Beet-Supplement
Supplements for Health

Beet Supplement

August 16, 2021

Beet supplement is not just any ordinary supplement. The human body benefits from numerous vital nutritions due to this supplement. Beet supplement is the star supplement. Beet supplements help fight inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and boost physical and mental performance, especially during cognitively challenging tasks and endurance exercise. It is the main ingredient in many pre-workout drinks. Therefore, beet juice and beetroot supplements are popular among fitness and health enthusiasts and labeled as one of the top superfoods available.

Here are some of the benefits and possible side effects of beetroot to help you understand their value better.

Benefits

Beets are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals:

Beetroot is a highly nutritious root vegetable containing fiber, iron, manganese, potassium, Vitamin B9 (folate), and Vitamin C, along with various plant compounds, including Betanin, Vulgazanthin, and inorganic nitrate. The vast majority consume this for its high level of essential nutrients. Scientists call it “beta Vulgaris.”

Raw beetroot and its juice offer several health benefits to its users. Possible side effects and recommended dosage levels are discussed. It lowers your blood pressure. Hypertension is the biggest risk factor for premature death, stokes and cardiac diseases worldwide. It is a health condition in which blood pressure reaches abnormally high levels causing damage to the blood vessels and thickens the hurt muscle, thus requiring greater force for pumping blood. Applying this greater force injures the arteries and makes them stiffer, leading to the heart needing more time to relax.

However, since beetroot juice is rich in inorganic nitrates, regular consumption of beetroot juice can significantly lower the elevated blood pressure levels back to normalcy. The inorganic nitrate converts into nitric oxide, a biological messenger that passes signals through the arteries and the muscle cells, signaling them to relax. When these muscle cells in the arteries relax, the blood vessels dilate, and consequently, blood pressure level lowers. According to the research findings, beetroot juice can lower a person’s blood pressure by nearly 3 to 10 mm/hg within a couple of hours. Reduced blood pressure levels reduce deaths due to cardiovascular diseases by nearly 10%. This beetroot juice will not only significantly help reduce blood pressure levels of those with hypertension, but a regular intake of it can help bring them even greater health benefits.

Dietary nitrate found in beetroot juice offers cardiac benefits.

Beetroot juice helps patients with hypertension by lowering their blood pressure and keeping their heart rate steady. It also helps patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases due to their richness in dietary nitrate content. The results of research conducted to prove this relationship showed that the dietary nitrate content helps lower overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system of patients suffering from cardiac diseases.

Moreover, blood flow to the brain decreases, leading to cognitive decline, increasing the chances of dementia. However, drinking beetroot juice regularly helps improve oxygenation in the brain, which can, in turn, help lower the chances of developing dementia in the first place or at least help slow down its progression.

Consumption of beetroot and beetroot juice can improve athletic performance:

Beet supplement contains dietary nitrate in high concentration, which helps improve performance and duration of the workout. Increased plasma nitrate levels are necessary to improve exercise tolerance of the body, especially for athletes engaged in endurance training and exercise for long hours. Nitrates reduce oxygen use when the body participates in physical activities by affecting Mitochondria’s efficiency, which is responsible for energy production through respiration.

Since beetroot helps improve the body’s use of oxygen overall, it can increase its overall stamina and help improve endurance exercise performance. The research found that beetroot juice improved athletic performance by almost 2.8%. The calculation for this is 11 seconds during a 4-kilometer bicycle trail. Also 45 seconds in a 16.1 kilometers time trail.

Beetroot is also helpful in keeping the digestive tract healthy:

Beetroot contains various nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins such as iron, folate, Vitamin A, B and C, potassium, and bioflavonoids. These keep the body and its digestive system healthy by fighting diseases and protecting the cells from any damage. Moreover, beetroot is rich in fiber which also helps prevent constipation.

Nitrate from beets might help with erectile dysfunction:

Erectile dysfunction is mainly due to the inability of your body to redirect blood flow. This can cause problems with sexual wellness and sexual function in men because there is a lack of natural ability to produce nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator that increases blood flow to the body. It promotes nitric oxide production can help with sexual dysfunction. While other supplements can provide your body with the perquisites it needs to synthesize nitric oxide on its own, such as L-arginine, they often tend not to work. However, beet supplements take a different approach. This is why the possibility that beets can help with sexual dysfunction has grasped the attention of many researchers. An important observation here is the presence of beetroot and other nitrate-producing ingredients in male enhancement pills and other sexual health supplements for men.

