Beet juice is a superfood that is packed with antioxidants and nitrates. In this article, learn more about the potential health benefits of beet juice including increased energy, lowered blood pressure, and better athletic performance. You can easily make beet juice at home, use beet powder, or buy bottled juice. For most people, beet juice is a very health-promoting beverage.

glass of dark red beet juice.

Beets are a root vegetable that have grabbed the attention of scientists and health enthusiasts alike!

Research published in 2015 described beetroot as a “powerful dietary source of health-promoting agents,” detailing how it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, while also protecting the heart.

New research on the health benefits of drinking beet juice shows its additional benefits for athletic performance, cold prevention, and more.

There is no doubt that regularly consuming beet juice can be beneficial to your health in so many ways!

Let’s review nine of the best health benefits of beet juice and how it can affect certain health conditions like oxidative stress, energy production, brain health, and more.

Reasons Why Beet Juice is Healthy

 

1. Improves cardiovascular health

Unlike most other plant foods, beets are rich in dietary nitrates.

Your body converts these nitrates to nitric oxide, an essential molecule known as a “vasodilator”. This means that it signals the blood vessels to relax and widen, thereby increasing blood flow and ensuring that oxygen, red blood cells, and nutrients are efficiently delivered to all the body’s cells. 

Additional research seems to show that people who drink beet juice can experience lower blood pressure and possibly lower rates of cardiac inflammation.

In this way, drinking beet juice can improve cardiovascular health.

2. May reduce chronic inflammation

There are several studies that suggest that beets can also help prevent chronic inflammation, although research is ongoing as much of it up to now has involved rats rather than humans. 

While inflammation is a healthy immune response, chronic inflammation in the body can have serious consequences and is linked to conditions like liver disease, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. 

Beets are rich in natural pigments called betalains which have been shown to help reduce inflammation in rats. Further researched published in 2014 was conducted on humans and demonstrated that betalain capsules made from beet extract could be useful in controlling the pain and discomfort associated with osteoarthritis.

This research suggests that drinking beet juice could help lower pain from chronic inflammation.

3. Contains antioxidants to fight disease

The vivid color of beets gives us a strong clue as to how rich in powerful antioxidants they are – and indeed, the betalain pigments that are so useful in fighting inflammation have powerful antioxidant properties too.

This means that they help reduce the damage to your cells caused by free radicals – unstable atoms that are linked to conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and diabetes

A diet rich in antioxidants also protects us from some of the ravages of aging, helping us look and feel younger for longer!

Therefore, drinking beet juice can help prevent chronic disease by helping the immune system. Additionally, research even shows that drinking beet juice may also help prevent infection from the common cold and obesity!

If you are working on increasing your intake of antioxidants with vegetable juice, you might also want to check out my juice recipes for celery juice, carrot juice, or my Liver Cleanse Juice.

4. Helps with blood sugar

Beet powder is also an excellent source of phytochemical compounds.

Some of these phytochemicals are useful in regulating our blood glucose levels (also known as blood sugar). Research published in 2014 showed that drinking just 1/2 cup of beet juice could substantially reduce the amount of sugar in the blood after meals.

While this particular study looked at juice rather than powder, you will get comparable results from consuming beet powder which has a very similar nutritional profile.

Consider adding a glass of beetroot juice or beets to your diet to help manage your blood sugar.

See my related articles on the benefits of beet powder and how to make beet powder using dehydrated beets.

You might also want to check out my article on how to do a sugar detox.

5. Weight loss help

Beet juice may assist in weight loss efforts in a few different ways.

First, beet juice improves nitric oxide production. The effect that increased nitric oxide production has on your heart and muscles may improve exercise stamina, performance, and recovery, all of which can aid in weight loss. 

Second, beets have the ability to decrease inflammation due to their high antioxidant content. If your weight gain is related to inflammation, consuming beet juice may help you to shed inflammation weight while getting essential nutrients.

Finally, beets are particularly high in fiber. Fiber improves satiety levels, preventing over-eating. Fiber in healthy adults can also improve digestion, which can reduce inflammation levels by eliminating toxins from the body.

Learn more healthy weight loss tips for women.

6. Improved skin clarity

Some people value beet juice for its potential skin-enhancing properties.

Beets are rich in Vitamin C and folate which may help with your skin health due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that fights free radical damage, including damage to skin. It’s usually used topically, but can also support skin health from the inside out.

7. May increase athletic performance

The benefits that beet powder brings to your cardiovascular system go a lot further than simply improving your circulation! 

The more efficient delivery of blood, oxygen, and nutrients around your body also helps with your athletic performance and muscle power, improving your endurance and stamina while raising your energy levels. 

