Beetroot nitrate doses and heart function in healthy men
What it found
In 17 healthy young men, a single beetroot powder drink improved some heart and blood vessel measures, but the best dose differed by measure.
The authors say a 400 mg nitrate dose improved blood vessel function and arterial stiffness.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood vessel function
Blood vessel function improved only after the 400 mg nitrate drink, by about 3% compared with no supplement. The 200 mg and 800 mg drinks made no difference.
Artery stiffness
All three nitrate doses improved some measures of artery stiffness, with no clear difference between doses. One stiffness measure improved even at the lowest 200 mg dose.
Aortic blood pressure
The 800 mg nitrate drink lowered the blood pressure in the main artery leaving the heart by 4 mmHg compared with no supplement. The 200 mg and 400 mg drinks did not.
Arm blood pressure
None of the nitrate doses changed blood pressure measured in the arm.
Blood markers
Nitrate and nitrite levels in the blood rose with higher doses. A marker of nitric oxide signalling called cGMP did not change with any dose.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that a single beetroot dose providing 400 mg nitrate can produce meaningful improvements in blood vessel function and artery stiffness in healthy young men.
- They say that long-term studies are needed to confirm whether these benefits last.
- They add that their findings support the idea that a diet rich in nitrate-containing vegetables may help heart health.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether different amounts of nitrate from beetroot have different effects on blood pressure, artery stiffness and blood vessel function, since most past work focused only on arm blood pressure.
Seventeen healthy young men took a single beetroot powder drink providing 200 mg, 400 mg or 800 mg of nitrate, or no supplement, in a random order. Blood pressure, artery stiffness and blood vessel function were measured before and 2.5 hours after each drink.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a single dose in healthy young men, so it cannot show what happens with regular long-term intake or in other groups such as older adults or people with health conditions.
- The study did not include a placebo drink, so some effects could be due to other things in the beetroot powder or to the passage of time.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Loughborough University, UK; University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division, UK; Loughborough College, UK
The paper
- Title
- The dose-response effects of nitrate-rich beetroot ingestion on cardiovascular and endothelial function: a randomised controlled trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- McLellan AG, Acton JP, O'Donnell E, et al (2026). The dose-response effects of nitrate-rich beetroot ingestion on cardiovascular and endothelial function: a randomised controlled trial. Food & function. doi:10.1039/d5fo05298jPubMed 41704173DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error