Beet supplementation can increase blood flow to your brain and improve cognitive performance:

Beets contain nitrate that helps generate nitrate oxide in your body which, in turn, helps increase blood flow by vasodilation. When the blood flows to the brain increases, it also helps improve the brain’s cognitive function. Research gave some participants a beet supplement. They had to complete cognitively demanding tasks. The researchers compared the performance of the task and blood flow to the brain of the two groups. The research findings proved that participants who took the beet supplement performed better on the cognitive tasandso experienced an increased blood flow to their brains. These results suggest that beet supplements could also be an important nootropic by increasing cognitive and physical performance.

Side effects

Beetroot usually does not have any side effects on its users. However, excessive use and overconsumption could lead to some negative consequences on the body. One side effect is the possibility of stone formation in the kidneys. Beets contain oxalate, a form of kidney stone. Beetroot also contains FODMAPS, found in fructose form. These are short-chain carbohydrates that help feed the bacteria in the gut and thus helping it to spread.

Beetroot can also upset the digestive system of those with irritable bowel syndrome. Furthermore, since beetroot contains a rich iron content, people with hemochromatosis, a disease due to excessive iron, should also avoid beetroot consumption.

Lastly, beet supplements can turn your urine or feces pink or red. Whether the beet supplement will do this to you depends on the iron levels, gut flora, and other factors that nutritionists are yet to discover. This is harmless as it is just your body excreting the compound. Only 10 to 14% of the population faces this. It will go away within a few days once you stop consuming the beet supplement, and nothing to worry about.

Who should buy beets?

Beets help your body produce nitric oxide, which increases the blood flow to your body and brain and helps your blood vessels relax. Since this is their core function, most of its health benefits are drawn from this function. Beets are a great option for anyone looking to improve their endurance performance, lower their blood pressure or boost their cognitive function. All these benefits are backed by scientific research and evidence and are, thus, sure to provide its users with these advantages.

The recommended dosage depends upon the nitrate content of the beet supplement in question. Usually, the nitrate target is around 0.1 to 0.2mmol/kg. It is nearly about 436 mg for a person who weighs 150 pounds.

You can consume beetroot in various ways. A person can bake it, eat it raw, or consume it as a smoothie or puree.

Q: What is a beet supplement good for?

A: Beets are important to your body because they contain naturally occurring nitrates, which help your body produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, meaning it helps your blood vessels relax and increases blood flow to your muscles and brain.

Nutritionists have found this property helpful on various fronts. Firstly, nitric oxide from beet supplements helps improve athletic performance, especially in endurance athletes. Beet supplements increase blood flow to your muscles, which helps reduce oxygen consumption and increases your efficiency at submaximal intensities. Secondly, beet supplements also increase blood flow to the brain, cognitive performance, consequently, also increases. Some research has indicated that this might also be useful for slowing the progression of dementia in older adults. You can use it to reduce blood pressure due to its nitric oxide content.

Q: How many carbs does a beet supplement have?

A: Different beet supplements have different levels of carbs. Pure beetroot juice contains about 23 grams of carbohydrates (20 naturally occurring sugar) per 8 fluid ounce cup. On the other hand, a pure beet extract and a powder-based beet supplement with a non-caloric flavoring agent and a natural sweetener, such as Stevia, are essentially free of carbs. The list of top-ranked beet supplements below includes several such carb-free beet supplements.

Q: When to take a beet supplement?

A: Beets require a bit more planning for maximum efficacy.

If you want the benefits of chronic beet supplementation, it appears that you need to take a beet supplement or drink beet juice every day for at least 15 days to see the benefits.

The ideal time to take a beet supplement for improved performance is between 90 and 150 minutes before exercising. In this sense, it’s a bit different than a pre-workout supplement you would normally take a right before going to the gym or starting your routine workout. However, more research on beet supplement’s potential to improve long-term health is still ongoing.

