Supplement
Beetroot Extract (Dietary Nitrate)
The vegetable nitrate with real blood pressure trials.
Beetroot is rich in inorganic nitrate, which mouth bacteria convert to nitrite and then nitric oxide, a vasodilator. We grade Beetroot Extract (Dietary Nitrate) B on evidence and B+ for worth-it at about $10-18 per month.
Evidence
Worth it
Typical cost: $10-18/month
What it does
Beetroot is rich in inorganic nitrate, which mouth bacteria convert to nitrite and then nitric oxide, a vasodilator. More nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels, which is why researchers test it for blood pressure and exercise blood flow.
What the research says
Lowers systolic blood pressure by roughly 3 to 5 mmHg
Evidence: moderate. Meta-analyses: Bahadoran et al. 2017 (22 RCTs, -3.55 mmHg systolic); Benjamim et al. 2022 in hypertensives (7 RCTs, -4.95 mmHg systolic, moderate GRADE). Diastolic effects are small and inconsistent. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8965354/
Improves endothelial function and blood flow
Evidence: moderate. Acute trials show improved flow-mediated dilation within hours of a nitrate dose; chronic effects are less consistent.
May modestly improve exercise efficiency
Evidence: emerging. Endurance studies show small oxygen-cost reductions; effects vary by training status and dose.
DRAFT: reproducible systolic effect across meta-analyses, but modest in size, mostly clinic-measured, and diastolic/24-hour effects often miss significance.
Is it worth it?
DRAFT: cheap for a real, if modest, blood pressure effect; every 5 mmHg of systolic reduction matters at population scale.
Typical cost
$10-18/month
Common form, not a brand recommendation
Dosage contextestablished
About 250 to 400 mg inorganic nitrate per day, the amount in 250 to 500 mL beetroot juice or a concentrated 70 mL shot; trial doses, taken daily.
Safety notes
Beeturia (red urine) and mild GI upset are common and harmless. Do not use antiseptic mouthwash around dosing, it kills the oral bacteria the pathway needs. Can stack with blood pressure medication effects, so monitor pressure and talk to your doctor. This page is information, not medical advice.
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Changelog
Last updated 2026-10-15
- 2026-10-15|Entry added as DRAFT for the worth-it leaderboard expansion.