Exposure 1-10 ng/kg bw/day, margin of exposure > 100,000
• FDA tied 6 botulism cases in 2006 to pasteurized refrigerated carrot juice and asked juice makers to add a spore control step such as acidification or thermal treatment. — US juice processors under juice HACCP (n = 6 cases) Evidence E source
  Guidance, no effect size

What it does to your health

• Drinking 11 fl oz (330 mL) of carrot juice a day for 2 weeks almost doubled blood all-trans retinoic acid, from 1.2 to 2.0 ng/mL, with only a slight rise in retinol. — adult men, 2-week periods of tomato juice, carrot juice, spinach powder Evidence B source
  ATRA 1.2 +/- 0.3 to 2.0 +/- 0.31 ng/mL; retinol non-significant rise
• In a 6-week randomized trial with 162 adults, 12 fl oz (355 mL) of orange-carrot juice a day raised skin carotenoid scores by 42% from baseline. — adults from four US racial/ethnic groups randomized to apple juice, 6 fl oz (177 mL) or 12 fl oz (355 mL) orange-carrot juice a day (n = 162) Evidence B source
  Skin carotenoid score at 6 weeks 414.0 (high dose, 8 mg carotenoids/day) and 369.7 (moderate, 4 mg/day) vs 305.2 control; +42% from baseline in the high-dose group; plasma carotenoids +61%
• In a 4-week randomized crossover trial in 30 young women, high-carotenoid fruit and vegetables made skin visibly yellower, with no change in lightness or redness. — young women eating 7 daily servings of high- or low-carotenoid fruit and vegetables (n = 30) Evidence B source
  Greater increase in skin yellowness (b*) in sun-exposed and unexposed skin (both P<0.001); no change in L* or a*; yellowness tracked plasma alpha- and beta-carotene
• A 2008 meta-analysis of 7 studies found beta-carotene supplements protected against sunburn, but only after at least 10 weeks of use. — human supplementation studies of beta-carotene and UV-induced sunburn (n = 7 studies) Evidence A source
  Protection required >=10 weeks; protective effect grew by about 0.5 SD per extra month

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a Pakistani market survey, fresh carrot juice samples all stayed under the EU 2 ppb aflatoxin limit, while carrot pickle samples exceeded it. — carrot products from South Punjab markets, 125 consumers surveyed (n = 125) Evidence C source
  36.67% of samples had some aflatoxin; juice under 2 ppb; pickle AFB1 over 2 ppb
• An 11-year-old boy with birch pollen allergy had an anaphylactic reaction within one minute of drinking raw carrot juice. — one 11-year-old boy with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Abdominal pain, facial swelling, dyspnoea; carrot-specific IgE 40.63 kUA/L
• In a 42-day randomized trial in 30 men, definite skin yellowing appeared only with 30 mg of purified beta-carotene a day, not with 9.6 oz (272 g) of cooked carrots. — men randomized to 30 mg or 12 mg beta-carotene, 272 g cooked carrots, 300 g broccoli, 180 g tomato juice or placebo (n = 30) Evidence B source
  Carotenodermia only in the 30 mg group, after 25 to 42 days, above plasma carotenoids 4.0 mg/L; persisted 14 to >42 days after stopping
• A meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials found 20 to 30 mg a day of beta-carotene supplements raised lung cancer risk (RR 1.16), and by 20% in smokers and asbestos workers. — participants of 9 RCTs of beta-carotene supplementation (n = 9 RCTs) Evidence A source
  Lung cancer RR 1.16 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.27) at 20-30 mg/day; smokers RR 1.20 (1.07 to 1.34); melanoma RR 0.98 (0.65 to 1.46); non-melanoma skin cancer RR 0.99 (0.93 to 1.05)
• A review of 31 children referred to a Glasgow hospital with raised carotene found 87% had simple diet-related carotenemia and were well. — children with elevated plasma carotene, median age 13 months (n = 31) Evidence C source
  27 of 31 (87%) benign diet-related carotenemia; 4 had nutritional problems with failure to thrive
• A case report describes an 11-year-old with birch pollen allergy who had facial swelling, rash and breathing difficulty within a minute of drinking raw carrot juice. — 11-year-old boy with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Systemic reaction (facial and eyelid swelling, macular rash, dyspnoea); carrot-specific IgE Dau c 40.63 kUA/L

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize the claim that lactic-fermented carrot juice supports the immune system and the body's antioxidant system. — EU consumers, health-claim register Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized
• The EU did not authorize the claim that lactic-fermented carrot juice supports healthy digestion. — EU consumers, health-claim register Evidence E source
  Claim non-authorized
• According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, the most common effect of long-term excess beta-carotene is carotenodermia, a harmless yellow-orange skin. — general population Evidence E source
  Carotenodermia harmless and reversible; beta-carotene not teratogenic; 20 to 30 mg/day supplements raised lung cancer risk in smokers (ATBC, CARET)

