There are vegetables that quietly sit in the produce aisle without getting much attention—and then there are beets.
Deep red, earthy, naturally sweet, and impossible to mistake for anything else, beets have been showing up everywhere from salads and soups to smoothies and juices.
And if you've ever wondered whether eating them regularly actually does anything for your body, the answer is surprisingly interesting.
Beets contain dietary nitrate, fiber, folate, potassium, and antioxidant compounds called betalains. Their nitrate content in particular has attracted considerable scientific interest because the body can convert dietary nitrate through the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway, which can influence blood-vessel function.
That doesn't mean beets are a miracle food or a replacement for medical treatment.
But adding them to an otherwise balanced diet can be a nutritious choice—and some of the things that may happen when you eat them regularly are pretty fascinating.
So let's take a closer look at what happens to your body when beets become a regular part of your meals.
Your Blood Vessels May Get a Little Help
This is probably the most studied reason beets have developed such a healthy reputation.
Beets are naturally rich in nitrates.
Once dietary nitrate enters the body's nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway, it can contribute to the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps regulate blood-vessel tone and plays an important role in circulation and blood-pressure control.
And researchers have actually seen measurable effects in clinical trials.
A meta-analysis of randomized trials found that beetroot supplementation was associated with modest reductions in blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure. Another systematic review focused specifically on people with hypertension found an average systolic reduction of about 5 mmHg with nitrate-rich beetroot juice, although the evidence base was still relatively small.
That's encouraging—but there's an important distinction.
Eating beets isn't the same thing as treating high blood pressure.
If you have hypertension, don't stop or change prescribed medication because you've started eating more beets.
Think of beets as a nutritious food that may support cardiovascular health—not as a replacement for medical care.
Your Circulation May Benefit From Those Natural Nitrates
When blood vessels relax appropriately, blood can move through them more easily.
That's one reason dietary nitrate has attracted so much attention in nutrition and exercise research.
The effect isn't necessarily dramatic enough for you to suddenly feel your blood vessels opening.
In fact, you may feel absolutely nothing.
That's okay.
Some of the most important things food does inside the body happen quietly.
You May Notice a Difference During Exercise
Here's where beetroot became particularly popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Researchers have studied beetroot juice and other nitrate-rich foods because nitric oxide-related pathways may help influence exercise efficiency and performance.
A large systematic review found that nitrate supplementation can produce small improvements in some measures of exercise performance, with effects appearing particularly relevant to certain shorter-duration, high-intensity efforts. However, the response varies considerably depending on the person, dose, exercise type, and other factors.
More recent evidence continues to suggest that beetroot juice may offer modest benefits for some aspects of aerobic performance, but it isn't a magic performance enhancer.
So if you love running, cycling, or other endurance activities, beets can certainly be part of a performance-friendly diet.
Just don't expect one bowl of roasted beets to turn you into an Olympic athlete overnight!
Your Digestive System Gets a Dose of Fiber
