THE BEETROOT PHENOMENON... Unpicking beetroot's recent wild health claims.

I find myself baffled that people are missing so many basics of good long term nutrition, yet focus so much on these sorts of news stories. However, the list of foods with extreme health claims is getting ever longer & beetroot has recently joined the party. For once, I have a suspicion it may live up to at least some of its claimed unbeetable superpowers (don't worry, I'll roll my eyes for you). Usually I only delve into topics with plenty of trustworthy research to explore, & beetroot isn't quite there yet. But, to save people from the confusion of the headlines, I will dive into this one anyway!

Here's some of the most prominent claims, as stated on the BBC:

1. A positive effect on long term heart health - The high nitrate content in beetroot helps blood pressure by increasing the size of your blood vessels.

2. Improved cognitive function - The increased blood flow delivers more oxygen to the brain, thus improving its function.

3. An improvement in microbiome efficiency - The nitrates help maintain a healthy mix of bacteria in your microbiome, with an abundance of ensuing health benefits.

4. Improved physical performance - The improved oxygen flow due to the first point prevents fatigue in muscles when exercising.

We will explore the validity of these points as we go, but let us first take a look at where all these bold claims have come from. Beetroots big secret is evidently its nitrate content, with all the benefits seemingly coming as a result of this. These are highly present in beetroot juice, with no risk of losing them during cooking. So, juice is your best bet, but how much do you need to reap the rewards? Surprisingly, a small shot of 100ml daily contains plenty of these precious nitrates & is all you need.

If you're anything like me, I like the sound of the rewards, but who is really sad enough to sit drinking purple vegetable juice every day? Where else can we get these nitrate benefits from, for the days when 99% of us don't want to shot beetroot juice like an obsessive beetoholic? Well, it turns out they're in all sorts of veg, such as leafy greens & carrots. You can also get them in pork & some processed meats, but these are not high quality sources.

To wrap this up, the benefits of beetroot seem legitimate based on the research done so far. And, whilst there are plenty of things higher up my list of nutrition priorities, they are easy to include in your diet if you have the luxury of worrying about the finer details such as nitrate content. Most of us will do best by including a variety of fruit & veg in our diet, with nitrate benefits often being covered using the "eat the rainbow" rule of including many different colours. Find a multivit to cover all bases below, & I'll chat to you next week!

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Elliot Hutchinson // 24.08.2025

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