Beets contain compounds that may lower blood pressure and improve blood flow
Beets are high in nitrates, a compound your body converts to nitric oxide—a molecule that relaxes blood vessel walls and widens them. This widening allows blood to flow more freely, which can reduce the pressure against vessel walls. Human studies show that people who drink beet juice or eat beets show measurable drops in systolic blood pressure (the top number) within hours, with effects lasting several hours after consumption.
The blood pressure effect is most consistent in people with existing hypertension. A 2015 analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials found that beet juice lowered systolic pressure by an average of 4.4 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 1.1 mmHg. That is modest—not a replacement for medication—but measurable. The effect appears strongest in people over 40 and in those not already taking blood pressure medication.
Improved blood flow may also benefit exercise performance. Several small human trials found that athletes who consumed beet juice before training showed modest gains in time to exhaustion and oxygen efficiency, likely because better blood flow delivers more oxygen to working muscles. These studies involved endurance athletes (cyclists and runners) rather than strength training, and the improvements were small—typically 1 to 3 percent.
Key Takeaways
- Beets contain nitrates that your body converts to nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and can lower blood pressure by a few millimeters of mercury in human studies.
- The blood pressure effect is most reliable in people with existing hypertension and appears within hours of eating or drinking beets, though it is not a substitute for medication.
- Beet juice may modestly improve endurance exercise performance by increasing oxygen delivery to muscles, based on small human trials with athletes.
- Beets also contain betalains and other antioxidants, but human evidence for their anti-inflammatory or cancer-prevention effects remains limited and mostly comes from lab and animal studies.
How nitrates in beets become nitric oxide in your bloodstream
The pathway is straightforward but depends on your mouth bacteria. When you eat or drink beets, your digestive system absorbs the nitrates. Bacteria on your tongue and in your mouth convert some of those nitrates to nitrite, which your stomach acid then converts to nitric oxide. This is why mouthwash can blunt the effect—it kills the bacteria that do the conversion.
Once nitric oxide enters your bloodstream, it signals the smooth muscle cells in your blood vessel walls to relax. This relaxation widens the vessels (a process called vasodilation), reducing resistance to blood flow. The effect peaks within 2 to 3 hours and fades over several hours. This is why a single dose of beet juice does not produce lasting blood pressure reduction—you would need to consume beets regularly to maintain the effect.
The amount of nitrate matters. A typical serving of beet juice used in research contains 500 to 1000 mg of nitrates. One medium raw beet contains roughly 250 to 400 mg, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Cooked beets retain most of their nitrates, though boiling in water can leach some into the cooking liquid.
What the research shows about beets and heart health
Blood pressure is one piece of cardiovascular health. Beets may help in other ways too, though the evidence is less direct. Because nitric oxide also reduces inflammation in blood vessel walls and may prevent blood clots from forming, researchers have looked at whether beets lower heart disease risk overall. So far, most evidence comes from animal studies and lab work rather than long-term human trials.
One human study published in 2016 followed people with high blood pressure for four weeks. Those who drank beet juice daily showed not only lower blood pressure but also improved blood vessel function measured by ultrasound. However, this was a small study (68 people) and did not track whether this translated to fewer heart attacks or strokes over years.
Beets also contain betalains, pigments that give them their red and purple color. In lab and animal studies, betalains show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Whether these effects matter in human bodies at the amounts you get from eating beets remains unclear. No large human trials have tested whether eating beets reduces inflammation markers or prevents cardiovascular disease.
Beets, exercise, and oxygen delivery to muscles
The nitrate-to-nitric oxide pathway also affects how efficiently your muscles use oxygen. Nitric oxide helps mitochondria (the energy factories inside cells) work more efficiently, so they produce more energy from the same amount of oxygen. This is why endurance athletes have been interested in beet juice as a potential performance aid.
Research in this area involves small groups—typically 8 to 20 athletes—and shows modest effects. A 2012 study of 19 cyclists found that those who drank beet juice improved their time to exhaustion by about 2.7 percent compared to a placebo. A 2016 study of 26 runners showed similar small gains. These improvements are real but small enough that they matter mainly to competitive athletes where a 2 percent edge is significant.
