The science behind beetroot juice's trending benefits
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- Andy Jones, an exercise physiologist at the University of Exeter, has led most beetroot research since a 2009 study in which eight recreational cyclists lasted about 1.5 minutes longer after consuming beetroot juice daily for six days.
- Beetroot juice is credited with assisting Eliud Kipchoge's marathon records, Jonas Vingegaard's Tour de France wins and Leicester City's 2016 Premier League title, and the International Olympic Committee lists nitrate as one of only five dietary supplements with "good to strong evidence" of performance benefits.
- Daily beetroot juice lowers systolic blood pressure in people with hypertension by around 5 mmHg—less than the ~10 mmHg drop from anti-hypertensive medication, but a potentially useful add-on, according to research including a King's College London study published last month.
- That King's College London study found chewing sugary gum after drinking beetroot juice lowers blood pressure further, by enhancing mouth bacteria that convert nitrate into nitric oxide.
- The late Michael Mosley called beetroot "vegetable Viagra" on a 2023 podcast, citing the same nitric oxide blood-flow mechanism as Viagra; a recent study of 10 men wearing smart rings found beetroot extract increased duration and intensity of nighttime erections, though the study was sponsored by the supplement manufacturer, which may have biased results.
- Beetroot juice is moderately high in natural sugars and can turn urine and feces red-purple due to its pigment; people with low blood pressure are advised to be cautious, and large quantities may not suit those with diabetes.
- Social media anecdotes claim beetroot juice boosts energy as effectively as coffee, but the article notes this has not been formally investigated and could be a placebo effect.
Why it matters: For endurance athletes and people with hypertension, the evidence is substantive—multiple peer-reviewed studies and an IOC endorsement put beetroot-derived nitrate in elite company alongside caffeine and creatine. But the trendiest claims (energy, sexual performance) rest on thinner evidence, including a single manufacturer-funded study of 10 men, meaning consumers chasing the "vegetable Viagra" angle may be paying for hype the science hasn't caught up to.
