Effect of two-week red beetroot juice consumption on modulation of gut microbiota in healthy human volunteers – a pilot study

With very little research exploring intestinal effects of red beetroot consumption, the present pilot study investigated gut microbial changes following red beetroot consumption, via a 14-day intervention trial in healthy adults. Compared to baseline, the study demonstrates transient changes in abundance of some taxa e.g., Romboutsia and Christensenella, after different days of intervention (p<0.05). Enrichment of Akkermansia muciniphila and decrease of Bacteroides fragilis (p<0.05) were observed after 3 days of juice consumption, followed by restoration in abundance after 14 days. With native betacyanins and catabolites detected in stool after juice consumption, betacyanins were found to correlate positively with Bifidobacterium and Coprococcus, and inversely with Ruminococcus (p<0.1), potentiating a significant rise in (iso)butyric acid content (172.7±30.9 µmol/g stool). Study findings indicate the potential of red beetroot to influence gut microbial populations and catabolites associated with these changes, emphasizing the potential benefit of red beetroot on intestinal as well as systemic health.