βThe Beetroot Science Institute

The evidence, simply explained

What beetroot can — and can't — do for you.

Beetroot has one well-proven effect: its nitrate helps your body make nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels.[Lundberg et al., 2008 6; Webb et al., 2008 4] Claims about the liver, brain, blood sugar and cancer are weaker or unproven. Here's every claim, graded.

How to read the grades

Strong evidenceModerate evidenceEarly / mixedNot supported in humans

Last updated October 9, 2026 • Reviewed by Dr. A. Reviewer, M.Sc. Nutrition • Based on peer-reviewed sources

The bottom line

Nitrate-rich beet juice can lower systolic blood pressure by about 4–8 mmHg and modestly improve blood vessel function and exercise efficiency — if the dose is high enough and your mouth bacteria are intact.[Siervo et al., 2013 1; Kapil et al., 2015 2; Bahrami et al., 2021 14; Jones, 2014 3]

What's inside a beet

Beetroot isn't one ingredient — it's a mix of compounds. Only nitrate's effect is well proven in people.

Nitrate

Proven in people

Turns into nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels.[Lundberg et al., 2008 6; Webb et al., 2008 4]

Found in: Root, leaves, juice

Betalains

Mostly lab data

The red and yellow pigments. Antioxidants in lab studies.[Martinez et al., 2024 30]

Found in: Root, peel

Betaine

Mostly lab data

Helps the liver process fat and recycle homocysteine.[Wang et al., 2021 57]

Found in: Root

Polyphenols

Mostly lab data

Plant antioxidants such as rutin, quercetin and catechins.[Milton-Laskibar et al., 2021 58]

Found in: Leaves, stalks, peel

Saponins

Mostly lab data

Compounds studied in the lab; no beet-specific human trials yet.[Marrelli et al., 2016 59]

Found in: Root

Folate & potassium

Proven in people

Everyday nutrients: ~¼ daily folate per 100 g, plus 325 mg potassium.[USDA, 2018 33]

Found in: Whole root

Beet microgreens may contain 2–10× more antioxidants and pigments than the mature root.[*]

How it works, in three steps

1

You eat beets

Nitrate (NO₃⁻) is absorbed and concentrated in your saliva.

2

Mouth bacteria convert it

Bacteria on your tongue turn nitrate into nitrite (NO₂⁻).

3

Your body makes nitric oxide

Nitrite becomes nitric oxide (NO), which relaxes and widens blood vessels.

Proof: when volunteers spat out their saliva, the blood pressure drop disappeared.[Webb et al., 2008 4] That's why antibacterial mouthwash blunts the benefit.[Kapil et al., 2013 7]

Benefits, graded by evidence

Tap any card to see the studies behind it.

What's in 100 g of raw beet[USDA, 2018 33]

43

kcal

2.8 g

fiber

325 mg

potassium

109 µg

folate (~¼ daily value)

6.8 g

sugars

1.6 g

protein

Plus nitrate (often ~100–250 mg per 100 g, varying by soil and season)[Hord et al., 2009 8] and betalains — the red pigments, which are antioxidants in lab studies but not behind the blood-pressure effect.[Martinez et al., 2024 30; Webb et al., 2008 4]

Juice or whole beets?

Juice

Best for a nitrate dose

  • + Large, fast nitrate hit — used in nearly all trials
  • − Little fiber, more sugar per serving
  • − Easier to overdo oxalate

Whole / roasted

Best for everyday nutrition

  • + Fiber, folate and the same pigments
  • + Gentler on blood sugar
  • − Smaller, slower nitrate dose

Typical doses: blood pressure trials use ~250 ml juice daily;[Kapil et al., 2015 2] exercise studies use ~400–800 mg nitrate 2–3 hours before, or for 3–7 days.[Wylie et al., 2013 5; Jones, 2014 3] Calculate your dose →