Q: What is the purest brand of beet supplement available?

A: If purity is your top priority, we recommend Starwest Botanicals Beetroot Powder. This is a pure powder-form supplement containing100% pure beet powder with no stabilizers, flavoring agents, or sweeteners. While other beet supplements are higher on our rankings, they achieved their higher place due to their taste and easy use without compromising purity.

Q: How much cooked beet is equal to a beet supplement?

A: getting the exact amount of nitrate from cooked beets as you would get from a beet supplement is time-consuming and requires many beets. The standard scientific dose of nitrate is 8 mmol and would require 12 ounces, or 344 grams, of cooked beet to achieve this level of nitrate dosage. Beet juice only requires 150 ml of liquid to meet the equivalent standard dosage.

The difficulty of getting the right amount of beets in your body is a very hefty task and thus shows why beet supplements are so popular. Recommended nitrate requirement of your body needs is met. It saves you from wasting time and effort.

Q: How much beet juice supplement is safe and adequate to drink?

A: In terms of (pure) beet juice supplements, research shows a range from 70 ml to 500 ml.

The most effective dosage is at least five fluid ounces or 150 ml per day. A dosage lower than this amount is ineffective as it may not provide enough nitrates to help your body produce more nitric oxide. Any amount above 150 ml means the higher the nitrate, the higher the nitric production, and thus, the better.

Since using beets for enhanced athletic performance is a recent strategy that has come to light, there haven’t been adequate studies to establish a reliable dose-response relationship between beet supplement volume and improved athletic performance.

You should not take a dose above 500 ml under any circumstances.

Q: How much beet juice is safe?

A: Beet juice is a safe and healthy option for healthy adults. No studies mention any harmful side effects of beet juice. However, a few health conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome and people at risk for kidney stones, may experience negative side effects of beet juice.

Healthy adults do not need to worry about any side effects. While 10-14% of the population consuming beet juice may experience red or pink urine or feces, it is a harmless side effect. Hence, it is better to ask how much beet juice is necessary, and the answer to that is to take at least 150 ml per day and not exceed 500 ml because there is no evidence to support whether above 500 is harmful or beneficial.

Q: How regularly should you take a beet supplement?

A: The answer to this depends on what you wish to achieve from taking a beet supplement. If you only want to benefit from the performance-enhancing effects of beets;, then you only need to take a beet supplement on days you have to engage yourself in a mentally straining task or intensive workout. However, if you want to enjoy the chronic and cognitive benefits that a beet supplementation brings, such as lowered blood pressure, take a beet supplement once every day for at least 15 days to start experiencing the benefits.

Q: Is it safe to take beets and caffeine together?

A: Caffeine is another very vital performance enhancer, especially when it comes to endurance performance. However, some preliminary research suggests that caffeine and beet supplements do not go well together; and may come in each other’s way. For example, while beet supplements increase blood flow, as they are vasodilators;, which play a major role in their performance enhancement effects;, caffeine may attenuate some of the improvements in blood flow that beet supplements bring. Caffeine produces a vasoconstricting effect reducing blood flow to the brain. We use caffeine pills treat headaches.

However, it should be noted that the research on the beet/caffeine interaction is preliminary;, and more work needs to be undertaken to confirm any relationship between them. Hence, you shouldn’t write off both as part of a performance enhancement stack just yet.

How we ranked

To help you decide which beet supplement will be able to meet your needs best;, we have come up with a list of the top 11 best supplements available in the market; and ranked them accordingly. Before moving on to the list, let’s understand the ranking system.

The ranking formulation has us judging the beet material dosage in line with the scientifically approved and recommended dosage. We analyzed scientific research reviews and findings on beets and beetroot. The researchers analyzed Liquid and solid beetroot extracts. Since no research result prioritized one type of extract, solid or liquid, to the other;, we decided to include both in our rankings. We eliminated products with too little beet extract or beet juice diluted with too many other ingredients. Moreover, tinctures and elixirs were also eliminated from the rankings; because they could not deliver the optimal amount and recommended dosage of nitrates; in beets in supplemental form. Hence, products like HawaiiPharm Beet Root Glycerite were excluded as other beets were comparatively better at delivering the effective dosage.

