Ingredient guide

Beetroot (Dietary Nitrate): Blood Pressure and Performance

Beetroot is rich in dietary nitrate, which the body turns into nitric oxide to relax blood vessels. The evidence is reasonable for small drops in blood pressure and modest gains in exercise capacity, especially from beetroot juice.

Moderate evidence

Benefits

  • Supplies dietary nitrate, which the body converts into nitric oxide to relax blood vessels.
  • May give small reductions in blood pressure with continued daily use.
  • Linked with modest gains in exercise capacity and endurance in trials.
  • Provides plant antioxidants and pigments called betalains.

Evidence summary

What beetroot is

Beetroot is a deep red root vegetable, and as a supplement it usually appears as juice, powder, or concentrated shots. Its active ingredient is not a vitamin or a herb. It is dietary nitrate, a simple compound that beetroot happens to be especially rich in.

How beetroot works

Your body converts dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, a molecule that signals blood vessels to relax and widen. Wider vessels mean blood, and the oxygen it carries, can move more easily. That single mechanism explains both of beetroot's main effects, on blood pressure and on exercise.

What the human research shows

For blood pressure, reviews of trials find small but real reductions, with the clearest effect after at least a couple of weeks of daily use and at higher juice doses. The change is modest, useful as one part of a wider routine rather than a stand-in for medication.

For exercise, the nitric oxide effect can improve how efficiently muscles use oxygen, which shows up as slightly longer time to exhaustion and better endurance in some studies. Responses vary, and trained athletes often see smaller effects than casual exercisers. We grade the evidence as moderate, with a clear mechanism and consistent, if small, benefits.

What we still do not know

  • Why some people respond strongly to nitrate and others barely at all.
  • The best dose and timing for different goals.
  • How much the benefit fades in well-trained athletes.

How people take beetroot

For exercise, a concentrated shot or 140 mL of juice 2 to 3 hours before activity is common. For blood pressure, steady daily use over weeks matters more than any single dose. The pink colour it can give urine is harmless. If you already take blood pressure medicine, check with your healthcare provider before adding it regularly.

Dosage & safety

Dosage

Studies use roughly 70 mL to 250 mL of beetroot juice per day, supplying about 300 mg to 800 mg of nitrate, or 5 to 12 mmol. For exercise, a single dose is often taken 2 to 3 hours before activity. For blood pressure, daily use over weeks works best. Ask your healthcare provider if you take blood pressure medicine.

Side effects

  • Beeturia, a harmless pink or red colour in urine and stool, is common.
  • Some people get mild stomach upset from concentrated juice.
  • Blood pressure can drop, which matters if you already take blood pressure medicine.

Interactions

  • Beetroot may add to the effect of blood pressure medicines.
  • It may add to the effect of drugs used for erectile function that also lower blood pressure.

Warnings

  • Speak with a doctor before using beetroot regularly if you take blood pressure medication, since the effects can add up.
  • Do not be alarmed by pink urine, which is a harmless pigment effect.
  • People prone to kidney stones may want to limit high-oxalate beetroot, so check with a provider.

Products with this ingredient

Related ingredient guides

Citations

  1. Nitrate benefits, dosage, and side effects examine.com
  2. The blood pressure-lowering effect of beetroot juice: systematic review and meta-analysis pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Dietary nitrate improves exercise performance and lowers blood pressure pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Frequently asked questions

Does beetroot juice lower blood pressure?

Trials show small but real reductions in blood pressure, mainly after a couple of weeks of daily use. It works best alongside other healthy habits, not instead of medication.

Does beetroot improve exercise performance?

It can, modestly. The nitrate in beetroot helps muscles use oxygen more efficiently, which shows up as slightly better endurance in some studies. Trained athletes often respond less.

Why did beetroot turn my urine pink?

That is beeturia, a harmless effect of the red pigment. It is not a sign of a problem.

When should I take beetroot before exercise?

Studies often use a dose 2 to 3 hours before activity, since it takes time for the body to convert nitrate into nitric oxide.