Benefits · 4 min read

Beetroot Benefits for Women and Men: What Studies Show

Does beetroot work differently for women and men? What blood pressure and exercise studies show, where the evidence is thin, and practical tips for both.

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

Short answer: Most beet juice exercise studies were done in men, so evidence in women is thinner.^{[Wickham et al., 2020 60]}

Key takeaways

✓Most beet juice exercise studies were done in men, so evidence in women is thinner.^{[Wickham et al., 2020 60]}
✓Blood pressure benefits have been shown in pooled trials of adults.^{[Siervo et al., 2013 1]}
✓Effects tend to be larger in less-trained people than in elite athletes.^{[Jones, 2014 3; Senefeld et al., 2020 45]}

Blood pressure

A four-week trial in adults with high blood pressure found daily beet juice lowered blood pressure.^{[Kapil et al., 2015 2]}

Pooled analysis shows an average systolic drop of about 4–5 mmHg.^{[Siervo et al., 2013 1]}

Exercise

Women are under-represented in nitrate exercise research, so conclusions mostly come from men.^{[Wickham et al., 2020 60]}

Training status appears to matter more than sex: recreational exercisers benefit more than highly trained athletes.^{[Jones, 2014 3; Senefeld et al., 2020 45]}

Practical tips for everyone

If you form kidney stones or take blood pressure medication, talk to a clinician before drinking beet juice daily.^{[Mafra et al., 2022 29; Bondonno et al., 2015 16]}

Educational information only — not medical advice. Talk to your clinician before changing your diet or medication.

References7 peer-reviewed sourcesShow all

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.Kapil V, et al. Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients. Hypertension. 2015;65(2):320–327. View source
3.Jones AM. Dietary nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. Sports Med. 2014;44(Suppl 1):S35–S45. View source
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
29.Mafra D, et al. Beetroot as a possible therapy for chronic kidney disease. Nutr Rev. 2022;80(5):1041–1061. View source
45.Senefeld JW, et al. Ergogenic effect of nitrate supplementation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020. View source
60.Wickham KA, Spriet LL. No longer beeting around the bush: a review of potential sex differences with dietary nitrate supplementation. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2020;44(9):915-924. View source

Claims marked [*] are awaiting a verified source.