Beetroot Powder Benefits

What Is Beetroot?

Beetroot itself grows under the ground – which is why it’s known as a root vegetable. But its leafy greens shoot above the soil and offer their own nutritional benefits.

Beetroot is thought to originate from the middle east, but in general, it’s happiest in colder climates such as northern Europe.

It grows well throughout the year and is generally ready to harvest from the beginning of summer right through to the middle of autumn – so it’s a good choice for your kitchen garden.

Beetroot is a nutrient-dense vegetable that doesn’t spike your blood sugar too much. It also offers you glucose and fructose (forms of sugar that provide your body and brain with the energy it needs).

And another great thing about beetroot is that it’s super versatile and can be incorporated into a wide range of recipes to suit your tastes and preferences.

What Are The Benefits Of Beetroot?

We all need to increase our fiber intake, and having more beetroot is an easy way to do that.

And just 80g will give you one of your five a day (although aiming for 7+ portions of vegetables and fruits is even better).

But beetroot offers a particularly special selection of benefits due to its parts.

Here are the main health benefits of beetroot:

1. It Might Lower Your Blood Pressure

Many people have raised blood pressure without realizing it. This is because there aren’t usually many symptoms.

But, the consequences of long-standing high blood pressure can be very serious. It can lead you to have a greatly increased risk of heart issues and stroke.

If you have chronically elevated blood pressure, your doctor might recommend taking blood pressure-lowering medication.

And it’s always important to take your doctor’s advice seriously, especially if you have very high blood pressure.

But, it’s nice to know that there are some natural, evidence-based ways of helping reduce your risk of hypertension too.

Whilst eating fruits and vegetables generally can help to keep your cardiovascular system working well – beetroot in particular, is very good at improving your blood flow and reducing your blood pressure.

Studies have shown it reduces both systolic and diastolic pressure meaningfully. Many studies involve drinking about 250ml of beetroot juice daily- which is achievable for most people.

Beetroot lowers blood pressure in part because it contains potassium. Potassium is a  key electrolyte that supports relaxing your blood vessel walls.

This allows the blood to flow more smoothly and under less pressure.

And beetroot also contains an impressive blood pressure-lowering ingredient – nitrates.

You might have heard that nitrates usually have a bad rep when they are found in foods like bacon and other processed meats.

But the difference here is that nitrates in beetroot convert into nitric oxide after you’ve eaten them.

This nitric oxide is a powerful blood vessel dilator that improves blood flow and reduces pressure.

The nitrates added to processed meat combine with the proteins in the meat to form carcinogens – so make sure you get your nitrates from beetroot and not bacon.

2. It May Reduce Your Risk Of Dementia

Maybe someone in your family experienced memory loss, and you are very aware of its upsetting effects.

Or perhaps you want to future-proof yourself against any potential cognitive decline.

Either way, it pays to focus on prevention regarding dementia and memory loss. And staying active, sleeping well, and engaging your brain regularly appear to help.

But you can also improve your cognitive performance through the foods that you eat.

The best diet for cognitive health is the MIND diet, which includes green tea, cacao, and berries.

Beetroot also shows promise when it comes to slowing down the rate of cognitive decline in older adults.

This is likely because, as well as improving blood flow around the body, it facilitates improved blood and nutrient flow to the brain.

Things that improve the heart’s health also tend to improve the brain’s health – the same is true with beetroot.

We know that beetroot can reduce harmful cholesterol, decreasing the risk of blockages in your cardiovascular system.

This, in turn, lowers your risk of strokes and other forms of cognitive impairment and improves the blood flow.

So adding a daily dose of brain-boosting beetroot into your routine could be useful to your future-proof plan.

3. It Could Improve Your Sporting Performance

Whether you enjoy playing a game of football or you prefer a jog in the park – you want to work out to the best of your ability.

And we know that a little pre-sport caffeine can give you a boost. But, if caffeine makes you jittery or you work out later in the day, there is an alternative.

Athletes have tried using beetroot juice prior to matches or events to see what difference, if any, it makes.

And the evidence shows it does make a noticeable improvement. In one study looking at cyclists undergoing time trials, it appeared to lead to a 48-second gain.

In events where every second counts – something as simple as taking some beetroot juice may lead to significantly improved outcomes.

Similarly, in people undertaking endurance-type events (think long runs, bikes, or swims) – those who took beetroot before competing took longer to reach the point of exhaustion.

