What Is Nitric Oxide?
Nitric oxide —abbreviated as “NO” —is a gas. We make it naturally within our blood vessels. It plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of the body. Some of the things nitric oxide does include:
- lowers blood pressure
- improves erections
- helps cells communicate with each other
- helps the immune system function
While beets can boost nitric oxide levels, so too can exercise and eat green vegetables.
SuperBeets Ingredients
One teaspoon (about 5 grams) is the equivalent of 3 organic beets. In one in teaspoon there are the following ingredients:
| Calories | 15 | % DV |
| Total fat | 0g | 0% |
| Sodium | 10 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 85mg | 2% |
| Sugars | 3 g | N/A |
| Protein | 0g | N/A |
The product website also states that SuperBeets contains:
- Non-GMO beetroot crystals
- Malic acid
- Stevia leaf extract
- Natural flavors (they don’t say what those flavors are)
The beets used in the product are organically grown. Also, all beets are grown in the US. The website also states that SuperBeets is made in a facility that processes soy, milk, eggs, nuts wheat. This is valuable information for people with allergies to these foods.
SuperBeets Research
One of the pages at HumanN.com (formally Neogensis.com) did list some research studies. Here is a summary of the research I found (update: these studies are no longer found on the site):
A study that described how nitrates can alter gene expression.
Another investigation describes how nitric oxide may have hormone-like effects in mice. This study did not involve SuperBeets.
A review that discusses the potential benefits of eating plant sources of nitrates and nitrites. This paper does not discuss SuperBeets.
A paper describing the heart protection effects of nitrates in foods. This paper does not discuss SuperBeets.
There is also an interesting investigation showing people who took a nitric oxide supplement had a 72% reduction in triglycerides after taking the supplement for only 30 days. The supplement used is not SuperBeets but another supplement made by the same company called Neo40.
Another paper describes how 1 person who took the Neo40 supplement had lower blood pressure after taking the supplement for 9 months.
SuperBeets and Exercise
Beetroot juice is reputed to help boost exercise performance. There is research on this.
For example, This study noted beetroot juice improved kayak performance under laboratory conditions.
Another investigation found beetroot juice appeared to help exercise performance in swimmers.
Conversely, this clinical trial, showed beetroot juice did not help cycling ability or blood pressure in people with lung problems.
Beetroot juice is said to open up blood vessels to improve circulation. But, in this investigation, there was no vasodilation (opening up) of the brachial artery at rest or during exercise.
When researchers gave nitrate supplements to professional cyclists it didn't help them ride the bike any better.
Ironically this study found the opposite – beetroot juice did help cyclists perform better on the bike.
Who Makes SupeBeets?
The company is called HumanN (formally NeoGenis Labs). Their website is HumanN.com. The company address is 1120 S Capital of Texas Highway Building 1, Suite 210 Austin, TX 78746.
An older name, not used any longer appears to be NLogix Labs. The BBB gives HumanN an A rating.” See the BBB file for updates
Contact SuperBeets
Call the customer support number at 888-556-9747. Another contact number is 855-636-4040.
The product can also be ordered directly from their website.
How to Return SuperBeets
When buying from the HumanN website, SuperBeets has a 30-day money-back guarantee. The supplement must be returned in its original packaging. To Return SuperBeets call 1-888-898-5872 and obtain a Return Authorization Number (RMA number) first. This number must be written on the outside of the package to be returned. Customer service will give you the address to return the product and any other necessary instructions.
Terms And Conditions
If you look at the Terms and Conditions Page of HumanN, numbers 14 and 15 of the page describe how people waive certain rights when purchasing products from the website. This includes the inability to take part in class action lawsuits and going through binding arbitration. Many companies have similar stipulations as a way of protecting themselves. This makes sense to me. I wanted to point this out in case it matters to someone.
SuperBeets FAQ
1 Does it improve energy
Does the supplement improve energy like caffeine? No this is unlikely.
2 Does it contain added sugar?
No. A teaspoon has 3 grams of naturally occurring sugar from beets. There are no added sugars.
3 Does SuperBeets have vitamin C?
Yes, and quite a good amount. A teaspoon has 50 mg which is 83% of the RDA for vitamin C.
