How Drinking Beet Juice Daily Affects Your Body

Food is both a basic necessity and the key to a healthy life. We'd also argue that it's one of the greatest sensual pleasures that most of us are lucky enough to access for breakfast lunch, dinner, and snacks. Beet juice is a vibrant, sweet, and healthy drink that exhibits all of food's positive effects. And we've consulted Kathleen Benson, certified registered dietitian at VNutrition for her opinion on how drinking beet juice daily affects your body.

"Beet juice tends to get a lot of attention because it is naturally high in nitrates" Benson told us in a recent interview. "In the body, those nitrates are converted into nitric oxide, which helps relax blood vessels. That can support circulation and, in some cases, lead to small reductions in blood pressure." Since bad circulation and high blood pressure are directly linked to heart attacks, strokes, and poor kidney function, beet juice is certainly a helpful addition to your diet. Beets also contain antioxidants, iron, and vitamins. Even if you already lead a healthy lifestyle, beet juice can act as a secret weapon to performance. According to Benson, "some endurance athletes also use beet juice because it may help the body use oxygen a bit more efficiently during longer efforts."

While drinking beet juice daily is not necessary, Benson says, "if someone enjoys it and feels good drinking it, it can absolutely be part of their daily routine, especially if they are focused on blood pressure or endurance training."

Medical and wellness sites like Medical News Today recommend drinking 2 cups or up to 800 mL of beet juice a day for the touted vascular effects. You can easily make beet juice in a juicer, processor or blender, straining the pulp after pulverizing. Beet juice would taste delicious with other flavorful additions like ginger, mint, citrus, or apple juice. Of course, you can also incorporate beet juice into other recipes, from drinks to desserts. Beet juice would bring a sweet and earthy upgrade to this black forest smoothie. Beet juice is also the unexpected key to extending the shelf life of baked goods by adding plenty of moisture to the batter, thereby preventing them from drying out during post bake days. Add beet juice or ground beets to chocolate cake or brownies. You can even use beet juice as a healthy and colorful addition for your next cocktail; it'll make for a sweet negroni and extra rich Bloody Mary. It's earthiness is also the key to transforming basic salad dressing into something special. 

Still, the bottom line with beet juice and the notion of "food as medicine" overall is that it is just one element to factor into wellbeing, health, and fitness. As Benson puts it, "I just would not view it [beet juice] as a replacement for overall diet quality, regular movement, sleep, and other basics that tend to move the needle more long-term."