Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Foods that Affect Your Pee Part 1- Beets



The other day I was going to the bathroom and it was all red. I started to freak out until I realized I had eaten a bunch of beets the day before. I remember my English teacher telling the class about this college prank where the Chemistry geeks made an elixir they gave to the jocks which made their pee turn bright blue. The jocks were mortified when they looked at the toilet bowl after they had done their business.

Here is a preliminary research report on things that alter your pee. Right now I'm including things that alters color and smell. I don't think I could do taste or touch and if I could, that would probably push an already kind of gross project over the edge.

If anyone has suggestions on foods I can research, leave a comment.

Beets
As previously mentioned, beets will turn your urine red. According to Wikipedia, "Betacyanin in beetroot may cause red urine in some people who are unable to break it down. This is called beeturia." [19] It says that beeturia only affects 10-15% of people. If so, that's crazy!! What?!? Am I in that 15 percentile? I thought it was totally normal. In the On-line Medical Dictionary it says that this happens to iron-deficient people, but can also happen to "normal people." I also found research saying that it might be a genetic disposition. Some people's stomachs can break down the dye, while other people can't. I suppose I could have an iron deficiency, but I have a feeling it's totally normal to have your pee turn red from beets. If I can figure out how to, I'm going to put up a survey. Please answer it! I want to know the answer to this!

Also, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have shown that the red beet-induced urine could help fight cancer! They explain that "beet pigments may boost levels of proteins, called phase II enzymes, that help detoxify potential cancer-causing substances and purge them from the body. " Well that's cool.

142 comments:

Emily said...

I just voted that beets turn my pee red, but then I remembered that the only time I've eaten enough beets to make my pee turn red was when I lived in a house with a lot of people and no one flushed... I always noticed magenta pee in the toilet after borscht night, but it could've been someone else's.

James said...

The stuff that turns your pee blue is "Methyl Blue". According to a guy name Jason in my chem lab, they played a prank on someone at his work by spiking the guy's redbull with the stuff. He said that one urinal was blue for the next couple days. As for beets, I'm pretty sure that happened to my sister's guinea pig when we were little.

Justin Casowitz said...

It doesn't turn my pee red, just my poop. That is also terrifying, though.

Anonymous said...

ha, this just happened to me tonight. I ate fresh beets and it turned my pee bright pinkish/red.

BRUMRDR said...

I agree...... Blood Red when I had made Beet juice today. I blended beets with carrots and apples together (VERY HEALTHY) And Within 30 min wow.... Its great for the Kidneys aswell

Unknown said...

I almost took myself to Emerg one day because of bright red urine after eating beets. Imagine how embarrassing that would have been. "Um madam you have a case of beeturia" How long does the red pee and poo usually last. I had a beet juice yesterday and the 'blood' is still present. Is there any more info about the % of people who have this phenomenon and the underlying cause. Is it related to asparagus pee?

Anonymous said...

When I urinated and found the toilet water slightly tinged pink, I had to google "urine and beets". I had recovered from a kidney / bladder infection recently and thought that things might be turning toward the worse. The last three days I've included one beet and the tops in my juicing recipe. This is probably the cause. Thought I'd include my experience.

Unknown said...

It took 48 hours for the beet dye to clear my system!

Ema said...

Funny -- am reading this more than a year after the last post ... this happened to me today.
I called my doctor's office who referred me to the ER in scoping was needed. Of course, they didn't ask me about me eating fresh beets and I didn't think about it till I got to the ER!
Well, I did have a UTI so it's good I did go...but the rest... beeturia!
I'll have to do some research -- why doesn't it happen to everyone and is it just fresh beets? This was the very first time I cooked and ate fresh beet.

Melissa said...

I ate a beet yesterday. My urine looks bloody today. That is how I ended up here :D

Unknown said...

LOL I am like the 2 above me. I found this blog because of it. I am thinking it might only be fresh because canned and pickled are packed in liquid that leaches out some of the color. I prefer my beets roasted so all of the color stays in mine.

sandrato said...

i just cooked up three fresh beets on Wednesday and my urine turned pink - not bloody pink but beet pink. I called my health insurance nurse and asked about this. We agreed that since i had no other symptoms of bladder infection, i would wait one more day before requesting a urine test. It is Thursday and my urine is still red but i decided to go online to learn more and was relieved to find all this info on this site. Thank you for posting it.

