Why Beet Juice Is a Superfood for Your Heart, Brain, and Liver Health
Nutrition & FitnessDiet & Nutrition

Beet Juice Is a Superfood for Your Heart, Brain, and Liver

Beet Juice Is a Superfood for Your Heart, Brain, and Liver
Everyday Health
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Updated on June 24, 2026
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Vegetable juices can sometimes get a bad rap for being part of overhyped detox cleanses, but there is evidence to back up some of the claims about beet juice’s positive effects on heart, brain, and liver health.

These benefits are due in part to compounds in beets that have been shown to help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower blood pressure, benefiting heart health. There is also some research suggesting that the reddish-purple juice can support brain and liver health by improving blood flow to these organs and reducing inflammation.

Beet Juice and Heart Health

Beets can improve heart health because they happen to be chock-full of nitrates, an essential compound that the body converts into nitrites, some of which are then converted into nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide helps relax and widen blood vessels (a process called vasodilation), which increases the amount of oxygen-rich blood circulating through the body, says Sara Riehm, RD, a registered dietitian in Orlando, Florida.


This is important because blood carries oxygen and nutients to the heart as well as to other muscles, tissues, and organs.

A study published in 2025 uncovered a link between drinking beet juice twice a day for two weeks and a decrease in blood pressure in older adults. Researchers found that part of that effect may be due to beet juice’s impact on mouth bacteria, some of which convert nitrates into nitrites that are later converted into nitric oxide elsewhere in the body.

Riehm notes that beet juice can’t replace medication for people with high blood pressure.

Beet Juice and Brain Health

The nitrates in beets can help improve blood flow to the brain, deepening and strengthening key brain networks involved in cognition, says Johanna Katz, RD, a registered dietitian in Orlando, Florida.

Katz cites a small study published in 2011 of older adults who started eating a high-nitrate diet. This led to increased blood flow to the brain’s frontal lobe white matter, an area relevant to executive function and age-related cognitive changes, she says.

However, better blood flow doesn’t necessarily translate to improvements in cognitive function, Katz points out. More research is needed to determine if beet juice can deliver such benefits.

Beet Juice and Liver Health

Beets get their deep color from a type of antioxidant called betalain.

 This compound, along with nitrates, polyphenols, and other antioxidants, can help support liver health, says Katz.

“Betalains may help neutralize free radicals, support antioxidant defense pathways, and influence inflammatory signaling,” Katz says. “That said, I would not call beetroot a ‘liver detox.’ The liver already detoxifies the body.”

Some small human studies show that beetroot juice may also be beneficial for adults with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a disease linked to an accumulation of fat in the liver.

One trial published in 2023 involving adults with MASH found that beet juice, and particularly beet juice combined with the Mediterranean diet, helped reduce excess fat in liver cells (hepatic steatosis) on ultrasound.

What to Know Before You Try Beet Juice

Talk to your doctor before making beet juice a regular part of your diet, because it can interact with medications or supplements you’re already taking; people on blood pressure medication should be especially cautious. If you get the okay, monitor your blood pressure closely to make sure it doesn’t drop too low, and adjust your intake accordingly.

Riehm also notes that beetroot supplements don’t have the same impact as beet juice itself, because they don’t usually contain the same concentration of nitrates.

Choose unsweetened beet juice and check the serving size on the nutrition label. “This is important, as the amount of nitrates will vary based on the brand of juice. You’ll also be able to monitor the amount of sugar in the juice when looking at the serving size,” Riehm says.

Some beet juices come in concentrated form; you can dilute these with water.

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Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

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Resources
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