Research review
Beetroot: what the research does and doesn't show
Beetroot is searched as a blanket "good for you" food across juice, powder and gummies. The research is narrower than that framing — mostly nitrate, blood flow and exercise, tested at specific doses that don't match every product on a shelf.
The evidence doesn't support beetroot, in any format, as a blanket "good for you" food backed by one body of research. What's actually been studied is narrower: dietary nitrate's effect on blood flow, exercise performance and blood pressure, tested at specific doses of juice or extract that don't automatically apply to a gummy, a capsule or a glass of juice made at home.
What the evidence doesn't support
It doesn't support the idea that "beetroot powder," "beetroot gummies" and "beetroot juice" are interchangeable, equally studied products. The research below was done almost entirely with juice or concentrated extract at measured nitrate doses; gummies and capsules are different formats with different, often smaller and unlabeled, amounts of the active compounds. It also doesn't support beetroot as something that reliably causes or relieves digestive symptoms like diarrhea, constipation or bloating — no trial identified for this page measured any of those outcomes directly in healthy adults. And it doesn't support any dosing or use guidance during pregnancy or breastfeeding; none of the research below was conducted in pregnant or nursing women.
What the trials found
An umbrella review pooling 15 meta-analyses looked at beetroot juice and physical performance. It found that nitrate doses of 515–1,017 mg a day, taken 2–3 hours before exercise or over 3 or more days, produced a statistically significant but small improvement in muscular strength, aerobic endurance (VO2max) and lactate tolerance, with professional athletes seeing more benefit for strength and non-athletes seeing more for endurance. The effect sizes across the pooled data were described as negligible to small — a real, measured effect, but not a large one, and specific to that nitrate dose range and to exercise performance, not general health.
Separately, a lab analysis of 50 beetroot-based supplements and 20 fresh beetroot samples measured antioxidant capacity and nitrate/nitrite content. It found that a serving of fresh beetroot generally provided more antioxidants, nitrites and nitrates than most of the tested supplements' daily servings, and that nitrate and nitrite content varied widely from product to product. The researchers also flagged that most of the tested supplements had labeling that didn't meet regulatory requirements. That's a finding about supplement quality and consistency, not about beetroot's effects in the body — but it's directly relevant to "is beetroot powder good for you," since the answer depends heavily on what's actually in a given product and how it's labeled.
Two documented physiological effects come up often in searches about beetroot's downsides. Beeturia — pink or red urine or stool after eating beetroot — is harmless, and a clinical review reports it affects 10–14% of the population, more often those with iron deficiency or malabsorption. And beetroot is one of the higher-oxalate common vegetables; oxalates bind calcium and other minerals in the gut, which is a reason people with a history of oxalate kidney stones are often advised to moderate high-oxalate foods. Neither of these is a "detox" or "cleanse" effect, and neither has been shown to cause diarrhea, constipation or bloating specifically — those digestive questions simply haven't been tested in a published human trial for this page to report on.
Questions people ask
Is beetroot powder good for you?
Beetroot powder can be a source of dietary nitrate and antioxidant plant compounds, and the exercise-performance research above used nitrate amounts that a powder could in principle supply, depending on how concentrated it is. But "good for you" as a general claim isn't what the trials tested — they tested specific outcomes (strength, endurance, lactate tolerance) at specific doses, and product testing shows nitrate content varies a lot between brands.
Are beetroot gummies good for you?
No trial identified for this page tested beetroot gummies specifically. A gummy serving is formulated mostly from sugar and a gelling agent (gelatin or pectin) with flavoring, so it typically delivers less of the raw beetroot ingredient per serving than a capsule or powder serving of comparable size. Anyone comparing gummies to other formats should check the supplement facts panel for the actual amount of beetroot or its extract, not just the word "beetroot" on the front label.
Is drinking beetroot juice every day good for you?
The performance research above used beetroot juice at specific nitrate doses (roughly 515–1,017 mg of nitrate a day) taken acutely or over several days, not an open-ended "every day, indefinitely" pattern, so it doesn't directly answer a long-term daily habit. It also doesn't establish that more is better; the umbrella review found a moderate dose range performed about as well as a higher one in related nitrate research.
Can beetroot cause diarrhea?
No trial identified for this page tested beetroot against digestive symptoms like diarrhea in healthy adults, in juice, capsule or any other form. That includes beetroot capsules specifically. Beeturia — the harmless red or pink color change in urine or stool — is well documented and sometimes mistaken for a digestive problem, but it isn't diarrhea.
Does beetroot cause or relieve constipation?
Neither direction is supported by a human trial identified for this page. Beetroot's fiber content (a food-composition fact, not a clinical finding) is sometimes cited as a reason it might affect bowel regularity, but no controlled study has tested that specific claim in people.
Can beetroot cause bloating or headaches?
No trial identified for this page tested either symptom against beetroot specifically. Individual reactions to any food or supplement vary, and a new or worsening symptom after starting anything is worth paying attention to regardless of whether a study exists.
Does beetroot affect weight or belly fat?
The research reviewed here didn't measure weight or body fat as an outcome; it measured exercise performance markers like strength, endurance and lactate tolerance. There's no trial evidence here to support beetroot for weight loss or fat reduction specifically.
Is beetroot safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
None of the research above was conducted in pregnant or breastfeeding women, so it doesn't answer questions about beetroot supplements during pregnancy or nursing one way or the other. This is a question for a doctor, not something to decide from a search result.
When to talk to a doctor
New or persistent digestive symptoms, unexplained fatigue, or any symptom that doesn't resolve are worth raising with a doctor rather than working through with a supplement. Beetroot is not a treatment for a digestive condition or any diagnosed health issue, and nothing in the research above supports using it as one. If you're pregnant, nursing, under 18, or have a diagnosed medical condition, talk to a doctor before adding beetroot in any form.
Related reading: beetroot benefits: what the research does and doesn't show, beetroot side effects, and how to choose a beetroot supplement.
Sources
- Effects of Beetroot Juice on Physical Performance in Professional Athletes and Healthy Individuals: An Umbrella Review A 2025 review pooling 15 meta-analyses found beetroot juice produced mostly negligible-to-small improvements in strength, endurance and lactate tolerance, at nitrate doses of 515-1,017 mg a day — using concentrated juice, not a whole-food powder.
- Antioxidant Capacity, Nitrite and Nitrate Content in Beetroot-Based Dietary Supplements Lab testing of 50 commercial beetroot supplements found that fresh beetroot itself generally contains more nitrate than most beetroot supplement servings do, and nitrate content varied widely from product to product.
- Beeturia Beeturia — pink or red urine after eating beets — affects an estimated 10-14% of people, is more common with iron deficiency or malabsorption, and is a harmless pigment effect, not a sign of illness.
- Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans Beetroot is one of the more common high-oxalate foods; a diet consistently low in calcium and high in oxalate isn't recommended, but occasional consumption of high-oxalate foods isn't considered a problem for most people.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.