Are Beets Healthier Than Carrots? A Complete Nutritional Breakdown

October 4, 2025 •

4 min read

While carrots are famously known for their high beta-carotene content, beets pack a powerful punch with nitrates and folate. This means the answer to "Are beets healthier than carrots?" isn't straightforward, as each vegetable offers unique benefits that can significantly impact different aspects of your health.

Quick Summary

This article explores the core nutritional differences between beets and carrots, examining their unique health benefits for the heart, eyes, and digestive system. It provides a detailed comparison to help you understand each vegetable's strengths and how to best incorporate both into a balanced diet for maximum health gains.

Key Points

Heart Health vs. Eye Health: Beets, rich in nitrates, are superior for improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure, while carrots excel at boosting vision and protecting eyes due to high beta-carotene.
Folate vs. Vitamin A: Beets are a great source of folate, an essential B-vitamin, whereas carrots are an unparalleled source of vitamin A, derived from beta-carotene.
Antioxidant Power: Beets contain unique antioxidants called betalains, while carrots are packed with carotenoids like beta-carotene and lutein; both compounds protect against oxidative stress.
Balanced Digestion: Both vegetables are high in fiber, with carrots promoting regularity and beets containing betaine to support liver and digestive function.
Combined Benefits: The best approach is to consume both beets and carrots to gain their complementary health advantages, rather than favoring one over the other.
Blood Sugar Considerations: Carrots have a lower glycemic index and less sugar than beets, making them a more moderate option for blood sugar management.

Beets and carrots are both staple root vegetables celebrated for their rich nutritional profiles and vibrant colors. However, their health benefits differ significantly, making a direct comparison essential for those looking to optimize their dietary intake. Rather than one being universally superior, they each excel in different areas, complementing each other perfectly in a balanced diet.

Beets vs. Carrots: A Nutrient-by-Nutrient Look

The Nutritional Power of Beets

Beets are often recognized for their deep red color, which comes from potent antioxidants called betalains. Beyond their pigmentation, beets are particularly rich in several key nutrients that contribute to their unique health advantages:

Nitrates: Beets are an excellent source of dietary nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps relax and widen blood vessels, leading to improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and enhanced exercise performance.
Folate: This B-vitamin (B9) is crucial for cell growth and function, playing a vital role in preventing neural tube defects during pregnancy. Beets contain significantly more folate than carrots.
Fiber: With nearly 4 grams of fiber per cup, beets aid digestion, help regulate blood sugar, and contribute to weight management.
Other Minerals: Beets are also a good source of manganese, potassium, and iron, all of which are essential for various bodily functions.

The Nutritional Prowess of Carrots

Carrots are famous for their orange hue, derived from a powerful compound called beta-carotene. The body converts this pigment into vitamin A, a nutrient with profound effects on health:

Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A): This is the star of carrots, with their content being exceptionally high. Vitamin A is vital for maintaining healthy vision, particularly protecting the retina and reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration. It also supports immune function and skin health.
Vitamin K: Carrots provide a significant amount of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and bone health.
Fiber: Like beets, carrots are high in dietary fiber, which promotes smooth digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Antioxidants: The antioxidants in carrots, including beta-carotene and lutein, help combat free radicals, which reduces oxidative stress and lowers the risk of chronic diseases.

Health Benefits: Head-to-Head

When comparing the health benefits of beets and carrots, it's clear that their strengths lie in different areas. Incorporating both into your diet is the optimal strategy for comprehensive health support.

Heart Health: The Beet Advantage

Beets may have an edge over carrots when it comes to direct cardiovascular benefits due to their high nitrate content. These nitrates increase nitric oxide production, which helps lower blood pressure and improve blood flow, a significant boost for heart health. Carrots also support the heart with antioxidants and fiber, which helps manage cholesterol, but the nitrate effect gives beets a unique advantage for immediate circulatory function.

Eye Health: The Carrot Advantage

Carrots are the clear winner for eye health, primarily because of their high beta-carotene content. The conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A is crucial for maintaining the retina and preventing night blindness. While beets and their greens contain lutein, another important antioxidant for eyes, the sheer volume of vitamin A in carrots makes them superior for vision support.

