Beetroot Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Introduction

Beetroot is scientifically known as Beta vulgaris. It belongs to the family Betoideae. It is widely cultivated in Europe, America, and Asia. Beetroot juice is a traditional remedy; it has multiple health benefits, it is thus considered a functional food. Beetroot is commonly known as red beet, table beet or garden beet¹.

Nutritional Value of Beetroot Juice

The Beetroot juice has a high amount of nutrients that are contributed by bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, betalain, folates, inorganic nitrates, vitamins, and minerals^1,2.

• Energy: 38 kcal   
• Carbohydrate: 8.75 g
• Sugar: 8.75 g
• Protein: 0.42 g 
• Calcium: 17 mg  
• Potassium: 242 mg 
• Iron: 0.75 mg 
• Phosphorus: 17 mg
• Sodium: 54 mg   
• Magnesium: 17 mg  
• Folate: 30  µg   
• Vitamin C: 2.5 mg 

Properties of Beetroot Juice

Beetroot juice might have different biological activities that may help in managing various diseases¹. The properties of beetroot juice are given as follows: 

• It may be an anti-oxidant.  
• It may be an anti-microbial (reduces the growth of micro-organisms).  
• It may be a potent anti-fungal agent.  
• It may have a potent anti-inflammatory property.  

Potential Uses of Beetroot Juice

Beetroot might be regarded as a functional food; beetroot juice might have the potential to help against many conditions and chronic diseases¹. Some of the potential uses of beetroot juice are described as follows. 

1. Potential Uses of Beetroot Juice for Cancer 

Beetroot juice contains betalain, a bioactive compound that may show potential antioxidant activity. Lab studies on cancer cells showed that beetroot juice may be beneficial for people with cervical, ovarian, and bladder cancer cells. It might also help reduce the risk of certain cancers. However, extensive research is required to know about the exact mechanisms and safety of using beetroot juice for cancer patients. 

2. Potential Uses of Beetroot Juice for Obesity  

The potential health uses of beetroot juice for weight loss might be due to the presence of red betalain pigment, which might show potent antioxidant activity. Various studies have shown that beetroot juice might help manage body weight. The low calories of the green leaves and stems of beetroot might be used by an Ayurvedic physician for the preparation of formulations that might help obesity and aid weight management. Therefore, an Ayurvedic physician should be consulted for the use of beetroot juice for health effects. 

3. Potential Uses of Beetroot Juice for Blood Pressure

Variations in blood pressure cause various heart diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Beetroot juice might prove to be a good addition to your daily routine for heart health as it contains a high amount of nitrates. Nitrates might be helpful for people with high blood pressure (hypertension). The dietary nitrate of beetroot juice gets converted to nitric oxide, a potential vasodilator that might affect blood pressure by enlarging the size of the blood vessels; thus, beetroot juice might be a potent bioactive agent to help with high blood pressure³. However, more research is required to be sure of the above-mentioned effects of beetroot juice on blood pressure. 

4. Potential Uses of Beetroot Juice for Diabetes

Beetroot juice might help with elevated blood glucose. A recent study⁷ has reported that it may significantly help with blood glucose levels by increasing insulin response. The possible mechanism may be due to the bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, nitrate and flavonoids. The polyphenol-rich beetroot juice may be responsible for the late rise in glucose and insulin responses after every meal⁴. However, more research is needed to quantify such effects and state them as concrete facts. 

5. Other Potential Uses of Beetroot Juice 

• A glass of beetroot juice each day may help with the damage caused by lipids and may alleviate inflammation and pain in joints, bones, and blood vessels¹.
• Raw beetroot juice might have potential effects on dental and oral health³.

Though there are studies that show the benefits of beetroot juice in various conditions, these are insufficient, and there is a need for further studies to establish the true extent of the benefits of beetroot juice on human health.

Beetroot juice may help improve exercise performance by reducing exercise energy consumption. You can enjoy a glass of fresh beetroot juice before or after your exercise routine to keep you energised and refreshed⁶.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

How to Use Beetroot Juice?

The uses of beetroot juice are given as follows¹:

• Beetroot juice may be used in traditional medicine. 
• Beetroot is used as a raw vegetable and cooked as a whole, baked, boiled or canned. It is processed into juice, pickles, salad or combined with various food dishes. 

One should always consider an Ayurvedic physician before consuming beetroot juice in large volumes for its health benefits. A glass of beetroot juice is safe, though.  

You must consult a qualified doctor before taking any herbal supplements. Do not discontinue or replace an ongoing treatment of modern medicine with an ayurvedic/herbal preparation without consulting a qualified doctor.   