4 Will it turn my urine red?
It's possible Superbeets will make your urine look red, the same way juicing beets may. This is nothing to worry about.
5 Is SuperBeets bad for kidneys?
Beets are a source of oxalates, compounds that can cause kidney stones. There's no evidence Superbeets causes kidney stones. If you are at risk of kidney stones talk to your doctor.
6 Are beets organic?
Yes.
7 SuperBeets and Neo 40: better together?
While the company says the supplements were designed to work synergistically with each other, there's no clinical evidence. The HumanN company cautions against using more than 1 Neo40 tablet and 10g of SuperBeets within 24 hours.
My advice is to try one by itself first and see how you feel.
Can Beets Become Toxic?
Beets are a source of nitrates. Nitrates help us make nitric oxide. In medicine, there is a condition called nitrate tolerance. Basically, the nitrates stop working. The body gets used to them and they no longer improve nitric oxide levels. This can happen with drugs like nitroglycerin tablets used by people with heart disease.
So what about food? Can the nitrates in foods cause nitrate intolerance too? This is unlikely because the nitrates from food are inorganic (naturally occurring nitrates) while those used in medicine are organic (synthetic nitrates).
When in doubt, ask a dietitian or cardiologist.
Super Beets Side Effects
Superbeets are likely safe for most people. The supplement has been around for a number of years and no bad issues seem common. Here's a list of things to consider if you're not healthy. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than recommended for the first week
- Don't use more than 2 scoops (10 grams) per day
- SuperBeets is made in a facility that processes soy, milk, eggs, nuts wheat
- Beets may turn urine or bowel movements orange/red but this is harmless
- Hypertension? Ask your doctor. Nitric oxide can lower blood pressure
- Talk to your doctor if you take Viagra or other ED medication
- Stop taking beetroot juice supplements at least 2 weeks before having surgery
- If you have cancer talk to your doctor. Some evidence suggests nitric oxide may promote some forms of cancer.
SuperBeets vs. Beets
Can’t' you juice beets and get the same effect? It's possible. It's worth remembering some studies have used beetroot juice rather than beet juice supplements. In general, 4 oz of beetroot juice has about 300 mg of natural nitrates.
Here is the juicer I use and it works very well.
Does SuperBeets Work?
SuperBeets is an interesting supplement and some research appears to show it raises nitric oxide levels. Whether this means the supplement improves exercise performance or better overall health will need better studies.
Here it is on Amazon check out with others are saying
I just bought some. I’d love to have a bit more energy as I go about my cardio, But haven’t found anything that would interest me (A crapload of chemicals.) So, on the suggestion of my brother in law who is quite fit and has run the gamut on supplements, I bought some. I often forget, but I’ll try to post my observations as I use it. So far? It tastes pretty good.
Rich, thanks. I hope it helps you. Thanks for letting us know about the taste 🙂
Just pointing out what I’m sure was a typo, but one that should be corrected to maintain credibility.
You wrote “… the nitrates from food are inorganic (natural) while those used in medicine are organic (synthetic).”
Those are backward.
JB, I believe I’m correct. In this review from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/90/1/1.full ) they do say “These and other findings point to a less widely acknowledged but biologically plausible hypothesis: the content of inorganic nitrate (NO3−) in certain vegetables and fruit can provide a physiologic substrate for reduction to nitrite (NO2−), nitric oxide, and other metabolic products (NOx) that produce vasodilation, decrease blood pressure, and support cardiovascular function”
In this article (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2885014/ ) the authors mention organic nitrates used in medicines. I assume if they are used in medicine, they are synthetically created.
There is better supplementation available, and much cheaper than beet powders.
Moringa oleifera supplements are more than twice that of beets gram per gram, and less calories and sugars, and more fiber than beets.
Moringa produces more iNOS and IL-1ß production of nitric oxide and TNFa at 1 and 5 µM than that of beets gram per gram, and its almost half the cost to the consumer.
I take a softgel from Irwin Naturals called Mighty Moringa, and it’s less than 20 dollars for a months supply at most places.
Moringa is the one superfood a human could live on alone, without any other food. Quite remarkable when one thinks about it.
