Beetroot, known for its distinctive deep red-purple colour, belongs to the same family as spinach and chard, with both the flesh and the leaves edible. Despite its appearances in salads and as an ensemble of roasted vegetables, beetroot has many clinically proven health benefits. Here, we explore 10 of those to help you understand why you should be choosing high-quality beetroot supplements as part of your diet.
Content outline
- High in antioxidants
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Supports healthier arterial stiffness markers
- May aid endurance
- May support muscle power and speed in older adults
- May improve recovery after hard exercise
- Can improve walking capacity and vascular function in peripheral artery disease
- May support brain health
- Could relieve symptoms of Raynaud’s phenomenon
- May have anti-cancer properties
- Which beetroot supplement should I choose?
- When to take beetroot powder supplements
- Summary
High in antioxidants
Beetroots are bursting with antioxidants, compounds like vitamin C and vitamin E, polyphenols, and beta carotene that help to neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative stress. Red beetroots have been ranked in the top 10 most potent antioxidant vegetables available [1].
Specifically, beetroot is packed with anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid which gives the vegetable its distinct colour, but they are linked with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits [2].
Helps lower blood pressure
One of the most reported and consistent benefits of beetroot is its ability to lower blood pressure, especially systolic blood pressure (the top number) – the maximum pressure in the arteries when your heart contracts and pumps blood [3].
Beetroot is naturally rich in nitrates, which are converted into nitrites and nitric acid in the body. Nitric oxide relaxes your blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure [4]. One review concluded that daily consumption of 200 to 800 mg of nitrate from beetroot juice can lower systolic blood pressure in people with high blood pressure [5].
Another study also found that moderate vegetable nitrate intake of 59 mg per day was linked with a 15% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk [6].
Supports healthier arterial stiffness markers
As you get older, your arteries can become stiffer. In menopausal women, this could be associated with the reduced nitric oxide bioavailability, contributing to an increased risk of heart disease [7].
A recent study found that supplementing the diet of postmenopausal women with dietary nitrates from beetroot extract increased nitrate concentrations by 1.5- to 2-fold. It also improved carotid artery stiffness and increased nitric oxide bioavailability [8].
So, beetroot can help your arteries regain some of their youthful flexibility, supporting their health and lowering blood pressure.
May aid endurance
Beetroot has been studied as a potential legal ergogenic aid, that is a natural performance enhancer. Thanks to their high nitrate levels, beetroot can improve mitochondrial efficiency. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells, so the more efficient they are, the more energy they will produce, and the longer your body can keep performing during exercise [9].
One review found that beetroot juice enhances endurance by increasing the time to exhaustion [10]. Another review found that nitrate-rich beetroot juice can improve endurance, especially in non-athletes, either 2 to 3 hours before exercise of several days of loading [11].
May support muscle power and speed in older adults
As you get older, muscles lose their speed and power before they start to lose mass. Clinical trials involving older adults have found that short-term (2-week) beetroot juice supplementation can improve muscle power by 7 ± 13% and muscle strength by 9 ± 11% [12].
This is important because many everyday activities, from climbing stairs to gardening, require muscle power and speed. So, short-term beetroot supplementation can support older adults to live independently.
May improve recovery after hard exercise
When it comes to exercise and performance, there’s an area which is so often overlooked, but is key to success: recovery. In a systematic review and meta-analysis of human intervention trials, beetroot juice accelerated isometric strength recovery 72 hours after exercise and countermovement jump performance 24 to 72 hours post-exercise. Supplementation also improved the pressure pain threshold 72 hours after exercise [13].
A further review found that short-term beetroot supplementation could accelerate muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness following exercise, although markers of muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress were not improved [13].
Can improve walking capacity and vascular function in peripheral artery disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can limit blood flow to the legs and reduce walking ability. A moderate dose of beetroot juice can improve microvascular function, support a longer walking distance in 6 minutes, and promote faster recovery after exercise in people with PAD [14].
This is a clinically meaningful, potentially real-world function of beetroot supplementation that’s interlinked with nitric oxide’s circulatory support.
May support brain health
Cognition and mental function naturally decline with age, increasing the risk of neurodegenerative illnesses, like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. However, the nitrate found in beetroot can widen blood vessels and increase blood flow to the brain [15].
A study involving 26 older adults found that those who exercised and consumed beetroot juice had brain networks that more closely resembled those of younger adults than those of older adults who exercised and took a placebo [16]. In older adults with type 2 diabetes, those who consumed 250ml of beetroot daily for 2 weeks had a 4% faster reaction time during a cognitive function test compared to a control group [17].
Could relieve symptoms of Raynaud’s phenomenon
For anyone with Raynaud’s phenomenon, you’ll know it can be uncomfortable because it causes narrowing of blood vessels in the extremities, often in response to cold temperatures or stress [18]. An initial study has found that beetroot juice can improve blood flow to the forearm and thumb, reduce blood pressure, improve endothelial function and anti-inflammatory status in people with Raynaud’s [19].
May have anti-cancer properties
Beetroot is rich in several natural compounds that have been studied for their anti-cancer properties. For example, betacyanins may help to prevent bladder cancer in humans [20]. The main bioactive compounds found in beet, apigenin and betanin, have been shown to reduce the proliferation of prostate cancer cells [21].
Some studies have also shown that high betaine levels, another compound found in beetroot, can lower the risk of certain cancers, like colorectal cancer [22].
However, more research is needed to confirm these results in humans. It should also be noted that many studies use isolated compounds that may be found in beetroot rather than beetroot itself.
Which beetroot supplement should I choose?
When looking for the right beetroot supplement for you, it can be difficult to distinguish between powders, capsules, liquid shots, and extracts. However, the most important things to look out for are potency, transparency, and whether it aligns with clinical research.
The Clear Jar 2.5x Potent Beet stands out because it is formulated to deliver a more concentrated beetroot extract compared to standard powders – 250% more.
What makes it different?
✔ 2.5x potency compared to typical beetroot powder
✔ Designed to support nitric oxide production
✔ Easy-to-mix powder for flexible dosing
✔ No unnecessary fillers
✔ Suitable for cardiovascular wellness and performance support
✔ Available in handy stick packs, so you can take it anywhere, perfect for at home, in the office, at the gym, on your travels
When to take beetroot powder supplements
The best ways to take 2.5X Potent Beet will depend on what you want to achieve by taking it. If you’re looking to support your general health and wellbeing, energy levels, antioxidant support, and cardiovascular function, taking it consistently every day will help to maintain steady nitric oxide levels. Think about adding a scoop to a breakfast smoothie, porridge, or yoghurt and build this into a consistent habit. You can also incorporate whole beets into your daily diet; they make a great addition to salads, roasted vegetables, and vegetarian dishes.
If you’re considering a beetroot supplement to support your athletic performance, timing over consistency is more important. In line with clinical trial data, taking beetroot supplements 2 to 3 hours before exercise can help align peak nitric oxide levels with your workout [23].
Summary
Beetroot supplements aren’t magic, but they aren’t pure hype either. Lots of historical and emerging research link these distinctive root vegetables to many health benefits, from heart and brain health to improved exercise performance.
▶ Fed up with standard beetroot supplements? Try our 2.5x Potent Beet for 250% more potency than standard supplements; each pack contains the equivalent of 1 whole small beetroot.
Written by: Leanne Edermaniger, M.Sc. Leanne is a professional science writer who specializes in writing about human health and wellbeing. Her work focuses on translating complex medical science into evidence-based, practical health guidance.
