5 Important Beet Juice Benefits for Your Health

Want some beet juice benefits? Keep reading and find out about this healthy drink.

Beet juice is made of a sweet root vegetable known since ancient times. Initially used for medicinal properties, it is considered a popular ingredient in many recipes.

It is mainly dark red but can also have yellow and white hues. With sweet and earthy notes, it can be prepared boiled, pickled, or cooked with meat, veggies, desserts, and even as a salad.

Beetroot juice is often used as a colorant to increase the redness in sauces, jams, desserts, and other juices. It is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and offers several health benefits, which we will be looking at here.

1) 5 Healthy Beet Juice Benefits

One serving (100 ml) of organic beetroot juice contains – no fat, 29 calories, 0.42 gm protein, 7.5 gm carbs, 5.42 gm sugar, and 0.40 gm fiber.

These nutritional levels, along with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like folate, vitamin B – 6, calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, phosphorous, and manganese, provide the following benefits –

1.1) Beet Juice Benefits Include Low Blood Pressure

Beetroot juice has a healthy nitrate content¹ – naturally occurring compounds that improve blood flow by converting into nitric oxide that dilates blood vessels and helps lower blood pressure.

Studies suggest concentrated beet juice can reduce blood pressure faster than nitrate-depleted juices,² with the effects remaining for 24 hours. Click here to know more.

Other research on hypertensive patients shows that drinking beet juice (250 ml) daily for 4 weeks can lower high blood pressure.

Raw beets can also lower systolic blood pressure rates, as other research shows. Drinking or using the beet powder instead of eating beets is advisable to gain more valuable nutrients.

1.1.1) Does It Always Lower Blood Pressure?

But this can vary depending on the high blood pressure patients. Studies show no difference in those taking blood pressure medications after a week by drinking beet juice full of nitric oxide compared to those with none. 

By maintaining healthy blood pressure, beet juice benefits help improve heart health, protects kidneys, and generally provides more lifespan.

1.2) Beet Juice Benefits – Reduce Inflammation

Anti-Inflammatory compounds called betalains in beet juice have signaling pathways that help with inflammatory bowel disease and chronic inflammation, as found in studies.

Another study also revealed this compound reduces inflammatory enzymes by almost 32%.

These anti-inflammatory properties also ensure that drinking beetroot juice regularly ³can help reduce skin problems like acne and provide a natural skin glow from Vitamin c.

1.3) Beet Juice Benefits – Protect Liver

The vitamins, antioxidants, and iron gained by consuming beet juice protects the liver from any oxidative stress and inflammation, removing toxins from the body.

Animal studies have found that beetroot extract helps with liver injury.

How Does Drinking Beet Juice Prevent Liver Diseases?

The condition – non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that is caused due to a poor diet, alcoholism, toxic exposure, and less physical activities can be prevented with the drink beet juice due to the presence of the antioxidant betaine.

1.4) Beet Juice Benefits – Athletic Performance

The betalains and nitrates present in the drink beetroot juice help improve athletic performance.

A review conducted in 2017 concludes naturally occurring nitrates improve blood flow and oxygen to the muscles.

Studies also show drinking beet juice improves plasma nitrate levels and boosts one’s physical performance. Trained cyclists improved their run by 12 seconds and reduced maximum oxygen output by 2 cups daily.

1.4.1) Which Is Better – Beet Juice or Placebo?

Another study in 2018 shows male cyclists who drank beet juice (100 mg) were able to boost stamina and blood flow compared to those who took the beetroot placebo.

1.5) Beet Juice Benefits – Improve Immune System

Beet Juice benefits⁴ include improving immunity due to the presence of minerals like magnesium, zinc, and copper that help with the following –

1) Maintain proper heart, nerve, and muscle health.

2) Maintain bones and healthy blood vessels.

3) Promote wound healing and encourage normal growth.

Mainly, the phytochemicals that give beetroots their flavor and color help improve the immune system. Other vitamins, fibers, and folate present help in the same regard. They also ensure tissue growth and a better digestive system.

2) Other Health Benefits of Beet Juice

Adding beet juice to your diet can also help in the following ways –

2.1) Protect Skin 

The anti-inflammatory properties like folate present in beet juice ensure that the skin is protected from acne and pimples.

Since the Vitamin C content of beets purifies the blood, it removes any blemishes and provides a natural look.

Antioxidants support the liver’s detoxification, which removes any excess hormones and keeps the skin balanced.

2.2) Can Improve Muscle Power

A 2015 study that looked at the benefits of nitrates in beet juice⁵ suggested that those who experienced heart failure could see a 13% increase in muscle power after 2 hours of drinking beet juice daily.

Beet juice may help prevent muscle cramps, fatigue, and weakness due to potassium which helps muscle and nerve functions.

Check the link out to know more here.

2.3) Slows Down Dementia

Further benefits of nitrates present in juicing beets show that it helps increase blood flow to the brain. This slows the cognitive decline of older people.

The participants consumed a nitrate-rich diet which included beet juice; their brain MRI’S indicated increased blood flow near the frontal lobes, which is associated with cognitive thinking.

This research is promising, even if more studies are needed.