Jim, it would be interesting to compare beets to moringa. Here is my review of Moringa oleifera.
Diabetic is it safe ? Testosterone ?
Ken, do you mean does SuperBeets raise testosterone? I dont think it does. It has 3 grams of sugar and while that’s not a lot, since you said you are a diabetic, I recommend you show the ingredients to your pharmacist and doctor.
We purchased the buy 2, get 1 free special. After finishing one canister we opened a new canister only to find the powder had become solid. Same thing happened on the other canister. These were sealed and this still happened. Sent an email about the situation as it says 100% satisfaction guaranteed only to hear back that it is recommended to use it within 45 days.
That is a bit more frequently that we need to use the product. Seems to be the packaging could be better to guarantee moisture won’t get into the canister, especially for the price we are being charged.
LB, sorry that happened to you but I do appreciate you letting people know about this. I suggest you call SuperBeets and speak to somebody about this. Don’t just email them. I’m certain that if you speak to the right person, they will stand behind their product and either send you a replacement or refund your money.
Here is the # to contact Super Beets: 888-556-9747
Let me know what happens.
Hi Joe, I currently use aderol for ADD. I now this contains quite a bit of caffeine which constructs blood vessels. When I need extra energy, I will take a 5 hour energy instead of the aderol. The caffeine seems to help with the add as well as give every. Would this nullify the effects of the N O in dialating the blood vessels, therefore cancel out the energy factor of the caffeine as well as the energy factor of the super beets. Just a thought.
Hi Sam, personally I dont think it would but I could not say for sure as I’ve never seen any Superbeets/5-hr energy studies. Have you asked the pharmasist where you get your ADD meds? That’s what I would do. they may know of information I don’t. Let me know what she/he says.
Joe, what appears to be a link, ‘called Neo40’, is dead.
Emmett, thanks I fixed it. Appreciate you letting me know about that 🙂
Hi Joe,
Love your work. As a cardiac rehab exercise physiologist, I often tell people to beware of supplements which could potentially lower blood pressure. While I’m not a fan of big pharma medications and have no ties to the industry (in case anyone wants to call me a shill!), they can be important for minimizing risk of a heart attack whilst the person makes better lifestyle choices. Supplements that can lower blood pressure could potentially interact with BP lowering medications.
Because we know blood pressure tends to drop after exercise due to vasodilation, a combined effect of the meds, supplement, and post-exercise BP effects could be disastrous for some people. If in fact this supplement does cause vasodilation (as nitrates do), then I recommend speaking to your doctor about this if you have heart problems and are taking blood pressure medications.
Keep up the great work!
Bill, thanks and those are some very good points. That’s a great website you have by the way 🙂
Hi Joe… I’ve tried these beet crystals on numerous occasions. As a competitive cyclist …we will try anything to gain a percentage or two. I cant tell if it helped or hurt me at all but i did notice I would urinate and sometimes defecate red when on the product. I’ve google searched this with mixed reviews…. is this a sign of iron deficiency? what do you make of this.
thanks
-Yash
Las Vegas
Yash, the red color in your urine is common for people who eat beats. It’s nothing to worry about. When I’ve juiced beets, I’ve seen the same effect. For me, I take that as a good sign that SuperBeets contains beets. I’ve never heard of it as a sign of an iron deficiency although as a competitive cyclist it might be a good idea to get your iron levels checked. Iron is usually checked on regular blood tests your doctor does.
Yes – it is a sign of iron deficiency. When I was younger, we had beets for super. My urine was beet red. My mother immediately bought liver – the first time I had it – and I was fine eating beets. I have eaten beets and had the red show up in my stool – then not. I would not be surprised if it is evidence of a missing nutrient that I am getting sometimes, but not all the time.
I dont think its as simple as you are lacking iron or not. See this for more info
http://udel.edu/~mcdonald/mythbeeturia.html
A simple blood test will tell if you are deficient in iron.
This is a great website Joe. What are your thoughts about beet kvass? Fermenting increases nutrient bioavailability. Did you come across anything about fermented beets?
Lowell, thank you very much! I dont think I remember seeing anything on kvass beets when I was looking into superbeets. I’ll add this to my list and try to get to it at some point. If you see anything let me know.