Who this works differently for

• In 162 adults of four ethnic groups, 12 fl oz (355 mL) of orange-carrot juice a day for 6 weeks raised skin carotenoid scores by 42% and blood carotenoids by 61%. — 162 US adults (Black, Asian, White, Hispanic), 177 or 12 fl oz (355 mL) orange-carrot juice vs apple juice for 6 weeks (n = 162) Evidence B source
  High dose skin score 414.0 vs control 305.2; +42% skin, +61% plasma from baseline
• In 97 breastfeeding pairs, mothers drinking carrot and other vegetable juices for 1 month from 2 weeks postpartum led infants to eat carrot-flavored cereal faster after weaning. — 97 mother-infant dyads, juices for 1 or 3 months during lactation vs water (n = 97) Evidence B source
  Faster eating of carrot cereal after 1 month of early exposure; no carry-over to broccoli flavor
• In 15 male smokers, 3 weeks of orange juice plus carrot juice (16 mg beta-carotene a day) raised blood beta-carotene 2.6-fold and lowered one LDL oxidation product. — 15 normolipidemic male cigarette smokers, 3 weeks (n = 15) Evidence C source
  Beta-carotene 2.6-fold, vitamin C 1.6-fold; malondialdehyde 65.7 to 57.5 umol/g LDL protein
• In a randomized trial in 58 children aged 5 to 17, 2 to 4.1 tbsp (30 to 120 mL) a day of a carotenoid-rich juice raised skin carotenoids over 8 weeks. — children aged 5 to 17 years, Cache County, Utah; high dose, low dose or placebo juice (n = 58) Evidence B source
  Skin carotenoids +11,515 (high dose) and +10,009 (low dose) Raman counts at week 8 (both P<0.001); placebo +985 (NS); juice dose equal to about 23 to 92 g cooked carrots a day

What is still unknown

• In a 4-week randomized trial of 2, 5 or 8 fruit and vegetable portions a day in 30 low consumers, intake showed no association with rated skin healthiness. — low fruit and vegetable consumers, faces rated by 73 independent raters (n = 30) Evidence B source
  No direct effect on attractiveness; small indirect effect in women via skin yellowness; no association with perceived skin healthiness
• A 2025 meta-analysis of 61 dietary studies on skin aging said evidence gaps remain, especially for carotenoids. — healthy humans in dietary intervention studies on skin aging (n = 61 studies) Evidence A source
  Carotenoids: redness pSMD -0.53 (95% CI -1.02 to -0.04); no significant carotenoid effect reported for wrinkles, hydration or elasticity
• A 2025 meta-analysis of 40 randomized trials found carotenoid and lycopene supplements did not significantly improve skin photoageing. — healthy adults in RCTs of oral supplements for skin photoageing (n = 40 RCTs) Evidence A source
  No significant benefit of carotenoids or lycopene on photoageing, minimal erythema dose or elasticity (R2); all supplements safe over <=24 weeks

The bottom line

In 162 US adults from four ethnic groups, 12 fl oz (355 mL) a day of an orange and carrot blend for 6 weeks raised skin carotenoid scores by 42 percent and blood carotenoids by 61 percent from baseline, with apple juice as the control. In men on a low-carotenoid diet, 11 fl oz (330 mL) of carrot juice a day for 2 weeks raised blood carotenoids quickly, and the immune markers measured did not change with them. Another 2-week crossover at the same volume almost doubled blood retinoic acid, from 1.2 to 2.0 ng/mL, a biomarker with no clinical outcome attached. In 15 male smokers, an uncontrolled 3-week trial of orange juice plus carrot juice raised blood beta-carotene 2.6-fold and lowered one lab marker of LDL oxidation from 65.7 to 57.5 umol/g. Added fat may matter as well. In 9 men, carrots eaten with mayonnaise raised blood beta-carotene more than plain carrots or juice, and the abstract gives no size for the gap. The EU did not authorize two claims for lactic-fermented carrot juice, that it supports the immune system and that it supports healthy digestion. A rejected claim means the evidence did not meet the bar at the time. It does not prove the drink does nothing. The cautions are specific. An 11-year-old boy with birch pollen allergy went into anaphylaxis within one minute of drinking raw carrot juice, a single case, so anyone who reacts to birch pollen has reason to ask an allergist about raw carrot. Refrigerated carrot juice is a low-acid drink. In 2006, 4 botulism cases in the United States and 2 in Canada were linked to juice from one firm that had been pasteurized without reaching the temperature that kills spores, so it has to stay cold. Benzene forms when infant carrot juice is heat-sterilized, and a German assessment put infant exposure at 1 to 10 ng/kg a day, a margin of exposure above 100,000, which the authors called low. In one Pakistani market survey, fresh carrot juice stayed under the EU aflatoxin limit of 2 ppb while carrot pickle went over it. Breastfeeding mothers pass the flavor on. In 97 mother and infant pairs, mothers who drank carrot and other vegetable juices for one month starting two weeks after birth had babies who ate carrot-flavored cereal faster after weaning, with no carry-over to broccoli.

