What is beetroot juice: nitrate, colour, and how it's made

Whole beetroots, cold-pressed, never concentrate

Recovery Juice presses whole beetroots, never from concentrate. Each 125ml bottle of Pure Beets contains the juice from roughly 2–3 medium beetroots. The blended range — Daily Beets (beetroot, apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, red pepper, spinach, lemon) and Power Beets (beetroot, apple, carrot, ginger) — expand the nutrient profile while keeping beetroot as the anchor.

The composition is straightforward: natural sugars from the vegetables (~7g per 100ml in Pure Beets; slightly higher in blended versions due to apple and carrot), potassium, folate, and dietary nitrate as the headline nutrient. Cold-pressing removes fibre (that stays as pulp), so you're drinking the liquid nutrients concentrated from multiple beetroots in one glass. The result is deep red, naturally sweet, and shelf-stable in the fridge.

Betalains: why beetroot juice is deep red

The striking deep-red colour you see in beetroot juice is betalain pigments — water-soluble molecules that give beetroots, amaranth, and prickly pear their characteristic reds and purples. Betalains are not anthocyanins (the pigments in blueberries); they're a distinct class of pigment that beetroot produces naturally.

That colour is also a nutrient marker. Betalains have antioxidant properties (they can donate electrons), though the research focus on beetroot juice has centred on nitrate, not betalains. The colour tells you the juice is real, concentrated, and pressed from whole vegetables — not reconstituted or diluted concentrate that's been boiled and reconstructed.

Dietary nitrate: the story behind beetroot juice

Beetroot is naturally high in dietary nitrate — a compound found in many leafy greens and root vegetables. Nitrate is not toxic; it's a normal part of a vegetable-rich diet. Your body converts dietary nitrate through a pathway involving your mouth (oral bacteria) and your digestive system, ultimately producing nitric oxide (NO), a signalling molecule involved in blood vessel function.

Research from institutions like the University of Exeter and work by academics like Andrew Jones has studied how dietary nitrate from beetroot affects blood pressure and athletic performance. The research is rigorous and peer-reviewed, though it's important to note: the studies examined dietary nitrate as a nutrient, not beetroot juice as a supplement or treatment. More on that distinction in the blood pressure post.

Beetroot is a particularly rich source of nitrate — much more concentrated than most other vegetables — which is why it's become the focus of sports science and cardiovascular health research.

Cold-pressed vs concentrate: why the method matters

Beetroot juice sold in supermarkets is often made from concentrate — beetroot juice that's been boiled down to remove water, then reconstituted later. Concentrate is cheaper to store and ship. Cold-pressed beetroot juice is made by pressing whole beetroots mechanically, with minimal heat, and freezing immediately. The result preserves more of the original juice structure, flavour, and nutrient profile — including the heat-sensitive compounds.

You can taste the difference. Concentrate tastes thin and one-dimensional. Cold-pressed tastes like actual beetroot — earthy, naturally sweet, complex. Recovery Juice uses cold-pressed because the method honours the ingredient and preserves what makes beetroot juice nutritionally interesting.

Pure Beets, Daily Beets, and Power Beets: different approaches

Pure Beets (beetroot + lemon) is 98% beetroot — the single-nutrient approach. Maximum nitrate concentration, minimal sugar, maximum research relevance. The lemon adds tartness and vitamin C (which supports the absorption of other nutrients).

Daily Beets (beetroot, apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, red pepper, spinach, lemon) is the multi-pathway blend. Beetroot brings nitrate; spinach brings additional nitrate plus iron and folate; celery brings phthalides (compounds studied for blood pressure); carrot brings beta-carotene; red pepper brings vitamin C; apple brings natural sweetness and fibre-supporting compounds (in the press). It's designed for everyday drinking, balanced nutrition, and cumulative support across multiple pathways.

Power Beets (beetroot, apple, carrot, ginger) keeps the beetroot core but adds ginger — a warming spice with its own circulatory interest (gingerols and shogaols support blood flow). Positioned for energy and pre-workout drinking. Apple and carrot balance the intensity.

Which one you choose depends on your goal and palate. The blend comparison post breaks down which fits which routine.

Frozen as the practical form

RJ's bottles arrive frozen. That's intentional. Freezing happens immediately after cold-pressing, which locks in freshness better than any preservative. Once thawed in your fridge (overnight is standard), the juice is ready to drink and lasts 24–48 hours. You're not trading quality for convenience — you're getting fresher juice than "fresh" juice that's sat on a shelf for days.

How to spot real beetroot juice on a label

If you're shopping for beetroot juice anywhere, read the label first. Real beetroot juice lists beetroots as the primary ingredient. If it says "beetroot juice from concentrate," it's reconstituted. If it's a beetroot drink or beetroot blend, it may have added sugars or water to extend the volume.

Colour variation is normal and seasonal — summer beetroots may yield brighter juice; winter beetroots deeper. If the juice looks artificially bright or unnaturally thin, it's been over-processed or diluted. Real beetroot juice is opaque, deep, and visibly concentrated.

Beetroot juice in your daily routine

Beetroot juice fits easily into breakfast, pre-workout, or any time in your day, depending on your goal. Athletes and those focused on energy often drink it 2–3 hours before exercise (research suggests peak effects in that window). Those interested in blood pressure support integrate it into a daily routine — consistency matters more than timing.

Drinking beetroot juice daily is a habit, not a programme. It's something you add to your routine, like greens or a vitamin, not a detox or reset. The research is on dietary nitrate as a nutrient, not on beetroot juice as a product with medicinal properties.

Beetroot juice vs other juices

Beetroot and carrot juice deliver different nutrients entirely. Beetroot is high in dietary nitrate and potassium; carrot is high in beta-carotene (vitamin A). They complement each other nutritionally — different pathways, different purposes. Green juice (kale, spinach, celery) brings vitamin K, iron, folate, and in Daily Beets' case, additional nitrate from the spinach itself. Many people drink multiple juices, rotating by goal or taste.

The three blends

The bottom line

Beetroot juice is whole beetroots, cold-pressed raw into a drink. The deep red colour is betalain pigments — a natural visual marker of quality and concentration. The nutritional anchor is dietary nitrate, a compound that research from institutions like Exeter has studied for its role in blood pressure and athletic performance. Recovery Juice offers three blends: Pure Beets (research-focused, maximum nitrate), Daily Beets (everyday multi-pathway), and Power Beets (energy + ginger). Which one you choose depends on your goal. The research is on dietary nitrate as a nutrient, not on beetroot juice as a product with medicinal properties. As a daily routine, beetroot juice is a nutrient top-up — cold-pressed, frozen fresh, nothing added.