MoRoh said...

I'm super healthy and have never been anemic..except temporarily during pregnancy with #5..17 years ago. I started adding beets to my super smoothie shake and I have both the magenta/red pee and #2. I researched and read this could mean problems with iron metabolism and/or problems with absorption in the lower intestine. That sucks!! I also get asparagus pee. Funny story - I had to get random drug pee test for work..and I had eaten a ton of asparagus the night before..and I had to had to hand the cup of smelly asparagus pee to the guy..and he had no idea what asparagus pee was..and he was not amused. ha ha ha!! I don't know if I should worry about the beet pee and beet #2....???

Unknown said...

LOL Moroh... I think that is priceless....Asparagus pee lol.... mmmmmm. Anyway I ate 1 Beet 2 days a go and I am still peeing pink... first time for me seeing it in my urine. I have been constipated lately and think it may be because of that... possibly not digesting them properly. I was checked recently for iron deficiency with no issues there. Very alarming... I knew about red stools but not pink/red pee... I too thought it was a UTI but not having any other symptoms!! The strange things that happen hey?

mathman1 said...

My pee was redish for 12 hours after eating only one small cooked fresh beet. I am familiar with this but it still concerns me. It never happens with canned beets even if I drink the juice. I want to eat vegetables like beets instead of potatoes to lower carb intake.

earchambeault said...

Have always eaten canned beets and never had a problem. My brother told me how good roasted FRESH beets are so I thought I would treat myself and my husband to this. They were soooo very good. The next morning my husband woke me and said he thought he may have ruptured something in his stomache, he was bleeding from his rectum and in his pee! It took a minute but we figured out it had to be the beets because I got up and was also peeing red. Very Funny!

Jenny said...
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Jenny said...

Bets have always turned my P&P red, no surprise for me there, and my iron levels are good (I donate blood) but this time, after eating beets two nights ago, I am still peeing magenta pink pee and it's almost dinnertime. This concerns me... ideas anyone?

Tyler said...

Tonight my girlfriend brought home a big bag of fresh beats she got from her sisters garden and boiled them up. With a little salt they tasted great so i had 5 or 6 giant beets and freaked out about 6 hours later (about 20 minutes ago) and thats what led me here. You have no idea how much of a relief it was to find this

Linda said...

I had not eaten fresh beets in several years until this morning. My urine turned blood red. I was shocked and somewhat afraid. Then it happened each time I went to the bathroom for several hours. So red. I was freaked out. Now it's evening and I am only going pink. So, I'm here for the same reason most others are. I googled "beets affecting urine." I am relieved, no pun intended.

L.B.

Shelly said...

I am like so many on here before me.. I found this sight when I looked up beets affecting urine! I have always had the slight scare with #2! I have eaten LOTS of beets, fresh, and NEVER had red urine! I am not iron deficient, although I may not digest it right..Very relieved to see all of the posts and comments on tnis! I have been having stomach cramps prior to this for a few days, and then RED! SCARY! I figured it out though, and I am not alone! YAY! I do want to know though, if it supposedly only affects 15-20% of people, then are all of us THOSE people! I believe it is more common than they know about.

charliegirl said...

I'm here because this happened to me today and I totally freaked out so I googled it and here I am. Yep turns my pee red and the iron deficiency thing explains it cause I recently had a blood test and I'm iron deficient. mmmm it appears the iron supplements might not be working!!

AJ said...

The first time my pee went red i was 8mth pregnant, caused a bit of a stir, then again tonight only hours after finding out i have malaria, both times i panicked untill i realised i had eaten beets only hours before, good blog glad you were here.

AJ said...
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trcy said...
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trcy said...

So glad to find this. I had a fresh squeezed drink that contained beets in it. Now I can relax and ask to get my iron levels checked next time I happen to go to a doctor.

Gemmy said...