Next,

other best beet products were chosen from each category for further evaluation. These different forms included flavored form, liquid juices, powder form, and capsule-based supplements. Once these were chosen, we looked at the other ingredients included in beet supplements. Powder-form supplements are designed to be taken with water; and thus almost always include a non-caloric sweetener, such as stevia and flavoring. Therefore, we checked the list for a powder-form supplement that uses natural sweeteners and flavoring or artificial sweeteners and flavoring. Products like HumanN Beet Elite;, which use stevia and black cherry flavoring over flavoring;, scored better and were included in the list instead of those that used sugar or artificial flavoring and were eliminated.

Finally, even though beet extract is popularly included in many supplements; and other ingredients to boost nitrate levels and thus nitrate production in the body;, we eliminated products that included too many additional ingredients to stay as close to the scientific literature possible. This meant delivering beet, primarily, in supplement form. Therefore, products such as N.O. Rush from Goliath was eliminated from the list due to its heavy dependence on additional ingredients. There is a separate list of nitric oxide supplement rankings forr more specific products; that aim to boost nitric oxide levels in the body. However, the rankings for beet supplements are as follows:

Rankings

Organifi Red Juice

Red Juice is a product of Organifi that focuses on providing its consumers with all the possible benefits; that beetroot can provide. It is a powerhouse of 11 superfoods;, such as Acai, Beets, Pomegranate, Blueberries, Ginsberg, etc., with only 1 gram of sugar. It is specifically designed to boost your energy levels,; burn fat from your body, and fight aging all while indulging its users in a great tasting experience. Red Juice comes with a large amount of organic beetroot powder; to increase your endurance and help you fight infection by providing you with folate, magnesium, and nitric oxide.

It is obvious why Red Juice by Organifi is the top pick and highly recommended.

HumanN BeetElite

If you are looking for a beet supplement that can help increase your athletic performance;, then BeetElite is the right choice for you. BeetElite is used by dozens of elite athletes and pro teams; looking to increase their endurance and performance and aim to increase; their stamina, energy levels, and oxygen deliverance to the body. Since this beet supplement provides the nitric oxide equivalent; to 6 whole beets and contains natural black cheery and stevia leaf extract, it balances purity and usability. This gives its users a pleasant taste without adding anything unnatural or going overboard with ingredients; and helps keep the carb content at the desired level.

It is recommended to take 10 grams of BeetElite in 4 to 6 ounces of water; approximately an hour or half an hour before exercise for desired results. Humana also offers a lower-dosage beet supplement called SuperBeets;, but BeetElite is usually preferred because it has a higher dose per package.

Ora Renewable Energy

Ora took a different approach by introducing a plant-based pre-workout energy supplement. Renewable Energy is a vegan, USDA Certified beet supplement where the beetroot plays a central role in providing the nitric oxide boosting effects. Furthermore, the beetroot is accompanied by 90% caffeine-based ingredients, such as matcha tea, green coffee bean, yerba mate, etc., to give you a jitter-free boost of energy and coconut water for electrolytes.

Ora Renewable Energy does not include artificial ingredients and flavors and is, therefore, a highly recommended choice for you.

Havasu Beet Root Powder +

Havasu Beet Root Powder + is a beet supplement that includes additional supplements such as cordyceps mushrooms to increase your VO2 max and aerobic performance. The beetroot powder contains PEAK O2, the right blend of six adaptogenic mushrooms that will help you improve your mental and physical strength. While this may prove beneficial for those who wish to improve their endurance exercise, it is not the best supplement for the general population who only wants to enjoy the health benefits of beetroot.

However, it can make a huge difference in your performance in endurance sports such as running, cycling, swimming, etc.

Lakewood Organic Pure Beet Juice

If you are not comfortable taking dried powder beets, taking beetroot in juice form might be a great option. Lakewood Organic’s beetroot juice is a great source of manganese, folate, and potassium that helps with bone development supports a healthy digestive system and aims to improve kidney functioning. There are numerous ways to have beetroot juice. You can either drink it directly or mix it in smoothies and protein shakes. However, the nutrients and antioxidants found in a juice form are less concentrated than that found in powder form, and hence you will have to drink more of it. Also, if you wish to keep your carb intake low, juiced beets are not the best option.

