Overview
Beetroot juice is pressed or blended from red beets (Beta vulgaris), a root vegetable naturally high in dietary nitrate and betalain pigments (the compounds responsible for its deep red color). It has become popular in sports nutrition circles because of research into dietary nitrate’s role in exercise performance, and separately, in cardiovascular research on blood pressure.
Active compounds and evidence
Dietary nitrate from beets is converted by oral bacteria into nitrite, and then into nitric oxide in the body, a molecule that relaxes and widens blood vessels. This pathway has been studied extensively by exercise physiology researchers — notably groups at the University of Exeter (UK) — showing that beetroot juice or concentrated nitrate supplementation, taken a few hours before exercise, can modestly reduce the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise and improve time-to-exhaustion in some athletes, particularly in endurance sports. Effect sizes are typically small (low single-digit percentage improvements) and vary by fitness level and dose.
Separately, several clinical trials have found that beetroot juice can produce a modest, short-term reduction in blood pressure, plausibly via the same nitric oxide pathway, with effects generally most reliable after regular (daily) intake rather than a single dose. This research area is active and reasonably well replicated, though beetroot juice is not a substitute for prescribed antihypertensive treatment.
Safety and contraindications
- Beeturia: Roughly 10–15% of people excrete reddish/pink urine or stool after eating beets — a harmless genetic trait related to betalain metabolism, not blood.
- Oxalate content: Beets contain oxalates; people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones may be advised to moderate intake.
- Blood pressure medication: Because beetroot juice can itself lower blood pressure, people on antihypertensive medication should be aware of a potential additive effect and discuss regular use with their clinician.
- Nitrate and mouthwash: Using antibacterial mouthwash can blunt the oral bacterial conversion of nitrate to nitrite, reducing the performance/blood-pressure effect.
How it’s typically prepared
Fresh-pressed or juiced raw for maximum nitrate content (cooking reduces nitrate somewhat); often blended with apple, ginger, carrot, or citrus to offset its strong earthy taste.
Sources
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Nutrition Source
- USDA FoodData Central
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health — general herb/supplement evidence resource
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Shilpa Thakur. Last reviewed 2026-07-20. Educational information, not medical advice; consult a qualified clinician before using beetroot juice to manage blood pressure or if you have a history of kidney stones.