Health Benefits of Beets (2025)

Beets are a hardy root vegetable grown all over the world. The most common type of beet sold in grocery stores is Beta vulgaris, but there are many different varieties. They generally have an earthy, sweet taste that many people enjoy and are packed with nutrition.

Beets come in many vivid colors, from deep red to bright purple. Research suggests that eating vegetables in a wide array of colors can be good for your health.Adding colorful beets to your diet can be a visually appealing way to pack some extra nutrition into your favorite dishes.

Health Benefits

From reducing inflammation to improving heart health, beets provide many health benefits.

Reduced Inflammation

The stark red color of beets comes from compounds called betalains. Betalains have powerful antioxidant effects and can help reduce inflammation. Beets are also rich in nitrates, which reduce inflammation by removing harmful compounds from your bloodstream. This combination of betalains and nitrates makes beets a great choice for people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Heart Protection

The nitrates in beets don't just reduce inflammation, they also improve heart health. Nitrates have been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Beets are also naturally low in cholesterol and fat, which makes them a good option for people concerned about heart disease or stroke.

Increased Energy

Mitochondria are responsible for producing the energy your cells need to function. Studies have shown that the nitrates in beets help these cellular powerhouses function better. Some athletes even drink beet juice before exercising to improve their performance.

Nutrition

Beets are a nutrient-dense root vegetable low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, making them a heart-healthy choice.

Nutrients per Serving

A single, half-cup serving of cooked beets contains:

  • Calories: 37
  • Fat: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
  • Sodium: 65 milligrams
  • Carbohydrates: 8 grams
  • Protein: 1 gram

With two grams of fiber per serving, beets are primed to help keep your digestive system regular. Additionally, they're an excellent source of:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Calcium
  • Iron

Things to Watch Out For

One concern with eating beets is that eating a lot of beets may cause gout.

Gout is an extremely painful condition caused by an increased uric acid level in your blood. The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day. Other recommendations for avoiding gout include drinking lots of water, eating lean meats and poultries, and keeping to a healthy weight.

How to Prepare Beets

Every part of the beet—from the stem to the bulb—is edible. If you're using the whole beet, be sure to wash it well before cooking to get rid of any fertilizers or dirt. You can peel the beet before cooking or eat it with the skin on.

Beets have a distinctive, earthy flavor. If you've tried beets in the past and didn’t like them, you may need to experiment with different seasoning options to find your preferred way to eat them. They can be boiled, steamed, roasted, and prepared a variety of other ways. Beets can also be added to smoothies with other fruits and vegetables to help sweeten the taste.

Other options for adding beets to your diet include:

  • Mixing beets in with cottage cheese
  • Adding beets to a tossed salad
  • Boiling beets with cabbage and ham
  • Pureeing beets with potatoes to make a healthy soup
  • Mixing beet greens into pasta
  • Topping a veggie pizza with sliced beets
Health Benefits of Beets (2025)

FAQs

Health Benefits of Beets? ›

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.

How many beets do you have to eat to get benefits? ›

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.

What happens to your body when you eat beets everyday? ›

The nitrates in beets don't just reduce inflammation, they also improve heart health. Nitrates have been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Beets are also naturally low in cholesterol and fat, which makes them a good option for people concerned about heart disease or stroke.

Do beets really have health benefits? ›

Beets also contain antioxidants, compounds in foods that help repair DNA and maintain good cell health, and they have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing the risk for numerous chronic diseases. Because of this, the beet is gaining popularity as a nutritional approach in managing cardiovascular disease and cancer.

How long does it take to see benefits of beets? ›

How long it takes for beet juice to lower blood pressure can vary. However, a 2008 study stated that beet juice lowers blood pressure in about 3 hours. Research suggests that drinking beet juice daily for at least 60 days provides the most benefits, helping significantly improve hypertension.

What is the healthiest way to eat beets? ›

Like many vegetables, the longer you cook beets—especially in water—the more the colorful phytonutrients leach out of the food and into the water. Retain the good-for-you nutrients in beets by roasting them or sautéing them instead.

Are beets healthier, raw or cooked? ›

Cooking beets decreases the bioavailability of dietary nitrate from the food, meaning raw beets deliver more dietary nitrate.

Are there any negative effects of eating beets? ›

Beets are high in oxalates, which can lead to kidney stones. If you've had kidney stones, avoid beets or eat them only as a rare treat. Oxalates can also contribute to gout, a type of arthritis, so eat beets sparingly if you're at risk.

Do beets cleanse your liver? ›

Beetroot juice: Beetroot juice is a great way to detox your liver and improve its function. They are high in antioxidants and help to cleanse the blood. They also promote healthy liver function by helping to break down toxins. Try adding some beet juice to your diet for better liver health.

When should you not eat beets? ›

Anyone who has low blood pressure or is currently taking blood pressure medication should speak with a healthcare professional before adding beets or beetroot juice to their diet. Beets contain high levels of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones in people with a high risk of this condition.

What organ are beets good for? ›

They can support the health of your brain, heart, and digestive system, are a great addition to a balanced diet, boost athletic performance, help alleviate inflammation, and possibly slow the growth of cancer cells. Best of all, beets are delicious and easy to include in your diet.

Do beets really clean your blood? ›

Since beets are a great blood purifier, they also help to keep skin radiant and glowing. The vitamin C found in beets also helps to keep blemishes and breakouts at bay.

Why do beets clean you out? ›

Beets literally push out toxins Beets contain a group of phytonutrients called betalains that support detoxification through an important phase 2 detox step in the liver.

Why do I feel better after eating beets? ›

Red beets contain a group of phytonutrients — betalains — which support detoxification by pushing toxins out of your body. Betalains also have anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce the chronic inflammation in the body (Clifford, A. et al.

How many days a week should I eat beets? ›

Moreover, beets are low in calories with zero cholesterol and a small amount of fat. However, the root is high in sugar and carbohydrates, so while you can consume the greens on top of the root in unlimited quantities, you should only have the root a few times a week. Beets are best from early spring to late fall.

How many days after eating beets will poop be red? ›

The beet test allows you to get a sense of whether you fall into that ideal 12-24 hour range, since you'll be able to see the bright red pigment in your stools. Fiery red poop 24 hours or more later means you've got a “slow transit time,” also known as constipation—a common result of the beet test.

How soon after eating beets is urine red? ›

Beeturia will stop once betalain is no longer in the diet. The urine color change may appear in the first few hours after drinking something containing beetroot. It may continue for a day or two after eating the coloring, especially in the stool.

How many beets do you need to eat to lower blood pressure? ›

A study published by the American Heart Association found that people with high blood pressure who consumed 1 cup of red beet juice daily for 4 weeks experienced an average drop in blood pressure of 7.7/5.2 mm Hg over a 24-hour period.

What time of day should you eat beets? ›

Hello user, you should consume in the daytime or after the lunch. Avoid taking it after dinner as beetroot has lot of calories. For daily consumption, one cup of beets is sufficient that amounts 136 gram. If you like beetroot juice, take 200 ml per day.

How many beetroot should I eat a day to increase hemoglobin? ›

Hemoglobin determination is one of the most convenient assessing methods in anemia (15). Beetroot is a source of substances and minerals. In this study, we recorded obvious increases in Hb, Hct, RBC, iron and ferritin levels after taking 200 mL beetroot juice for 6 weeks.

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