Beetroot Vitamins and Minerals: Nutrition Levels in Raw, Steamed, Boiled, Roasted, Pickled and Juiced Beets

Red beets are a nutrient-rich vegetable well worth having in your diet. Whether you eat them fresh, cook them, juice them, or take them as concentrated beet supplements, they provide many vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrition.

This guide has the main minerals and vitamins found in beets, with iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, copper and potassium levels. And just how much vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin A and vitamin K you can expect from beetroot.

Also ahead, how different preparation methods affect beets nutritionally, including having them raw, steamed, boiled, roasted and juiced. If canned and pickled beets are still healthy, or if processing strips away their benefits. And why this red superfood can be particularly good for people low on iron.

Does Beetroot Contain Iron?

Beets are a moderate source of iron. A cup of raw beetroot has approximately 0.8-1.0 mg of the mineral, which is about 4-6% of your daily iron needs. This isn’t huge, but it’s a meaningful contribution, especially for a root vegetable.

Steaming beets doesn’t significantly reduce their iron content since the mineral is bound within the plant’s structure. You’ll still find around 95% of the original iron, so a cup of steamed beets gives you roughly 0.75-0.95 mg.

Boiling also preserves most of it, maybe losing 10-15% through leaching into the water. A cup of boiled beets should have roughly 0.7-0.85 mg of iron.

An 8-oz glass of beet juice typically provides between 1.0 and 1.4 mg of iron. Juicing concentrates the nutrition from several beets, making beet juice a useful source of this mineral that your body needs to produce red blood cells and carry oxygen.

While beets aren’t a particularly high dietary source of iron, like say spinach or red meat, they offer something potentially more valuable – nutritional elements that help your body absorb and use iron more effectively.

How the Nutrients in Beets Improve Iron Absorption Within Your Body

Here’s why beets should be interesting for people with anemia, or anyone who wants to increase their iron intake. This red vegetable contains several compounds that act as iron absorption enhancers, making this mineral more bioavailable to your body in whatever foods you eat.

The vitamin C in beets, though pretty modest at 6-8 mg per cup, helps convert iron from its less absorbable form (ferric) to its more absorbable form (ferrous). This conversion happens in your stomach when you have beets with any iron-containing foods.

Beetroot also has natural organic acids like citric acid and malic acid. These acids aid in creating a more acidic environment in your digestive tract. This keeps iron in its absorbable form and prevents it from binding to other compounds that would block its absorption.

The betalains in beets may also play a role here. Some research suggests these red pigments can chelate with iron, forming complexes that make it easier for your intestinal cells to absorb both nutrients.

The nitrates in beets can contribute too. When they convert to nitric oxide, they improve blood flow to your small intestine. This potentially enhances the absorption of all nutrients, including iron. Better circulation means your intestinal cells can work more efficiently at pulling more vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.

This is why eating beets with iron-rich foods, like adding them to a salad with spinach or having beet juice with a steak, can boost your overall iron absorption from the entire meal, not just from the beets themselves.

If you don’t usually have the time to cook or juice this vegetable, concentrated supplements are a healthy alternative source of beetroot’s minerals and other nutrients. This guide has the best powdered beet brands currently on the market and explains why they are so good.

Vitamin C in Beets

Beetroot is a reasonable source of vitamin C for a root vegetable. A cup of raw beets gives about 6-8 mg of vitamin C, which is roughly 7-9% of your daily requirement. This isn’t as high as some fruits and veggies, but it’s still a useful contribution.

Cooking reduces vitamin C significantly since it’s heat-sensitive. Steaming might retain 60-70% of it, while boiling can easily destroy up to 50-60% of the original content.

Beet juice retains vitamin C much better, especially if it’s freshly extracted using a masticating cold-press juicer. Commercial beet juices will usually lose much of it during processing and storage though.

For better vitamin C levels, try amla, guava, red bell peppers, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, or any of the citrus fruits. Vegetable sources of this vitamin include red bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale or cauliflower.

Supplement powders and capsules can be a good way to concentrate vitamins and other nutrients in beetroot. Snap Supplements Nitric Oxide Beets is a nitrate-rich blend of organic beetroot, pomegranate juice and red spinach extract. It also has extra vitamin C and B vitamins and is one of the healthiest beet supplements on the market in 2026.

Are Beets High in Potassium and Manganese?

Beets are a good source of potassium. A cup of the raw veggie delivers about 440-460 mg of potassium, roughly 10-12% of your daily needs.

