Recipes · Health Shot
Beet & Ginger Shot
Reader ratingsDeep-ruby raw beet juice sharpened with ginger and lemon — the nitrate-rich shot that athletes and blood-pressure researchers both keep coming back to.
Beet juice and fermented beet kvass are long-standing tonics in Eastern European kitchens, long before researchers identified beet nitrate.
Safety
- Beets are high in oxalate. If you have had calcium-oxalate kidney stones, or have been told to limit oxalate, check with your doctor before taking beet shots.
- Beet nitrate can lower blood pressure. If you take blood-pressure medicines, nitrates for angina or sildenafil-type drugs, ask your prescriber first; if your pressure runs low, start with half a shot.
- Ginger can add to the effect of blood thinners such as warfarin and aspirin. If you take them, or have surgery planned within two weeks, check with your prescriber or surgeon.
- A shot is a small extra, not a substitute for a meal.
Why it’s good for you
Beets are among the richest food sources of dietary nitrate, which your body converts to nitric oxide to help blood vessels relax; ginger and lemon add zing with no added sugar.
Evidence
Moderate evidence
Some human trials or consistent observational data; not yet settled.
Meta-analyses of randomized crossover trials found beetroot juice or nitrate lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4 mmHg in adults (16 trials, 254 people), and by about 5 mmHg in people with high blood pressure (11 trials, 349 people, low-certainty evidence). In one 4-week trial of 68 people with high blood pressure, 250 mL of beetroot juice a day lowered clinic blood pressure by about 8/2 mmHg, and a 2022 meta-analysis of 123 studies found a small boost to exercise performance, mostly in efforts lasting 2–10 minutes. The trials used roughly 8 oz of juice or concentrated shots, so a small homemade shot supplies a smaller dose.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Scrub the beets, trim the tops and tails, and cut the beets and ginger into chunks that fit your juicer. Wear gloves if you do not fancy pink fingers.
- Juicer: alternate beet and ginger chunks through the juicer. No juicer: grate the beets, then blend them with the ginger and 1/2 cup cold water on high for 60–90 seconds until completely smooth, and pour through a nut-milk bag, squeezing well.
- Stir in the lemon juice — its acidity brightens the earthy flavor and holds the color.
- Divide into three small glasses or bottle it. Drink one shot a day, sipped over a minute, ideally 2–3 hours before exercise if that is your goal.
Tips
- Keeps 4 days in a sealed glass bottle in the fridge; shake first. Freeze in ice-cube trays for longer.
- Trials used about 8 oz of beet juice a day, or concentrated shots. Nitrate varies a lot between beets, so a small homemade shot gives a gentler dose — more beet per shot means a stronger one.
- Antibacterial mouthwash can blunt how well your mouth bacteria convert beet nitrate, so skip it for a couple of hours around your shot.
- Earthy taste? Add a splash of apple or orange juice, or top the shot with sparkling water.
- Pink or red urine or stools afterwards are harmless — beeturia affects roughly 1 in 10 people.
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