Beet gummies and nitrates explained: what the studies used and what a label tells you
Disclosure: Gummy Verdict is reader-supported. If you buy through a link on this page we may earn a commission. How that works.
Beet gummies are sold on the strength of research into beetroot juice. That research is not really about beets. It is about nitrate, a compound that beets happen to contain in large amounts. A beet product is only comparable with the studies if you know how much nitrate it delivers, and most gummy labels do not say.
This article explains what nitrate does in the body, what amounts the studies used, and how to read a beet gummy label with that in mind.
The short answer
Studies of beetroot juice typically supplied about 300 mg to 500 mg of nitrate per dose and found small reductions in blood pressure and modest effects on exercise. Beet gummies usually list a few hundred milligrams of beet powder or extract, with no nitrate figure. Beet powder is only partly nitrate, so the nitrate in a gummy is likely to be a small fraction of the studied amount unless the label states otherwise.
What nitrate is
Nitrate is a simple compound of nitrogen and oxygen that plants take up from the soil. Leafy greens such as arugula, spinach and lettuce are the richest dietary sources. Beetroot is high too, and its juice is easy to standardize and to drink, which is why researchers adopted it.
Do not confuse dietary nitrate from vegetables with the nitrites added to cured meats, or with nitrate medication prescribed for angina. They are related chemically, but the context and the amounts are different.
The pathway: why your mouth matters
Nitrate itself does very little. Its effects come from what the body turns it into.
- You swallow nitrate. It is absorbed in the gut and enters the blood.
- Your salivary glands concentrate it and return it to the mouth in saliva.
- Bacteria on your tongue convert nitrate to nitrite. Human cells cannot do this step efficiently. The bacteria can.
- You swallow the nitrite. Some is converted to nitric oxide in the stomach, and some enters the blood and is converted in the tissues.
- Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels, which is thought to explain the effect on blood pressure.
Step three has a practical consequence. In a study of 19 healthy volunteers, using an antibacterial mouthwash for a week lowered nitrite levels in saliva and blood and raised blood pressure slightly. If you take a nitrate product for its effect, strong antibacterial mouthwash works against it.
Blood nitrite peaks about two to three hours after a dose of beetroot juice, which is why exercise studies time the drink a few hours beforehand.
What the studies used
Research doses are given in millimoles of nitrate. One millimole is 62 mg.
| Study | Nitrate per day | In milligrams | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta-analysis of blood pressure trials (2013) | Varied across trials of nitrate and beetroot juice | Mostly a few hundred mg | Lower systolic blood pressure, by a few points on average |
| Dose-response exercise study, 10 men (2013) | 4.2, 8.4 or 16.8 mmol | About 260, 520 or 1,040 mg | Effects on blood pressure and exercise increased with dose up to the middle amount |
| Four-week trial in people with high blood pressure (2015) | About 6.4 mmol | About 400 mg | Sustained reduction in blood pressure compared with nitrate-free juice |
The typical studied range is therefore 300 mg to 500 mg of nitrate a day. A review of the exercise research describes 5 mmol to 9 mmol, roughly 310 mg to 560 mg, taken two to three hours before exercise, as the amounts that have shown effects, mainly in recreationally active people and less reliably in elite athletes.
These are modest effects in controlled studies. Beetroot juice is not a treatment for high blood pressure.
How much nitrate is in a gummy?
This is where the label matters. Beet gummies list “beet root powder” or “beet root extract” in milligrams. That is the weight of dried beet material, not the weight of nitrate.
The nitrate content of beet powder varies widely with the variety, the soil and the processing. As a rough illustration, suppose a powder were 2 percent nitrate by weight.
| Source | Nitrate |
|---|---|
| Dose used in studies | 300 mg to 500 mg |
| 200 mg of beet powder, if 2% nitrate | About 4 mg |
| 1,000 mg of beet powder, if 2% nitrate | About 20 mg |
| A serving of arugula or spinach | Often 100 mg or more |
The 2 percent figure is an assumption for the sake of arithmetic. A specialized extract standardized for nitrate could be much stronger, and it would say so. The point is the order of magnitude. A few hundred milligrams of ordinary beet powder cannot contain several hundred milligrams of nitrate.
