Beetroot juice, blood pressure and blood vessel function in older adults
What it found
In 18 healthy older adults, drinking beetroot juice daily for two weeks lowered systolic blood pressure by about 6 mmHg and diastolic by about 4 mmHg, and improved large-vessel blood vessel function.
Microvascular function did not change.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood pressure
After two weeks, the beetroot juice group's systolic blood pressure fell by about 6 mmHg and diastolic by about 4 mmHg. These changes were not significantly different from the placebo group, and by four weeks the blood pressure reductions were no longer significant.
Large-vessel function
Large-vessel blood vessel function, measured as flow-mediated dilatation, increased by 1.5% after two weeks of beetroot juice and stayed 1.5% higher at four weeks. The placebo group showed only a 0.1% change at two weeks and 0.5% at four weeks.
Microvascular function
There were no significant differences between the beetroot juice and placebo groups in microvascular responses to either endothelium-dependent or endothelium-independent substances at any visit.
Plasma nitrate
Plasma nitrate levels in the beetroot juice group rose from 34 µM to 132 µM after two weeks, then fell to 78 µM at four weeks. The placebo group showed no significant change.
Oral bacteria
In the 12 participants tested, tongue scrape samples showed that all had oral bacteria capable of reducing nitrate, with a 100% reduction of nitrate in the broth medium after 54 hours of incubation.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrated that medium-term BRJ ingestion potentially improves SBP, DBP and large-vessel EF in healthy older adults.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that medium-term beetroot juice ingestion potentially improves systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and large-vessel endothelial function in healthy older adults.
- They note that the improvements observed are likely to be greater in populations with endothelial dysfunction.
- They advise that further prospective studies are warranted in individuals at greater risk for cardiovascular disease.
How it was done
The authors wanted to test whether beetroot juice, which is rich in nitrate, could improve blood vessel function and blood pressure in older adults. Most earlier studies had only looked at large blood vessels, with little research on the small blood vessels.
Twenty healthy older adults (average age 63) were randomly assigned to drink either a 70 mL beetroot juice shot containing about 400 mg of nitrate or a prune juice placebo every day for 28 days. They attended three laboratory visits where blood pressure, large-vessel function and microvascular function were measured.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small, with only 18 people completing it, so the results should be interpreted with caution.
- Compliance with the drinks was only confirmed verbally, so it is uncertain whether everyone followed the instructions.
- The findings apply to healthy older adults and may not be the same in other groups.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Bangor University, UK; University of Queensland, Australia
The paper
- Title
- The Effects of Beetroot Juice on Blood Pressure, Microvascular Function and Large-Vessel Endothelial Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study in Healthy Older Adults
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Jones T, Dunn EL, Macdonald JH, Kubis HP, McMahon N, Sandoo A (2019). The Effects of Beetroot Juice on Blood Pressure, Microvascular Function and Large-Vessel Endothelial Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study in Healthy Older Adults. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu11081792Free full textPubMed 31382524DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error