I'm here because I've been experiencing the same issue. I've been very lethargic for the last month , so this just let me know that I have to have my iron levels tested.

Gemmy said...

I'm here because I've been experiencing the same issue. I've been very lethargic for the last month , so this just let me know that I have to have my iron levels tested.

Rosemary Marchetta said...

I got up at 3 am to pee and had to google red urine causes right away. I was so glad to see it is so common. I had a salad with greens, fresh roasted beets and blue cheese. Delicious! 24 hours later and still peeing pink.

pbutner said...

This just happened to me today. I've had fresh cooked beets before but have never noticed the red pee and poop. I was scared at first but then thought about the beets since I knew that asparagus can cause the weird smell so did a google search and found this site. Thank you!!

romeo risky said...

i have same experience and thats why i am posting it. thnx

romeo risky said...

I got up at 3 am to pee and had to google red urine causes right away. I was so glad to see it is so common. I had a salad with greens, fresh roasted beets and blue cheese. Delicious! 24 hours later and still peeing pink.

EMB said...

Yes, me, too! I also got up at 3am, and was shocked and scared when I saw that my urine was pink! I have been iron deficient, so maybe this is why this happened.

I've eaten fresh boiled beets, and never had pink urine. This time we roasted them, so all of the dye stayed in the beets. Being a vegetarian, I ate two! They were delicious, but I was also doing an Internet search at 3am to check "pink urine and fresh beets." I'm so glad I found this blog! The asparagus urine, which I have experienced, made me think that the beets were the culprit. Thanks to all for contributing.

Pink urine and all, I feel much better!

kimi said...

Lol...pink pee lead me to this blog! Interesting info. Just drank my first beet pineapple juice. Amazing!! Ill be drinking daily. Wonder if my pee will be pink until I stop. It will be an experiment!. ;)

kimi said...

Lol...pink pee lead me to this blog! Interesting info. Just drank my first beet pineapple juice. Amazing!! Ill be drinking daily. Wonder if my pee will be pink until I stop. It will be an experiment!. ;)

Coley said...

this morning i juiced 4 small beets and apple and pear, very nice btw, but yes pink pee. I think it happens to anyone if the concentration is high enough. as I have juiced beets before but not so many and it has never happened, so I think if its good for you and its crazy cool as well. : )

Longview said...

Just went to a wedding and ate a ton of fresh beets. Came home and my urine was pink. I eat canned beets all the time and this has never happened before. Fun! I feel healthier...

eden von schnauzer said...

LOLOLOL I was led here by the same reason everyone else was. I've been freaking out since yesterday! :D

eden von schnauzer said...

LOLOLOL I was led here by the same reason everyone else was. I've been freaking out since yesterday! :D

eden von schnauzer said...

LOLOLOL I was led here by the same reason everyone else was. I've been freaking out since yesterday! :D

eden von schnauzer said...

LOLOLOL I was led here by the same reason everyone else was. I've been freaking out since yesterday! :D

Harry Leong said...

Same as everyone here!...Found this blog because I ate beets for dinner tonight and then pee'd pink color urine and immediately went to my computer and googled "beets urine"!

vicartubbs said...

thank you thank you thank you!!! I ate quite a bit of home-cooked beetroot today lunch time and nearly fainted when I went to the loo and saw pink p. It's never happened to me before so as soon as I got home I looked up beetroot and p on the net. I am a 55 year old women and thought something is going wrong, so thank you for putting my mind at rest.

vicartubbs said...

thank you thank you thank you!!! I ate quite a bit of home-cooked beetroot today lunch time and nearly fainted when I went to the loo and saw pink p. It's never happened to me before so as soon as I got home I looked up beetroot and p on the net. I am a 55 year old women and thought something is going wrong, so thank you for putting my mind at rest.

vicartubbs said...

thank you thank you thank you!!! I ate quite a bit of home-cooked beetroot today lunch time and nearly fainted when I went to the loo and saw pink p. It's never happened to me before so as soon as I got home I looked up beetroot and p on the net. I am a 55 year old women and thought something is going wrong, so thank you for putting my mind at rest.

Kim-G said...