Cooking methods don’t affect potassium much, though a little leaches into boiling water. Beet juice concentrates potassium well, giving you around 500-600 mg per 8-oz glass of deep red juice.

For manganese, beets are also a solid source, offering around 0.3-0.4 mg per cup, which is 15-20% of your suggested intake. This mineral is also stable during cooking and concentrates in beet juice.

Potassium helps regulate circulation and heart rhythm, while manganese is important for bone formation and making antioxidant enzymes. Together, they support both cardiovascular health and proper metabolic functions.

What B Vitamins are in Beetroot?

Beets are a good source of folate (vitamin B9). They have about 110-130 mcg per cup of raw beetroot, which is 25-30% of your recommended daily intake. This vegetable also provides modest amounts of other B vitamins, with around 0.05 mg of thiamine (B1), 0.04 mg of riboflavin (B2), and small amounts of B6.

Cooking slightly reduces the B vitamin content of beets, especially boiling, which leaches water-soluble vitamins. Beet juice retains most of the B vitamins and concentrates them from multiple beets.

Folate is needed for DNA synthesis and red blood cell formation, and is especially important for women during pregnancy. The other B vitamins in beetroot support energy metabolism and proper nervous system function.

Some people ask if beets are good for vitamin B12 but they don’t contain any at all. Only animal-based foods are natural sources of vitamin B12.

While powders and capsules are usually much healthier as supplements, I’ve recently completed a guide to the best beetroot gummies in 2026. The top two choices there are both high in B vitamins too.

Can You Get Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium From Beets?

Beets are not high in calcium. A cup of raw beets contains just 16-20 mg of calcium, less than 2% of your daily needs. Cooking doesn’t significantly change calcium content, and beet juice contains even less due to fiber removal.

For phosphorus, beets provide modest amounts, about 40-50 mg per cup, which is only 4-6% of DV. Magnesium levels are also moderate at 23-25 mg per cup, or 6-7% of your daily requirement. Both minerals are stable during cooking and retain well in beet juice.

For better calcium sources, try sesame seeds, figs and dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens and spinach. Red kidney beans, peas, corn and potatoes are all better for raising your phosphorus levels than beetroot.

Sweet potatoes, avocados, red bell peppers, spinach and Swiss chard offer more magnesium than beets. But beet greens are actually one of the highest vegetable sources of magnesium and are well worth adding to your meals whenever you can find them.

Does Beetroot Have Vitamin K?

Red beets offer minimal vitamin K. A cup of the raw veggie only provides 0.2-0.4 mcg of vitamin K, which is less than 1% of your daily needs. Cooking doesn’t change these low levels much, and beet juice won’t give you any meaningful vitamin K either.

For getting vitamin K, you’re much better off with dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, red leaf lettuce, red cabbage or Swiss chard.

Vitamin K in Beet Greens

Unlike the roots, beet greens are an excellent source of vitamin K. A cup of raw beet greens provides about 150-180 mcg of vitamin K, which is well over 100% of your recommended daily intake. This makes them one of the best leafy green sources of this important vitamin many people are deficient in.

Steaming beet greens retains most of the vitamin K since it’s both fat-soluble and heat-stable. You’ll keep 90-95% of it, so a cup of steamed beet greens gives you roughly 135-170 mcg. Boiling causes minimal losses too, maybe 10-15%, leaving you with around 130-155 mcg per cup.

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting, calcium metabolism and bone health, making beet greens a great addition to your diet when you can find them. Unfortunately, fresh beets are often sold with their leafy green tops removed.

Are Beets a Source of Copper, Zinc and Selenium?

Beets are not good sources of these trace minerals. A cup of the raw vegetable only has about 0.4 mg of zinc (3-4% of DV), 0.08 mg of copper (around 9% of daily requirements), and virtually no selenium. Cooking doesn’t improve these already low levels, and beet juice won’t provide much either.

For getting more zinc, pumpkin seeds or oysters are excellent sources. Dark chocolate, asparagus and sweet potatoes are much better for copper. For selenium, Brazil nuts are unbeatable, but garlic, broccoli and most mushrooms are also good sources.

Is Beetroot Good for Vitamin A?

Beets are not a good source of vitamin A or beta-carotene. A cup of raw beets contains virtually no provitamin A carotenoids, less than 35 IU, which is negligible compared to your daily needs of 3000-4000 IU.

The deep red color of this veggie comes from betalains, not carotenoids. Cooking and juicing don’t improve these already minimal levels.

For getting more vitamin A into your diet, try sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash or red bell peppers. These are all much better sources of the carotenoids that convert to vitamin A in your body.

