Beets are delicious root vegetables with a wonderfully bright color and flavor. They’re very tasty and easy to add to your diet in various meals, such as sauces, salads, or even fries.
They contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals, including potassium. But, if you suffer from any form of kidney disease, you might need to consume lower amounts of potassium than most people.
So, is it safe to add beets to a low-potassium diet? Are beets high in potassium?
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Are beets high in potassium?
Beets are a high-potassium veggie that can help you reach your daily recommended need for this mineral. But if you’re predisposed to getting kidney stones or suffer from kidney disease, you might need to be careful how often you eat beets.
Still, they’re very nutritious, easy to add to any diet, and contain many powerful plant compounds that improve your health.
Can You Check Your Potassium Level at Home?
How much potassium is in beets?
Half a cup of raw beets contains 221 mg of potassium. As you can see, they’re very rich in potassium, considering the small serving.
Most people don’t eat a lot of raw beets, which is a shame as they’re incredibly nutritious.
When you do eat raw beets, make sure to peel the outer skin to get to the flavorful part. You can also grate raw beets into salads and use them as a garnish for soups.
A ½-cup serving of cooked beets contains around 259 mg of potassium. Boiled beets are slightly higher in potassium than raw beets, so they can help you get even more of this important mineral.
Unfortunately, those with kidney issues might need to limit their consumption of this root vegetable.
Beets contain more than 200 mg of potassium in a single serving, so they should be avoided on low-potassium diets.
Are beets healthy?
One cup of cooked beets is a great source of dietary fiber. It helps soak up excess stomach acid, reducing the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.
The fiber found in beets also helps feed the ‘good’ gut bacteria in your stomach, which help keep your digestive system healthy and reduce inflammation.
Because of that, adding beets to your diet – both beets and beet greens – can prevent indigestion and various stomach issues.
Studies show that drinking beet juice can significantly lower your blood pressure levels, both systolic and diastolic.
This is important, especially in the day and age when a lot of people follow diets filled with sodium.
High blood pressure is also linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. So consuming foods containing minerals and plant compounds that lower your blood pressure is important.
Eating beets may also help fight inflammation due to the anti-inflammatory compounds they contain. Inflammation increases your risk of osteoarthritis – a condition that causes joint inflammation – as well as other chronic conditions.
What’s more, beet juice and beet extracts might reduce kidney inflammation, which can be beneficial for people with kidney disease.
So by eating beets and drinking beet juice, you’re loading up on plant compounds that reduce your risk of these issues.
Can you take in too much potassium from beets?
Beets are very rich in potassium, no matter how you prepare them. But taking in too much potassium from a single food is only a problem for people with kidney disease.
This is because their kidneys aren’t able to flush out excess amounts of this mineral, which may cause kidney stones and other problems.
There’s no risk of taking in too much potassium from a single food, especially from beets for other, healthy individuals.
Are canned beets high in potassium?
A one-cup serving of canned beets contains 232 mg of potassium. They’re still high in potassium, but they might be suitable for a low-potassium diet if you eat them in smaller portions.
Canned beets can be added to salads, sauces, and soups to add flavor and coloring. Unfortunately, just like other canned foods, they’re high in sodium.
A high intake of sodium-rich foods may raise your blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke. So, make sure to eat canned foods in moderation.
Is beet juice high in potassium?
One glass (200 ml or 8 ounces) of beet juice contains around 290 mg of potassium. It’s a high-potassium juice, so if you follow a low-potassium, kidney-friendly diet, you might want to choose other juices.
On the bright side, beet juice is very nutritious, provides you with a good dose of iron, and helps replenish your electrolytes.
Because of that, it’s a great and easy way to boost your mineral intake.
Are beet greens high in potassium?
One cup of raw beet greens contains 290 mg of potassium. These green leaves from beets are much higher in potassium than beets.
They’re also an excellent source of iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, and magnesium, among other nutrients.
So, if you’re looking for an easy way to increase your intake of these minerals, adding beet greens to your diet is a great idea.
A ½ cup serving of cooked beet greens contains 655 mg of potassium. Cooked beet greens should be completely avoided on a low-potassium diet.
It’s very easy to eat too many of them, which can cause many unpleasant symptoms in people with kidney problems.
So, you might be better off choosing other veggies instead of beet greens.
Are pickled beets high in potassium?
Half a cup of pickled beets provides you with 118 mg of potassium. Pickled beets are a great side dish for most meals and are very easy to store.
Unfortunately, they tend to contain a large dose of sodium, which isn’t good for your health. They’re still nutritious, but it’s important to consume them sparingly.
Conclusion
Beets are a great source of potassium. This makes them a great food choice for those of us who want to up our intake of this mineral.
On the other hand, people with kidney problems might want to restrict their consumption of beets, especially beet greens, to avoid serious health complications.
If you’re ever in doubt whether you can eat a certain food, make sure to consult your doctor.
Don't know which foods are high in potassium? Read our article 15 Best Food Sources of Potassium. We also have a guide on this important mineral: Potassium 101: All You Need To Know About Potassium.