Health Benefits of Beetroot Powder

TL;DR: The health benefits of beetroot powder come from what whole beetroot contains: dietary nitrate, fibre and natural pigments called betalains. The body converts dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, which is why beetroot is one of the most studied foods in sports nutrition. Propel Health Beetroot Powder is 100% air-dried beetroot: stir one rounded teaspoon (5 g) into water, juice or a smoothie each day.

Beetroot used to be the thing in a salad sandwich.

Now it is in sports drinks, Fitness Centre fridges and the research journals.

So what is in it, and what has the research actually measured?

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Beetroot powder benefits: what is in it

• Dietary nitrate. Beetroot carries more nitrate per gram than almost any other common vegetable.
• Fibre. Each 5 g serve of Propel Health Beetroot Powder contains 1.0 g of dietary fibre.
• Betalains. The pigments that give beetroot its colour, studied for their antioxidant activity in the lab.
• Nothing added. One ingredient, air-dried rather than spray-dried, with no fillers, colours, flavours or sweeteners. Tested for glyphosate.

Beetroot and nitric oxide

Here is how the nitrate in beetroot becomes nitric oxide:

• Nitrate is absorbed in the small intestine and circulates in the blood.
• Some of it is secreted into saliva, where bacteria in the mouth convert it to nitrite.
• Once swallowed, nitrite is converted to nitric oxide, which relaxes the walls of blood vessels.

One practical point follows: antiseptic mouthwash kills the mouth bacteria that do the conversion. If you use beetroot for training, skip the mouthwash for a couple of hours either side.

A 2021 review in Foods compared nitrate-rich vegetables and described beetroot as a practical, food-based way to raise nitric oxide over time.

For the chemistry, read nitrates vs nitrites.

Beetroot supplement benefits for athletes

Most beetroot research is in sport.

A 2021 systematic review in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found dietary nitrate was associated with a lower oxygen cost of exercise and longer time to exhaustion in endurance tests.

The effects are most consistent in endurance sports such as cycling, running, rowing and triathlon.

Recreational athletes tend to show bigger changes than elite athletes, who have less room to improve.

The evidence in team sports and repeated sprints is more mixed.

Beetroot is not a substitute for training. It works on top of the fitness you have already built.

See beetroot as a natural pre workout and the complete guide to natural sports supplements.

Beetroot and older adults

The body's own nitric oxide production falls with age.

A 2017 systematic review in Nutrients looked at dietary nitrate in older adults and found improvements in measures of physical performance in several of the studies.

For older athletes, it is one of the few food-based options with this much research behind it.

How to take beetroot powder

The label serve is one rounded teaspoon (5 g) a day, with 50 serves in a 250 g jar.

Stir it into water, juice, a smoothie or yoghurt.

Research on training sessions usually gives nitrate 60 to 90 minutes beforehand, because nitrite in the blood peaks two to three hours after a nitrate-rich meal.

Most of that research used concentrated beetroot juice. The nitrate content of whole beetroot powder is not printed on the label, so think of it as a whole-food source rather than a measured dose.

Things worth knowing

• Pink urine. About one in ten people pass red or pink urine after beetroot. It is harmless and comes from the pigment.
• Start small. A few people notice mild stomach upset at first. Half a teaspoon for the first week usually settles it.
• Taste. Earthy and slightly sweet, like fresh beetroot.

If you have a medical condition or take medication, talk to your health practitioner before adding a new supplement.

Where to buy beetroot powder

Propel Health Beetroot Powder is sold direct and stocked in more than 550 Australian pharmacies and health food stores.

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About the Author

Grant Jenkins is the founder of Propel Health Australia and a high-performance coach and physiologist with 30 years' experience working with elite and developing athletes. He has formulated nutritional supplements used by athletes, families and health professionals across Australia.

This post is for education only. Please consult your health practitioner for personalised advice.

References

1. Zamani H et al. The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: a systematic review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2021. doi:10.1080/10408398.2020.1746629
2. Dos Santos Baião D et al. Foods. 2021. doi:10.3390/foods10040859
3. Stanaway L et al. Performance and Health Benefits of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation in Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017. doi:10.3390/nu9111171
4. Clifford T et al. The potential benefits of red beetroot supplementation in health and disease. Nutrients. 2015. doi:10.3390/nu7042801
5. Chen L et al. Food Science & Nutrition. 2021. doi:10.1002/fsn3.2577