I am soo relieved to here these stories.. Panic over! This morning I went to pee and to my horror I happened to notice the colour was a deep intense red colour. I think I am low in iron which may be the cause .. But still I was mortally freaked out by this experience.

Kim-G said...

I am soo relieved to here these stories.. Panic over! This morning I went to pee and to my horror I happened to notice the colour was a deep intense red colour. I think I am low in iron which may be the cause .. But still I was mortally freaked out by this experience.

Dayna said...

Thanks for the post.....i freaked out then my husband reminded me of the huge bowl of beets the night before....it has lasted 3 days and is still pink! Glad im not the only one! Yeah for the 10-15% of us!

KatMac said...

Thanks Dayna,
Me too. Day 3 and still red! Most were worried after 24 hours.
I get asparagus pee too but that disapates quickly.
Good to know someone else is still waiting for the color to fade.

Unknown said...

I never noticed the red pee until I ate two fresh uncooked beats like they were carrots. Next day I thought I had blood in my urine until I remembered the beets.

Unknown said...

I found this blog for same reason! Pink p. but I didn't eat beets, I drank organic beet juice :)

canopener said...

yup... both pee and poo... but the pee was a bit perplexing, tho i already knew something of the magenta poo.had some borsht yesterday.it kinda makes much sense that it would effect pee, too, tho.all the same, it is shocking to see... thank you for talking freely about it.

nworton said...

Soo annoyingly scary to glance back and see that red pee in the pot. I saw the doctor about blood in urine but it had cleared and I looked and felt stupid ...but happy none the less. Then I ate more beets and so it goes!

Unknown said...

This just happened to me. Thought it was weird for it to happen in just a few hours, also in my stool that fast. I knew I was low on Iron but haven't been taking my supplements.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU !!! I had a situation several years ago with passing blood in the urine and I thought it had returned ... I LOVE beets and never had this happen but I always ate canned beets. Yesterday I had fresh roasted beets from the garden and BAM, it's 3:30 am and i'm peeing red !!! 24 hours latter pee back to normal. What a relief, I can sleep now :)

sjdesign1 said...

I, too, woke up at 3 a.m. and discovered a crimson toilet bowl. I recently started drinking concentrated beet crystals in my smoothies, I don't understand something though... does this red urine mean I am iron deficient?

sjdesign1 said...

I, too, woke up at 3 a.m. and discovered a crimson toilet bowl. I recently started drinking concentrated beet crystals in my smoothies, I don't understand something though... does this red urine mean I am iron deficient?

sjdesign1 said...

I, too, woke up at 3 a.m. and discovered a crimson toilet bowl. I recently started drinking concentrated beet crystals in my smoothies, I don't understand something though... does this red urine mean I am iron deficient?

The Java Junky said...

I ate a salad with beets in it yesterday... A LOT of beets! And today my urine is on the pink side. I started to freak out because I have never seen my urine pink. I have always had an iron deficiency, but this is the first time I have ever seen "that color" coming from my body. LOL

BELLWOOD CAT RESCUE said...

Like everyone else, I got a little freaked out when my urine changed from its normal color, to pink, then a pale red. In the past, I would usually eat 1-1 1/2 beets, to have only my stool have a tint of color, which was noticed in only one bowel movement, bet never in my urine. For about a month now, I've been juicing regularly, and today's recipe, contained 3 beets, including its greens, a 1/2 cucumber, 2 sprigs of basil, a 1/4 of a medium cantaloupe and a cup of strawberries. I also drank this on a empty stomach. Now, approximately 4 hrs. later, is when the color change began. The other veggies that seem to have a similar effect, are dark greens, especially kale. I've noticed this happening since I'm eating quantity, more raw, and less cooked. I suppose deep down I knew why this was happening, nevertheless, it still put my mind to rest reading these posts. Thanks! Debbie

Unknown said...

Yep, I guess I am part of that 15%I juiced two days ago and my pee is still pink. 3 beats 3 carrots about 16 ounces. What is crazy is that I drink over 70 ounces of water a day and I am still peeing pink!

Unknown said...

Yes, I am also part of 15%. I ate 3 baked beetroot at night. In the morning when I did pee it was pink color. Very Strange :)

Unknown said...

