Beetroot extract

What is it?

Beetroot extract is a concentrated form of beetroot (Beta vulgaris), commonly used for its potential health benefits. It is derived from the root of the beet plant and is typically available in liquid, powder, or capsule forms.

How does it work for medicinal purposes?

Beetroot extract is rich in nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps to dilate blood vessels, improving blood flow and reducing blood pressure. This vasodilation can enhance oxygen delivery to muscles and other tissues, which may improve exercise performance and cardiovascular health.

What are the active ingredients that are important for its medicinal properties?

The primary active ingredient in beetroot extract is nitrate. Other beneficial compounds include betalains (pigments with antioxidant properties), betaine, vitamins (such as vitamin C), and minerals (such as potassium and magnesium).

What forms does it come in?

• Liquid extract
• Powder
• Capsules
• Juice

What if I have an imbalance or deficiency?

There is no specific deficiency associated with beetroot extract itself. However, a diet low in nitrates could potentially impact nitric oxide levels, which might affect blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular health.

When was it first used for medicinal purposes?

Beetroot has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient Roman times. The Romans used it for a variety of ailments, including fever and constipation.

What does Beetroot extract help with?

Beetroot extract comes from the red garden beet. Romans grew it, and folk healers across Europe used it for the blood and the liver. Today it is sold as juice, powder and capsules, mostly for the heart and for sport.

• High blood pressure
  Strong evidence — many randomised trials in people; our file does not record their sizes or doses. Randomised human trials found lower blood pressure after beetroot. The drop showed up within hours of a single dose, in both the upper and lower numbers. Lab work links this to nitrates, which the body turns into nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes vessel walls.
  Evidence grade A · Traditional tier T1
• Stamina in running, cycling and rowing
  Strong evidence — a large body of randomised trials in athletes; sizes and doses not recorded in our file. Beetroot is one of the best-studied sports supplements. In these trials, people held their effort longer before tiring. Researchers tie this to nitric oxide, which helped muscles use oxygen more efficiently.
  Evidence grade A · Traditional tier T1
• Heart and blood vessel health
  Good evidence — human studies of blood pressure, artery stiffness and homocysteine. Regular beetroot intake has been linked with lower blood pressure and less stiff arteries. Betaine from beets also lowered homocysteine, an amino acid tied to heart disease when it runs high. These are lab markers, not counts of heart attacks.
  Evidence grade B · Traditional tier T1
• Sore muscles after a hard session
  Early evidence — some human studies of daily beetroot use. Some studies found less delayed muscle soreness when people took beetroot regularly. Researchers credit betalains and polyphenols, plant pigments with antioxidant action in lab tests. The human results so far are limited and not fully consistent.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T1
• Inflammation in the body
  Early evidence — early human studies of betalains. Betalains, the red pigments in beets, showed anti-inflammatory activity in human studies. They appeared to quiet some inflammatory signals. This work is early, and what it means for any named illness is not clear.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T1
• Low energy and everyday tiredness
  Early evidence — small human studies, mostly in people who are not trained athletes. In small studies, people used less oxygen to do the same task after beetroot. Some said everyday effort felt easier. The change looked bigger in people who were not trained athletes.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T1
• Thinking speed and blood flow to the brain
  Early evidence — small, mixed human studies, mainly in older adults. Small studies measured more blood flow to the brain after beetroot. A few reported slight gains in reaction time in older adults. The results are mixed and the studies were short.
  Evidence grade C · Traditional tier T1
• Cold hands and feet, poor circulation
  Evidence doesn't support this — blood-flow readings only; no trial on file in people with cold hands and feet. Beetroot nitrates widened blood vessels in human blood-flow studies. Whether that warms cold hands and feet has not been tested in the studies we hold. People whose circulation has changed with age or illness have no direct trial here.
  Evidence grade D · Traditional tier T1
• Liver support and "detox"
  Not yet tested in people — research on betaine, not trials of beetroot extract in people. Betaine is one of the better-studied compounds for the liver, including how the liver handles fat. That research is about betaine itself, not about beetroot extract taken by people. Our file holds no human trial of beetroot for liver health.
  Evidence grade insufficient · Traditional tier T1

What Beetroot extract has not been shown to do

• No trial on file shows that beetroot extract clears toxins from the body, despite the word detox.
• Beetroot extract has not been shown to treat fatty liver disease.
• The heart evidence covers markers such as blood pressure and artery stiffness; it has not shown fewer heart attacks or strokes.
• Beetroot has not been shown to prevent or slow dementia; the brain studies measured blood flow and short mental tests.
• No trial on file compared beetroot with blood pressure medicine, so it has not been shown to stand in for one.

How to read this:

The grades rate the human evidence for each use, not how strong the product is. A means steady results across randomised human trials. B means at least one good human trial. C means small, early or mixed human work. D means weak or clashing human evidence. Insufficient means lab, animal or tradition only. Where our file did not record trial sizes or doses, we say so instead of guessing. This page lists options and what studies found. It is not medical advice, and it is not a promise of any result for you. Talk with your doctor before you change any treatment.

What can Beetroot extract help prevent?

• Progression of age-related cognitive decline (via improved cerebral blood flow — supported by emerging clinical evidence in older adults)
• Worsening of high blood pressure in at-risk individuals
• Exercise-induced oxidative muscle damage

Which foods are rich in it?

Beetroot extract is most commonly derived from beetroot itself. However, foods rich in nitrates, which are similarly beneficial, include:

1. Beetroot
2. Spinach
3. Arugula
4. Lettuce
5. Celery
6. Radishes
7. Carrots
8. Parsley
9. Cabbage
10. Leeks

What are possible side effects?

Beetroot extract is generally well-tolerated, but possible side effects include:

• Common (10-30%)
• Pink or red urine (beeturia)
• Pink or red stools
• Less Common (1-10%)
• Stomach upset
• Diarrhea
• Rare (<1%)
• Allergic reactions

What’s the recommended daily dose?

The recommended daily dose of beetroot extract for adults typically ranges from 250 to 500 mg, equivalent to about 1-2 cups of beetroot juice.

How many days does it take to work?

Beetroot extract may start to show effects on blood pressure and exercise performance within a few hours to a few days. Long-term benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health, may take several weeks to become apparent.

What time of day is best to take it?

Beetroot extract can be taken at any time of the day. However, taking it 2-3 hours before exercise may maximize its performance-enhancing effects.

Is it best to take it with or without food?

Beetroot extract can be taken with or without food. Taking it with food may reduce the risk of gastrointestinal upset in some individuals.