Contents
What it is
Beetroot is the root of a plant in the goosefoot family — the same species as chard. It is native to the Mediterranean. Its defining feature is the deep purple that runs right through the flesh, a pigment called betalain. It has a distinct earthy aroma and a pronounced sweetness. It is juiced raw, roasted to concentrate the sugar, or pickled. The colour is strong enough to stain hands and boards, and it can turn urine reddish for a day — which is harmless.
Scientific name Beta vulgaris
Beetroot is among the highest-nitrate vegetables there is. Nitrate itself is inert, but bacteria on your tongue convert it to nitrite, which becomes nitric oxide in the stomach.
Nitric oxide relaxes the smooth muscle of blood vessels and widens them. That mechanism is why beet juice recurs throughout blood pressure and performance research.
Key benefits
- Strong evidence
It lowers blood pressure
Pooling randomised trials of beet juice, systolic pressure fell by roughly 4–5 mmHg on average. The peak effect arrives two to three hours after drinking and persists with regular intake.[1]
- Moderate evidence
It improves oxygen efficiency in endurance exercise
Many trials find lower oxygen consumption at the same exercise intensity. The effect is clearest in untrained and moderately trained people and shrinks in elite athletes. Lower oxygen consumption and a better result are two different things, though: a meta-analysis of endurance performance found the benefit trivial, and absent in well-trained athletes.[2]
- Nutrition data
Betaine supports liver and homocysteine metabolism
Beetroot is a good source of betaine, which is used to convert homocysteine back to methionine and has been studied in relation to fat accumulation in the liver.
- Nutrition data
It is rich in folate
109 µg per 100 g puts it near the top among vegetables — worth noting in periods of rapid cell division.
How to eat it well
- Juice or raw gives the strongest effect. Nitrate is water-soluble and boiling sends it into the water.
- Roasting with the skin on preserves nitrate and deepens the sweetness.
- Take it two to three hours before exercise — that is the timing used in the studies.
- Antibacterial mouthwash cancels the effect by killing the tongue bacteria that convert nitrate.
- The leaves (beet greens) are edible too; blanch them like spinach.
How to read the grades
Each benefit carries a label showing how far research on people supports it. Grades differ between items even within the same ingredient.
- Nutrition data
- A fact verifiable from food composition databases or health authorities. This is a different kind of statement from a clinical effect.
- Strong evidence
- Consistently confirmed across randomised controlled trials or meta-analyses.
- Moderate evidence
- Human studies exist, but effect sizes are small or results are mixed.
- Early research
- Cell or animal work, or small preliminary studies.
- Not established
- Commonly claimed, but not confirmed in studies on people.
What to watch out for
- Red urine and stool afterwards (beeturia) is common. Harmless, but alarming the first time.
- High in oxalate: limit portions with a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
- As juice, the sugars can raise blood glucose quickly.
- If you already take blood pressure medication, watch for hypotension.
Nutrition
Approximate values per 100 g edible portion.
- Calories
- 43 kcal2%
- Carbohydrates
- 9.6 g3%
- Fiber
- 2.8 g10%
- Sugars
- 6.8 g
- Protein
- 1.6 g3%
- Folate
- 109 µg27%
- Potassium
- 325 mg7%
- Manganese
- 0.33 mg14%
Percentages are of the US FDA Daily Value for adults and children 4 and over. National reference intakes differ by sex and age.
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Key nutrients
By health concern
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Sources
The databases and health authorities this article's nutrition figures and health statements draw on.
- 1The Nitrate-Independent Blood Pressure-Lowering Effect of Beetroot Juice: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisMeta-analysisBahadoran Z, et al. Adv Nutr 2017PMID 29141968
- 2Effect of food sources of nitrate, polyphenols, L-arginine and L-citrulline on endurance exercise performance: a systematic review and meta-analysisMeta-analysisd'Unienville NMA, et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021PMID 34965876
- 3USDA FoodData CentralFood composition database
- 4NIH Office of Dietary SupplementsHealth authority
- 5PubMedResearch literature
