Beetroot

Beetroot is the deep red root of Beta vulgaris. It carries one of the highest concentrations of dietary nitrate of any vegetable. It also contains betalains, the red-purple pigments responsible for its colour, which act as antioxidants.^[1] Once swallowed, oral bacteria reduce part of the nitrate to nitrite. Nitrite then converts to nitric oxide, the molecule that signals blood vessels to relax.^[1]

Beetroot has been used as food and folk medicine for centuries. Modern interest centres on the nitrate pathway. If you have heard about beetroot for energy, exercise or circulation, this page covers the forms used in research, how much you need and what the evidence shows for women.

Sources of beetroot

Beetroot reaches the body in three main forms. They are not interchangeable in terms of dose.

Whole beetroot as a food gives you fibre, folate, potassium and a moderate amount of nitrate. The exact nitrate content varies widely with soil, season and cultivar.^[1]

Beetroot juice concentrates the nitrate. This is the form most clinical research uses. Standardised shots typically deliver around 400 mg of nitrate per 70 ml dose. Trial protocols often use 200 to 800 mg of nitrate per day.^[2]

Beetroot powder is dehydrated beetroot, sometimes from juice and sometimes from whole root. Nitrate content varies. Powders rarely match the dose used in performance trials unless the label specifies it.^[3] Powder delivers betalains, polyphenols, flavour and colour in a stable form for blends.

How much you need

Beetroot is a food. There is no recommended daily intake. The European Food Safety Authority has reviewed nitrate intake from vegetables and considers normal vegetable nitrate intake safe for adults.^[1]

Research doses vary by goal. Blood pressure trials in adults with hypertension have used 200 to 800 mg of nitrate per day from beetroot juice over weeks.^[2] Exercise trials suggest a minimum of about 6 mmol of nitrate per day (around 372 mg) for at least three days before reliable performance effects appear.^[3] Beetroot powder in a multi-ingredient food blend sits well below those amounts. The role here is whole-food density rather than a clinical nitrate dose.

The science on women's health

Energy and exercise

A 2025 umbrella review in Sports Medicine pooled 20 meta-analyses, covering 180 trials and 2,672 participants. Dietary nitrate improved time-to-exhaustion, muscular endurance, total distance covered and peak power output. Effects were strongest at doses above 6 mmol per day taken for more than three days.^[3] A separate meta-analysis on short-duration high-intensity exercise found small but consistent gains in time-to-peak power and distance covered in intermittent recovery tests.^[4]

The biology fits. Nitric oxide widens blood vessels and improves how efficiently muscles use oxygen. The trade-off is honest. Most participants in this research base have been men. A 2025 review of beetroot juice for healthy ageing flagged the same gap. Sex-specific data on women, especially across the menstrual cycle, is still limited.^[5]

Blood flow and circulation

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomised trials in adults with high blood pressure found that beetroot juice lowered clinical systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg compared to placebo. Diastolic blood pressure and 24-hour readings did not change significantly. The certainty of evidence was rated low.^[2] Trials in healthy adults show smaller, less consistent effects.

The mechanism is the same nitric-oxide pathway that helps muscles. Better endothelial function means easier blood flow. For women, this matters in contexts where circulation is already strained. The direct evidence in healthy menstruating women is thin. Most cardiovascular trials have studied older adults with diagnosed hypertension.^[2]

EU authorised health claims

Under EU law, no specific health claim is currently authorised for beetroot. Botanical claims remain on hold at EU level pending further evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority. The widely repeated marketing line that beetroot lowers blood pressure is not officially recognised in Europe, even though the trial evidence in hypertensive patients points in that direction.

Research suggests dietary nitrates from beetroot juice may support exercise performance and short-term blood flow.^[3] Most trials are in male athletes at doses well above what a powdered blend delivers, with limited data in women. Until larger trials in women confirm an effect at typical supplemental doses, we do not make formal health claims for beetroot.

References

[1] Nowak A, Szymańska A, Kwaśniewska M, Kochan E, Lipert A. Beetroot juice supplementation as a healthy aging strategy through improving physical performance and cognitive functions: a systematic review. Nutrients 2025;17(24):3954. doi.org/10.3390/nu17243954

[2] Grönroos R, Eggertsen R, Bernhardsson S, Praetorius Björk M. Effects of beetroot juice on blood pressure in hypertension according to European Society of Hypertension Guidelines: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases 2024;34(10):2240-2256. doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2024.06.009

[3] Poon ETC, Iu JCK, Sum WMK, et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation and exercise performance: an umbrella review of 20 published systematic reviews with meta-analyses. Sports Medicine 2025;55(5):1213-1231. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02194-6

[4] Alsharif NS, Clifford T, Alhebshi A, Rowland SN, Bailey SJ. Effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on performance during single and repeated bouts of short-duration high-intensity exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Antioxidants 2023;12(6):1194. doi.org/10.3390/antiox12061194

[5] Tan R, Cass JK, Lincoln IG, et al. Effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on high-intensity cycling sprint performance in recreationally active adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients 2024;16(16):2764. doi.org/10.3390/nu16162764