I ate beet chips. My urine was bright red, looked just like fresh blood. Wasn't like that until after I ate the chips so that must be it. I do have the strange smell after eating asparagus and my daughter who is a biology major says that is definately a genetic factor. Some will, some will not. So I am hoping that is all it is. I'm going to wait and see because I have no signs of a UTI.

Cnstars said...

Happened to me for the first time a few weeks ago. I have always eaten canned beets, but the fresh roasted ones are so good I couldn't resist. Didn't last long and glad to know it is not a serious condition.

SillyLilly_84 said...

So...I just found this sight and giggled to myself...I've never eaten fresh beets before until yesterday and today my #1 & #2 looked bloody and then purple! I thought I was dying and so scared to mention it to my boyfriend until I thought about it and remembered an ex of mine ate red velvet cake one time and he thought he was dying until I reminded him that he had the cake which led me to research the beets simply because it turned my cous cous a reddish color...glad I'm not dying...thanks for all the info on here!!! Since I'm going to continue to eat fresh beets...they're so good!!!

Ruby said...

Yup, it's happened to me, too. This from fresh juice at the juice bar: beets, spinach, and carrot together make #1 and #2 bright red!

Ruby said...

Yup, it's happened to me, too. This from fresh juice at the juice bar: beets, spinach, and carrot together make #1 and #2 bright red!

Pippas craft said...

I am so glad I found this site - I was a bit worried about the pink urine and of course thought the worst. Into day 2 and still pink.
Thank you

Kazba said...

It is so funny sitting here reading all these comments. We have freaked ourselves out at seeing red pee and poo and run to the computer to allay our fears. Yep...It happened to me as well. so much for the small percentage of people who react to beetroots!!

Nathaniel H Adams Ferrand said...

Yup. ended up here same as all of you. worried about reddish pee...Its terrifying until it seems foolish.
"Dulce maerenti, populus dolentum", i guess.

Unknown said...

I just recently had my iron levels checked out, and they were well within the normal range. Even so, last night I ate a whack-load of beets. I couldn't help myself, they were so good fresh from the garden. Within less than half an hour my pee was orangish looking and by bed time it was bright red. This morning it's still red. Assuming it will take quite a few days to get out of my system....I ate that many! ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi, I also have this happening to me, growing red beets in my garden and eating them like gang busters. One thing I have to point out that I have noticed - it only happens when I eat my home grown beets, not canned. I guess the dye is stronger in the home grown? Glad to know I am not the only one!

Unknown said...

Relieved to read these comments! I ate ALOT of beets(canned) last night. A few hours later I had red urine. I did not think about the beets! My mind went to worse things. Got up this morning, still red. Interesting thought. I have no stomach acid and have to take Hydrochloric capsules to break down my food. I am not presently iron deficient. Wondering if the fact I can break down foods, and the "Beeturia" are connected....

Unknown said...

I am here for the very same reason as all of you and while I am relieved to see your comments all of them, I don't think one person said that after 3 days the urine is still pinkish red as are the stools. Had them Saturday dinner time x 3 boiled and it's now tuesday. geezzee I hope it goes soon cause I am starting to freak out now after reading this.

Alida Delport, Cape Town said...

Thanks for this blog! Same reason as for so many others that commented on this blog: dark wine-red urine after using raw beetroot in a stir fry. It was a small portion though: about 50 grams (1,8 ounces). I must comment that the beetroot itself was quite a dark purple red. I am on warfarin and my first thought was that I had internal bleeding.
Four months ago I was diagnosed with acute anemia. After 3 months of medication my iron level returned to normal. I continue using an iron supplement because I hate meat. I noticed one blogger mentioned the intake of strawberries. I too had quite a lot of fresh strawberries on the same day. Strawberries have pH 3 - 3.9 which is high acidic.

everyoung said...

I have been drinking a beverage made up of 16 different fruits and vegetables. Every time I drink this organic product( about twice to three times a week) my " waste products" are tinged red to pink. Scared me to the core, but figured out it had to be the beets and rhubarbs in it the power drink, since I feel okay. I drank some yesterday, and today guess what, red to pink urine. Go figure. It only happens when I drink this stuff. I better check to see if is safe.

strongwindsahead said...

