Beetroot juice gets talked up a lot, and for once the hype is mostly earned. It’s one of the best natural sources of nitrates, which your body turns into nitric oxide, the stuff that relaxes your blood vessels and helps blood flow. That’s why athletes swear by it, and it’s why I keep this one in regular rotation.
The challenge with beetroot is the taste. It’s earthy, almost muddy on its own. Apple, carrot and orange sort that out here, and the ginger gives it enough warmth to make the whole thing feel like something you’d choose rather than something you’d endure.
Why these ingredients work
Beetroot’s nitrates convert to nitric oxide in the body, which relaxes and widens blood vessels and supports healthy blood flow. That’s the star of the show. Carrots bring beta-carotene, apples bring a mellow sweetness, and the orange pushes the vitamin C up. Ginger adds a warming, anti-inflammatory edge that also helps the beetroot go down easier.
FAQ
When should I drink beetroot juice?
If you want it for the blood-flow benefit, an hour or two before exercise seems to work best in the studies. Day to day, just drink it whenever you’d normally have a juice.
Does beetroot juice turn your urine pink?
Sometimes, yes. It’s harmless, it’s just the beetroot pigment passing through, and it happens to about one in ten people. It clears up on its own.
Can I use shop-bought beetroot juice?
You can, but fresh is noticeably better. The nitrate content drops once beetroot is processed and bottled, so freshly juiced gives you the most benefit.
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The Heart Beet Elixir
Equipment
- 1 Juicer or blender and sieve
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
- 1 beetroot scrubbed
- 2 apples cored
- 2 carrots scrubbed
- 1 inch ginger peeled
- 1/2 lemon peeled
- 1 orange peeled
Instructions
Juicer method
- Scrub the beetroot and carrots, core the apples, peel the citrus and ginger.
- Juice the beetroot and carrots first, then the apple, orange, lemon and ginger.
- Stir well and serve. The colour settles, so give it a swirl before pouring.
Blender method
- Chop everything and blend with a little water until smooth.
- Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to get all the juice out.
- Serve over ice.