7 Healthiest Ways to Eat Beets for Blood Pressure Support

If you’re watching your blood pressure, eating beets or drinking beet juice could help lower it. Beets can be an effective part of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, depending on how you prepare them.

1. Beet Juice

Squeezing juice from beets concentrates nitrates (a compound that helps lower blood pressure) in the juice. Beet juice may be the most efficient way to reap the vegetable’s blood pressure benefits, and aim for about 1 cup a day. Drinking beet juice on an empty stomach helps the body absorb the nitrates more efficiently.

2. Raw Beets

Consider eating beets fresh—peeled and sliced thin, or grated for blood pressure benefits. A DASH-friendly idea is a salad with grated or sliced fresh beets, dark leafy greens, and protein-packed nuts, which complement beets well. Raw beets can have a slightly bitter flavor, which you can balance with some sweet citrus.

Raw beets can also increase the amount of oxygen your body uses. A study of beet juice showed that it improved stamina, and raw beets contain the same bioactive compounds. Staying active is also good for blood pressure and general heart health. Beets have also been shown to boost performance in resistance training.

3. Cooked Beets

Roasted or baked beets add color and bright flavor, as well as nitrates and antioxidants to your meals. Heat may reduce the amount of nitrates, so avoid overcooking beets. Consider steaming instead of boiling them.

Keeping the skin on or sprinkling beets with lemon juice or vinegar can also help retain nutrients. Avoid salting them, as salt can raise blood pressure.

4. Borscht Soup

Beets are the primary ingredient in this traditional Ukrainian soup, which has many variations. You can mix the beets with other DASH-friendly vegetables, such as cabbage, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. Use low-sodium chicken broth or water as the liquid and avoid adding salt.

5. Dried Beets

You can get packaged dried beets, or you can make your own by peeling them, blanching them, and slicing them thinly. Arrange the beets in a single layer on a sheet pan and put them in a low oven, around 170 F to 200 F. Check them every hour or so till they break easily.

Eat them as chips for a snack or break them into small pieces and sprinkle them on a salad, grain bowl, or low-fat yogurt with fruit.

6. Pickled Beets

Pickled beets are tangy, with a flavor that is both sweet and sour. Salt is often used in the pickling brine, so when following a diet to control blood pressure, look for low-sodium options or use a low-sodium recipe and consider how it fits into your overall sodium intake for the day.

You can serve them as a side dish with main meals, or on a sandwich made with whole-grain bread and sliced lean chicken breast. You can julienne them and add them to an arugula salad with orange sections and a handful of walnuts, then top with an olive oil and lemon vinaigrette.

7. Beet Powder and Supplements

Beet powder is available in capsules, or you can use the powder in smoothies with low-fat or fat-free yogurt, as recommended by the DASH regimen. You can also try plant-based milks, and add fruits like strawberries or bananas, and seeds like chia or flax.

Some research, however, has found that different forms of beet supplements can vary widely in the amount of nitrate they contain. One popular beet chewable did not show any effect on blood pressure, so be aware that supplements may not be as effective as the vegetable.