Sources

1. crju-r5-02 · reference dataset
   CoFID 13-607 Carrot juice: Carotene 8115 ug/100 g · Retinol Equivalent 1355 ug/100 g · Energy 24 kcal/100 g · Total sugars 5.7 g/100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England (OGL v3.0) · checked 2026-09-29
2. crju-r5-07 · RCT (crossover)
   In a blinded, randomized, cross-over study, male subjects on a low-carotenoid diet consumed 330 ml/day of either tomato juice (37.0 mg/day lycopene) or carrot juice (27.1 mg/day beta-carotene and 13.1 mg/day alpha-carotene) for 2 weeks with a 2-week depletion period after juice intervention. ... Juice consumption resulted in relatively fast responses in plasma carotenoid concentrations (p < 0.0002) which were not accompanied by concomitant changes in immune functions.
   Ann Nutr Metab, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
3. crju-r5-01 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2709683 Carrot juice, 100%: Vitamin A, RAE 956 ug/100 g, 240 g 2294.4 ug · Carotene, beta 9303 ug/100 g, 240 g 22327.2 ug · Energy 40 kcal/100 g, 240 g 96.0 kcal · Potassium 292 mg/100 g, 240 g 700.8 mg
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
4. crju-r5-03 · RCT (crossover)
   Furthermore, the area under the curve (AUC) for β-carotene absorption was 2.09 times greater in the juice group than in the raw carrot group, suggesting enhanced bioavailability from carrot juice (raw carrots: 15.58 ± 2.36 μg/mL, carrot juice: 32.56 ± 4.39 μg/mL, data not shown).
   Nutr Res Pract, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
5. crju-r5-04 · RCT
   Consumption of the beverage containing beta-carotene as a water dispersible powder resulted in a higher response of beta-carotene plasma concentrations with increments of 3.84 +/- 0.60 micromol/L (p < 0.05, dose: 7.2 mg/d) and 5.04 +/- 0.72 micromol/L (p < 0.05, dose: 21.6 mg/d), respectively, in comparison to the carrot juice-based drink with increments of 0.42 +/- 0.33 micromol/L (dose: 6 mg/d) and 1.71 +/- 0.55 micromol/L (dose: 18 mg/d), respectively.
   Eur J Nutr, 2002 · checked 2026-09-29
6. crju-r5-05 · RCT (crossover)
   In a human study, diets were provided in the form of (1) carrot as a control (CON), (2) carrot juice (JU), (3) carrot with oil (OIL) and (4) carrot with mayonnaise (MS). ... The incremental areas under the curves of serum β-carotene concentration were higher following MS than following both CON and JU.
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2011 · checked 2026-09-29
7. crju-r5-11 · risk assessment
   Benzene was previously detected as a heat-induced contaminant in infant carrot juices. ... The calculated exposures for infants between 3 and 12 months were low, with averages between 1 and 10 ng/kg bw/day, resulting in a margin of exposure above 100,000.
   Food Chem Toxicol, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
8. crju-r5-14 · agency guidance
   Four cases of botulism linked to refrigerated carrot juice occurred in the United States and two cases occurred in Canada in September and October of 2006. The implicated products, all of which came from a single firm, were pasteurized but were not heated to a temperature that would eliminate spores of proteolytic
   FDA Guidance for Industry: Refrigerated Carrot Juice and Other Refrigerated Low-Acid Juices, 2007 · checked 2026-09-29
9. crju-r5-06 · RCT (crossover)
   This study shows that consumption of carrot juice containing high concentrations of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid beta-carotene results in slightly, non-significantly increased plasma ROL concentrations and strong, significantly increased (almost double, from 1.2 +/- 0.3 to 2.0 +/- 0.31 ng/mL) plasma concentrations of ATRA
   Nutrition, 2008 · checked 2026-09-29
10. ev-cjsk-01 · RCT
    In the high-dose group, there was a 42% change in skin carotenoids from baseline (mean = 290.4) to a 6-wk follow-up (increase of 123, 123/290 = 42.4%).
    J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07
11. ev-cjsk-03 · RCT
    Following HCFV there was a significantly greater increase in skin yellowness (b*) in both sun-exposed (P<0.001) and unexposed areas, (P<0.001), with no change in skin lightness (L*) or redness (a*).
    J Acad Nutr Diet, 2016 · checked 2026-10-07
12. ev-cjsk-05 · meta-analysis
    Regression plot analysis revealed that protection required a minimum of 10 weeks of supplementation with a mean increase of the protective effect of 0.5 standard deviations with every additional month of supplementation.
    Photochem Photobiol, 2008 · checked 2026-10-07
13. crju-r5-12 · prevalence survey
