Beetroot in gummies: nitrate is the number that matters

Beetroot has moved from the salad bar to the supplement aisle, sold for circulation, blood pressure and exercise. Almost all of the research behind those uses involves one component of beets and one form of delivery. Knowing both makes a beet gummy label much easier to judge.

What is in beets

Beets are a root vegetable rich in folate, potassium and fiber. Two groups of compounds are of interest to supplement makers.

• Nitrate. Beets are among the vegetables highest in dietary nitrate, along with spinach, arugula and celery. This is the component most beet research is about.
• Betalains. The pigments that make beets red. They act as antioxidants. They are also why beet extract is used as a natural food coloring, including in many gummies.

How dietary nitrate works

The path from beet to effect has several steps, and one of them is surprising.

1. You swallow nitrate, and it is absorbed into the blood.
2. About a quarter of it is concentrated in saliva.
3. Bacteria living on your tongue convert nitrate into nitrite.
4. You swallow the nitrite, and the body converts it into nitric oxide.
5. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens blood vessels.

The bacteria in step three are essential. Studies have shown that using antibacterial mouthwash blocks the conversion and removes the effect. It is a useful reminder that this is a real biological pathway with real conditions, not a general property of anything beet-colored.

What the research found

Blood pressure. A 2013 meta-analysis pooled 16 trials of inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice in adults. It found a reduction in systolic blood pressure of about 4 mmHg on average compared with placebo. The trials were short, from a few hours to a few weeks, and mostly in healthy volunteers.

Exercise. Dietary nitrate is one of a handful of supplements that the International Olympic Committee’s 2018 consensus statement lists as having good evidence for a performance benefit in specific situations, mainly endurance efforts lasting several minutes.

These are the findings the marketing draws on. Both come from studies of nitrate at measured doses.

How much the studies used

The research used beetroot juice, either regular or concentrated into small shots, and in some trials nitrate salts.

Measure	Typical amount in studies
Nitrate per day	About 300 mg to 600 mg (5 to 9 mmol)
Regular beetroot juice	About 250 mL to 500 mL
Concentrated beetroot shot	One or two 70 mL shots
Timing for exercise	Two to three hours beforehand

The important number is the nitrate, not the volume of juice. Researchers measure it because the nitrate content of beets varies several-fold with the variety, soil, season and storage.

Why beet powder and extract are hard to compare

A gummy cannot contain juice. It contains beet root powder, which is dried and ground beet, or beet root extract, which is a concentrate. The label gives the weight of that ingredient.

The weight does not tell you the nitrate. Beet powders differ in how they were made, and drying and processing can reduce nitrate. Some products are standardized and state it, for example “standardized to 2% nitrates” or “provides 400 mg of dietary nitrate”. Many say nothing.

A rough calculation shows the scale. Fresh beets contain on the order of 100 mg to 250 mg of nitrate per 100 g. Dried powder is more concentrated, perhaps 1% to 2% nitrate by weight for a good one. At 2%, a gummy serving with 200 mg of beet powder would provide about 4 mg of nitrate. The studies used 300 mg to 600 mg.

That gap is large. Unless a label states its nitrate content and that content is in the hundreds of milligrams, a beet gummy should not be assumed to match the research.

What a gummy can realistically hold

This comes down to physical space. To carry 400 mg of nitrate from a 2% powder you would need 20 g of powder, which is several times the weight of an entire gummy. Concentrated nitrate-rich extracts can do better, but few gummies use them or state the result.

So in most gummies, beet does one or both of two honest jobs. It colors the gummy red, and it gives the product a theme. The meaningful dose, if there is one, belongs to whatever else is listed, often CoQ10 or a B vitamin. See our CoQ10 guide.

If you want the nitrate

• Eat nitrate-rich vegetables. A large serving of spinach, arugula or beets supplies a meaningful amount.
• Use beetroot juice or a concentrated shot that states its nitrate content. This is what the studies used.
• Use a powder that states its nitrate content and take the serving that reaches 300 mg or more.
• Skip the antibacterial mouthwash around the time you take it.

Side effects and cautions

• Red or pink urine and stools. This is called beeturia. It is harmless and happens to a fair share of people after eating beets.
• Kidney stones. Beets are high in oxalate. People who form calcium oxalate stones are usually advised to limit high-oxalate foods and should be cautious with concentrated beet products.
• Blood pressure medication. Nitrate at research doses lowers blood pressure a little. If you take medication for blood pressure, or drugs for angina or erectile dysfunction that act on nitric oxide, ask your doctor before using concentrated beet products.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Beets as food are fine. Ask before using concentrated supplements.

A gummy with a small amount of beet powder is unlikely to cause any of these, for the same reason it is unlikely to match the studies.

How to read a beet gummy label

1. Find the beet ingredient and whether it is powder, extract or juice concentrate.
2. Look for a nitrate figure. If none is given, you cannot compare the product with research.
3. Check per gummy or per serving.
4. Identify the other active ingredients and judge them on their own amounts.
5. Check whether beet appears only in the color line, as “fruit and vegetable juice for color”. That is coloring, not a dose.
6. Count the sugar.

Beet gummies we have reviewed

Goli Beets Cardio lists 200 mg of beet root powder extract and 100 mg of CoQ10 per two-gummy serving. The nitrate content is not stated. More on the heart gummies page.

The short version

• Beet research is nitrate research. Studies used 300 mg to 600 mg of nitrate a day, from juice.
• Gummy labels give the weight of beet powder, which says little about nitrate.
• A gummy has room for milligrams of nitrate, not hundreds.
• For the studied effect, use juice or a product with a stated nitrate content.
• In most gummies, beet is a color and a theme. Check what else is in it.

Beets as food, for comparison

It is easy to lose sight of the vegetable itself. One cup of cooked beets, about 170 g, supplies a meaningful amount of nitrate along with roughly 3 g of fiber, folate, potassium and manganese, for around 75 calories and no added sugar. Roasted, boiled, pickled or grated raw, they all count.

Leafy greens are an even richer source of nitrate by weight. A large salad of arugula or spinach can provide as much as a glass of beetroot juice. If the goal is more dietary nitrate, vegetables are the cheapest and best-supported way to get it, and they bring nutrients that no gummy contains.

Juice and concentrated shots exist because athletes wanted a measured dose at a set time before exercise. For everyday eating, the plate does the same job.

Common questions

Do beet gummies lower blood pressure?

The research showing a small reduction used beetroot juice or nitrate supplying 300 mg to 600 mg of nitrate. Most gummies do not state their nitrate content, and a gummy cannot hold that much beet powder.

How much nitrate is in a beet gummy?

Usually not stated. A good beet powder may be 1% to 2% nitrate, which would be a few milligrams in a typical serving.

Are beet gummies as good as beet juice?

Not for nitrate, unless the label states a nitrate amount in the hundreds of milligrams.

Why did my urine turn pink?

Beet pigments can color urine and stools. It is harmless.

Can I take beet gummies with blood pressure medication?

Ask your doctor. Small amounts of beet powder are unlikely to matter, but concentrated beet products can lower blood pressure.

Is beet in a gummy sometimes just coloring?

Yes. When it appears as fruit and vegetable juice for color, it is there for the red color.

Sources

1. Siervo M, et al. Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2013.
2. Maughan RJ, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018.
3. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary supplements for exercise and athletic performance: fact sheet for health professionals.

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.