Why Your Beet Juice Might Not Work
What's in Your Beet Juice? Nitrate and Nitrite Content of Beet Juice Products Marketed to Athletes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Powdered beetroot supplements had nearly 12x higher nitrate concentration than ready-to-drink juices.
Most people assume liquid juice is more 'natural' or potent — but the data shows processing into drinks dilutes the active ingredient dramatically.
Practical Takeaways
Buy powdered beetroot supplements and verify nitrate content via third-party lab reports (e.g., NSF Certified for Sport).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Powdered beetroot supplements had nearly 12x higher nitrate concentration than ready-to-drink juices.
Most people assume liquid juice is more 'natural' or potent — but the data shows processing into drinks dilutes the active ingredient dramatically.
Practical Takeaways
Buy powdered beetroot supplements and verify nitrate content via third-party lab reports (e.g., NSF Certified for Sport).
Publication
Journal
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism
Year
2019
Authors
E. Gallardo, A. Coggan
Related Content
Claims (7)
Most beetroot juices have very little nitrite, but two popular ones—Superbeets and BeetElite—have way more, and that might change how your body turns nitrite into nitric oxide.
Many beetroot juices you buy at the store don’t say how much nitrate they have, or if they do, the number on the label doesn’t match what scientists find when they test it—so you can’t trust what’s written, and researchers can’t rely on it for studies.
Not all beetroot juice drinks for athletes have the same amount of nitrate—some have barely any, others have way more—so if you buy one hoping for a certain boost, you might be totally off unless you test it yourself.
Out of 24 beetroot juice brands tested, only five gave you enough nitrate in one serving to possibly help you exercise better — the rest didn’t deliver the amount scientists think you need.
Even though it's the same brand of beetroot juice, the amount of nitrate can be very different from one bottle to the next — sometimes way more, sometimes way less — which means the company isn’t making it the same way every time.