Digestive Health: A Collaborative Effort

Both vegetables are excellent for digestive health due to their high fiber content. The fiber in carrots promotes regular bowel movements and prevents constipation. Beets contain betaine, a compound that supports liver function and aids in digestion. Together, they form a formidable pair for maintaining a healthy and happy gut.

Comparison Table: Beets vs. Carrots


Feature	Beets	Carrots
Best For...	Heart health, energy, exercise performance	Eye health, vision, skin health
Key Nutrient	Nitrates, Folate	Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A)
Other Nutrients	Manganese, Iron, Betalains	Vitamin K, Potassium, Lutein
Impact on Blood Pressure	Helps lower it due to high nitrate content	Indirect support via fiber and potassium
Glycemic Index	Higher than carrots (depending on preparation)	Lower than beets
Antioxidants	Rich in betalains	Rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids
Flavor Profile	Earthy, sweet	Sweet, crunchy

How to Incorporate Both Into Your Diet

Instead of choosing one over the other, the best approach is to enjoy both beets and carrots regularly to reap their combined benefits. Here are some simple ways to add them to your meals:

Juice Blends: A popular way to consume both is by juicing them together. A carrot-beet juice blend combines the heart-healthy nitrates of beets with the vision-boosting vitamin A from carrots.
Roasted Vegetables: Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of both vegetables. Chop them into cubes, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until tender.
Salads: Shredded raw carrots and beets can add a crunchy, colorful, and nutrient-dense element to any salad. A simple vinaigrette dressing pairs perfectly with their flavors.
Soups and Stews: Both vegetables can serve as a flavorful and nutritious base for soups and stews. They soften beautifully when cooked, adding texture and sweetness.
Smoothies: For a convenient and quick nutrient boost, blend a handful of baby carrots and a small piece of cooked beet with fruits like berries and greens.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the question of "Are beets healthier than carrots?" is a trick question. Neither is unequivocally healthier than the other; they are simply different, with distinct and powerful nutritional strengths. Carrots are the champion for eye health due to their exceptional vitamin A content, while beets take the lead for cardiovascular health, exercise performance, and folate. The smartest strategy is to include both in your diet to take advantage of their complete range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Eating a varied diet filled with different colored vegetables, like the bright orange of carrots and the deep red of beets, is the best way to ensure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs to thrive. A balanced and diverse diet always wins over focusing on a single food item.

For more information on the health benefits of both root vegetables, consider exploring a resource like this comparison guide from the Times of India.

Frequently Asked Questions

Combining beets and carrots in juice offers a powerful nutrient boost, blending the heart-healthy nitrates from beets with the immune-boosting vitamin A from carrots. It also provides a high dose of fiber, vitamins C, B complex, and various minerals to support overall health.

Beets are often favored by athletes. Their high nitrate content converts to nitric oxide in the body, which improves blood flow and can enhance exercise performance and endurance. While carrots are nutritious, they don't offer the same specific boost to athletic stamina.

Cooking methods can affect nutrient content. Some nutrients, like water-soluble vitamins (e.g., Vitamin C), can be reduced through boiling. Roasting, steaming, or consuming them raw can help preserve more vitamins. The beta-carotene in carrots, however, is better absorbed by the body when the carrots are cooked.

Both vegetables are beneficial for weight management due to their high fiber content, which helps you feel full and satisfied. Carrots have fewer natural sugars and a lower glycemic index than beets, which can be an important consideration for blood sugar management.

Yes, beet greens are highly nutritious and should not be discarded. They contain high levels of lutein, an antioxidant beneficial for eye health, similar to what's found in carrots. Carrots are a root vegetable, so they do not have edible greens in the same way beets do.

Beets generally contain more natural sugar than carrots. For individuals monitoring their sugar intake, carrots would be the preferable choice, though the amount of sugar in either is still relatively low compared to processed foods.

Betalain is a potent antioxidant pigment found in beets that gives them their deep red color. It helps protect the body from oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting overall cellular health. Betalains are unique to beets and not found in carrots.