In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleAre Beets Safe for Everyone?Blood PressureAthletic PerformanceInflammationHealthy Ways to Eat BeetsBeets PeeWays to Add Beets to Your Diet
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Are Beets Safe for Everyone?
Blood Pressure
Athletic Performance
Inflammation
Healthy Ways to Eat Beets
Beets Pee
Ways to Add Beets to Your Diet
Close
Featured Recipe:Roasted Beet Salad
You may have seen certain chews and powders made from beets and wondered why they would use this root vegetable in a supplement. This is because beets boast a range of health benefits. And there are a variety of ways to enjoy them—tasty, filling ways that take this root and make it the star of your plate.
A serving size of beets is 1 cup, which contains just 59 calories, according to theUSDA. Beets are also chock-full of folate, fiber and potassium. One cup delivers 4 grams of fiber—mostly the insoluble type that keeps things moving through your digestive system—and about 10% of your daily potassium needs, according to theFDA.
Considering all the hype surrounding beets—like beet supplements touting various health benefits—is it really safe to consume beets daily? According to theNational Institutes of Health (NIH), drinking a moderate amount of beet juice is probably safe for most people. Many studies that are done on beets also have participants eating them—or drinking the juice—every day or most days. According to the NIH, regarding athletic performance, most studies have participants drink up to 2 cups of beet juice, 2.5 to 3 hours prior to exercise training.
With that said, theNIHalso states that those with certain disorders, including chronic kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, congestive heart failure, adrenal insufficiency or liver disease, or those on certain medications—like ACE inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics—may need to watch their potassium intakes. And because beets are high in potassium, they may not be the best source of nutrition in these cases. It’s always best to discuss this with your health care practitioner or a registered dietitian knowledgeable in your health condition.
If you’re prone to gout, an extremely painful type of arthritis that occurs due to high uric acid levels in your blood, you might also want to limit your beet intake. Beets are high in oxalates, which tend to increase uric acid levels.
Try These:Healthy Beet Recipes
Featured Recipe:Sheet-Pan Shrimp & Beets
Maintaining a healthy blood pressurecan reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
“Beets contain high levels of natural nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide within the arteries,” says Stacy Mitchell Doyle, M.D., founder ofFoodTherapyMD.com. “This causes the blood vessels in the heart and organs to dilate, which lowers blood pressure and increases blood flow.”
Featured recipe:Ginger-Beet Juice
Beets may improve endurance too. “Beets—and specifically beetroot juice—can be a secret weapon for athletes,” says Chrissy Carroll, RD, a USAT Level I Triathlon Coach and blogger atSnacking in Sneakers.
This benefit is also due to the beets' nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide and act as a vasodilator. “In other words, the nitric oxide opens up your blood vessels and lets the blood and oxygen flow through more easily,” says Carroll. The result for you? An extra edge to beat out (pun intended!) the competition.
There may be more benefits beyond vasodilation for recreationally active people, too. A 2020 review inCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutritionsuggests that studies show that beet juice can help your body use oxygen more efficiently while exercising.
“For peak performance, try swigging down some beetroot juice or including some sliced beets in your breakfast about 90 minutes before your next long run or ride,” says Carroll, “Of course, try this during training, prior to testing it out in any race.”
More studies are needed since most have only studied men, not all sports have been studied and the effects on short- versus long-distance and high- versus low-intensity exercise are still unknown. Of course, you could also try it and see how it affects your own workouts.
Beets are high in betalains, a group of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Betalains include betacyanins, which give beets their dark red and purple color, and betaxanthins, which are yellow—hence the golden beets that sometimes show up on a salad at a restaurant. Betalainsdecrease inflammationthat could otherwise increase your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Despite beets' natural detoxification effects, however, it might not be wise to consume large amounts of beets in an attempt to detox your body. As with anything, too much of a good thing can be too much. The same 2021 review inCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutritiondiscusses how nitrates can be converted into unhealthy, carcinogenic substances especially when taken in large amounts. Because beets contain nitrates, it is unknown if ingesting beets in large quantities could be harmful.
Don’t Miss:The Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Is It Right for You?
Both eating beets and drinking beet juice will give you anti-inflammatory betalains and other phytonutrients. If you’re looking to enhance athletic performance, drink up. Juicing beets delivers a concentrated dose of nitrates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
However, you lose the fiber when you juice the beets. That’s not necessarily bad news if you’re about to run a race. However, most Americans don’t get enough fiber, and beets are a good source of the insoluble type, which helps keep you regular and full longer than beet juice.
If your urine turns pink or red after eating or drinking beets, it’s probably not a cause for concern. This is typically normal and is called beeturia, per the National Library of Medicine’s resource,StatPearls—and about 10%-14% of people get it after eating or drinking beets.
However, according to StatPearls, beeturia may also be a sign of anemia (aka iron deficiency) or an allergy to beetroot. If you have any concerns or other symptoms, like itching, sneezing or watery eyes after eating beets, orsigns of iron deficiencyin general, it might be wise to avoid beets and see your health care practitioner before eating them again.
Read More:Our 30 Best Beet Recipes
Image ByMySpiritSphere
Featured Recipe:Roasted Beet Hummus
Gone are the days of only eating beets from a can or salad bar. Now you canfind beets spiralized, pre-steamed or cooked in the produce section, and in liquid form at your favorite juice bar.
Fun fact: You can also eat beet leaves (aka beet greens), which have plenty of health benefits, too, per a 2021 research article inPhytotherapy Research.
Beet chipsand pickled beets are popular, as well. Pickled beets can be healthy, as long as they aren’t loaded with salt and sugar in the pickling process.
The Bottom Line
You can’t beat beets! Add these nutrition powerhouses to your diet for a plethora of health benefits, from improved sports performance and lower blood pressure to decreased inflammation and regularity. Just don’t overdo it, since studies have not shown the exact amount that provides health benefits without producing potentially unhealthy compounds.
Like any other food, beets are not a magic pill or cure-all. Eat them as part of a varied diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and dairy. This will ensure that you get the nutrients you need for a healthy body and brain, without overdoing it on just a few nutrients. If you’re really into beets, including one serving of beets or beet juice a day should be OK, unless you have one of the conditions previously mentioned. One serving is about 1 cup of beetroot or 8 ounce of juice.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
