Supplement Choices for the Heart: Beet-Derived Products and Resveratrol

This is the second in a series of discussions on thoughtful approaches to health that will cover popular supplements touted for their benefits to the heart.

Beetroot Products and Blood Pressure

First, we will look at SuperBeets, Total Beets and other beetroot formulations. Beetroot is a source of inorganic nitrate which, when ingested, is converted to nitric oxide by stomach acid. Nitric oxide is known to open up blood vessels which can help improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure. There is evidence that beetroot juice can lower blood pressure modestly [1][2][3].

To achieve this effect, you may need to consume 70 mL of concentrated, nitrate-standardized beetroot juice (about 60 calories) daily for between 2 and 4 weeks and benefits are not sustained if you stop taking the beetroot juice. Jajja et al. (2014) used the 70 mL daily regimen for three weeks [22]. Kapil et al. (2015) used 250 mL daily for four weeks [4].

Powders and chews can save 20 to 40 calories compared to a 70 mL concentrated shot, but their dietary nitrate content is usually much lower and rarely standardized [5]. Neither SuperBeets nor Total Beets provide clear information on the dose of nitrate per serving [6].

In general, these products have very variable and unreliable nitrate content and may contain little standardized nitrate.

An independent analysis published by Gallardo and Coggan (2019) measured about 64 mg of nitrate in a 5 g serving of the SuperBeets powder sample tested; this historical measurement does not necessarily describe the currently marketed formulation [6]. The historical measurement suggests a lower nitrate dose per serving than formulations used in some blood-pressure trials, but does not establish that a particular number of SuperBeets servings would reliably produce the same effect. The manufacturer currently recommends one serving daily, with no more than two servings daily. The cost would also add up rapidly: as checked on October 11, 2026, the listed price of $39.95 for 30 servings works out to approximately $1.33 per serving, before shipping, taxes, or discounts. There are much better ways to approach blood pressure control that I will cover in future entries.

Exercise Endurance: Mixed Evidence

Meta-analyses to determine whether beetroot juice, beet supplements or nitrate in other forms can enhance endurance during aerobic exercise have shown mixed and inconclusive results, but overall suggest that the juice is likely to be more effective than powders [7][8][9].

Coronary Artery Disease: Surrogate Measures and Outcomes

A secondary analysis of a 4-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 90 participants across 3 groups (receiving placebo, beetroot extract alone or beetroot extract plus vitamin C) found that beetroot extract in the form of 500 mg of beetroot powder with 3.2% inorganic nitrate may modestly improve levels of selected circulating fatty acids and reduce myeloperoxidase in patients with chronic coronary artery disease [10]. Results were most favorable in those given both beetroot powder and vitamin C. However, the short duration, lack of data on tangible cardiovascular effects and disconnection between changes observed and translation into reduced residual cardiovascular risk only allow the claim that further testing is supported.

There is no convincing outcomes evidence that beetroot supplements reduce major adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, cardiovascular mortality, or incident cardiovascular disease. Current human evidence consists of short-term changes in surrogate measures that lack translatability to cardiovascular benefits.

Nitrate Exposure and Risk

In light of the uncertain dosage of nitrates in beet products, the dangers of habitually consuming excess nitrates on a regular basis should be considered. Nitrate intake contributes to the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), a class of chemical carcinogens. [11] Certain sources of nitrate exposure have been associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk, although this association has not been established specifically for beetroot supplements. [12][13][14]

Grape-Seed Extract and Polyphenols

Beet supplements are often formulated to contain grape-seed extract as a source of polyphenolic compounds such as flavonols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in animal studies. However, the value of polyphenols has not been established in human trials and the evidence is simply lacking despite the efforts to convince the buying public otherwise based on assumptions made after piecing together animal and cell-based mechanistic and pathway data [15][16].

Resveratrol: Laboratory Findings and Human Translation

As noted, grape-seed extract is popular because it contains polyphenolic compounds, the most well-known and well-studied of which is resveratrol. Resveratrol has been highly touted for many years as the ingredient in red wine that can contribute to heart health, but the idea that red wine consumption is good for the heart has come mostly from observational studies and largely been debunked [17][18].

Resveratrol has been exhaustively explored for its benefits in cell culture and animal models and the data from this body of work is compelling, with powerful antioxidant effects and anti-inflammatory effects. I have personal experience working with resveratrol in my own laboratory showing its ability to alter cholesterol metabolism in cultured cells [19][20].

All of these demonstrable results make the lack of translation to humans particularly disappointing. One of the key problems is that it has poor bioavailability because it is rapidly metabolized, does not remain in the bloodstream for long and very little reaches target tissues where it might have benefit. There are some more stable forms of resveratrol, but even they have not been shown to support cardiovascular health [21].

The Takeaway

The takeaway message is that there is no good reason to take resveratrol in supplement form. Any heart-healthy properties would be optimized by consuming grapes, berries, peanuts and other dietary sources based on your personal taste. Beets are a versatile vegetable that can be eaten in many types of food recipes ranging from sweet to savory in which they can be combined with other nutrient-dense ingredients.

What Comes Next

Next we will address the liver detox products.

References

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2. Norouzzadeh M, Hasan Rashedi M, Ghaemi S, Saber N, Mirdar Harijani A, Habibi H, Mostafavi S, Sarv F, Farhadnejad H, Teymoori F, Khaleghian M, Mirmiran P. Plasma nitrate, dietary nitrate, blood pressure, and vascular health biomarkers: a GRADE-Assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr J. 2025 Mar 24;24(1):47. doi: 10.1186/s12937-025-01114-8. PMID: 40128734; PMCID: PMC11931885.
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