Beetroot juice and chard gel: nitrate and blood pressure
What it found
In nine healthy men, both beetroot juice and chard gel raised blood nitrate and nitrite and lowered systolic blood pressure by similar amounts.
Beetroot juice led to a larger rise in total nitroso species than chard gel.
What they found
Studies in people
Nitrate and nitrite levels
Both beetroot juice and chard gel increased blood nitrate and nitrite levels. The size of the increase was similar between the two supplements.
Time to peak levels
Nitrite peaked about 3 hours after beetroot juice and about 2.8 hours after chard gel. Nitrate peaked at about 1.4 hours for both. The time to peak varied a lot between individuals.
Blood pressure changes
Systolic blood pressure dropped by about 10 mmHg with beetroot juice and 12 mmHg with chard gel. Mean arterial pressure also fell. Diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly.
Total nitroso species
Beetroot juice led to a larger rise in total nitroso species in the blood than chard gel. This difference was not statistically significant in the main comparison but was significant with the higher dose of beetroot juice.
Individual variation
The time to reach peak nitrite levels in the blood varied widely between people, from about 2.1 to 3.9 hours after beetroot juice.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that beetroot juice and chard gel give similar nitrate and nitrite levels in the blood and similar reductions in systolic and mean arterial blood pressure.
- They note that the time to reach peak nitrite levels varies greatly between individuals, which matters for researchers.
- They report that beetroot juice leads to a greater availability of total nitroso species compared to chard gel, which they think may be due to beetroot's higher polyphenol content.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether the source of nitrate (beetroot juice or chard gel) changes how the body handles nitrate and its effects on blood pressure.
Nine healthy adult men took either beetroot juice or chard gel, both containing 500 mg of nitrate, on two separate visits at least a week apart. Blood samples and blood pressure were measured before and up to 6 hours after each supplement. Eight men also did a third trial with a larger dose of beetroot juice (600 mg nitrate).
What it can’t tell you
- The study did not include a control group without nitrate, so it cannot tell how much of the blood pressure drop was simply from lying down for a long time.
- The small number of participants (nine men) means the results may not apply to everyone, and the study cannot show whether these changes affect long-term health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Victoria University, Australia; University of the West of Scotland, UK; University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK
The paper
- Title
- Beetroot juice versus chard gel: A pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison of nitrate bioavailability
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- McIlvenna LC, Monaghan C, Liddle L, et al (2017). Beetroot juice versus chard gel: A pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison of nitrate bioavailability. Nitric oxide. doi:10.1016/j.niox.2016.12.006Free full textPubMed 28042082DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error