Beetroot (Dietary Nitrate)

What the evidence says

Beetroot juice and powders can provide nitrate, which oral bacteria and the body convert through nitrite to nitric oxide. Actual nitrate dose varies widely, so grams of powder or milliliters of juice do not make products interchangeable; antibacterial mouthwash may also blunt conversion.^[1][2]

For exercise, an 80-study meta-analysis found a small overall improvement, with little clear benefit in women-only studies or elite endurance athletes. A 2025 umbrella review likewise found mixed small effects and judged the methodological quality of the included reviews mostly low or critically low.^[2][1]

Blood-pressure meta-analyses in hypertension report roughly 5 mmHg lower clinic systolic pressure, but no reliable diastolic or 24-hour effect and low-certainty evidence. Short controlled measurements do not demonstrate fewer strokes, heart attacks, or deaths and should not prompt medication changes without supervision.^[3][4]

Beeturia and red stool are harmless but can be alarming; bloating, nausea, and diarrhea occur. Concentrated products may add to blood-pressure-lowering therapy, and people prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones should consider beetroot's oxalate content. Safety conclusions for nitrate-rich vegetables do not automatically cover every concentrated supplement.^[5][1]