2.4) Prevents Cancer

Betalains are water-soluble antioxidants that have chemo-preventive abilities helpful in stopping cancer cell lines, as found in a study conducted in 2016 on its biological activities.

They are considered free radical scavengers capable of destroying unstable cells present in the body. It also helps fight diseases caused by these free radicals.

2.5) Lowers Blood Glucose

Whole beets have phytochemical compounds that regulate blood sugar levels.

2014 research suggests that 1/2 cup of beet juice can reduce sugar amount after meals. Beet powder has the same nutritional profile, so it works as well.

So, adding beet greens to your diet can help manage blood sugar. Know more here.

2.6) Your Weight Journey

Since beet juice has low calories and no fat, it can be a good ingredient in your smoothies for weight loss providing a nutrient-rich energy boost to start the day.

The above-provided benefits like better nitric oxide production, decreasing inflammation, and high fiber content also aid the weight loss journey by helping with stamina, recovery, and overeating.

2.7) Prevents Anemia

The iron content in beet juice is an important component of RBCs. Without it, these cells cannot transport oxygen in the body.

Beets can thus improve the condition of iron deficiency or anemia, whose symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and rapid heartbeats.

2.8) Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

Beets, rich in dietary nitrate, have an important molecule – vasodilator, which helps relax blood vessels and widens them. This ensures that all the necessary nutrients and oxygen are delivered to the cells – benefiting cardiovascular health.

3) Precautions

Drinking beet juice may help with the above-cited health conditions, but it can also cause other side effects like –

1) Your urine or stools can turn pinkish or red after repeated consumption. This is just a harmless condition called beeturia⁶, no need to worry. But, do be aware of it.

2) While blood pressure patients are advised to drink them, ensure your levels don’t drop too low. This can be harmful as well.

3) If someone has a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones, one of the common types, avoid adding more beets to your diet as they are high in oxalates – naturally occurring substances that can lead to stones.

4) Dosage

So, how much beet juice should one consume? You can start with a small portion, like juicing half a beet, and see how your body takes it. Once it starts adjusting, you can gradually increase the amount.

If you don’t like its singular taste, you can always add any other fruit or vegetable juice to the mix, like those made of carrots, mint, and citrus, which would complement its earthy taste.

Although there is no official limit, from the studies- a 250 ml glass per day should work fine to gain beet juice benefits and minimize any side effects.

5) How To Prepare?

Beet juice can be pre-prepared with both whole beets or beet juice powder, although the latter has fewer vitamins and antioxidants.

To make it, you can use any food processor, juicer, or blender. Here is a general recipe –

5.1) In A Juicer

1) Firstly, trim beet tops and then wash them thoroughly. Let the skin be to gain its nutrients. Chop them into small pieces.

2) Use a juicer with an attached bowl or pitcher for discarded material. Put the beetroot pieces individually, then pour the finished result into a glass.

5.2) In A Blender

Put beetroot pieces into the blender with a splash of water to soften them. Blend till it’s smooth.

Note – Make sure to remove any large chunks present with a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the pulp.

You can immediately drink it or let it chill in the refrigerator. Here is a mix of beets, carrots, and apples that you can give a try as a starter recipe.

If you wish to try out beet juices from outside, make sure to check their nutritional content.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Advantages Does Consuming Beet Juice Have?

Beet juice may improve exercise performance, lower blood pressure, boost blood flow, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion, among other possible health advantages.

2. How Does Beet Juice Deliver These Advantages?

High quantities of nitrates in beet juice are transformed by the body into nitric oxide. It aids in blood vessel dilation, enabling higher blood flow and enhanced functionality. Beet juice also has a lot of antioxidants, which can help lessen inflammation.

3. What Negative Impacts Might Drinking Beet Juice Have?

When consumed in excess, it can temporarily colour one’s pee and feces crimson or pink, a condition known as beeturia. After ingesting beet juice, some people may have upset stomach, diarrhea, or allergic reactions.

Click here to read similar articles.    

1. Jonvik, Kristin L., et al. “Nitrate-rich vegetables increase plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and lower blood pressure in healthy adults.” The Journal of nutrition 146.5 (2016): 986-993. ↩︎
2. Gilchrist, Mark, et al. “Dietary nitrate supplementation improves reaction time in type 2 diabetes: development and application of a novel nitrate-depleted beetroot juice placebo.” Nitric Oxide 40 (2014): 67-74. ↩︎
3. Coles, Leah T., and Peter M. Clifton. “Effect of beetroot juice on lowering blood pressure in free-living, disease-free adults: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.” Nutrition journal 11 (2012): 1-6. ↩︎
4. Zamani, H., et al. “The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: A systematic review.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 61.5 (2021): 788-804. ↩︎
5. Rojas-Valverde, Daniel, et al. “Effectiveness of beetroot juice derived nitrates supplementation on fatigue resistance during repeated-sprints: A systematic review.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 61.20 (2021): 3395-3406. ↩︎
6. Watts, A. R., et al. “Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments.” Pharmacogenetics and Genomics 3.6 (1993): 302-311. ↩︎

Last Updated on February 18, 2024 by ayeshayusuf