V8 Juice Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Even if you have plenty of fresh vegetables in your refrigerator, it can sometimes be a challenge to turn them into a healthy meal, especially when it comes to prep and cook time. Not only that, but it’s important to ensure you eat enough veggies to meet your nutritional needs. 

Original V8 juice ingredients include a blend of vegetables, namely carrots, watercress, lettuce, parsley, spinach, beets, celery, and of course, tomatoes. The juice is low in fat and sugar and contains some of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in vegetables. 

If convenience and taste are key for you to get your veggies, V8 juice could be a good choice. While it's touted as a healthy beverage, is V8 really good for you?

V8 Juice Nutrition Facts

The following nutrition information is provided by the USDA for a 1-cup serving (8 ounces) of Original V8 100% vegetable juice.

Carbs

When you drink vegetable juice, you don't consume as much fiber as you do when you eat whole vegetables. For example, a tomato (1.5 grams of fiber), a cup of beets (3.8 grams), and a stalk of celery (0.6 grams of fiber) would give you about 6 total grams of fiber. One glass of V8, on the other hand, only provides 2 grams.

Not only does fiber improve digestion and regularity, but according to the USDA, a healthy dietary pattern that includes the recommended intake of fiber can also help decrease the risk of some types of cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Current USDA dietary guidelines state that most Americans do not meet their recommended fiber intake. Adult women should consume 25–28 grams of fiber per day and men should aim for 31–34 grams per day.

V8 juice is a low-glycemic food with a score of 43. V8 juice contains complex carbohydrates, which provides the body with long-lasting energy compared to simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs, found in sodas and fruit juices, cause a blood sugar spike that peters out soon after consumption, resulting in a short-lived energy boost.

V8 juice is also substantially lower in sugar compared to soda and fruit juice, making it the optimal choice if you are trying to limit sugar intake. An 8 ounce serving of V8 has only 7 grams of sugar compared to the average 39 grams found in a 12 oz serving of soda.

Fats

 Similar to most vegetables, there is no fat in V8 juice.

Protein

There is very little protein in V8 juice, as is the case with the majority of vegetables.

Vitamins and Minerals

Most V8 vegetable juice products are a good source of potassium, which your body needs to regulate blood pressure, prevent muscle cramping, and keep electrolytes balanced. V8 also provides vitamin A to boost your immune system and vitamin C, which is important for wound healing.

Health Benefits

If you enjoy the taste of V8 juice, you'll be glad to know it does have some nutritional benefits.

May Protect Against Heart Disease

There is some evidence that lycopene, a nutrient high in antioxidants and the pigment that gives tomatoes their bright red hue, could help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. These carotenoids may facilitate a reduction in cholesterol, inhibit the process of oxidation, enhanced intercellular communication, and more.

Recent findings have shown that lycopene might help lower inflammation caused by HDL cholesterol, which scientists believe should be considered an early sign of heart disease. In in vitro studies, research has also shown the potential for lycopene to make it difficult for fatty deposits to take hold, thus inducing cardiovascular benefits.

May Reduce the Risk of Certain Cancers

High concentrations of lycopene in the blood are connected to a lower risk of developing certain cancers, including breast, uterine, prostate, and lung. Lycopene both halts the multiplication of abnormal cells and prevents the development of malignant growths, the effects of which are primarily thought to be due to its antioxidant properties.

Promotes Eye Health

Beta carotene—a carotenoid found in spinach, carrots, and subsequently, in V8 juice—is the precursor to vitamin A, which plays an important role in eye health. Our eyes also contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent eye diseases and sustain eye health. 

Carotenoids are antioxidants that defend against oxidative stress, programmed cell death, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Their ability to absorb light allows them to shield the eye’s retina and lens from photochemical damage.

May Boost Athletic Performance

Long bouts of exercise have been known to cause oxidative stress in humans. Damage caused by oxidative stress is associated with the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Research shows that consuming tomato juice, which contains the antioxidant lycopene, enhances the body’s defense against high levels of oxygen and possible damaging chemicals. In addition, a 2016 study found that “consuming tomato juice prior to or during an exercise session can reduce post-exercise fatigue,” which may motivate people to start exercising more often.

Suitable for Gluten-Free and Keto Diets

V8 juice is safe to consume on a gluten-free diet, as none of the ingredients contain or are derived from wheat-based products (including their green varieties, which have spinach, not wheatgrass, in them). 

There are only 10 grams of carbohydrates in a serving of V8. When consumed in moderation, this veggie drink is also considered keto-friendly.

Allergies

It’s not uncommon for someone with pollen allergies to also have a reaction when consuming foods with similar protein structures. This is known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS) or pollen fruit syndrome (PFS). Tomatoes, the main ingredient in V8, is one food that could cause PFS due to a protein called profilin, which is found in both grass pollen and tomatoes.

Adverse Effects

If you are watching or trying to limit your sodium intake, V8 juice might not be a healthy choice for you. Just one serving provides over a quarter of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of sodium. Some of the spicy varieties of V8 juice contain even more sodium.

Certain fruit juices are reported to bring about negative food-drug interactions, meaning that how a drug affects a person may vary based on how it mixes with another drug, food, beverage, or supplement the person consumes. Tomato juice was found to have similar reactions as grapefruit juice when it interacted with certain drugs. Before deciding to incorporate V8 juice into your diet, be sure to check with your prescriber if you are taking any kind of medication.

Varieties

The calorie counts and nutrition facts for V8 juice depend on the product you buy. There are many variations on the original V8, some of which have different nutrient profiles such as lower sodium or higher fiber. You might also find V8 +Energy Drinks (which include vegetable juice, fruit juice, and caffeine) and V8 +Hydrate beverages (which contain added electrolytes).

When you buy V8 juice, you may also see fruit and vegetable blends alongside the traditional tomato juice beverage. The V8 brand offers blended juices such as V8 Strawberry Banana, V8 Peach Mango, V8 Pomegranate Blueberry, V8 Concord Concord Grape Cranberry, and V8 Carrot Mango, among others. Keep in mind that the fruit and veggie blended beverages have more sugar and calories than traditional vegetable juice.

Storage and Food Safety

You'll find V8 juice in the (unrefrigerated) beverage section of the grocery store. You don't need to refrigerate it when you bring it home as long as it stays unopened, but will want to put it in the fridge once opened.

How to Prepare

Sipping on a glass of V8 juice is only one of many ways to include V8 in a healthy diet. Consider the following ideas:

• Add V8 to smoothies instead of sweeter juices like apple juice or carrot juice.
• If you usually drink soda with your lunch or dinner, drink V8 instead.
• Choose V8 juice instead of packaged smoothies, which tend to be high in sugar.
• To cut down on calories and reduce your sodium intake, choose the lower sodium varieties and add water, ice, or a splash of seltzer to dilute the drink.