Beetroot juice has long been recognized for its ability to support healthy blood flow and cardiovascular function, but new research suggests it may also play an important role in protecting kidney health. While the latest study focused on pregnant women with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the findings from researchers at Kings College London add to growing evidence that the dietary nitrates found in beetroot may benefit kidney function by improving circulation and reducing stress on these vital organs.

The kidneys rely on a constant supply of healthy blood flow to filter waste, regulate fluid balance, and maintain healthy blood pressure. Beetroot juice is naturally rich in dietary nitrate, which the body converts into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels, improves circulation, and enhances oxygen delivery throughout the body. Researchers have increasingly investigated whether these effects can help preserve kidney function, particularly during times when the kidneys are under increased strain.

Pregnancy is one of those times. It places significant additional demands on the kidneys, and for women with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease, about half will experience a decline in kidney function during pregnancy. Despite these risks, outcomes for pregnant women with CKD have changed little over the past 30 years. Complicating matters further, many medications commonly used to manage kidney disease are not considered safe during pregnancy, forcing many women to discontinue treatment for at least nine months.

In the new study, published in Kidney International Reports, researchers investigated whether daily beetroot juice could provide a simple, safe, and inexpensive way to support kidney health during pregnancy.

The research team enrolled 108 pregnant women with stage 2–5 chronic kidney disease from eight hospitals across the United Kingdom. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard care or a daily beetroot juice supplement containing dietary nitrate before reaching 25 weeks of pregnancy.

Although the study was primarily designed to determine whether a larger clinical trial would be practical, the results also revealed encouraging health trends for both mothers and babies.

"For women living with chronic kidney disease, pregnancy has always meant navigating a difficult trade-off between preserving their own health and keeping their baby safe, often with few tools to do both. These results are an encouraging first step toward a low-cost, low-risk intervention that could genuinely make a difference for this group of women, who have been underserved by research for far too long," said Kate Bramham, consultant nephrologist at King's College Hospital, professor at King's College London and senior author of the paper.

Women who received beetroot juice experienced approximately 70% fewer serious adverse events than those receiving standard care. About half of the serious complications that did occur involved newborn babies. Among women with more advanced kidney disease, researchers also observed trends toward better kidney function after pregnancy, fewer neonatal intensive care admissions, and a reduced need for blood pressure medication during pregnancy.

Equally important, the researchers found no evidence that beetroot juice increased the risk of hyperkalemia (high blood potassium levels), a concern that has led some sources to advise pregnant women with CKD to avoid beetroot products. No increase in hyperkalemia was observed among women receiving the supplement.

"Pregnancy can put additional stress on the kidneys, and for women with chronic kidney disease there are currently limited options to protect kidney function during this time. Our findings suggest beetroot juice could offer a simple and accessible approach that is safe and worth exploring further," said Dr. Priscilla Smith, nephrologist, King's College London PhD student and first author of the study.

The benefits of beetroot juice may extend well beyond pregnancy. Because nitric oxide helps improve blood vessel function throughout the body, better circulation may also support healthy kidney function in other populations, including older adults, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, or early-stage kidney disease. While additional research is needed to confirm these broader benefits, the study adds to a growing body of evidence that nutrition may play an important role in preserving kidney health.

"By increasing nitric oxide production, dietary nitrate from beetroot juice may help improve blood vessel function and support kidney health. These early findings provide an important foundation for future research into protecting women with chronic kidney disease during pregnancy and their babies," said Dr. Andrew Webb, clinical senior lecturer at King's College London and co-author of the study.

The researchers caution that larger clinical trials are still needed to determine whether beetroot juice can significantly slow kidney function decline and improve long-term outcomes. However, if future studies confirm these early findings, beetroot juice could become an inexpensive, widely available nutritional strategy for supporting kidney health, not only for pregnant women with chronic kidney disease, but potentially for millions of people looking to protect their kidneys as they age or manage chronic health conditions.

Click here to read more in the journal Kidney International Reports.