Does beetroot help with blood pressure? What the research does and doesn't show

The evidence doesn't support beetroot, in any form, as a reliable blood-pressure fix for a general population. What it does support, more narrowly, is a modest drop in systolic (top-number) blood pressure in people already diagnosed with hypertension, seen in two meta-analyses of concentrated beetroot juice — with no significant effect on diastolic (bottom-number) pressure in either one, and neither trial set testing a dried, whole-root powder.

What the evidence doesn't support

It doesn't support beetroot lowering blood pressure in people who don't already have hypertension — every trial below enrolled adults with a clinical hypertension diagnosis, not a general or normal-BP population. It doesn't support a change in diastolic blood pressure; both meta-analyses below found systolic pressure moved but diastolic pressure did not, significantly. It doesn't support beetroot, at any dose studied, as a substitute for a prescribed blood pressure medication, or as a reason to change one. And it doesn't support a dried, milled beetroot powder capsule producing the same effect — every trial in both reviews used concentrated juice, dosed to a stated nitrate amount, not a whole-food powder.

What the trials found

A 2024 meta-analysis pooled 11 randomized controlled trials (349 patients) testing beetroot juice against placebo, water, or no intake, in adults meeting the European Society of Hypertension's definition of hypertension (clinical blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher). Across a nitrate dose range of 200-800 mg a day, systolic blood pressure fell by a statistically significant 5.31 mmHg on average — but diastolic blood pressure and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure readings showed no significant change. The review authors rated the certainty of this evidence low, using the GRADE framework, and noted moderate-to-high variability between trials.

A 2022 meta-analysis pooled 7 randomized controlled trials (218 participants), also in adults with diagnosed hypertension, testing 70-250 mL of beetroot juice a day for periods ranging from 3 to 60 days. Systolic blood pressure fell by a statistically significant 4.95 mmHg on average — closely matching the first review's figure — while diastolic blood pressure again showed no significant change (a 0.90 mmHg drop that didn't clear the threshold for significance). This review rated its evidence moderate certainty.

Both reviews point the same direction on the same measure: a roughly 5 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure specifically, in people already diagnosed with hypertension, from concentrated juice at a measured nitrate dose — with diastolic pressure unmoved in both. Neither review tested a dried, whole-root powder capsule, and a separate lab analysis of 50 commercial beetroot supplements found nitrate content in powder and liquid products varies widely and generally falls well under the 200-800 mg range associated with an effect here.

Review (year)	Trials / patients	Population	Systolic BP	Diastolic BP	Certainty
2024 meta-analysis	11 trials, 349 patients	Hypertension (ESH definition)	-5.31 mmHg, significant	No significant change	Low (GRADE)
2022 meta-analysis	7 trials, 218 participants	Hypertension	-4.95 mmHg, significant	No significant change	Moderate (GRADE)

Questions people ask

Does beetroot lower blood pressure?

In people already diagnosed with hypertension, two meta-analyses found beetroot juice lowered systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg on average, at nitrate doses of 200-800 mg a day. Neither found a significant effect on diastolic blood pressure, and neither tested a dried powder capsule — both used concentrated juice.

How much beetroot juice does it take to lower blood pressure?

The trials above used 200-800 mg of nitrate a day, most often delivered as 70-250 mL of concentrated juice. That's a juice dose measured by nitrate content, not a powder-capsule amount, so it doesn't translate directly into a milligram figure for a dried whole-root product.

How quickly does beetroot lower blood pressure?

The trials in the reviews above ran from 3 to 60 days, and both reviews pooled results across that range rather than isolating how fast an effect appears. Neither review reports a specific "starts working by day X" finding.

Can you take beetroot with blood pressure medication?

Neither review tested beetroot juice alongside a blood pressure medication specifically, and combining supplements that affect blood pressure with a prescription drug for the same thing is a reasonable question for a doctor, not something these trials answer. Ask your doctor before combining the two — see beetroot and medications: what to check for what we could and couldn't find on specific drug classes.

Is beetroot good for low blood pressure?

No trial we found tested beetroot in people with low blood pressure — every trial above enrolled people with hypertension. If you have low blood pressure, ask a doctor before adding a supplement that has lowered blood pressure in other populations.

Can beetroot raise blood pressure?

We didn't find a trial reporting an increase in blood pressure from beetroot juice or powder. The direction of effect in the trials above, where one was found, was a decrease in systolic pressure specifically.

When to talk to a doctor

Beetroot and beetroot juice are not a treatment for hypertension, and nothing above supports using either as a substitute for a doctor's evaluation or a prescribed blood pressure medication. If you have high or low blood pressure, or take a medication for it, talk to a doctor before adding beetroot or any new supplement, and before changing anything about how you take a prescribed medication.