    All the samples of carrot root, fresh carrot juice and gajrella contained TAF levels less than the maximum limit (ML) (2 ppb) assigned by the European Union (EU). However, the entire AFB1 positive samples of carrot pickle contained AFB1 levels of more than 2 ppb exceeding the ML.
    Nat Prod Res, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
14. crju-r5-13 · case report
    We report an 11-year-old boy who experienced a unique anaphylactic reaction after consuming raw carrot juice. The patient exhibited symptoms within one minute, including abdominal pain, facial and eyelid swelling, dyspnea, a macular rash, choking sensation and drowsiness.
    Children (Basel), 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
15. ev-cjsk-08 · RCT
    Definite carotenodermia was observed only in the five subjects who took 30 mg of purified beta-carotene daily.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 1988 · checked 2026-10-07
16. ev-cjsk-10 · meta-analysis
    The incidence of lung and stomach cancers were significantly increased in individuals supplemented with beta-carotene at 20-30 mg day(-1) (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.27 and RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.70), in smokers and asbestos workers (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07-1.34 and RR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.08-2.19) compared to the placebo group.
    Int J Cancer, 2010 · checked 2026-10-07
17. ev-cjsk-11 · retrospective cohort
    Twenty-seven (87%) children had simple diet-related carotenaemia and were well.
    Scott Med J, 2004 · checked 2026-10-07
18. ev-cjsk-12 · case report
    We report an 11-year-old boy who experienced a unique anaphylactic reaction after consuming raw carrot juice.
    Children (Basel), 2023 · checked 2026-10-07
19. crju-r5-15 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-6691 Beta carota (carrot juice, lactic acid fermented) Supports the immune system, supports the natural antioxidant system in the body Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6691, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
20. crju-r5-16 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-6689 Beta carota (carrot juice, lactic acid fermented) Supports a healthy digestion Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6689, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
21. ev-cjsk-09 · agency position
    The most common effect of long-term, excess beta-carotene is carotenodermia, a harmless condition in which the skin becomes yellow-orange [3].
    NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin A and Carotenoids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-07
22. crju-r5-08 · RCT
    At 6 wk, participants in the high-dose and moderate-dose groups had significantly higher mean skin carotenoid scores [414.0 (SD = 100.6) and 369.7 (SD = 100.3), respectively] compared with those in the control group [305.2 (100.5)]. In the high-dose group, there was a 42% change in skin carotenoids from baseline (mean = 290.4) to a 6-wk follow-up (increase of 123, 123/290 = 42.4%).
    J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
23. crju-r5-09 · RCT
    A relatively brief experience (1 mo) with vegetable flavors in mothers' milk, starting at 0.5 mo postpartum, was sufficient to shift the hedonic tone, which resulted in a faster rate of eating carrot-flavored cereal than that in infants who were exposed during subsequent months or not at all.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
24. crju-r5-10 · controlled trial
    Vitamin-rich food supplements raised plasma levels of ascorbic acid (1.6-fold; P < .01) and beta carotene (2.6-fold; P < .01).
    J Am Diet Assoc, 1995 · checked 2026-09-29
25. ev-cjsk-02 · RCT
    Consumption of 30 to 120 mL (2.75 to 11 mg carotenoids) of a carotenoid-rich juice significantly increased skin carotenoid status over an 8-week period among children aged 5 to 17 years.
    J Acad Nutr Diet, 2015 · checked 2026-10-07
26. ev-cjsk-04 · RCT
    No association between FV consumption and skin healthiness was found, but skin healthiness was associated with facial attractiveness.
    BMC Public Health, 2018 · checked 2026-10-07
27. ev-cjsk-06 · meta-analysis
    Evidence gaps remain, especially regarding carotenoids and vitamins.
    J Physiol Anthropol, 2025 · checked 2026-10-07
28. ev-cjsk-07 · meta-analysis
    However, hyaluronic acid, lycopene, and carotenoids did not show any significant benefits in improving skin photoaging or MED/R2.
    Front Med (Lausanne), 2025 · checked 2026-10-07