Beets. You Just Can’t Beat ‘em
🌱 Just Beet It.
If you’re looking for a veggie that does it all — from boosting energy to protecting your heart — look no further than the beet. With their bold color and earthy sweetness, beets aren’t just a side dish; they’re a powerhouse for your health.
They are packed with fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, vitamins C, A, K powerful and powerful antioxidants that help reduce chronic inflammation.
Beets are part of my healthy living plan and help me to proactively address many diseases that are part of my family history.
Let’s dig into the benefits, how much to eat, side effects to know and the best ways to enjoy them. Even if you don’t like beets, you may learn to love them once you learn how they can be a part of your healthy lifestyle plan.
❤️ Beets for Heart, Circulation & Blood Pressure
Beets are packed with nitrates that your body turns into nitric oxide, relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
Athletes use beet juice for improved oxygen delivery and endurance.
🔬 Research highlights:
Beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure in both healthy and hypertensive adults (PMC).
A meta-analysis confirmed nitrate-rich beets modestly reduced blood pressure in hypertensive people (PubMed).
🧠 Beets for Brain Power
Better circulation = better brain fuel.
Beets may improve focus, mental clarity and memory, especially in older adults.
🔬 Research highlights:
Beet juice increases blood flow to the brain’s frontal lobe, improving executive function (Healthline).
Nitrate-rich diets linked to sharper cognition in older adults (MDPI).
🧹 Beets for Liver Support
Beets contain betaine, which helps the liver process and clean up toxins and fat in your body.
They may reduce inflammation and support detox pathways.
🔬 Research highlights:
Beet supplementation improved liver enzymes in NAFLD patients (Food & Nutrition Journal).
Betaine reduces oxidative stress and fat buildup in liver cells (MDPI).
🌿 Beets for Digestion & Gut Health
High in fiber → keeps digestion smooth and regular.
May act like a prebiotic, feeding good gut bacteria.
🔬 Research highlights:
Fiber-rich diets improve microbiota richness and gut health (PMC).
Red beetroot altered gut microbiota and increased short-chain fatty acids in a human trial (ScienceDirect).
🩸 Beets & Blood Sugar (Diabetes Support)
Sweet yet diabetes-friendly thanks to fiber, which slows sugar absorption.
Antioxidants like alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin sensitivity.
🔬 Research highlights:
Beet juice reduced post-meal glucose in people with type 2 diabetes (PMC).
Beetroot juice supplementation improved glucose regulation and vascular function in diabetes (Diabetes Journals).
🏃 Beets & Athletic Performance
Boosts endurance by helping muscles use oxygen more efficiently.
Great for runners, cyclists, and anyone doing sustained workouts.
🔬 Research highlights:
Beet juice improved exercise tolerance and stamina in athletes (PubMed).
Supplementation enhanced performance in time-to-exhaustion tests (Journal of Applied Physiology).
👀 Beets & Eye Health
Rich in betalains, lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect against macular degeneration and cataracts.
Nitrates may also improve blood flow to the eyes.
🔬 Research highlights:
Antioxidants in beets reduce risk of eye-related oxidative damage (Healthline).
Carotenoids like lutein/zeaxanthin support long-term retinal health (PMC).
🍽️ How Much to Eat?
Daily: ½ cup cooked beets or ~4 oz juice.
Weekly: 2–4 servings is plenty for most.
Clinical trials often use 200–800 mg nitrate/day (via juice) for blood pressure benefits (NMCD Journal).
👉 Tip: Start small (¼ cup cooked) to test tolerance.
⚠️ Side Effects to Know
Pink or red urine/stool (beeturia) – harmless but surprising.
High oxalates, which may increase kidney stone risk in some people.
Can lower blood pressure too much if combined with meds.
Large servings may cause gas or cramping.
👩🍳 Best Ways to Cook Beets
✅ Better options:
Roast to bring out natural sweetness
Steam with skins on (peel later to keep nutrients)
Shred raw into salads
Juice or blend into smoothies
❌ Less ideal:
Long boiling (nutrients leach into water)
Overcooking until mushy
Pickled/canned in heavy syrup or high salt
🌱 Whole Beets vs. Beet Supplements
Whole Beets (fresh, cooked, juiced):
✔ Provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
✔ Support digestion and microbiome health
✔ Natural synergy of compounds (not just nitrates)
✘ Require prep and may stain everything red
Supplements (powders, capsules, concentrates):
✔ Convenient, portable and standardized dose of nitrates/betaine
✔ Useful for athletes needing precise dosing
✘ Lack fiber and many phytonutrients
✘ May not replicate full benefits of whole food
✘ Quality can vary between brands
🔬 Whole beets = broader nutrition. Supplements = targeted convenience (PubMed, MDPI).
✨ Bottom line: Beets support your heart, brain, liver, gut, blood sugar, stamina and even your eyes. Aim for a few servings each week, experiment with fun recipes and if you’re still hesitant, try powders or beet juice for a simpler start.
🌱 Beet Skeptics
So, if you say you don’t like beets, maybe you are eating them the wrong way. Most people won’t eat a cocoa bean or a coffee bean on its own, but when mixed into the right recipe, beets can be the star favorite for many people.
Find a beet recipe that makes this root vegetable a star at your table and on your plate.
🥗 Salads & Starters
Roasted Beet & Citrus Salad – combines sweet oranges or grapefruit with roasted beets, arugula, and a light vinaigrette. The citrus brightens the flavor and tones down the earthiness.
Beet Hummus – blending cooked beets with chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice makes a creamy, pink dip that tastes more like hummus than beets.
Shaved Raw Beet Slaw – toss thinly sliced raw golden beets with cabbage, carrots and a tangy dressing. Golden beets are milder than red ones.
🥤 Smoothies & Drinks
Berry-Beet Smoothie – blend a small beet with frozen strawberries, blueberries, banana and almond milk. The fruit sweetness hides the beet flavor.
Beet-Apple-Carrot Juice (“ABC Juice”) – naturally sweet and refreshing, especially with a squeeze of lemon or ginger.
Chocolate Beet Smoothie – cocoa powder, banana, almond butter and a little cooked beet blend into a rich shake where you can’t taste the beet at all.
🧫 Main Dishes
Beet Burgers – made with grated beets, black beans, oats, and spices; pan-fried or baked, they taste hearty and savory.
Beet Risotto – creamy Arborio rice cooked with veggie broth, finished with roasted beets and a little lemon juice for brightness.
Beet Pasta Sauce – roasted beets blended with garlic, cashews and lemon make a creamy pink pasta sauce (similar to Alfredo but with a color twist).
🍰 Sweets & Treats
Beet Brownies – pureed beets add moisture and sweetness without tasting “beety.”
Beet Chocolate Cake – the cocoa masks the beet flavor, while beets keep it extra fudgy.
Beet Popsicles – blended beets with strawberries, honey (or maple syrup) and lemon juice, frozen into refreshing pops.
✨ Tip for skeptics: Start with golden beets (sweeter and milder than red) or pair red beets with citrus, berries, or chocolate to soften the earthy edge.