Vitamin A in Beet Greens

In contrast to beet roots, beet greens are rich in provitamin A carotenoids, especially beta-carotene, for healthy skin and a strong immune system.

The dark green color of beet leaves comes from chlorophyll and carotenoids that convert to vitamin A in your body. A cup of raw beet greens provides approximately 2200-2800 IU of this vitamin, which is 50-70% of the DV.

Steaming actually makes the beta-carotene more bioavailable by breaking down cell walls, though you might lose 10-15% of the total content. A cup of steamed beet greens usually gives you 1900-2400 IU of vitamin A. Boiling reduces levels more, about 20-25%, so boiled beet tops offer roughly 1650-2100 IU per cup.

Beetroot Calories, Carbs, Sugar, Protein, Sodium, Fat and Fiber

According to the USDA, a cup of raw beetroot (136 grams) has 58 calories and 13 g of carbohydrates, including 9 g of natural sugars. There are 2 g of protein, 106 mg of sodium, and the fat content is minimal at 0.2 grams.

An 8-ounce glass of beet juice will have more calories (about 90-100), with 22-24 grams of carbs and around 20 grams of sugar due to the concentration of several beets.

Raw beetroot provides 3.8 g of dietary fiber per cup, which helps with digestion and keeping your glucose levels stable after meals. When you juice beets, you lose this digestive fiber but concentrate potent nutrients in this red superfood, like nitrates, betalains, betaine, saponins and phenolic compounds.

Do Pickled Beets Have Less Vitamins and Minerals?

Pickled beets do lose some of their heat-sensitive vitamins during the pickling process. Vitamin C in particular drops significantly. You might lose 40-60% of the original amount due to the heat used in processing and the acidity.

Folate and other B vitamins will also be reduced, though not as dramatically. The pickling process doesn’t create new vitamins, so you’ll always be getting lower levels of vitamins with pickled beetroot than with fresh beets.

In contrast, the mineral content in pickled beets holds up pretty well. The pickling liquid may leach out some minerals, but most stay bound to the beet tissue. Potassium, manganese and iron levels should remain similar since they’re not affected by heat or acidity in the same way vitamins are.

Keep in mind though that pickled vegetables are usually much higher in sodium due to the brine solution. You’re looking at around 200-400 mg of added salt per serving compared to the naturally low sodium in raw or steamed beets. This extra salt, plus the reduced vitamin levels, makes pickled beets a less nutritious option overall.

What Vitamins and Minerals are in Canned Beets?

Canned beets also have reduced levels of heat-sensitive vitamins compared to the fresh vegetable. The high heat used in the canning process is estimated to destroy 50-70% of beetroot’s vitamin C. It will also cause moderate losses in folate and the other B vitamins.

Minerals in canned beets will fare much better since they’re largely heat-stable. The iron, potassium and manganese content remains close to fresh levels, maybe losing 10-15% at most.

Like pickled beets, canned products often have extra salt added during manufacturing. Expect between 200-300 mg of sodium per serving of canned beets, versus the 80 mg naturally found in fresh, steamed or boiled beetroot.

People often eat canned and pickled beets for convenience. If you’d like to get more beetroot nutrition into your diet in a simpler way, then this guide to the best beet supplements has easy and inexpensive options for taking it daily.

Does Roasting Beets Reduce Their Nutritional Benefits?

Roasting beets at normal temperatures (around 400°F) causes some vitamin losses, but not as much as other cooking methods like boiling. You’ll lose about 15-25% of the vitamin C since it’s heat-sensitive. B vitamin levels will drop as well, though not by as much.

Beets mineral content actually concentrates during roasting as water evaporates from the vegetable. Potassium, manganese and iron levels per serving will increase modestly because you’re getting more nutrients in a smaller, denser package.

Roasting also makes some minerals more bioavailable by breaking down beetroot’s cell walls and making the iron and other minerals easier for your body to absorb.

Getting More Beets into Your Diet

Beetroot is a natural source of vitamin C and B vitamins, as well as potassium, manganese and other minerals. It’s particularly good for people low on iron since it improves the way your body absorbs and uses this mineral.

Vitamins and minerals aren’t the main reason beets are so healthy though. This red vegetable is particularly high in naturally occurring nitrates that are converted to nitric oxide within your body.

It also has a range of other nutrients, like betaine, betalains, saponins and phenolic compounds. I’ve covered what each of them are and why they are so good for you in this article on Why Beets are a Superfood. Thank you for reading and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.