The most effective way to drink beetroot juice is 70 to 250 mL daily (roughly one-third to one cup), ideally from raw beets or a concentrated shot, taken consistently over several weeks. But the details matter: when you drink it, what form you choose, and even your oral hygiene routine can all affect how well your body uses the active compounds in the juice.
How Much to Drink Per Day
For most people, 70 to 250 mL of beetroot juice per day provides enough nitrate (roughly 200 to 800 mg) to support cardiovascular benefits like lower blood pressure and improved blood flow. That’s anywhere from a small concentrated shot to about one full cup of juice. If you’re new to beetroot juice, starting at the lower end and working up is a reasonable approach, since the earthy flavor can be intense and larger amounts may cause digestive discomfort in some people.
One clinical trial found that drinking beetroot juice providing about 6.4 mmol of nitrate daily for four weeks reduced blood pressure by approximately 8/4 mmHg. That’s a meaningful drop, comparable to what some medications achieve. The key takeaway: consistency matters more than a single large dose. Daily intake over weeks produces the most reliable results.
Concentrated Shots vs. Fresh Juice
Not all beetroot juice products deliver the same amount of nitrate. Concentrated shots contain roughly four times more nitrate per milliliter than standard bulk juices. Powdered beetroot supplements are even more concentrated, packing about ten times the nitrate of a regular glass of juice. If you’re drinking beetroot juice for performance or blood pressure rather than just flavor, a concentrated shot gives you more nitrate in a smaller, more convenient volume.
Fresh juice made at home from raw beets falls into the “bulk juice” category, meaning you’ll need a larger glass to match what a 70 mL concentrated shot delivers. That’s fine if you enjoy it, but worth knowing if you’re trying to hit a specific nitrate target. Mixing beetroot juice with apple, carrot, ginger, or lemon juice makes it more palatable without significantly diluting the nitrate, as long as raw beet is still the primary ingredient.
When to Drink It
Timing depends on your goal. For exercise performance, drink beetroot juice two to three hours before your workout. That’s when nitrate levels in your blood peak and the performance-enhancing effects are strongest. Some powdered beetroot supplements absorb faster, with blood levels peaking within about 30 minutes, but standard juice and concentrates follow the two-to-three-hour timeline.
For blood pressure or general health, the time of day matters less. What matters is taking it daily. Some people prefer morning on an empty stomach for faster absorption, others add it to a mid-morning smoothie. Pick whatever time you’ll stick with consistently.
How Your Body Converts It
Beetroot juice works through a surprisingly indirect pathway. When you swallow the juice, nitrate is absorbed in your gut, enters your bloodstream, and then a portion gets secreted back into your mouth through your saliva. Bacteria living on your tongue then convert that nitrate into nitrite, which your body eventually turns into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow.
This means your mouth bacteria are essential to the process. Antibacterial mouthwash kills these bacteria and can significantly blunt the benefits of beetroot juice. If you’re drinking beetroot juice for its cardiovascular or performance effects, avoid chlorhexidine-based mouthwash or at least separate its use from your juice by several hours. Antibiotics can have a similar effect for the same reason.
Making It at Home
Use raw beets. Cooking reduces nitrate content, and raw beets yield the most benefit when juiced. Wash and peel two to three medium beets, cut them into chunks, and run them through a juicer. A centrifugal juicer works, but a masticating (slow) juicer typically extracts more liquid and retains more nutrients due to less heat generation. If you don’t have a juicer, blend the beets with a small amount of water and strain through a fine mesh or cheesecloth.
Common flavor pairings that work well: half an apple or a large carrot to add sweetness, a thumb of fresh ginger for warmth, or a squeeze of lemon to cut the earthiness. Celery is another popular addition and itself contains nitrates.
Storing Beetroot Juice
Freshly made beetroot juice loses its nitrate content quickly if stored at room temperature, with degradation starting within 24 hours. In the refrigerator, nitrate levels hold steady for about four days before they begin to drop. For longer storage, freeze it. At freezer temperatures, nitrate and beneficial plant compounds remain stable for at least a month. Ice cube trays work well for portioning frozen juice into daily servings you can thaw as needed.
Side Effects to Expect
The most noticeable side effect is beeturia: pink or red urine and sometimes reddish stools. This affects 10 to 14 percent of the general population and is completely harmless. The color comes from betacyanin, the pigment that gives beets their deep red hue. People with iron deficiency are more likely to experience it, with rates as high as 45 percent in those with certain types of anemia. If it happens to you, it’s not blood and requires no treatment.
Some people experience mild stomach upset, especially with larger servings. Starting with a smaller amount (around 70 mL) and increasing gradually over a few days usually prevents this.
Who Should Be Cautious
Beets are high in oxalates, which can contribute to calcium oxalate kidney stones, the most common type. If you have a history of kidney stones, the National Kidney Foundation recommends limiting high-oxalate foods like beets, spinach, and Swiss chard. One helpful strategy: consume calcium-rich foods at the same time, since calcium binds to oxalate in the gut and prevents it from being absorbed. But if your doctor has flagged high urine oxalate levels, daily beetroot juice may not be the best choice for you.
People taking medications that affect blood vessel dilation, including organic nitrates prescribed for chest pain or PDE5 inhibitors used for erectile dysfunction, should be cautious with regular beetroot juice consumption. Dietary nitrate works through a similar pathway, and combining the two could cause blood pressure to drop too low. The same caution applies to anyone already on blood pressure medication, where the additive effect could be a concern worth discussing with a prescriber.
Quick Tips for Getting the Most Benefit
- Drink it raw. Heat from cooking breaks down nitrate. Juice raw beets for the highest concentration.
- Skip the mouthwash. Antibacterial rinses kill the tongue bacteria that activate nitrate. Use them at a different time of day or switch to a non-antibacterial formula.
- Be consistent. The blood pressure benefits build over weeks of daily use, not from a single glass.
- Freeze for freshness. If you batch-prep juice, freeze it rather than refrigerating for more than a few days.
- Choose concentrated shots for convenience. They deliver more nitrate per sip than homemade bulk juice.