Beet root

What is beet root?

Beet root, or beetroot, is the familiar red root vegetable Beta vulgaris. It is a rich food source of inorganic nitrate, which the body can convert into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels. Beets also contain betalain pigments (which give them their color), folate, potassium and fiber. In supplements, beet root appears as juice concentrate, powder or extract, often in pre-workout and circulation products.

What the research says

Blood pressure. This is the best-studied use. A 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 randomized trials found that beetroot juice lowered systolic blood pressure by about 3.6 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by about 1.3 mm Hg compared with control. Effects were larger in longer studies (two weeks or more) and at higher doses (500 mL per day compared with 70 to 140 mL). That is a modest effect, roughly similar to some lifestyle changes, and it depends on drinking substantial amounts of juice.

Not all analyses agree. An individual participant meta-analysis in older adults pooled four trials and found no significant overall effect of beetroot juice on 24-hour blood pressure, though it noted a reduction in night-time blood pressure variability in some subgroups. Age, baseline blood pressure and dose seem to matter.

Exercise. Beetroot juice has also been studied for endurance performance, again using nitrate-rich juice doses.

Oral health. Interestingly, the conversion of dietary nitrate to nitrite depends partly on bacteria living on the tongue, so the mouth plays a role in how beets work. However, we found no trials showing that beet root supplements improve teeth or gums.

How it’s used in supplements

Effective studies used beetroot juice providing hundreds of milligrams of nitrate, typically from 70 to 500 mL of juice per day. A 50 mg pinch of beet root powder in a capsule supplies only a tiny fraction of that, so blood pressure results from juice trials should not be assumed to apply.

Beets are safe as a food for most people. Large amounts can turn urine and stools pink or red (beeturia), which is harmless. Beets are relatively high in oxalate, so people prone to oxalate kidney stones may be advised to limit large servings. If you take blood pressure medication, ask your doctor before using concentrated beet products, since effects could add up. The simplest way to get the benefits of beets is to eat them as part of a diet rich in vegetables.