Pregnant women with chronic kidney disease now have a potential new tool to protect their kidneys during pregnancy: beetroot juice. Researchers at King's College London found that a daily serving of beetroot juice was associated with about 70% fewer serious adverse events compared to standard care alone, offering hope for a group that has historically had few safe treatment options.

Why Does Pregnancy Strain the Kidneys?

Pregnancy naturally increases the workload on the kidneys as the body supports a developing baby. For women with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), this extra demand can be dangerous. Among this group, approximately half experience worsening kidney function while pregnant. The challenge for doctors is that many kidney medications are considered unsafe during pregnancy, often requiring women to pause treatment for at least nine months.

This leaves clinicians with limited options to reduce risk, and outcomes for pregnant women with CKD have improved little over the past three decades. The new research suggests beetroot juice could fill that gap.

How Does Beetroot Juice Support Kidney Health?

Beetroot contains high levels of dietary nitrate, which the body converts into nitric oxide. This molecule relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation, potentially easing some of the additional pressure placed on the kidneys during pregnancy. The mechanism is straightforward: better blood flow means less strain on these vital organs.

The study, published in Kidney International Reports, enrolled 108 pregnant women with stage 2 through 5 CKD at eight hospitals across the United Kingdom. Before 25 weeks of pregnancy, participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard care alone or standard care plus a daily nitrate-containing beetroot juice supplement.

What Did the Research Show?

Although the trial was primarily designed to test whether a larger study could be conducted successfully rather than to provide definitive proof of effectiveness, the results pointed to meaningful benefits. Participants who received beetroot juice experienced about 70% fewer serious adverse events overall than those given standard care.

Among women with more advanced kidney disease, researchers observed encouraging patterns including better kidney function after pregnancy, fewer newborn admissions to neonatal care, and less need for blood pressure medication during pregnancy. Importantly, the beetroot juice supplement was not associated with any identified safety problems.

One concern that had circulated online was whether beetroot juice might raise potassium levels to dangerous levels, a condition called hyperkalemia. The study found no increase in hyperkalemia among participants who received the supplement, directly contradicting this worry.

"For women living with chronic kidney disease, pregnancy has always meant navigating a difficult trade-off between preserving their own health and keeping their baby safe, often with few tools to do both. These results are an encouraging first step toward a low-cost, low-risk intervention that could genuinely make a difference for this group of women, who have been underserved by research for far too long," said Kate Bramham, Consultant Nephrologist at King's College Hospital and Professor at King's College London.

Kate Bramham, Consultant Nephrologist at King's College Hospital and Professor at King's College London

What Are the Next Steps?

The researchers emphasize that these findings remain preliminary. Larger clinical trials will be needed to establish whether beetroot juice significantly limits the decline in kidney function and improves outcomes for mothers and babies over the longer term. However, if those benefits are confirmed, beetroot juice could provide an inexpensive and widely available option during pregnancy, when women with CKD currently have few treatments considered safe.

"Pregnancy can put additional stress on the kidneys, and for women with chronic kidney disease there are currently limited options to protect kidney function during this time. Our findings suggest beetroot juice could offer a simple and accessible approach that is safe and worth exploring further," explained Dr. Priscilla Smith, nephrologist and King's College London PhD student.

Dr. Priscilla Smith, Nephrologist and PhD Student at King's College London

How to Support Kidney Health During Pregnancy

• Dietary Nitrate Sources: Beetroot juice contains high levels of dietary nitrate, which converts to nitric oxide in the body to improve blood vessel function and reduce kidney strain during pregnancy.
• Medical Supervision: Women with CKD should work closely with their healthcare team to develop a pregnancy plan that balances kidney protection with baby safety, especially since many medications may need adjustment.
• Regular Monitoring: Frequent kidney function tests and blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy help catch any decline in kidney health early and allow doctors to adjust treatment as needed.

The research was supported by funding from Kidney Research UK and represents an important step forward for a population that has historically had few evidence-based options to protect their health during one of life's most demanding periods.