Let’s talk beets: a little science, a lot to love

I started reading about beets and, well, here we are.

There’s plenty to love before we get to the science. That deep pink color. The sweetness you get from roasting. The way a little cumin, something tangy, and a handful of walnuts bring it all together.

But then I started wondering what happens after we eat them. Which is how I ended up reading about bacteria in our mouths over what was supposed to be a quick look at an ingredient.

I’m an engineer, so I like understanding how things work. Beets gave me plenty to look into: fiber, blood vessels, iron, and the question of what their natural sweetness means for blood sugar.

What did the researchers actually test? How much did people consume? And how does that relate to the beets on our plates?

Come down the rabbit hole with me. We’ll come back up in time for lunch.

Are beets good for gut health?

Whole beets contribute fiber. Fiber helps support regular bowel movements, and some types are broken down by microbes in our gut. So even though we can’t digest fiber ourselves, there’s still quite a bit happening with it. [1]

That gives me another reason to enjoy the mix of plants in a meal. Roasted beets with lentils and herbs, for example: sweet, earthy, fresh, and a little different in every bite.

The evidence for fiber and digestion is broader than the evidence for beets specifically changing your microbiome. I find that distinction useful: it helps us appreciate what an ingredient contributes without asking it to do everything.

What makes sense to me at the dinner table is variety. Beets, lentils, oats, nuts, seeds—different foods bringing different things to the meal. If you’re adding more fiber, build up gradually so your digestive system has time to adjust. [1]

Beets and heart health: what does nitrate do?

Beets contain naturally occurring nitrate. Bacteria in your mouth help convert nitrate into nitrite. That nitrite can then contribute to the production of nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax. [2]

There’s a little sequence to follow: nitrate → nitrite → nitric oxide.

Our microbes have a job in that sequence. I love that there’s this whole collaboration happening after a bite of food.

So what happens when researchers test it? A 2024 review combined 11 trials with 349 people who had hypertension. Nitrate-rich beetroot juice reduced systolic blood pressure—the top number—by an average of about 5 mmHg when measured in the clinic. [3]

That’s interesting. The researchers also rated the evidence as low certainty, found variation between studies, and didn’t find significant effects on every blood-pressure measure. Those details belong in the story, too. [3]

The form matters, too. These studies used beetroot juice with measured nitrate doses. They don’t establish the same effect from a serving of roasted beets, or prove that the intervention prevents heart attacks.

At home, I’d still choose the roasted wedges because I want to eat them. Try them warm with a cumin dressing and a spoonful of hummus. The research is interesting; the food has to earn its place on the plate, too.

How much iron is in beets?

Beets often come up in conversations about iron. This was one where I wanted to look at the numbers rather than go by reputation.

USDA data lists about 1.1 mg of iron in a cup of raw beets. A contribution, yes. For perspective, recommended daily intake for adults ages 19–50 is 8 mg for men and 18 mg for women, with needs changing at other life stages. [4] [5]

There’s another layer: the iron in plant foods is called nonheme iron, and how much we absorb depends partly on the meal around it. Vitamin C helps with absorption. [5]

That’s a nice reason to add red bell pepper to a beet-and-lentil salad. It brings vitamin C, freshness, and a good crunch. Nutrition and flavor can work together in very ordinary ways.

If you have low ferritin or iron-deficiency anemia, beets alone aren’t a treatment. Understanding the cause and getting appropriate care matters.

Can you eat beets if you have diabetes?

Beets taste sweet. Does that automatically put them off the menu if you have diabetes? They can fit into an individualized eating plan. The portion, the whole meal, and your own glucose response matter. Beets contain carbohydrate, and that still counts. [6]

The bigger claim—can beets help control blood sugar?—needs a closer look.

A 2024 review of human studies found that more standardized research was needed before reaching a firm conclusion. And one randomized trial in people with type 2 diabetes found no significant improvement in fasting glucose, HbA1c, or insulin resistance with concentrated beetroot juice. [7] [8]

That’s useful to know. It leaves room to enjoy the food while being honest about what it has been shown to do.

Roasted beet, lentil, walnut, parsley, and red bell pepper salad in a ceramic bowl. — Roasted beets, lentils, walnuts, herbs, and a little crunch from red bell pepper.

More flavor. A little less fuss.

After all that reading, here’s where I land: beets are an ingredient I want to cook with. Sweetness, earthiness, color, texture—there’s a lot to work with.

If you’re roasting some for dinner, make a little extra for tomorrow. Toss them with lentils and herbs for lunch, or add them to a plate with hummus, greens, and walnuts. You’ve already done the cooking; now you get another meal out of it.

That earthy beet-and-walnut combination is one I love in our Roasted Beet & Walnut Veggie + Nut Patties, too. Cook one according to the pack directions, add greens and hummus, and you have another way to bring those ingredients to the table.

The research above wasn’t done on our patties, and we haven’t clinically tested them for these outcomes. I’m sharing it because I think the ingredients we eat are worth getting curious about.

Now I want to know: are you a beet person? Or is it the earthy flavor that you’re still working on?

— Shireen Khera, founder of Hey!Hunger

A note: I’m sharing nutrition research as a curious food founder. This is general education, rather than individualized medical advice.