Beetroot Juice by Lakewood Organic provides its users with important nutrients and also allows them to enjoy a great taste.

Starwest Botanicals Beetroot Powder

If you are looking for bulk beet powder, then Starwest Botanicals is the answer to your prayers. Since Starwest is a pure, organic product with a good reputation, it is the best choice for you if you want to mix your own supplements or incorporate a pure beetroot powder into your smoothie.

However, if you want something extra in your beet supplement, there are better options to meet your demands.

Viva Deo Pure Beets

If you want an organic, 100% pure powdered form of beetroot, then you should give Viva Deo’s Pure Beets a chance. It only includes natural nutrients and fiber and does not include artificial flavors, sugar, unnecessary ingredients, and unnecessary ingredients, thus keeping the calorie count low and boosting the purity levels high. Moreover, the organic source ensures no fear of pesticides making their way to the supplement.

Pure Beets helps you increase your stamina and endurance, supports healthy liver and brain functioning, reduces blood pressure, and helps detox your body. Therefore, it is clearly targeted at the general population who wants to improve their overall health and not just boost athletic performance. Thus, it is mainly for general use.

BulkSupplements Pure Beet Root Powder

Pure Beetroot Powder by Bulk Supplements is a clean and pure powder-form beet supplement. The product contains only necessary ingredients that help improve athletic endurance, act as a natural anti-inflammatory and promote cardiovascular health.

However, even though it is lab-tested and verified, consumers still do not know much about the source of the beetroot powder. For example, if it is organic or not. Other powder-form supplements have the upper hand over BulkSupplements in this regard. However, it is still a good choice and the only beet supplement producer that offers five kilograms in one bag to its customers.

Zhou Nutrition N.O Pro

Nitric Oxide Pro by Zhou Nutrition is one of the few beet supplements in capsule form. It is called a Nitric Oxide Powerhouse because it is carefully formulated with a blend of amino acids, L-arginine, AAKG, and citrulline malate alongside beetroot powder that helps you maximize your energy, endurance, and stamina during every workout.

However, pill-based beet supplement means a lot of them to have to be taken in to get even a small dose of what you would get from beetroot powder. People, especially those looking to increase their athletic performance, should use a powder-based powder-based beet supplement to get the high dosage of beets they require.

BPI Sports Health Green Tea Beetroot Fiber MCTs

The name of the supplement gives away the important ingredients that it includes. The beetroot acts as an antioxidant to help protect cells from free radicals. The fiber content supports digestion and helps your body absorb the vital nutrients it needs. MCT oils provide healthy fats to help support your cardiovascular health. Green tea provides a natural source of caffeine and, therefore, energy to the body. Even though these ingredients are popular for doing their task spectacularly, they may not make a great combination as a beetroot supplement. Combining green tea and beetroot powder helps increase your exercise, endurance, and performance, but adding MCT oils and fiber to this mixture does not make sense if the purpose is to enhance physical performance.

However, it is still a great choice for those looking for a general increase in their overall health.

Premium Miracle Beets

Miracle Beets by Premium is a popular beet supplement that is vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly with no artificial sweeteners. The supplement helps support healthy blood circulation and blood pressure. However, there is an overdose of the different ingredients in this beet supplement other than beetroot powder, such as cranberry powder, grape seed extract, blueberry powder, etc. These are locked in a proprietary blend where it is difficult to tell the amount of each ingredient used. This is where the drawback of using this supplement steps in because, with beetroot powder, it is essential to measure your dosage to ensure that you are taking in the optimal amount. With Miracle Beets, this is almost impossible to tell.

Recap

Beetroot is a highly nutritious and vital root vegetable that is essential for improved health. It lowers blood pressure, improves cardia health, fights diseases, and prevents cell damage. Moreover, it slows down the progression of dementia in older adults. However, as with anything else, excessive beetroot consumption can cause kidney stones and disrupt the digestive system of those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Hence, consuming beet supplements in the recommended dosage is necessary, and consult your healthcare provider if you feel any unusual side effects.