Health Benefits Of Beetroot Powder
If you’re a health enthusiast or someone looking to boost your athletic performance, you may have come across the growing buzz around beetroot powder. Beetroot supplements, either in the form of juice, powders, or gels, have gained popularity for their potential health benefits — you’ll likely find it in the health section, alongside products like mushroom powder — but what exactly is beetroot powder, and how can it contribute to your wellbeing?
You know beets well: you see them in your salad at every pizza shop and diner. Maybe your memories of beets aren’t quite so fond and it brings back painful childhood memories of borderline force-feeding.
What you might not realize is that the modest beet is a powerful superfood chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and special substances from its pigment to support health across the entire body.
Don’t like beets? No problem.
Beetroot powder is a highly concentrated form that includes all the same bonuses. Let’s take a look at beetroot powder nutrition, health benefits, side effects, and other important info so you can decide if it’s the right choice to add to your diet.
Beetroot Powder Nutrition Facts
Beetroot powder is low in calories and full of vitamins and minerals. A two-tablespoon (tbsp) serving of beetroot powder has the following nutrients:
- Calories: 59.94 cal
- Fat: 0 grams (g)
- Carbs: 12 g
- Fiber: 5.99 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Potassium: 473.4 milligrams (mg), or 10% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Iron: 1.08 mg, or 6% of the DV
Health Benefits of Beetroot Powder
1. May Help To Regulate Blood Pressure
In my opinion, lower blood pressure is one of the standout benefits of beetroot powder. Beets are high in nitrates that increase nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator to open up your blood vessels, resulting in healthy blood flow and lower blood pressure.
A clinical review of multiple studies on beets from 2008 to 2018 concluded that beetroot juice was a cost-effective tool to significantly reduce high blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) in various populations, reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke.
2. Aids With Detoxing
Beets are super helpful at breaking down toxins through increasing enzyme activity. Beetroot powder is a valuable detox supplement that I recommend for many of my patients.
With how many toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis, I think we could all use a little extra detox support.
3. May Enhance Brain Health
Due to its nitric oxide content and various phytochemical compounds, beetroot powder can enhance cognitive function through its ability to increase circulation to areas of the brain involved in memory and focus.
Older adults who supplement with beetroot powder in conjunction with exercise have exhibited increased physical endurance and blood flow to the brain, ultimately increasing their neuroplasticity — your brain’s ability to grow, adapt, and recover.
4. Fights Inflammation
Beets contain betalains, which have anti-inflammatory properties that fight free radicals left behind by toxins, helping lower your risk of chronic disease.
When left unchecked, free radicals can start to result in oxidative stress that causes cell damage and chronic inflammation throughout the body. I find that inflammation often contributes to my patients’ systemic health conditions.
By working to get rid of free radicals, beets are able to target inflammation at its source before it gets out of control. Betalain in beetroot powder works tirelessly to reduce oxidative and nitrative stress, shielding your cells and DNA from harm caused by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.
5. Promotes Healthy Weight
I would not recommend beetroot powder as a weight loss supplement by itself, but it is helpful for supporting weight loss in people with obesity and maintaining a healthy weight.
Since beets are high in dietary fiber, they can help you feel fuller for longer and help curb your cravings.
Also, the performance-boosting potential of beetroot powder’s nitrates may enhance exercise performance and reduce post-workout muscle soreness. More efficient workouts can help with weight maintenance.
6. Improves Gut Health
Beetroot powder may support healthy bacteria proliferation in your gut, leading to good gut health. I recommend supporting gut health to improve your overall well-being.
This 2020 scientific review suggests that the bioactive compounds in beetroot may promote healthy gut microbiota and stimulate metabolism.
7. May Lower Cancer Risk
You might think I’m crazy, but beetroot powder contains a treasure trove of compounds believed to combat certain cancers, such as:
While promising, more evidence is needed, with research primarily stemming from test-tube studies showcasing beetroot extract’s potential to impede cancer cell division and growth.
Risks and Side Effects of Beetroot Powder
Great news: beetroot powder is a very safe item to add to your diet because it’s just, well, powdered beets. The substances found in beets are safe in normal food quantities and also likely safe in higher medicinal quantities as well.
It is, however, important to stay within the five-gram-per-day limit. Consuming too many nitrates found in beets can lead to kidney stones if you’re predisposed to that. Also, if you’re at risk for kidney disease, it’s probably a good idea to avoid consuming concentrated beetroot powder.
Here’s some more good news: the substances in beetroot powder have no known interactions with other medications.
Although beets are safe to eat during pregnancy, don’t consume more beetroot powder than you would typically eat as a food item. Larger amounts have not been studied for safety in pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Beetroot Powder Vs. Beetroot Juice
When it comes to beetroot juice vs. beetroot powder benefits, you can still get the same nutrients and nitrates from both choices. However, beetroot powder comes with a few added benefits that might make it a better choice for health enthusiasts.
Beetroot powder is lower in sugar. There’s still some sugar in powder, but much less than you’d consume in juice form.
In beetroot powder, overall calories would also be lower than the juice. This makes the powder form a great choice for anyone trying to lose weight or stay within a calorie range.
Nutrients may be compromised in juice form. Heating during the pasteurization process might mean that you don’t get all the beneficial nutrients once the juice reaches your glass.
Beetroot powder is easier to consume. Sure, you can drink a glass of juice but could you do that every day? The powder form is much more versatile so it’s easier to incorporate into your diet — especially for anyone who isn’t especially fond of beets.
Should I Just Add More Red Beets To My Diet?
Yes, you could eat more beets… but could you stand eating beets in a salad multiple times each week — or day?
Beetroot powder is simple because you can add it to different dishes as you go about your day between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plus, beetroot powder is highly concentrated so you can consume much less than you would if you were eating regular beets.
The Take-Away
Beets are an overlooked superfood that don’t get nearly enough credit. Not only do beets pack a powerful punch of nutrients, but they also contain unique substances like nitrate and betalain from their pigment to offer a wide range of unique bonuses.
The beetroot powder benefits are pretty much identical to that of regular beets but you don’t have to consume ten beets a day to reap the rewards: just add a few scoops of powder to your smoothie and you’re good to go. This makes beetroot powder a safe and effective item to add to your daily routine.
