Why Beets Deserve a Place on Your Plate
From restaurant menus and country club dining rooms to supplement shelves and fitness centers, beets have become one of the most talked-about foods in nutrition. Here’s what the science actually says—and whether they’re worth the attention.
A few years ago, beets were simply another vegetable in the produce section.
Today, they’re everywhere.
Walk into almost any health food store and you’ll find shelves lined with beet powders, beet capsules, beet gummies, beet chews, beet juice concentrates, nitric oxide boosters, and pre-workout formulas built around beet extracts. Open social media and you’ll see athletes taking beet shots before training. Browse wellness websites and you’ll find articles praising beet supplements as the latest performance-enhancing superfood.
Then there are the restaurants.
Sit down at a country club, upscale steakhouse, wellness café, or fine dining establishment and chances are you’ll see roasted beet salads, beet carpaccio, golden beets, red beets, Chioggia beets, and beet-infused menu items featured prominently among the appetizers. What was once considered a simple side dish has become a centerpiece ingredient featured by chefs, nutritionists, and wellness experts alike.
The question is obvious:
Why?
What transformed a humble root vegetable into one of the fastest-growing categories in sports nutrition and wellness?
I’ve always enjoyed beets. Whether they were roasted, served alongside a meal, or incorporated into a salad, I appreciated them for their flavor long before anyone started calling them a superfood. But as I watched beet products flood the marketplace and appear on menus almost everywhere I dined, my curiosity grew.
Was this simply another nutrition trend?
Or was there legitimate science behind the explosion in popularity?
As I dug into the research, I discovered that beets are one of the few nutrition trends where the science is actually ahead of the marketing. While some supplement companies have certainly exaggerated the benefits, researchers have spent years studying the compounds found naturally in beets and their potential effects on circulation, cardiovascular health, exercise performance, recovery, and overall wellness.
What I found was refreshing.
In a nutrition industry filled with exaggerated claims, miracle cures, and expensive supplements promising impossible results, beets turned out to be one of the few wellness trends supported by a substantial body of legitimate research.
Most people are familiar with traditional red beets, but beets come in several varieties. Red beets are the most common and contain the pigments responsible for their deep crimson color. Golden beets offer a slightly sweeter, milder flavor. Chioggia beets display beautiful pink-and-white rings when sliced, while white beets provide a more subtle taste and appearance.
Different colors. Different flavors. Similar nutritional benefits.
What Do Beets Actually Taste Like?
Many people who claim they dislike beets have only tried one variety prepared one way.
Traditional red beets tend to have a deeper, earthier flavor. Golden beets are often milder and slightly sweeter. Chioggia beets are delicate, visually stunning, and popular among chefs because of their appearance and versatility.
Preparation matters just as much as variety. Roasting brings out natural sweetness. Steaming creates a softer, more delicate texture. Raw beets add crunch and freshness to salads. Even beet juice offers an entirely different experience.
If you’ve tried beets once and didn’t enjoy them, it may have been the preparation rather than the vegetable itself.
What Makes Beets So Unique?
To understand why beets have attracted so much scientific attention, it helps to look beyond the marketing and examine what is actually inside this colorful root vegetable.
Beets are naturally rich in dietary nitrates, along with fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidant compounds known as betalains.
The growing interest in beet supplements, exercise performance, circulation, and cardiovascular health stems primarily from one factor:
Dietary nitrates.
When we consume nitrate-rich foods like beets, the body converts those nitrates into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps relax and widen blood vessels, improving circulation and helping oxygen and nutrients move more efficiently throughout the body.
That simple process explains much of the excitement surrounding beets.
What Does the Research Actually Show?
Research suggests beet consumption may support healthy blood pressure, improve blood vessel function, enhance circulation, and increase exercise efficiency in certain individuals.
For athletes and active adults, improved blood flow may help working muscles receive oxygen more efficiently. Some studies have found improvements in endurance performance and reduced oxygen cost during exercise.
Researchers have also explored beet consumption for cardiovascular support, cognitive function, and recovery.
The important point is that the benefits appear to be modest but meaningful.
Beets are not magic.
They are not replacing medication, eliminating the need for exercise, or transforming anyone overnight.