How to read a beet gummy label
- Look for the word “nitrate” with an amount. A product built around the research will state it, in milligrams or as a percentage of the extract.
- Find the beet amount per serving and the serving size.
- Note whether it is powder or extract. “Extract” can be more concentrated, but without a standardization figure you cannot know.
- Identify the other active ingredients. Many beet gummies include CoQ10, B vitamins or vitamin C. Those may be where the product’s substance lies.
- Count the sugar.
An example
The label for Goli Beets Cardio Gummies lists, per two-gummy serving, 200 mg of beet root powder extract, 100 mg of CoQ10 and 12 mcg of vitamin B12, with 3 g of sugars. The nitrate content is not stated. Reading it with the steps above, the ingredient that can be compared with research is the CoQ10, at an amount within the range used in trials. Our Goli Beets Cardio Gummies review goes through the panel, and CoQ10 gummies: how much covers that ingredient.
If you want dietary nitrate
- Eat leafy greens. Arugula, spinach, lettuce, chard and beet greens are rich in nitrate. A large salad can supply as much as a study dose.
- Eat beets, roasted, boiled or raw.
- Use beetroot juice or a concentrated shot that states its nitrate content, if you want the form used in studies.
- Skip the antibacterial mouthwash around the time you take it.
Eating patterns rich in vegetables, such as the DASH diet, have far better evidence for blood pressure than any single supplement.
Side effects and cautions
- Red or pink urine and stools. Beet pigment causes this in some people. It is harmless, though alarming if you are not expecting it. A gummy with a small amount of beet is unlikely to do it.
- Kidney stones. Beets are high in oxalate. People prone to oxalate stones are often advised to limit beet products.
- Blood pressure medication. Nitrate in study amounts can lower blood pressure. Ask your doctor before adding a high-nitrate product.
- Medication for erectile dysfunction or angina. These act on the same pathway. Ask your doctor.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Ask your health care provider before taking a supplement.
High blood pressure needs monitoring and, often, treatment. Do not use beet products in place of prescribed medication.
The research is summarized in the beetroot ingredient guide, and related reviews are on the heart health gummies page.
The short version
- Beetroot research is about nitrate.
- Studies used about 300 mg to 500 mg of nitrate a day, usually from juice.
- Mouth bacteria are part of the pathway. Antibacterial mouthwash blunts the effect.
- Most beet gummies do not state nitrate, and a few hundred milligrams of beet powder holds very little.
- Look at the other ingredients for what the gummy really offers.
- Leafy greens are the richest source of nitrate.
Common questions
Do beet gummies lower blood pressure?
The trials that found lower blood pressure used beetroot juice with about 300 mg to 500 mg of nitrate. Gummies have not been tested and usually do not state nitrate.
How much nitrate is in beet gummies?
Most labels do not say. Beet powder is only partly nitrate, so a few hundred milligrams of powder is likely to hold only a few milligrams.
Are beet gummies as good as beet juice?
Not for nitrate, unless the label states an amount in the studied range.
Why does mouthwash matter?
Bacteria on the tongue convert nitrate to nitrite, a necessary step. Antibacterial mouthwash reduces them.
Can beet gummies turn urine red?
Beet pigment can, in some people. It is harmless. Small amounts in gummies rarely cause it.
When should I take a nitrate product before exercise?
Studies gave beetroot juice two to three hours beforehand, when blood nitrite peaks.
Sources
- Siervo M, et al. Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2013.
- Wylie LJ, et al. Beetroot juice and exercise: pharmacodynamic and dose-response relationships. J Appl Physiol. 2013.
- Jones AM, et al. Dietary nitrate and physical performance. Annu Rev Nutr. 2018.
- Kapil V, et al. Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients: a randomized, phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Hypertension. 2015.
- Kapil V, et al. Physiological role for nitrate-reducing oral bacteria in blood pressure control. Free Radic Biol Med. 2013.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products discussed here are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This page is not medical advice. It is written for adults 18 and over.