5 Health Benefits That Make Pickled Beets a Perfect Snack for Any Time
Pickled beets are a convenient snack with a variety of health benefits, including blood sugar control, heart health, and weight management.
Updated on August 6, 2025
Pickling beets preserves all the health benefits of beets in a convenient form. They provide a low-fat source of energy with valuable nutrients and fiber. The health benefits of beets include important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Adding pickled beets to your diet may help with weight loss, blood sugar management, and cardiovascular health.
1. Blood Sugar Management
Pickled beets are a good source of complex carbohydrates, with about 14 grams (g) per ½ cup.
Unlike the carbohydrates in table sugar and refined grains, complex carbohydrates raise your blood sugar more slowly. They give you more sustained energy and help reduce your risk of insulin resistance.
Additionally, the vinegar in pickled beets may help with blood sugar control. A meta-analysis published in 2022 looked at the effects of vinegar consumption on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It found that consumption of vinegar was associated with a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose.
2. Weight Loss Aid
Pickled beets are low in total calories and high in fiber.
In addition to improving gut health, fiber helps you feel fuller for longer because it moves slowly through your digestive system.
Adding fiber to your diet can prevent overeating and may help you lose or maintain your weight. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, adults should aim for getting 22 to 34 g of fiber each day.
3. Blood Pressure Control
Beets are a good source of potassium, with about 98 milligrams (mg) per ½ cup.
Potassium is important for muscle function and helps relax the walls of your blood vessels. This can lower your blood pressure and prevent your muscles from cramping.
The nitrates in pickled beets can also help lower blood pressure if you have hypertension. Research has shown that nitrates from beet juice can help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Additionally, beets are high in phytonutrients called “betalains,” which have been shown to reduce inflammation. Chronic inflammation is linked to high blood pressure.
4. High In Antioxidants
Beets are a rich source of antioxidants, which help protect your body from cell damage due to oxidative stress.
The main antioxidant in beets is called betanin. Evidence shows that betanin might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, liver and kidney damage, and some cancers.
5. Heart and Brain Health
Pickled beets may help prevent heart disease due to their natural nitrate content.
Nitrates convert to nitric oxide in your body, which boosts blood flow and oxygen delivery to your tissues, improving cardiovascular health.
The nitrates in beets are also linked to improved cognitive function. Nitrates increase blood flow to your brain, enhancing cognitive performance.
The Takeaway
- Pickled beets contain all the nutritional benefits of raw beets in a conveniently preserved form.
- The fiber content and vinegar in pickled beets may help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes by helping control blood sugar.
- Additional benefits of pickled beets include antioxidant properties, improved heart and brain health, and lowered blood pressure.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Beets, pickled. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. October 31, 2024.
- Carbohydrates. Cleveland Clinic. March 8, 2024.
- Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar). Cleveland Clinic. March 2, 2023.
- Hassan Sohouli M et al. Effects of vinegar consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. August 18, 2022.
- Fiber: The Carb That Helps You Manage Diabetes. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2020.
- Key minerals to help control blood pressure. Harvard Health Publishing. May 3, 2019.
- 5 Health Benefits of Beets. Cleveland Clinic. August 19, 2022.
- Bonilla Ocampo DA et al. Dietary Nitrate from Beetroot Juice for Hypertension: A Systematic Review. Biomolecules. November 2, 2018.
- Sadowska-Bartosz I et al. Biological Properties and Applications of Betalains. Molecules. April 26, 2021.
- Zhang Z et al. Role of inflammation, immunity, and oxidative stress in hypertension: New insights and potential therapeutic targets. Frontiers in Immunology. Jan 10, 2023.
- Chen L et al. Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: Antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity. Food Science and Nutrition. Sep 9, 2021.
- Apte M et al. A review on nitrates’ health benefits and disease prevention. Nitric Oxide. January 1, 2024.
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Kayli Anderson, RDN
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Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainabl...
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Gordon Kerr is a retired nutrition professional with more than 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He holds a diploma in Food and Nutritional Science from the Canadi...