Beets may not be the first vegetable on your favorite foods list—many people have less-than-pleasant childhood memories of being forced to eat the canned version at dinner and would rather not revisit those memories as adults.
But beets are really really good for your overall health and wellness. The part of the beet you typically eat, i.e., the bulbous part under the stem, is technically the “taproot” or “beetroot,” though most of us just call it a beet. Whatever you know it as—and however you prepare it, from sliced raw to juiced to pickled to roasted—the beet is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamin antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, heart-healthy nitrates, and a few other unexpected benefits.
Here are 8 reasons why you should work beets into your meals—and how to make them tastier than you remember.
8 health benefits of beets
Whether bright red, deep purple, or yellow-gold, this root vegetable is undeniably colorful. Those pigments mean beets are full of vitamins and minerals. But to think that beet benefits stop there is an understatement; they can do a whole lot more than simply round out your nutrient intake. Beets are a true superfood—here’s why.
1. Lower blood pressure
Beets are high in plant-based nitrates, magnesium, and potassium, which have vasodilating properties that increase blood flow by relaxing vessels, according to Inna Melamed, Pharm.D., functional medicine practitioner and author of Digestive Reset. When you eat beets regularly, says Dr. Melamed, they can decrease high blood pressure (sometimes dramatically, so be careful if you have low blood pressure!). If you have high blood pressure, continue to take your blood pressure medication. Consider taking your blood pressure daily. If your blood pressure lowers less than 90/60 or you feel weak or fatigued, see your provider for advice.
In fact, a 2018 study found beetroot juice to be an accessible, affordable, and effective treatment for controlling hypertension across several different populations. Controlling your blood pressure can help to decrease your risk of heart disease and improve heart health.
2. Improve digestion
One cup of beets provides almost four grams of fiber, or 15% of your daily value (DV). Meaning, they help regulate your bowel movements, including relieving symptoms of constipation. Plus all that fiber feeds your gut microbiome, which some research shows may lead to better blood sugar and metabolism regulation.
3. Detox your liver
There are a few compounds in beets that can improve liver function, but the biggest one is betalain, a phytonutrient found naturally in red beets.
Betalains have been linked to liver function through studies examining their effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; in one small human study, supplementation with beetroot powder reduced liver enzymes, lipids, and overall liver size, while another study in rodents found a decrease in liver stress, fat, and inflammation after treatment with beetroot powder.
4. Boost your antioxidants
One serving of beets contains 11% of your DV of vitamin C, so your immune system will thank you for the boost! Plus, beetroot is one of the highest natural sources of the antioxidant manganese, which—among other functions—helps the enzymes that metabolize glucose do their job.
5. Lower inflammation
On top of all that, beets have anti-inflammatory properties, thanks to those betalains mentioned earlier. It doesn’t matter whether you choose red, purple, or yellow beets—even though the betalains vary slightly across the color spectrum, says Lauren Manaker, MS, registered dietitian and author of Fueling Male Fertility, they’re all equally good for you.
“Different plant compounds are responsible for making the beets different colors, but despite the different chemical makeup of the compounds found in the different beet varieties, you will still get potential anti-inflammatory benefits from consuming them,” she explains.
6. Improve female fertility
Consuming beets can support female fertility in two different ways: by improving blood flow to the uterus and increasing the amount of folate in your diet. “Some data suggests that drinking beet juice may help support IVF success among females who are struggling with their fertility,” Manaker says, explaining that beetroot’s high nitrate content dilates blood vessels and allows a rich supply of oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to flow to the uterus.
In fact, a 2019 study of nearly 300 women found that people who drank a combination of beet juice, watermelon juice, and ginger appeared to have better IVF outcomes compared to people who didn’t drink it.
Meanwhile, beets are also loaded with folate (i.e., folic acid), a critical nutrient for women in the early stages of pregnancy; getting the minimum DV of folate before becoming pregnant can reduce the risk of developing certain birth defects, Manaker says.
7. Improve skin health
Because beets contain so many anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, says Manaker, some data suggests that eating them may help support skin health. Vitamin C, in particular, might play a big part here. While the data is somewhat limited, some research suggests that both topical and dietary vitamin C (like the kind found in beetroot) can reduce UV damage and wrinkling, speed up wound healing, and boost collagen production.
8. Increase endurance
It all comes back to dietary nitrates, at least when you’re talking about beets. One last benefit of these nitrogen-based compounds, Manaker says, is enhanced athletic performance: “Because beetroot increases levels of nitric oxide, which is linked to increased blood flow, gas exchange, and strengthening of muscle contraction, athletes may benefit from eating this vegetable before they perform.”
There is research to back this up, such as a 2021 study suggesting that beetroot supplementation can fuel muscle function and a 2018 study reporting that beetroot juice can make you more successful at intermittent, high-intensity exercising. A diet high in nitrates can also improve cognitive function.
Side effects of beets
There are only a few things to note when it comes to being cautious about your consumption of beets. Anyone with hypotension should be aware of the blood pressure effects of eating beets and consult with their provider or a nutritionist about how to eat beets without causing dangerously low blood pressure. Consider buying a blood pressure cuff, take your blood pressure daily, write down the values, and discuss your results with your provider.
Dr. Melamed also warns that beets have a high amount of oxalates, which can form mineral crystals throughout the body (like kidney stones, for example). “People that consume other foods high in oxalates or who have high oxalic acid on their organic acid diagnostics should avoid it or limit [beets],” she says.
How to eat beets
Raw beets, canned beets, pickled beets, roasted beets, soups, beet juice…the possibilities are endless, but does how you consume beets have an effect on the nutritional profile?
- “Raw beets appear to retain more nutrients than cooked,” says Manaker, “but that shouldn’t deter people from eating beets in any form, because no matter how they are eaten, there are nutritional benefits to be reaped when they are enjoyed.”
- Canned beets, notes Manaker, offer a little less nutrition than fresh beets and may contain added salt, but they’re still a good choice (and you can look for no added salt in the brands you choose).
- Drinking beet juice allows you to consume a larger serving size of beets more easily, but according to Manaker, you also miss out on a lot of the dietary fiber when you drink beet juice versus eating whole beets.
As far as working more beets into your diet, there are more ways than you might think! “Beets can be eaten as an addition to salads, roasted and enjoyed as a side dish, juiced for a sippable snack, or freeze-dried [to a crunchy form]…and added to surprising dishes, like pizza and pasta,” says Manaker. You can even add beet greens anywhere you would use spinach or kale.
Another unexpected thing you might want to keep in mind when adding beets to your diet? The time of day you eat them: Some conventional wisdom says you should consume beets or beet juice at breakfast, and Dr. Melamed says there is some truth to this: “Since beets and beet juice have that vasodilatory effect, they open up the blood flow and oxygen to the body, making you feel energetic in the morning [when you most need it].”
Bottom line: Are beets healthy?
Beets are healthier than you probably realize! According to Dr. Melamed, the typical serving size recommendation is one cup of cooked beets per day. But that doesn’t mean you actually have to eat them every day; it’s always best, she adds, to rotate your healthy foods so you get a variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
The exception, says Dr. Melamed, is when using beet consumption as a treatment for hypertension: “Ideally, you don’t want to eat beets daily unless you are trying to [lower your] blood pressure and use it for medicinal purposes.”