Good to know

Pink urine is harmless

Beeturia happens in about 10–15% of people. If it happens often, it can be a sign of low iron — worth a simple blood test.[Sauder et al., 2023 50; Eastwood et al., 1995 51]

Not for young babies

Don't give home-made beet purée or high-nitrate juice to infants under 3 months — it can cause "blue baby" syndrome.[Greer, 2005 34]

Skip antibacterial mouthwash

It kills the mouth bacteria that make the benefit possible.[Kapil et al., 2013 7; Webb et al., 2008 4]

Kidney stones

Beets are high in oxalate. Stone formers should avoid large daily amounts of juice.[Mafra et al., 2022 29; Zamani et al., 2021 32]

On blood-pressure meds?

Effects can add up. Talk to your clinician.[Kapil et al., 2015 2]

Advanced kidney disease

Beets are high in potassium — check with your doctor.[Mafra et al., 2022 29]

Watch added sugar

Sweetened beet drinks undo the point. Pick 100% juice.[Zamani et al., 2021 32]

References34 peer-reviewed sourcesShow all
  1. 1.Siervo M, et al. Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2013;143(6):818–826. View source
  2. 2.Kapil V, et al. Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients. Hypertension. 2015;65(2):320–327. View source
  3. 3.Jones AM. Dietary nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. Sports Med. 2014;44(Suppl 1):S35–S45. View source
  4. 4.Webb AJ, et al. Acute blood pressure lowering, vasoprotective, and antiplatelet properties of dietary nitrate via bioconversion to nitrite. Hypertension. 2008;51(3):784–790. View source
  5. 5.Wylie LJ, et al. Beetroot juice and exercise: pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships. J Appl Physiol. 2013;115(3):325–336. View source
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  14. 16.Bondonno CP, et al. Absence of an effect of high nitrate intake from beetroot juice on blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(2):368–375. View source
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  19. 21.Clifford T, et al. The effects of beetroot juice supplementation on indices of muscle damage following eccentric exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016;116(2):353–362. View source
  20. 22.Clifford T, et al. Effects of beetroot juice on recovery of muscle function and performance between bouts of repeated sprint exercise. Nutrients. 2016;8(8):506. View source
  21. 23.Clifford T, et al. The effects of inorganic nitrate and nitrite on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow: systematic review and meta-analysis. View source
  22. 24.Vaccaro MG, et al. Acute effects of a chewable beetroot-based supplement on cognitive performance: randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial. Eur J Nutr. 2024. View source
  23. 25.Petrie M, et al. Beet root juice: an ergogenic aid for exercise and the aging brain. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017;72(9):1284–1289. View source
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  25. 27.Fateh HL, et al. The effects of Mediterranean diet and beetroot juice on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized clinical trial (n=180). Front Nutr. 2023;10:1181706. View source
  26. 28.Karimzadeh L, et al. Effect of concentrated beetroot juice on glycemic control, blood pressure and lipids in type 2 diabetes. Ir J Med Sci. 2023;192(3):1143–1153. View source
  27. 29.Mafra D, et al. Beetroot as a possible therapy for chronic kidney disease. Nutr Rev. 2022;80(5):1041–1061. View source
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  29. 31.Tan ML, Hamid SBS. Beetroot as a potential functional food for cancer chemoprevention: a narrative review. J Cancer Prev. 2021;26(1):1–17. View source
  30. 32.Zamani H, et al. The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: a systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2021;61(5):788–804. View source
  31. 33.USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Basic Report 11080: Beets, raw. Release April 2018. View source
  32. 34.Greer FR, Shannon M; AAP Committee on Nutrition. Infant methemoglobinemia: the role of dietary nitrate in food and water. Pediatrics. 2005;116(3):784–786. View source
  33. 35.Berry MJ, et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves exercise performance and decreases blood pressure in COPD patients. Nitric Oxide. 2015;48:22–30. View source
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Claims marked [*] are awaiting a verified source.