NItrate is always nitrate, whether you get it from meat curing salts, celery juice, or beets. When it reacts with something else, it isn’t nitrate anymore. In cured meat, nitrosamine is formed from the reaction with protein.
NO is something else, nitric oxide. Although some studies indicate nitrates from vegetable sources may contribute toward NO formation, I’d be very leery of dietary nitrates. If you want to boost NO, the amino acid arginine has the best support in the literature. However, the effective dose is very high, about 1 to 10 grams daily. And some studies don’t show an effect at all even at high doses.
Antioxidants also help, especially vitamin C and N-acetyl-cysteine. Also folates. They preserve tetrahydrobiopterin, which is a necessary cofactor for the nitric oxide synthase enzyme.
If you want NO, arginine and vitamin C are at the top of the list, along with some raw spinach for the folates (but don’t overdo the spinach, because that can give you a kidney stone from the oxalate). NAC probably also helps. There’s some evidence that taurine may also help, though it’s very thin evidence. But it can’t hurt — you can tolerate lots of taurine.
When you have migraines, there can be a dietary trigger. It took me about 30 years to figure out that my migraines were caused by bean protein. Tofu and veggie burgers are the worst for me. As long as I avoid any concentrated sources of bean protein, I get no headaches at all. I suggest you go on a diet extremely low in possible triggers — for example a diet of only brown rice, chicken, and vitamin supplements — for several days, which might eliminate the headaches if they have a dietary cause. Then reintroduce your regular foods one at a time to identify which one(s) are causing the headaches. That might reveal you only need to avoid a few foods to be headache-free. I can use as much soy sauce and soy oil as I like — it’s only the bean protein (like tofu) or the whole beans which give me headaches.
nitrites and nitrates often play a role in the migraine process. I have chronic migraine, a condition in which one suffers from migraines at least 15 days a month. I would like to try super beets however when i am in a difficult migraine period, both nitrates and nitrates (I assume both since cured meats affect me negatively) become triggers for me.
Is there a relationship between the NO produced by superbeets and the compounds present in cured meat?
G DeRosa, I’m not aware of any research on beet root juice and migraine headaches or Superbeets for that matter either. I did try to find info on whether beet root juice would cause migraines or not but didn’t see any. I did see some websites discussing it but form what I saw they didn’t provide any evidence for it.
I believe the nitrates in cured meats are different than what we find in beet root juice but to play it safe why don’t you ask your pharmacist what they think. They may be able to shed some light on this that I’m missing. If you do this and get an answer, let me know. I’m curious too.
Hi Joe:
Just found your post using “Start Page” while searching for more information on “Beetroot Crystals”.
Joe, What is your background and experience in the fields of medicine and chemistry? Does your research include other sources besides “Google”?
While most folks appreciate users reviews on products being reviewed, are you an actual “Beet root crystal” user? How long have you been using this product and what amounts and how often do you use Beet root crystals? I have never used this product or any similar product, I just like beets that have been pickled. A centuries old tradition…
I searched for some time trying to find “Joe” on Google and others and I was surprised that I found nothing.
Thanks for sharing your opinions;
A fellow reviewer, Regina, Orlando Florida.
Hi Regina, Sorry you spent so much time trying to find out info about me. The About page on my site tells it all. Since there wasn’t any actual research on SuperBeets when I wrote my review, I had to default to seeking research on beets itself. Several of the links in my review go to studies on beet juice themselves.
I did not try super-beets or any other beet root crystals although I have juiced them. If you are benefiting from the crystals, I am glad. I don’t think I came off negative in my review. If the research proves they are as good as regular beets (juiced, picked etc.) then that’s great.
I often don’t try products myself and that’s because if I did try something and liked it -or didn’t like it – my words would just be another testimonial from someone you don’t personally know. The web is full of those. I prefer to go to the research and show people that so they can make an informed decision.
I hope that clears things up. If you have any other questions, just ask.
I am wondering why there was a statement about nitrates in natural foods as ” inorganic” and those used in medicine as “organic” . That should be the other way around shouldn’t it?
