Overview

Beet (Beta vulgaris) is a flowering plant. Beet root and beet leaves are eaten as a vegetable and also used as medicine.

Beet contains chemicals that might reduce swelling and cholesterol. Beet can also increase levels of a chemical called nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide can affect blood vessels, possibly reducing blood pressure and making it easier to exercise.

People use beet most often for athletic performance and for reducing muscle soreness after exercise. It is also used for liver diseases, high blood pressure, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these other uses.

Uses & Effectiveness

Possibly Effective for

  • Athletic performance. Drinking beetroot juice might improve exercise performance during aerobic activities in some people. But it's not clear how much beetroot juice is needed to see any benefit. And any benefit in elite athletes might be very small.
  • Muscle soreness caused by exercise. Drinking beetroot juice a few times a day for about 48 hours after exercise might reduce muscle soreness after sprinting or jumping.

Possibly Ineffective for

There is interest in using beet for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Beet is commonly consumed in foods. Beet and beetroot juice are possibly safe for most people when taken in larger amounts, short-term.

Beet can make urine or stools appear pink or red. But this is not harmful. There is concern that large doses of beet might cause low calcium levels and kidney damage. But this hasn't been shown to happen.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: Beet is commonly consumed in foods. Beet and beetroot juice are possibly safe for most people when taken in larger amounts, short-term.

Beet can make urine or stools appear pink or red. But this is not harmful. There is concern that large doses of beet might cause low calcium levels and kidney damage. But this hasn't been shown to happen.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if beet is safe to use as a medicine when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.

Kidney disease: Eating too many beets might make kidney disease worse.

Interactions

    Moderate Interaction

    Be cautious with this combination

  • Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with Beet

    Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Beet might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.

    Minor Interaction

    Be watchful with this combination

  • Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates) interacts with Beet

    Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Beet might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.

Dosing

Beet root and beet leaves are commonly eaten as food. As medicine, beetroot juice has most often been used by adults in doses of 70-140 mL by mouth daily for 21 days. Beet is also available in many other forms, including beetroot extract, beetroot powder, beetroot gel, freeze-dried beet leaf, and baked beetroot. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what type of product and dose might be best for a specific condition.
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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
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