Best Juices for Heart Health

Beet juice, pomegranate juice and tart cherry juice are options for heart health, but no juice is established to prevent heart disease on its own. For a broader comparison, see the best drinks for heart health.

3 juices to consider for heart health

These three juices are practical choices, not a proven clinical ranking. We found one animal study, so it cannot establish which juice is best for people or whether any of them prevents heart disease.

The ai symptom analyzer can help you organize symptoms to discuss with a clinician, but it cannot diagnose heart disease or replace emergency care.

Beet juice

How it may help: Beet juice contains dietary nitrate, which the body can convert into compounds that support nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax. That mechanism is relevant to blood pressure, but it does not mean a serving of beet juice will reliably lower an individual's blood pressure or prevent a heart attack.

Strength of evidence: The studies we found do not include a human trial of beet juice. The nitrate mechanism is plausible, but it is not enough to establish a heart-health dose or a long-term clinical benefit from the juice.

How to use it: Choose unsweetened beet juice and check the label for added sodium. Some products blend beet juice with fruit juice, so check the ingredient list if you want to know what you are drinking. A diluted serving is one way to use it without consuming a large volume of juice.

For a simple beet juice drink, use:

1/2 cup (about 120 mL) unsweetened beet juice
1/2 cup (about 120 mL) water

Pour the beet juice and water into a glass.
Stir and serve.

People with kidney disease, a history of certain kidney stones or concerns about low blood pressure should check with their clinician before drinking beet juice regularly. Concentrated products may differ substantially from ordinary juice, so do not assume the same serving advice applies to them.

Pomegranate juice

How it may help: Pomegranate juice contains polyphenols, plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Researchers study these compounds for possible effects relevant to blood vessel health, but antioxidant activity alone does not establish that the juice prevents heart disease.

Strength of evidence: We found no human study of pomegranate juice. A plausible mechanism is not a substitute for evidence that a particular drink improves heart outcomes.

How to use it: Look for 100% pomegranate juice without added sugar. A product described as a pomegranate juice drink or cocktail may contain other juices, sweeteners or both. Compare labels and choose a product that fits your dietary needs rather than assuming every pomegranate-flavored drink has the same ingredients.

For a simple pomegranate juice drink, use:

1/2 cup (about 120 mL) 100% pomegranate juice
1/2 cup (about 120 mL) water

Combine the pomegranate juice and water in a glass.
Stir and serve.

Diluting juice changes its flavor and spreads it over a larger drink; it does not remove the sugar in the original serving. If you eat pomegranate fruit instead, you also get fiber that may be reduced or absent in juice.

If you take prescription medication, ask a pharmacist or clinician about regular pomegranate juice use, especially before using concentrated products. Do not change or stop medication on the basis of a food or drink choice.

Tart cherry juice

How it may help: Tart cherry juice contains plant compounds, including anthocyanins, that are studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Those properties are of scientific interest, but they do not show that tart cherry juice protects the human heart.

Strength of evidence: In a 2022 study in obese rats, researchers examined tart cherry seed powder and seed powder combined with tart cherry juice and reported changes in markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in heart tissue. This was animal research involving a combination of cherry products, not a human trial of juice alone. Its results cannot establish a benefit, preventive effect or dose for people.

How to use it: Choose unsweetened 100% tart cherry juice when available, and read the label: tart cherry drinks may include added sweeteners or other juices. The natural sugar in juice still counts toward your total carbohydrate intake, which matters if you are managing diabetes.

For a simple tart cherry juice drink, use:

1/2 cup (about 120 mL) unsweetened tart cherry juice
1/2 cup (about 120 mL) water

Add the tart cherry juice and water to a glass.
Stir and serve.

Treat this as a beverage choice, not as a supplement with a proven heart-health effect. Whole cherries can be another way to include fruit in your diet while retaining fiber.

How much juice should you drink for heart health?

There is no established amount of these juices that prevents heart disease. The recipes above each use 1/2 cup, or about 120 mL, of juice as an example serving—not as a recommended treatment dose. Dilution adds water but does not change the amount of juice or its naturally occurring sugar.

For fruit juice, U.S. MyPlate guidance says at least half of the recommended fruit intake should come from whole fruit rather than 100% fruit juice. Juice can fit into a balanced eating pattern, but drinking more of it is not necessarily better. Choose whole fruit regularly for its fiber, and check juice labels for added sugar and serving size.

Heart health depends on the overall pattern of care, not one beverage. A balanced diet, physical activity appropriate for you, avoiding smoking and following your clinician's advice about blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes are more useful priorities than adding a particular juice.

Who should be careful with juice?

If you have diabetes or need to manage blood sugar, consider the carbohydrate in juice and discuss portions with your diabetes care team. Whole fruit may be easier to fit into a plan that emphasizes fiber. If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit potassium, ask your clinician or dietitian whether a particular juice is suitable; potassium content varies by product.

If you have heart failure or another condition requiring a fluid limit, count the entire drink, including the water used to dilute it, toward that limit. Ask your care team how to fit it into your plan. People who have low blood pressure, take blood pressure medicines or have a history of kidney stones should also check before using beet juice regularly or taking concentrated beet products.

During pregnancy, choose pasteurized juice and discuss dietary concerns with your prenatal clinician. For children, ask a pediatric clinician about an appropriate amount; juice is not necessary for heart health. Anyone taking prescription medicines can ask a pharmacist about possible food or supplement interactions, particularly before using concentrated products.

When should you seek medical care?

Call emergency services immediately for possible heart attack symptoms, such as chest pressure or pain, shortness of breath, or discomfort spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw. Symptoms can also include a cold sweat, nausea or unusual weakness. Do not wait to see whether juice helps or use a symptom tool instead of getting emergency care.

Arrange a medical appointment for concerns such as a new or recurring irregular heartbeat, unexplained breathlessness or questions about blood pressure. Juice cannot diagnose or treat these symptoms.