Barb, the nitrates in food are organic nitrates. I know we often associate food with “organic” so that’s likely where the confusion stems from. I actually debated whether to even mention those words (organic vs inorganic) in my review because I thought they might confuse people. I apologize if they did.
I’m taking a scoopful of arginine/citrulline for high blood pressure. If I take SuperBeets as well, is this an overdose of the two products together?
Jo, that’s a good question and I’m honestly not sure. I’m not aware of any research that combines superbeets with arginine and citrulline. Are you taking any high blood pressure medications? if yes, ask your pharmacist about this and see what they think.
Is the arginine/citulline combination helping your high blood pressure?
Not sure as I don’t regularly take my BP. If this SuperBeets doesn’t taste like beets, I may try it. I read no caffeine in this right ?
Jo, yes its my understanding that superbeets does not have caffeine. I would encourage you to take your blood pressure medications though and take other steps to help naturally lower your blood pressure. Do you measure your BP regularly? what is its normal reading?
Nitrate is always the same, whatever the source. It is the NO3- ion. Nitrite is also always the same. It is the NO2- ion. In the body, nitrate is converted into nitrite.
Nitrite reacts with the amino end of proteins to form N-nitroso compounds known as nitrosamines. These compounds are very carcinogenic. Whether or not nitrosamines are responsible for the carcinogenic effect of eating cured meat is a subject of controversy. Cured meats are generally red meats, and there is evidence which implicates the heme content of red meat for the carcinogenic effect. Nitrosamines may have been wrongly implicated, but a consensus has yet to emerge. If you care about risk, avoid both red meat and cured meat.
Canadian bacon is both red and cured, so you’ll get no safe harbor there.
Hi Joe….I just want to mention that I have read numerous reports that NITRITES are carcinagenic (found in bacon & produdcts as such). Canadian bacon has been shown to be much safer because it contains nitrates but NOT nitrites (free radicals)! In our bacon-in- everything society…we all love it….what do you say?
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Sally
Hi Sally, as I understand all this stuff, the nitrates and nitrites in beets and other fruits/vegetables is different than those in bacon and other products. I dont think those from fruits/veggies are carcinogenic.
Nitric oxide is a free radical, but so is vitamin B-12. Being a free radical is not per se a risk factor. Some free radicals are essential for the normal function of the body.
Mark, that is very true. But, since people have a tendency to think if a little works, more must be better, I thought this aspect should be mentioned.
Hi Joe – I like the natural source to push the body to produce the nitric oxide. One thing that I notice in the non-beet juice l-arginine pre-workout powders is they usually have the 125mg of caffeine…which I found, being an older athlete (53), increase my heart rate during exercise. Using the beet juice was a non-caffeinated way to get that nitric oxide and I found my performance improved.
Matt, yes Ive seen caffeine in a lot of pre-workout supplements. I often call them expensive caffeine supplements for that very reason. Glad the beet juice is working out for you!!
Suprised to see this on here Joe, most people i talk to have not heard of Neogenis. Just my experience with the product – (I am biased, I use it close to daily):
Cheaper/easier than juicing and good taste, doesn’t taste at all like beets to me. My diet is not great so to be able to get equivalent of 3 beets in a shot (assuming that is true) mixed with water in under 30 seconds appeals to me. Not sure how it compares to other beet powders in terms of nitrates stuff but I have tried commercial powders from amazon as well and didn’t like them as much (particularly noticed a difference when exercising, breathing much easier, as well as taste) – ‘you get what you pay for’ seems to fit here.
p.s. Joe i asked their info line once, what the natural flavor was and they told me apple juice extract or concentrate or something apple-juice based
My advice in when it comes to supplements is always the same: try for yourself, this is the only way to know if you will like something or notice a difference. And write down and track what is important to you consistently, outcomes without measurement are hardly worth having 🙂 I have never tried to returned anything to Neogenis but the return policy seems reasonable, can I return the original packaging even if the product is fully used LOL??
Andrew, thanks for sharing. I’m happy that you are happy with the product. I was genuinely intrigued when I first heard of it and truly do hope that they publish one or two studies on it. I’d love to read them. If it does what its supposed to do, I agree that if it helps you to get beets into your body – and hopefully spur people on to eat better overall – then that is a good thing.