But the science behind nitric oxide production and vascular support is legitimate.
Whole Beets or Supplements?
If someone asks me whether they should eat beets or take a supplement, my answer is simple:
Start with real food.
Whole beets provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant compounds that supplements simply cannot fully replicate.
However, supplements do offer convenience and consistency.
Many research studies use concentrated beet juice or standardized nitrate supplements because researchers can control exactly how much nitrate participants receive.
The challenge is that many consumers mistakenly assume beetroot powder and nitrate content are the same thing.
They are not.
A supplement may contain thousands of milligrams of beetroot powder while providing relatively little nitrate.
That’s why reading labels matters.
How Much Beet Do You Actually Need?
One reason beets have gained so much attention is that researchers have identified fairly specific intake levels associated with measurable benefits.
For cardiovascular support, many studies use approximately 250 to 500 milligrams of dietary nitrate daily.
For exercise performance, studies often use 300 to 600 milligrams of nitrate consumed two to three hours before activity.
For those who prefer whole foods, a practical target is one-half to one cup of cooked beets several times per week. Daily consumption is often used in research examining blood pressure and endurance benefits.
Athletes seeking performance improvements frequently consume the equivalent of one to two medium beets, eight to sixteen ounces of beet juice, or a concentrated beet shot before training.
If you’re using supplements, focus on nitrate content whenever possible rather than simply the amount of beetroot powder listed on the label.
Beets on the Menu
One of the reasons I enjoy writing about beets is that they comfortably bridge the gap between nutrition and fine dining.
Roasted beet salads remain one of my favorites. Many feature combinations of red and golden beets paired with arugula, citrus, goat cheese, pistachios, walnuts, or balsamic reductions.
Beet carpaccio has become increasingly popular as well, featuring thinly sliced beets paired with olive oil, herbs, citrus, and parmesan.
When ordering, I generally look for dishes that allow the beets themselves to remain the star of the plate.
The only caution is to watch for excessive glazes, sugary dressings, heavy cream sauces, and oversized portions of cheese that can quickly transform a healthy appetizer into something entirely different.
The Fake News About Beets
Let’s clear up a few common myths.
Beets do not detox your body.
Beets do not melt fat.
Beets do not instantly improve athletic performance.
Beets do not replace medication.
And they certainly do not undo years of poor lifestyle habits.
What they do provide is a naturally occurring source of nitrates, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that may support overall health as part of a balanced diet.
That’s a very different claim than many supplement advertisements would have you believe.
My Real-World Take
After reviewing the research, my opinion remains surprisingly simple.
I still eat beets for the same reason I always have I enjoy them.
The fact that they may also support circulation, cardiovascular health, exercise performance, and recovery is simply an added bonus.
In a wellness industry overflowing with expensive supplements and complicated solutions, beets offer something refreshingly simple.
They’re versatile. They’re flavorful. They’re available in beautiful colors. They’re easy to find. And unlike many wellness trends, there is meaningful science supporting at least some of the claims.
Beets are not a miracle food.
But they may be one of the most impressive vegetables on the plate.
And for that reason alone, they’ve earned a permanent place on mine.
Nutrition is rarely about a single food, supplement, or trend. The real magic happens when smart food choices, movement, recovery, and consistency work together.
Whether your goal is better health, improved fitness, enhanced golf performance, healthy aging, or simply feeling your best, a personalized plan can make all the difference.
Coach Michaelene Conner
Wellbeing Coach • Strength & Conditioning Coach • Nutritional Practitioner
Website: CoachConner.com
Email: coachmikeconner@gmail.com
Text: (404) 358-3250
Also available on Audible and Amazon: GOOD BRAIN, BAD BRAIN, YOUR BRAIN
About the Author
Coach Michaelene Conner is a Wellbeing Coach, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nutritional Practitioner, and author specializing in performance, behavior change, healthy aging, and wellness. She is the author of Good Brain, Bad Brain, Your Brain and has written extensively on nutrition, stress physiology, cognition, and human performance. Through her work, she helps clients develop practical, science-based approaches to fitness, golf conditioning, nutrition, and lifelong wellbeing.