The Daily Beet: What happens if I eat beetroot daily?

October 6, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2015 study, drinking a daily glass of beetroot juice significantly lowered the blood pressure of people with hypertension. While this is a well-researched benefit, it begs the question: What happens if I eat beetroot daily? This vibrant vegetable is packed with nutrients, but consistent intake comes with both pros and cons to consider.

Quick Summary

Eating beetroot daily offers numerous health benefits like lower blood pressure, enhanced athletic performance, and better liver function, but potential risks include beeturia, kidney stones, and digestive upset. Moderation is key.

Key Points

Lowered Blood Pressure: Beetroot's dietary nitrates convert to nitric oxide, which relaxes and widens blood vessels, helping to reduce blood pressure.
Enhanced Exercise Performance: The nitrates improve oxygen use and mitochondrial efficiency, which can boost endurance during physical activity.
Liver Support and Detoxification: The amino acid betaine and antioxidants like betalains help protect the liver and prevent fat accumulation.
Improved Digestive Health: High fiber content supports a healthy gut microbiome, promotes regularity, and helps prevent constipation.
Potential for Beeturia: A harmless but common side effect is reddish or pink urine and stool, caused by the pigment betalain.
Risk of Kidney Stones: Due to its oxalate content, individuals prone to kidney stones should be cautious and moderate their intake.
Digestive Issues: For some, the high fiber or FODMAPs can lead to temporary gas, bloating, and other digestive discomfort.

The Power of Dietary Nitrates

One of the most significant and well-researched effects of daily beetroot consumption comes from its high concentration of dietary nitrates. When consumed, the body converts these nitrates into nitric oxide, a molecule that plays a crucial role in vasodilation, the widening of blood vessels. This process has several notable health implications.

Blood Pressure Reduction: The vasodilating effect of nitric oxide can lead to a significant drop in blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Studies show that regular consumption, especially of beetroot juice, can help keep blood pressure in check. However, this effect is temporary, so consistent intake is necessary to maintain benefits.
Improved Athletic Performance: Athletes, particularly endurance athletes, have long embraced beetroot for its performance-enhancing properties. By improving mitochondrial efficiency and oxygen use, the nitrates help extend endurance and boost overall physical performance. For best results, it's recommended to consume beets or beetroot juice about 2–3 hours before a workout.

Supporting Liver and Digestive Health

Beyond its cardiovascular benefits, eating beetroot daily offers significant advantages for your digestive system and liver due to its fiber content and antioxidant properties.

Liver Detoxification: The liver works hard to process toxins, and beetroot helps by supporting its natural detox pathways. Beets contain the amino acid betaine, which research shows can help prevent and reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver. The antioxidants, such as betalains, also contribute to the cleansing process.
Enhanced Digestion: Beetroot is a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is essential for a healthy gut. Fiber helps promote regularity, preventing constipation, and feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. This can contribute to better overall gut health and a stronger immune system.

The Potential Downsides and Risks

While the health benefits are compelling, it's important to be aware of the potential side effects, particularly with high or daily consumption.

Beeturia: One of the most common and harmless side effects is beeturia, which causes urine and sometimes stool to turn a pink or reddish color. This is caused by the pigment betalain and is not a sign of a medical problem.
Kidney Stones and Gout: Beets contain oxalates, which are naturally occurring compounds. In individuals prone to kidney stones, a high intake of oxalates can increase the risk of stone formation. Similarly, the oxalates can raise uric acid levels, potentially triggering gout flare-ups. People with a history of these conditions should moderate their intake.
Digestive Discomfort: For some sensitive individuals, the high fiber and FODMAP content in beets can cause digestive issues such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Excessive Low Blood Pressure: While lowering blood pressure is often a benefit, for people already on medication or with naturally low blood pressure, excessive beetroot consumption could cause an undesirable and potentially dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Beetroot vs. Other Common Root Vegetables

How does beetroot's nutritional profile stack up against other popular root vegetables? Here is a comparison of some key nutrients:


Nutrient (per 100g)	Beetroot (cooked)	Carrot (raw)	Radish (raw)
Calories	44	41	16
Fiber	2.6g	2.8g	1.6g
Sugar	10.9g	4.7g	1.9g
Folate (B9)	90mcg (23% DV)	19mcg (5% DV)	29mcg (7% DV)
Potassium	302mg	320mg	233mg
Vitamin A	2 IU	16706 IU	7 IU
Iron	0.8mg	0.3mg	0.3mg
Vitamin C	4.9mg	5.9mg	14.8mg

Optimizing Your Daily Beetroot Intake

Vary Your Diet: The most important rule for any daily food is moderation. While a small amount of beetroot daily is fine, a varied diet is always recommended to ensure you receive a broad spectrum of nutrients.
Mind Your Portions: A single half-cup serving of beets per day is a good starting point for most people. Adjust based on your body's response and any pre-existing conditions.
Choose the Right Preparation: To maximize the nitrate content, which can be lost in water during boiling, consider roasting, steaming, or juicing your beets instead. Consuming them raw in a salad is also an excellent option.
Consider Juicing: For a potent dose of nitrates, beetroot juice is an effective method. Many studies exploring the blood pressure benefits used concentrated beetroot juice.

Conclusion

Eating beetroot daily, in moderation, offers a remarkable array of health benefits, particularly for cardiovascular health and athletic performance, thanks to its high nitrate content. Its fiber and antioxidants also aid in digestion and support liver function. However, potential drawbacks such as beeturia, digestive discomfort, and the risk of kidney stones in susceptible individuals must be considered. By varying your diet, watching portion sizes, and choosing the right preparation methods, you can safely enjoy the advantages of this nutritious root vegetable. If you have underlying health conditions like kidney stones or low blood pressure, consult a doctor before making it a daily habit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, eating a moderate amount of beetroot daily is generally safe for most people, but it's important to maintain a varied diet. Individuals with pre-existing conditions like a history of kidney stones or low blood pressure should be more cautious.

Yes, consuming beetroot daily, especially as a juice, has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. This is due to its high concentration of nitrates.

Studies suggest that the nitrates in beets can enhance athletic performance by improving oxygen use and mitochondrial efficiency, increasing stamina, especially for endurance activities.

No, this is a harmless condition called beeturia. The red pigment in beets, called betalain, is not metabolized and is excreted in the urine and stool, causing the red color.

People with a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones should limit their intake due to beets' oxalate content. Those with a sensitivity to FODMAPs may experience digestive issues, and individuals on blood pressure medication should be cautious.

To maximize the nitrate content, it's best to avoid boiling, as nitrates are water-soluble. Roasting, steaming, or juicing are better methods. Eating them raw is also an option.

Yes, beetroot contains betaine, which helps prevent fat accumulation in the liver. Its rich antioxidant content also supports the liver's natural detoxification processes.

Overconsumption can lead to beeturia, digestive problems like bloating or gas for sensitive individuals, and potentially too low blood pressure. For those prone to kidney stones or gout, high intake can be risky.