Remedy · root & spice
Beetroot juice and blood pressure: what the evidence says
Beets are rich in dietary nitrate, which the body turns into nitric oxide. Short trials show a small drop in blood pressure measured at the clinic; longer, more careful measurements have not confirmed it.
By the editors of Alimentotherapy Last reviewed 3 min read Not medical advice
Beetroot
Beta vulgaris
Best-supported use: Lower blood pressure readings
The short answer
Beetroot juice and other nitrate sources lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg on average in short trials, but a later meta-analysis found the effect showed up only in clinic readings, not on 24-hour ambulatory or home monitoring Siervo 2013; Ashor 2017. Beets are a good vegetable to eat; as a way to manage blood pressure, the evidence is still limited.
The evidence, use by use
Each claim graded on human studies only. How we grade
| Use | Grade | What the research found |
|---|---|---|
| Lower blood pressure readings (short term) | Limited | Pooling 16 small crossover trials (254 people, lasting 2 hours to 15 days), nitrate or beetroot juice lowered systolic pressure by 4.4 mm Hg; the change in diastolic pressure was not significant. Siervo 2013 |
| Lower blood pressure over weeks | Limited | Across 13 trials of 1 to 6 weeks (325 people), nitrate lowered clinic readings by about 4 mm Hg systolic and 2 mm Hg diastolic, but there was no significant change on 24-hour ambulatory or home monitoring. Ashor 2017 |
Why beets: the nitrate story
Beets, like leafy greens such as spinach, arugula and lettuce, are rich in inorganic nitrate. Diets that include nitrate-rich foods are associated with lower blood pressure, and the trials tested whether adding nitrate, usually as beetroot juice, lowers it directly Siervo 2013. In those trials, the more nitrate people took each day, the larger the drop in systolic pressure.
The catch is the length and size of the studies. The 2013 meta-analysis covered trials of 7 to 30 people that lasted from 2 hours to 15 days Siervo 2013. The 2017 update looked only at trials of at least a week, and found that the benefit seen in the clinic did not appear when blood pressure was measured round the clock or at home, which are the more accurate methods Ashor 2017.
Good to know
If you have high blood pressure, beets are a fine addition to a diet built on vegetables, fruit and less salt, but they are not a replacement for prescribed medicine. Do not stop or change a blood pressure drug because of a juice.
Pink urine is usually harmless
After eating beets, some people pass pink or red urine. This is called beeturia, and it affects roughly 10 to 14 percent of people Sauder 2023. The color comes from betalain pigments that survive digestion in some people. It is harmless in itself, though it is seen more often in people who are iron deficient Sauder 2023; Eastwood 1995.
Red urine you cannot explain by beets, or that persists, should be checked by a clinician: blood in the urine can look the same.
Eating beets
In the kitchen
Roasting whole beets in their skins keeps their color in, and the skins slip off once cooled. The greens are edible too, cooked like chard. Store-bought beet juice and concentrated "shots" vary a lot in nitrate content, and the juice carries the root's natural sugar without its fiber.
Before you try it: safety and interactions
Who should avoid it or ask first
- You have had calcium oxalate kidney stones: beets and especially their greens contain oxalate, so ask your clinician or a dietitian how much fits your plan.
- You take blood pressure medicine and plan to drink beet juice daily: tell your clinician, so readings are interpreted with it in mind.
Possible side effects
- Pink or red urine and stools (beeturia), which is harmless.
- Juice concentrates the root's natural sugar.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Beets eaten as a vegetable are a normal part of the diet in pregnancy. Concentrated nitrate supplements have not been studied for safety in pregnancy. Sauder 2023; Niddk
Medicine interactions
We found no well-documented medicine interactions for beetroot at food amounts. That is not proof there are none: tell your pharmacist about any herb or supplement you take.
Check another food or medicine in the interactions list.
Common questions
Does beetroot juice lower blood pressure?
Only a little, and the evidence is limited. A 2013 meta-analysis of short trials found beetroot juice and nitrate lowered systolic blood pressure by 4.4 mm Hg, but a 2017 analysis of trials lasting 1 to 6 weeks found no significant change on 24-hour or home monitoring.
Why is my urine pink after eating beets?
It is called beeturia and affects roughly 10 to 14 percent of people. Pigments from beets pass into the urine in some people; it is harmless, though more common in people with iron deficiency. Red urine without having eaten beets should be checked.
Sources
Primary research and government sources, each checked on the date this page was reviewed.
- PubMedSiervo M, Lara J, Ogbonmwan I, Mathers JC. Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2013. PMID 23596162.
- PubMedAshor AW, Lara J, Siervo M. Medium-term effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hypertens. 2017. PMID 28319596.
- PubMedSauder HM, Rout P. Beeturia. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023. PMID 30725697.
- PubMedEastwood MA, Nyhlin H. Beeturia and colonic oxalic acid. QJM. 1995. PMID 7493168.
- GuidelineNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Kidney Stones.
Keep reading
- GoalFood for a healthy heart: blood pressure and cholesterolEating patterns have the strongest heart evidence: DASH for blood pressure, Mediterranean for heart events, and soluble fiber from oats, barley or psyllium for cholesterol.
- RemedyOily fishSalmon, sardines, mackerel and their kin are the main food source of the omega-3s EPA and DHA. The case for eating them is stronger than the case for fish oil capsules.
- RemedyFlaxseedA seed rich in fiber, lignans and the plant omega-3 ALA. Trials show a small drop in blood pressure; milling it matters if you want the omega-3.
- MethodHow we grade the evidenceWhat strong, moderate, limited and not supported mean here.