Beetroot has high amounts of antioxidants that may help protect the liver and kidneys from oxidative stress and keep any damage at bay⁶.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Side Effects of Beetroot Juice

Beetroot juice causes the following side effects: 

• Drinking beetroot juice every day by individuals who cannot metabolise red betalain pigment can lead to passing red-coloured urine; the condition is known as beeturia^1,4. Once you stop drinking beetroot juice, the red-coloured urine will stop, so don’t worry. Therefore, you should consult an Ayurvedic physician for proper guidance on how and what to do. 
• Beetroot juice has higher nitrate levels; while typically, these nitrates might help with blood pressure, drinking beetroot juice in the morning might lead to health risks due to the formation of potentially cancer-causing substances in the long run³.
• Allergy to beetroots is very rare. Only a few reports are recorded, and that too due to inhaling the vapour of cooked beet. General symptoms of an allergic reaction include throat tightness, generalised skin rash, coughing, and wheezing⁵.

However, these side effects should be reported to your Ayurvedic physician, and immediate management is recommended. Therefore, it is advised that you take utmost care and consult an Ayurvedic physician before using beetroot juice. 

Also Read: Aloe Vera Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Precautions to Take with Beetroot Juice

The following general precautions should be taken while drinking beetroot juice: 

• Drinking beetroot juice in moderate amounts might have positive or negative health effects. If any health-related issue appears, consult your Ayurvedic physician. Therefore, do not self-medicate or discontinue an ongoing medical treatment.  
• The immune system of children is weak and in their developing stages. However, beetroot allergies are reported in infants; hence, extra precautions are necessary to avoid beetroot in infants⁵. Consult your Ayurvedic physician to prevent such problems in children. 
• Individuals with low metabolism should avoid drinking beetroot juice as it might affect the process of urination and cause beeturia¹. However, if such an issue appears, contact your Ayurvedic physician and get it addressed as early as possible. 

Kindly note that beetroot juice should not be used as a medicine or in excess quantities without the consultation of an Ayurvedic physician. Kindly do not self-medicate, substitute, or discontinue any kind of treatment on your own, as it might have unknown effects.  

Also Read: Wheatgrass Juice: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Interactions with Other Drugs

Beetroot juice may interact with medications, causing undesirable reactions during the metabolism process; e.g., beetroot juice interaction may increase the activity of specific drugs^1,4.

• Beetroot juice is rich in nitrates, which might negatively interact with certain blood pressure-lowering medicines, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure⁴. 
• Beetroot juice is used in drug formulations because of the red pigment. This red pigment acts as a colourant; when combined with anti-cancer drugs, it reduces drug-related side effects¹.

You should consult your doctor and tell them about the medicines that you are on. Please do not make any changes on your own. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. Ceclu L, Nistor OV. Red Beetroot: Composition and Health Effects – A Review. J Nutr Med Diet Care. 2020 July 18;6(43):1-9. Available from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/892c/b3a68c3c4118a8cae8692813c4946e6c17a2.pdf 

2. US Department of Agriculture [Internet]. Beetroot Juice, Beetroot; 2022 Jan 4 [cited 2022 Jun 9]. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2254753/nutrients 

3. Zamani H, de Joode MEJR, Hossein IJ, Henckens NFT, Guggeis MA, Berends JE, et al. The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: a systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2021;61(5):788-804. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10408398.2020.1746629?needAccess=true 

4. Mirmiran P, Houshialsadat Z, Gaeini Z, Bahadoran Z, Azizi F. Functional properties of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) in management of cardio-metabolic diseases. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2020 Jan 7;17:3. Available from: https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12986-019-0421-0.pdf 

5. de Oliveira LCL, Genov IR, Cabral EDC, Mello YAMF, Mallozi MC, Solé D. Anaphylaxis to beetroot (Beta vulgaris): a case report. Clin Transl Allergy. 2011 Feb 19;1(Suppl 1):P51. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354182/pdf/2045-7022-1-S1-P51.pdf 

6. Chen L, Zhu Y, Hu Z, Wu S, Jin C. Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity. Food Sci Nutr. 2021;9(11):6406-6420. doi:10.1002/fsn3.2577. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8565237/

7. Karimzadeh L, Sohrab G, Hedayati M, Ebrahimof S, Emami G, Razavion T. Effects of concentrated beetroot juice consumption on glycemic control, blood pressure, and lipid profile in type 2 diabetes patients: randomized clinical trial study. Ir J Med Sci. 2023 Jun;192(3):1143-1153. doi:10.1007/s11845-022-03090-y. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9307292/

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