Recovery from exercise is significantly improved too. This 2014 study concluded that the time to exhaustion during exercise is improved through supplementation with beets and that it should be consumed up to 90 minutes before the athletic effort in order to get the best results.

8. Lowers blood pressure

High blood pressure can lead to strokes or heart attacks and is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. 

The good news is that beets can significantly reduce blood pressure levels, with the biggest impact being on systolic blood pressure (the pressure exerted when your heart contracts).

It is believed that this particular benefit is due to the fact that beets are so high in dietary nitrates

Raw beets – rather than cooked ones – seem to be the best at delivering these benefits.

And, the great thing about beet powder or beet juice is that the production process does not include cooking the beets, meaning that more of their valuable nutrients are preserved.

9. Helps with digestion

One of the most important elements of efficient digestion is dietary fiber – something that beets contain in abundance!

When you consume fiber, it tends to head straight to your colon (large intestine), where it provides the fuel that the cells need to remain healthy. It softens the stools and keeps them regular, which ensures that the entire digestive tract operates as it should. This helps avoid uncomfortable digestive conditions such as diverticulitis, IBS (inflammatory bowel disease), constipation, and hemorrhoids. 

In these ways, drinking beet juice or eating more beets can help with digestion.

Beet juice is also on my list of the best juices for bloating and the best juices for weight loss.

Health Benefits Based on Color of Beets

The color of beets is indicative of the specific types of phytonutrients they contain, and these compounds can have various health benefits.

That said, most types and colors of beets are healthy. Here is some specific information about different potential health benefits based on the color of the beets (the bottom line is that you should eat any color of beet to get potential health benefits).

  • Red or Purple Beets: The deep red or purple color in these beets comes from a group of phytonutrients called betalains, specifically betacyanins. Betalains have been researched for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties.
  • Golden or Yellow Beets: The yellow or golden hue in these beets is due to betaxanthins, a different type of betalain. Like their red counterparts, betaxanthins also have antioxidant properties, though the specific health benefits and properties might differ slightly.
  • Striped or Chioggia Beets: These beets have a candy-cane striped appearance on the inside. They contain both betacyanins and betaxanthins, offering a mix of the properties of red and golden beets.

Beetroot Juice Potential Side Effects

  1. Change in stool or urine color. Be mindful that beets, in general, may give urine and stools a reddish color–don’t be alarmed! This effect is harmless but can be surprising if you’re not aware.
  2. Increase in blood sugar. In addition, beets are naturally higher in sugar than many other vegetables. Drinking beet juice may cause a blood sugar spike in sensitive individuals.
  3. Risk of kidney stones. Some people are also concerned about beet juice and kidney stones. That’s because beets and beet greens are high in oxalates which can contribute to stones, especially in older adults.

Keep servings of beet juice to a moderate amount as part of a healthy diet. Check with your healthcare provider to determine how much beet juice is appropriate for you.

Nutrition FAQs

What are the potential health benefits of beet juice vs. beet juice powder?

Either drinking beet juice or using beet juice powder are great ways to get your daily dose of beets. You can also eat whole roasted beets. But, beetroot juice powder can offer a greater concentration of beets in a smaller dose.

Some benefits of beet juice is that you are likely to get more vitamin C and other antioxidants than the powder. This is because vitamin C tends to dissipate when it’s exposed to oxygen.

The benefit of beet juice powder over drinking beetroot juice is that you can get a higher concentration of the qualities of the beets in a powder versus the juice. See how to make beet powder.

How long does it take for beet juice to lower blood pressure?

More research must be done, but one study found that blood pressure was lowered six hours after subjects consumed beet juice. Keep in mind, however, that there is no definitive proof that beet juice is a treatment for hypertension.

Rather, beet juice should be part of a healthy diet and proper treatment for high blood pressure. And, it’s always best to consult with your doctor or healthcare provider if you have questions.

Is beet juice good for runners?

Beet juice may be a simple and a great way to help your running performance!

The naturally occurring nitrates in beet juice will convert to nitric oxide in your body, which improves blood flow to major organs and muscles. Many athletes have found that beet juice improves performance, stamina, and recovery.

I can’t stand the taste of beets so how can I enjoy beet juice?

Beet juice made with 100% beets can be unpleasant for some people. The good news is that beet juice blends well with other juices and helps it taste better.

You can add lemon juice, orange juice, carrot juice, or apple juice to help dilute the beet flavor.

See my recipe for Beet Juice that actually tastes good or Beet Carrot Juice with apple!

More Resources on Beet Health Benefits

Conclusions

Beet juice may have some significant health benefits, including enhanced detoxification, increased energy, and lowered blood pressure. At the very least, beets and beet juice are a rich source of antioxidants that are important for good health.

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is studying to be a holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.

Note: this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations related to your individual situation.