09/06/2026
According to a narrative review published in *Journal of Cancer Prevention* (PMC8020175), betanin, a major pigment compound in beetroot, showed anti-proliferative effects in several experimental cancer models. In in vitro studies, betanin was reported to inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines such as breast, lung, liver, colon, skin, esophageal, leukemia, and prostate cancer cells. These effects were mainly linked to reduced cell proliferation, disruption of the cell cycle, and activation of apoptotic (programmed cell death) pathways.
In vivo animal studies also showed that betanin and beetroot extracts reduced tumor development and progression in models of skin and lung cancer, and lowered markers of carcinogen-induced damage. However, the review emphasized that these findings were limited to laboratory and animal research, and that human clinical trials were largely missing. Therefore, while betanin demonstrated promising chemopreventive potential in experimental settings, its effectiveness in humans remained unconfirmed and required further clinical investigation.