The ACE Juice

The ACE juice is the juice that everyone knows without realizing it. You’ve definitely seen it in cartons at the supermarket. Except here, we’re talking about the real deal: the one you make yourself with a juicer using juicy oranges, crispy carrots, and half a lemon. The difference is radical: the color is vibrant, the taste is alive, and the vitamins are intact. This is the juice I systematically recommend to beginners because it’s sweet, fruity, with no bitterness whatsoever. Children love it, adults rediscover it, and everyone comes back for more. The name ACE comes from the three vitamins it concentrates: vitamin A (beta-carotene from carrots), vitamin C (orange and lemon) and vitamin E (present in trace amounts in carrots). This trio forms a particularly effective synergistic antioxidant shield.

Want to know if you’re lacking vitamins? I’ve created 44 free deficiency questionnaires for you to self-assess in 2 minutes.

The bioactive molecules

The trio of vitamins A, C, E forms a synergistic antioxidant shield: C regenerates oxidized E, and beta-carotene traps radicals in lipid membranes where C cannot reach¹. Hesperidin from orange strengthens your blood capillaries and enhances vitamin C absorption². Citric acid from lemon chelates iron and calcium, increasing their bioavailability by 30 to 40%³.

Orange is a vitamin C powerhouse (53 mg/100 g), but it also contains hesperidin, a flavonoid that strengthens blood capillaries and potentiates vitamin C absorption. Carrots provide beta-carotene (8,285 µg/100 g), a precursor to vitamin A, essential for vision, immunity and mucosal integrity. Beta-carotene is a lipid-soluble carotenoid: your body converts it to retinol according to its needs, with no risk of overdose unlike preformed vitamin A. Lemon, besides its additional vitamin C, provides citric acid that improves the absorption of non-heme iron and calcium, and limonene found in the zest, a terpene with demonstrated hepatic detoxifying properties. The synergy of these three ingredients creates an antioxidant cocktail whose power far exceeds the sum of its parts: vitamin C regenerates oxidized vitamin E, and beta-carotene traps free radicals in lipid membranes where vitamin C cannot act.

The ACE juice is the perfect juice to start with. It brings together three ingredients that everyone has in their kitchen, it takes two minutes to prepare, and its fruity, sweet taste convinces even the most reluctant. This is the juice I prescribe in consultation when someone tells me ‘I don’t know where to start’. Start with this one, drink it in the morning on an empty stomach, and observe the effects on your energy and complexion from the first week.

Key micronutrients table

Micronutrient	Main role
Vitamin C (orange + lemon)	Immunity, antioxidant, regenerates vitamin E
Beta-carotene (carrot)	Vitamin A precursor, vision, mucous membranes, skin
Hesperidin (orange)	Strengthens capillaries, potentiates vitamin C
Citric acid (lemon)	Improves iron and calcium absorption
Potassium	Fluid balance, cardiac function
Folates (B9)	Cell division, red blood cell formation

Is your body fighting free radicals? Take the oxidative balance test and read my article on oxidative stress.

Preparation with a juicer

Ingredients:

• 2 organic peeled oranges
• 3 organic carrots
• 1 peeled lemon

Run the carrots through first, then the peeled oranges, then the half peeled lemon. The order matters: the hard carrots clean the juicer screw and push out the citrus pulp. For an even sweeter taste, add half an apple. For children, this is the ideal introductory juice: sweet, fruity, sunshine color.

My recommended juicer

For this recipe, I use the Hurom H330P. Cold pressing preserves all the enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients that the heat from a centrifuge would destroy.

Promo code: francoisbenavente20 for -20% off everything on the Hurom site.

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To go further

Related articles

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Oxidative stress and antioxidants
• Cellular aging

Test yourself

• Questionnaire: Vitamin C deficiency
• Questionnaire: Vitamin D deficiency
• Questionnaire: Folate deficiency
• Questionnaire: Oxidative balance

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• The Spring Sap
• The pH+
• The Gilles Lartigot Special
• The Anti-lithiasis
• The Anti-ulcer

Go further

• All my health questionnaires
• My naturopathy shop
• Naturopathy consultation via video
• My Living Juices ebook