The effect appears to work best for endurance activities (running, cycling, rowing) rather than strength or power training. It also seems to work better in people who are not already highly trained—elite athletes show smaller gains than recreational athletes, possibly because their bodies are already optimized for oxygen use.
Antioxidants in beets and what remains uncertain
Beyond nitrates and betalains, beets contain other compounds—vitamin C, folate, manganese, and various polyphenols. In test tubes and in animals, these show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The question is whether eating beets in normal amounts delivers enough of these compounds to matter in human bodies.
Lab studies often use concentrated extracts or very high doses. A person eating one beet gets a much smaller dose. Human trials testing whether beets reduce inflammation markers (like C-reactive protein) or prevent cancer have been rare and small. A 2013 study of 24 people found that beet juice did not significantly lower inflammation markers, though the study was too small to rule out a real effect.
The cancer question comes up often because betalains show activity against cancer cells in lab dishes. No human studies have tested whether eating beets reduces cancer risk. Animal studies suggest potential, but animal models do not always translate to humans, and the doses used are often much higher than you would get from food.
Practical amounts and how to eat beets for their effects
For blood pressure effects, the research used either whole beet juice (about 250 mL or 8 ounces per dose) or cooked whole beets (about 140 to 200 grams, roughly one medium beet). These amounts delivered 500 to 1000 mg of nitrates. You could achieve similar amounts by eating two to three medium raw beets or drinking one glass of beet juice.
Raw beets retain all their nitrates. Roasting, steaming, or microwaving also preserves them well. Boiling leaches some nitrates into the water, so if you boil beets, you lose some of the active compound. Beet juice is convenient and delivers a concentrated dose quickly, but whole beets provide fiber and other nutrients that juice does not.
For exercise performance, studies used beet juice consumed 60 to 90 minutes before training. The effect is acute—it works for that single session—so you would need to drink it before each workout to see a benefit. For blood pressure, daily consumption over weeks appears necessary to maintain the effect.
Who should be cautious about eating beets
Beets are safe for most people in normal food amounts. A few groups should be aware of potential issues. People taking blood pressure medications should know that beets lower blood pressure, so combining them with medication could theoretically cause blood pressure to drop too low. This is not a reason to avoid beets, but it is worth mentioning to your doctor if you are consuming large amounts of beet juice regularly.
People with kidney disease or those at risk for kidney stones should be cautious. Beets are high in oxalates, compounds that can contribute to kidney stone formation in susceptible people. If you have a history of kidney stones or kidney disease, ask your doctor before consuming large amounts of beet juice.
Beet juice can temporarily turn urine and stool red or dark, a harmless effect called beeturia. Some people find this alarming if they are not expecting it. It is not a sign of bleeding or harm—it is straightforward the pigments passing through your system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does beet juice work as well as beet powder or whole beets?
Juice delivers nitrates faster and in a concentrated dose, so it shows effects more quickly in research studies. Whole beets and powder work too, but you absorb the nitrates more slowly. For blood pressure effects, whole beets are just as effective over time; for acute exercise performance, juice has an edge because the timing matters.
How long do the blood pressure benefits last after eating beets?
The effect peaks within 2 to 3 hours and fades over the next several hours. A single serving does not produce lasting change. To maintain lower blood pressure, you would need to eat beets regularly—daily or several times per week based on the research.
Can I get the same nitrate benefit from other vegetables?
Leafy greens like spinach and arugula, plus radishes and celery, also contain nitrates. Beets are straightforward very high in them. You could get similar effects from eating large amounts of these other vegetables, but beets deliver more nitrate per serving.
Is beet powder as effective as fresh beet juice?
Beet powder retains the nitrates and other compounds, so it should work similarly to whole beets. However, most research used fresh juice or whole beets, so there is less direct evidence for powder. If you use powder, follow the serving size on the label to match the amounts tested in studies.
Will beets help my blood pressure if I am already on medication?
Beets may add a small additional effect, but they are not a substitute for medication. Talk to your doctor before significantly increasing beet consumption if you take blood pressure drugs, since the combination could lower your pressure more than intended.