Using MRI scans, the researchers found that drinking beet juice did indeed increase blood flow to the brain. Not only that, but it sent more blood rushing to the white matter of the frontal lobes, which are areas typically associated with dementia. The idea is that more blood and oxygen flowing to those brain parts might keep them healthy for longer. And it could make them better able to withstand the type of degeneration that can lead to dementia. The study was relatively small, so more research is necessary to determine if in fact beet juice helps fortify the brain against dementia, and how much you’d need to drink, exactly, to have the desired effect.