6 Health Benefits Of Beet Juice & Creative Ways To Drink It

Beet juice has been popular among athletes for the last few years due to claims that it can promote endurance, energy, and stamina. But are these claims backed by science? Read on to learn the top health benefits of beet juice and how to use it in your workout routine and beyond.

Beet juice, also known as beetroot juice, is a nutrient-dense, deep red vegetable juice made from raw beetroots. The flavor is typically described as earthy and mildly sweet. Store-bought varieties are usually cold-pressed and cost an average of six to 10 dollars per bottle (32 fluid ounces), depending on where you live. Most grocery stores carry at least one brand of beetroot juice, usually in the aisle with the other canned and bottled shelf-stable juices. You can also make beet juice at home with a juicer, blender, or food processor. 

According to USDA data1, 1 cup of beet juice1 without ice contains the following. (However, some pre-made beet juices contain closer to 100 calories and 25 grams of sugar per cup, so check your labels to be sure.)

“Beetroot juice is a powerhouse of phytonutrients2 including polyphenols, saponins, flavonoids, and nitrates,” says Dani Lebovitz, MS, RDN, a nutrition education expert. “But the natural pigment found in beetroot known as betalains, more specifically betanin, has shown powerful free radical scavenging ability3."

Beet juice has been most studied for its cardiovascular and exercise performance benefits, but its high nitrate and phytonutrient content may lend itself to more health benefits worth exploring. 

Exactly how much beetroot juice you need to drink every day to reap the blood pressure benefits is still up for debate. In a recent review, daily dosages ranged from 2.3 to 8.4 ounces8 over three to 60 days. 

"They also contain antioxidants quercetin and resveratrol, which are beneficial to mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells, as well as iron, an important mineral for energy metabolism that many athletes and highly active individuals may have a low intake of.”

Jones adds that betaine and other betalains in beets may also impact inflammation in the brain14 and enhance mental health, with studies having even shown betaine can play a role in improving mild to moderate depression15. 

“Betaine has been known to have antioxidant effects on and support liver health,16” says Jones. Some studies have found that betaine protects against the development of alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis17, the accumulation of fat under liver cells. “This has even been shown to extend to fighting against cancerous liver cells, though more research is needed.” 

“The bright red color of beet comes from compounds called betalains18. Beet betalains may be both heart and cancer protective14; however, more research is needed in humans to determine their potential effectiveness,” says sports nutritionist Katie Schimmelpfenning, RD. 

This was an early study, however, so more research is needed in this area. 

To enjoy the many nutritional benefits of beet juice daily without developing flavor fatigue, Schimmelpfenning recommends these five strategies:

Most of the studied benefits of beet juice are linked to its nitrate content. If you don’t enjoy the taste of beet juice, you can still reap the nitrate benefits by eating beetroots in other forms, like a puree or smoothie, or by simply roasting them. “The benefits22 of beet juice can be obtained in many ways, including from both raw and cooked sources, although raw seems to have an improved antihypertensive effect overall,” says Wilhite. 

Spano says that older individuals23 may be more likely to notice performance benefits from drinking beet juice before a workout. Elite athletes are less likely to notice a benefit, so they may want to wait until after their training session. “Consuming [beet juice] after exercise may have anti-inflammatory effects as well as increased nutrient delivery to muscles, potentially improving recovery,” Spano adds. 

If you plan to make your own beetroot juice, there are a few things to remember from a safety standpoint since you can’t pasteurize it to kill harmful bacteria. The FDA recommends24 following these steps to prevent illness when preparing beet juice at home: 

If buying juice from a store, look for 100% pure organic beet juice that is freshly pressed, not made from concentrate, and doesn’t contain any other ingredients (except a small amount of lemon juice for preservation). 

“When consumed in excess, people with low blood pressure could experience their blood pressure dropping too low and should take caution,” adds Wiemann. Some people may experience headaches, and others may experience gastrointestinal distress after consuming beetroots. 

With an extensive list of health benefits, it should come as no surprise that beet juice continues to grow in popularity. Beetroot is packed with nitrates, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that can help lower blood pressure and improve athletic performance. Exciting research is emerging on how beet juice may even support liver and brain health. Drink up to one cup a day of the bright red brew on its own, combined with other juices, or worked into your favorite smoothie recipe.