Beetroot juice generally offers a more potent dose of nitrates for blood pressure and athletic performance, but boiled beetroot is easier to digest and still very healthy, with steaming being better than boiling to preserve nutrients like folate and antioxidants. Raw beets, juiced or grated, retain the most nutrients, while boiling can leach water-soluble vitamins into the water, so lightly steaming or roasting raw beets are excellent alternatives if you don't want juice.
Beetroot is naturally rich in nitrates that convert to nitric oxide, helping relax blood vessels. While cooked beets still offer this benefit, studies suggest raw beet juice has a more potent blood pressure-lowering effect due to higher nitrate levels.
Most studies on the health benefits of beets are based on drinking its juice, but beets also can be beneficial when consumed raw, in salads, boiled, baked, turned into chips or eaten dried. Beets can be pickled so they can be enjoyed year-round.
Short answer: whole beets are the better overall source of nutrition for most people because they retain fiber, have a broader nutrient profile, and produce a slower rise in blood sugars; beet juice provides concentrated nitrates and quick bioavailable antioxidants but lacks fiber and is higher in sugars per serving.
Juicing concentrates beet nutrients into liquid form, dramatically increasing nitrate density while removing fiber content. Clinical studies from the Ottawa Running Club show that beet juice delivers high nitrate levels, with faster absorption due to liquid form.
It's important to note that although beetroot juice offers many health benefits, it should only be consumed 1-2 times a week. Avoid drinking it daily as it may cause dizziness, low blood sugar, or allergies. Additionally, do not mix beetroot juice with fresh milk, as this combination may lead to poisoning.
Different betalains create different colors, but all of them provide the positive antioxidant effects we know beets for. Golden beets are higher in “betacyanins”, whereas red beets are higher in “betaxanthins”. Another similar bioactive that contributes some of the health effects of beets is the antioxidant “betaine”.
Beet and beetroot juice are possibly safe for most people when taken in larger amounts, short-term. Beet can make urine or stools appear pink or red. But this is not harmful. There is concern that large doses of beet might cause low calcium levels and kidney damage.
Cooking beets decreases the bioavailability of dietary nitrate from the food, meaning raw beets deliver more dietary nitrate.
Detoxifies Your Liver Beetroot contains betaine, which supports liver function and helps flush out toxins. It's a gentle way to boost your body's natural detox process. 7. Aids Digestion The fiber and antioxidants in beetroot juice stimulate digestion and promote a healthy gut environment.
Three Reasons Beets Are Good for Heart Health
Beets are a heart-healthy food in several important ways, including: Blood pressure: Some small research studies show a relationship between eating beets and heart health (however, we have yet to see a large, randomized clinical trial make the same connection).
Beets can also be eaten raw, and the beet greens can be cooked and enjoyed as a bonus side dish. Beets are rich in vitamins and minerals, and 1 cup contains only 59 calories.
Beetroot is naturally rich in compounds called nitrates, and it's these that make beetroot so heart-friendly. This is because nitrates help to improve blood flow by relaxing the blood vessels, which potentially lowers blood pressure. Reduced blood pressure makes it more likely you'll avoid heart disease and stroke.
Beet juice is generally better than beet powder at lowering blood pressure because it contains higher concentrations of nitrates. The body breaks down nitrates into nitric oxide, which helps reduce blood pressure by widening blood vessels.
Risks and Side Effects of Beetroots
Beetroots usually do not cause any side effects. But eating too many might lead to some minor side effects in certain people like: Change in urine or stools colour to pink or red (beeturia).
Cooking can decrease heat-sensitive nutrients, like folate and betalains, due to degradation or dissolving into water. While raw beets often retain more vitamins and antioxidants, all forms offer benefits. Consider your health goals when choosing between raw, cooked, or juiced beets to maximize desired nutrients.
Anyone with low blood pressure or is currently taking blood pressure medication should speak with a healthcare professional before adding beets or beetroot juice to their diet. Beets contain high levels of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones in people with a high risk of this condition.
The top fruits for lowering blood pressure include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, grapes, raisins, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, pomegranate, plums, prunes, avocado, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, tomatoes, citrus fruit, berries, and more.
Although beetroot extract and powders can be helpful for athletes, whole beets have more fiber and a wider range of nutrients. Supplements may lack some of the benefits found in fresh beets. Juices lose fiber, which supports gut and digestive health. “Get the nutrients from the food instead,” says Hunter.
Beetroot has more folate, manganese, and iron; however, carrots have more vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin B6. Daily need coverage for vitamin A for carrots is 333% higher.
carried an in vivo experiments with beetroot and found that following beetroot juice or beetroot slices intake, the oxidation metabolism of neutrophils was effectively inhibited in obese people, which thereby led to the reduction of body fat content (Wroblewska et al., 2011).
This article highlights the best beet juice brands that deliver quality, clean ingredients, and authentic vegetable juice characteristics.