Choosing your ideal method of consuming beetroot supplements might involve comparing beetroot capsules vs. juice. Beets are nutrient-packed vegetables with antioxidant properties and can lower blood pressure, improve athletic performance, and support immunity. These superfoods should be in your diet, and how you incorporate them influences the benefits you get. Let’s explain everything about beetroot capsules and juice.
Beetroot capsules are a supplementary form of beets containing beetroot powder. Beetroot juice is drinkable beets that you can make from beetroot powder or raw beets. The juice often has more sugar and less fiber than the capsules. However, both have an equal number of vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds and effectively lower blood pressure.
The battle for the preferred way to consume beetroots often boils down to beetroot capsules vs. juice. Please continue reading to discover their similarities and differences.
What are Beetroot Capsules?
Beetroot capsules refer to beetroot powder contained in a capsule. Some pills may have the powder as the main ingredient, with other substances (amino acids) added. There’s little worldwide consensus about the dosage of beetroot capsules, but you can follow the recommendations of your preferred brand.
Like whole beets, the capsules provide the nutrient benefits of beets. Beetroots are rich in Vitamin B9, C, potassium, zinc, nitrates, fiber, betalain pigments, and phenols. The pigments give beets their characteristic purple/red color and have antioxidant properties.
Benefits of using beetroot capsules include improved digestion and athletic performance, reduced blood pressure, and protection from oxidative damage. The nitrates and bioactive compounds (polyphenols and betalain pigments) in beetroots are mainly responsible for these benefits.
Healthy bacteria in the mouth convert beetroot’s nitrites to nitrates. The body then absorbs nitrites or converts them into nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels dilate. As a result, cardiovascular function is improved (athletic prowess), and blood pressure reduces.
What is Beetroot Juice?
Beetroot juice is a liquid preparation of beets. You can buy it from the supermarket, make it from raw beets, or use beetroot powder. Of all three, avoid buying beet juice from the supermarket because it may have more sugar but fewer nutrients.
Juicing beets yourself is easy and involves washing and peeling the beets, cut them into chunks, and putting them through your juicer. Nitrites, which are a significant nutrient in beets, are water-soluble. For this reason, you shouldn’t cook beets before juicing them.
Beetroot juice will have most of the beneficial bioactive compounds but lack fiber. You should also know that the juice contains more sugar than whole beets. So, if you need to control your sugar intake for health reasons, consider ingesting beetroot in other forms.
If you need a nitric oxide boost for your sports performance, take beetroot juice 90 minutes before an intense workout session. This will improve your strength and endurance.
Beetroot Capsules Vs. Juice: Similarities
It’s common to find similarities between these two forms of “nature’s candy.” Most importantly, beetroot capsules and juice maintain the essential nutrient – nitrate. Other similarities include:
Origin
Both beetroot capsules and juice come from beetroots regardless of their production process. This purple vegetable is versatile enough to be processed into different formats. In line with where they come from, both substances maintain the red tinge of beetroot.
Safety Profile
Beetroot is overwhelmingly safe for all populations, whether consumed as capsules or juice. People of all ages can enjoy beetroot without issues, including children and pregnant women (particularly with a doctor’s approval.) Some side effects are associated with beetroot use. Still, they are either rare (bloating in irritable bowel syndrome) or harmless (beeturia).
Differences Between Beetroot Capsules and Juice
You can view the differences between beetroot capsules and juice as advantages or disadvantages. How you appreciate each presentation of beetroot’s benefits chiefly depends on your preference. Before siding with either one, check out these differences:
Production
Beetroot capsules are factory-made supplements comprising encapsulated beetroot powder. In contrast, beet juice can be made in two ways: from raw beets or beetroot powder. One teaspoon of beetroot powder is equivalent to one whole beet and has a high concentration of all its healthy nutrients.
Making your beet juice at home is preferable to store-bought juice because it keeps many essential vitamins and minerals.
Nutrient Content
Since beetroot capsules contain beetroot powder, we’ll compare the powder to the juice. When juicing beets, you lose some nutrients like fiber but maintain the essential vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Beetroot juice also contains more sugar and five times more nitric oxide than powders.
Beetroot capsules don’t mention the individual nutrient amounts like potassium, betaine, or nitrates.
Ease of Use
Deciding to improve your health by taking beetroots is one thing but following through is another. Some people may find beetroot capsules difficult to swallow (literally), which doesn’t encourage compliance. In contrast, you can modify beetroot juice to suit your taste.
For example, you can juice lemon or ginger with beets to improve its flavor. On the flip side, some folks prefer beetroot capsules to juice because the capsules are portable, easy to use, and lack beetroot’s earthy taste. Taking the capsules doesn’t involve preparations necessary for making juice: peeling, cutting, juicing, or scooping.
Absorption Speed
Compared to beetroot capsules, beet juice readily delivers all its nutrients to the body. Before the body can use the nutrients in the pill, it must first break it down. Processing begins in the mouth with beetroot juice, where normal bacteria break down nitrates to nitrite.
Conclusion
The similarities and differences between beetroot capsules and juice primarily revolve around their production processes and nutrient content. Beetroot is a highly beneficial vegetable, so select how you’d like to enjoy it and maximize its potential. Note that consuming beetroots may discolor your urine (beeturia) or stool, but it’s usually harmless.