This is potentially due to improved blood flow, increased potassium levels, and enhanced oxygen levels in tired muscles.

4. It May Protect You Against Cancer

We can’t avoid all cases of cancer. But it’s important to do everything we can to reduce our risk.

It’s estimated that around 30-50% of cancers could be prevented through healthy lifestyle changes.

So this means stopping smoking, staying within the recommended limits for alcohol consumption, and avoiding carcinogens where possible.

Some foods show anticancer potential. One of these is beetroot. Here, studies have focused on animals – but they do show real promise.

For example, one study showed that beetroot may prevent cancer formation, as well as enhance the body’s immune response to cancer which has already developed.

Beetroot is naturally high in compounds that may play a role in cancer prevention, such as polyphenols and antioxidants.

Whilst more studies are needed to confirm the potential anti-cancer effect of beetroot in humans – there is a good evidence base to show that people who eat more brightly colored vegetables and fruits tend to have a lower cancer incidence.

And it’s important to remember that your reds are just as important as your greens when it comes to supporting your body and helping it to work most effectively.

5. It Could Improve Your Gut Health

Many of us struggle with gut-based woes – and it’s not surprising.

 Modern life often involves a fiber-depleted diet, antibiotic overuse, and a whole load of stress. But don’t despair – there are lots of ways in which you can make a positive difference to the state of your gut.

One of the easiest ways is to increase your fiber intake.  And many of us fall short of the recommended 30g per day.

Beetroot contains a good source of fiber which can get you on your way to meeting this target.

But beetroot also has another special tool up its sleeve. It is rich in glutamine – an amino acid specializing in gut wall health.

Glutamine helps to keep your gut wall lining strong and can reduce the ‘gaps’ which can lead to malabsorption and other gut health issues.

And finally, beetroot provides valuable food for the hungry gut bugs that rely on plant-based fibers for their survival and reproduction.

Remember that as beetroot contains the FODMAP fructan, don’t go overboard to begin with, especially if you have IBS or other gut sensitivity issues.

Beetroot Side Effects

Beetroot powder benefits are more common than side effects.

Side effects are rare and unlikely to be serious. The most common beetroot side effects are beeturia, where your urine turns red/pink.

But just be a little careful not to overconsume beetroot if you have hypotension or are prone to kidney stones.

How To Consume More Beetroot

Starting with a food-first approach is usually a good idea. That’s because beneficial foods such as beetroot are more than their parts.

By this, I mean they offer additional aspects such as plant-based fibers, prebiotics, and other elements which cannot be found in most supplements.

So, you could try roasting some beetroot with some cumin seeds and olive oil,  try grating it into salads and rostis, or blending it with feta for a nutrient-dense dip.

You can also juice beetroot – it has a strong and earthy taste, so many people prefer adding a little fresh ginger or apple to take the edge off.

If you’re worried about your calorie intake, you could also make a beetroot ‘shot’, a mini juice, which you could take pre-breakfast as a healthy way to start your day.

And, if you don’t think you’ll find the time or energy to work beetroot into your diet, then there is an alternative at hand.

Enter Red Tonik.

Here, you’ll find beetroot power – which is a condensed and concentrated form of beetroot. And beetroot powder supplements have many of the benefits of regular beetroot. 

This means you’ll be able to get your daily dose of this blood pressure-lowering, cholesterol-reducing health aid, without worrying about washing the juicer out.

The other good thing about taking a proprietary blend such as Red Tonik is that you’ll be getting some added extras simultaneously.

In Red Tonik you will also find resveratrol – an anti-aging, longevity-boosting wonder food – as well as anti-inflammatory ginger and melatonin-boosting tart cherry.

This means, with just one convenient daily supplement you can address many of your health goals at once.

And, many of the ingredients within Red Tonik work best together – therefore you are more likely to enjoy the benefits than if you take single supplements on their own.

Of course, you can also rest assured that the ingredients within Red Tonik are free from any unhelpful or even harmful additions – as the product has been third-party tested and boasts full transparency labeling as a bonus.

So, if you would like to improve your blood flow, and future-proof your health, why not consider adding Red Tonik into your daily routine?

Then you can benefit from all that beetroot has to offer, as well as much much more.

Julia Ebbens, MSc

Julia is a health content editor and nutritionist from Norwich, UK. She has worked as a health coach in private practice and for the national health service. She undertook an MSc in nutritional medicine to deepen her knowledge.

She enjoys producing evidence-based content which inspires people to become healthier and happier.