Researchers at Utah State University compared fresh beetroots grown under three farming systems—conventional, organic and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC)—in Southwest Oregon. They collected 12 beetroots from each system and also tested 30 commercial beetroot powder samples from five brands.
“This study addresses an important gap in understanding how production system and commercial sourcing may influence the nutritional and phytochemical profiles of beetroot and beetroot products available to consumers,” they wrote in Frontiers in Nutrition
The health benefits of beetroot
Beetroot’s natural nitrates help the body produce nitric oxide, which improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles and the brain.
Research suggests beetroot can boost muscle power, endurance and recovery, while also supporting cardiovascular health by helping lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. Its effects on blood flow may also benefit cognitive performance.
Studies have also explored beetroot’s potential to preserve muscle quality and strength as people age, particularly in postmenopausal women.
While they are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, betalains (nitrogen-containing pigments) and nitrates, scientists still know relatively little about how different farming systems affect these compounds, particularly in regenerative organic agriculture.
Farming methods explained
Conventional agriculture commonly relies on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to support crop growth and control pests. While these inputs can help farmers maintain high yields, researchers have raised concerns about their potential effects on soil health, biodiversity and the environment.
Organic agriculture reduces these risks by prohibiting synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and relying instead on natural and biological approaches. However, organic certification does not always require farmers to actively restore soil health or ecosystem function.
Regenerative organic agriculture goes further by placing greater emphasis on actively improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, storing carbon, strengthening ecosystem resilience and supporting social fairness. Rather than focusing only on which inputs farmers can use, regenerative systems place greater emphasis on the outcomes farming practices produce.
In this study, the Regenerative Organic Certified farming method meant farmers may use cover crops, crop rotation, reduced or no tillage and compost, while avoiding persistent chemical pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers. These practices can help protect soil structure, support beneficial soil organisms, reduce erosion and improve the farm’s ability to withstand environmental stresses.
The importance of growing methods
Global population growth and changing dietary demands are increasing pressure on agricultural systems. While conventional farming systems can deliver high yields in the short term, heavy reliance on synthetic inputs may damage soil health and ecosystem function over time, according to the recent study report.
“The considerable reliance on synthetic fertilizer and pesticide inputs, along with monoculture cropping, can eventually lead to greater dependency on inputs, concomitantly initiating a potential cycle of diminishing returns over time in cropping systems,” the researchers wrote.
With around two billion people worldwide affected by micronutrient deficiencies, researchers are increasingly looking for farming practices that can maintain productivity while improving the nutrient density of food.
Soil quality has been found to influence the nutritional value of crops and, potentially, human health, and research suggests that regenerative organic agriculture may improve soil health and biodiversity while increasing beneficial phytochemicals and reducing harmful residues in plant-based foods.
“To our knowledge, this study is the first to extend conventional-versus-organic comparisons of beetroot by including a ROC production system, and by evaluating both fresh beetroots and commercially available beetroot powders,” the researchers wrote.
Farming method changes beetroot nutrition
The researchers froze, dried and ground the beetroots before analyzing them alongside several commercial powdered beetroot supplements, assessing phenolic compounds and betalains. They also measured minerals, protein, sugars and nitrates.
Results showed clear differences in the nutritional profiles of fresh beetroots grown under conventional, organic and ROC systems. Organic and ROC beetroots contained significantly higher levels of total polyphenols than conventional beetroots, while ROC beetroots had the highest levels of betalains. Organic beetroots recorded the highest nitrate levels.
The researchers suggested that lower synthetic nitrogen inputs may favor polyphenol production, while greater biodiversity and stronger soil microbial activity in organic and ROC systems may promote higher phytonutrient accumulation. When plants receive high levels of synthetic nitrogen, they can direct more of their resources towards rapid growth and protein production rather than secondary compounds such as polyphenols.
For betalains, the researchers proposed that because these contain nitrogen, greater nitrogen availability may promote their production. This could help explain the high levels found in conventional and ROC beetroots, with nitrogen-fixing cover crops potentially increasing nitrogen availability in the ROC system.
However, the researchers found greater variation among commercial beetroot powders. Organic powders did not consistently contain more beneficial compounds, and some had the lowest polyphenol levels. One organic powder had the highest nitrate concentration, while another had the lowest. ROC powder contained high levels of betalains and had the highest protein content.
“These products reflect the real-world food system, as the raw material for these powders was grown on different farms with varying soils, climates, cultivars, and management practices,” they noted. “Therefore, the observed variation in nutrient composition could be driven by both differences in production systems as well as varying ecological conditions.”
The researchers noted that future work should include a larger number of producers and crops as interest in regenerative agriculture continues to grow.
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition; doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1874417; “Conventional, organic, and regenerative organic farming differentially shape nutritional and phytochemical profile in beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and its commercial powder products.” Verma, S. et al.