Hello friendly commenters! I'm so glad this post has proved helpful to people. As you've probably noticed, I've let this blog languish quite a bit. Imagine my surprise when I returned to it and saw 78 comments! :D

It's been a blast reading through people's different experiences and the stories you all have to share. Keep em comin'! ;)

Unknown said...

Thankyou guys!! So, beetroot is the reason for red/pink pee.I had fresh beetroot juice today and Yesterday..I was freaking out sometime before when I saw my pee turning red.. Now I can relax ..thanks for the info :)

Unknown said...

Thankyou guys!! So, beetroot is the reason for red/pink pee.I had fresh beetroot juice today and Yesterday..I was freaking out sometime before when I saw my pee turning red.. Now I can relax ..thanks for the info :)

helenpw said...

Beetroot has always made my pee pink, ever since childhood. But the first time I roasted a lot of beetroots and had them (with some feta) as a main meal, I was scared to death the next morning. I'd never had red poo before. I really thought I'd had some sort of prolapse! Interestingly I haven't seen any comments from people who don't get pink pee - is the 15% thing untrue?

Peregrinatus said...

I ate some super delicious, homemade, pickled beets two days ago and loved them! So, last night I roasted two medium-sized beets and delightfully ate those. After about an hour, I had to relieve myself, and that is when the panic began. Count me as part of the people that piss pink. However, I recently had borscht for the first time (which is how I discovered my affinity for beets), and I did not note any discoloration. I am an avid long distance runner (60+ mile weeks), so I pay close attention to urination because of hydration concerns. And, even though I had heard of this beet phenomenon before, it was still quite starling and evoked many thoughts of infections, failure, heavy-metal poisoning, etc...

BC said...

Same story as a couple of others. I ate steamed beets and my AM pee was a rather frightening shade of pinkish red so I googled your post. Personally I respond to quite a few vegetables in urine color and odor. Usually lasts one pee for me at least.

Unknown said...

And so me too. Ate fresh steamed beets yesterday (24 hrs ago). I have had a gastric bypass and lately was on iron supplements for being anemic. I am concerned. My urine has been dark pinkish all day. I'm hoping it's gone tomorrow. My lower abdomen is heavy (like when I used to get periods - expect I've been in menopause for years!). So it's possible it's a bladder infection too. Guess I'll find out tomorrow!

vladsbtch said...

LOL, I see this is a common problem. I have been drinking beet kvass for well over a week now and today my urine was bright red. I do know that I have not been drinking as much water as I usually do so I am thinking get the water intake back up. :)

Unknown said...

Goodness thank you for all of the comments. I thought I had passed a kidney stone. I had a beet, apple, lemon and spinach smoothie this morning. Definitely was on my way to the ER.

Draker19 said...

I am on day 3. Concerning how long something can stay in your system. Iron deficiency seems possible. I have really been struggling with low energy.

Unknown said...

does this happen with canned beets also? I've read all these articles and wanted to try it. Do fresh beets need to be roasted or boiled?

Unknown said...

does this happen with canned beets also? I've read all these articles and wanted to try it. Do fresh beets need to be roasted or boiled?

serena said...

I had canned beets last night and again this afternoon for lunch and things are definitely happening in technicolor! Thank goodness for the Internet, I am such a hypochondriac that I would be in the ER on a regular basis if not for blogs like these. Thanks!

Jay Morris said...

Thank you all, like many of you, googled because both my husband and I had deep red pee this morning. We drank a glass each of beetroot juice yesterday that I prepared myself and mentioned to him this morning that my pee was red.He smiled and said him too. Never happened before but this is first time I've juiced it myself, normally buy it.

Caroline Mathews said...

Thanks everyone! I'm over 70 but have only eaten canned beets until this Tuesday when I roasted the fresh beets and you know what happened. I was a little worried about being iron deficient but the pink went away. Today, it was back and that is when I panicked. Then, I thought to read the label of the new vitamin supplement I began last night. Sure enough, beet root and broccoli root right there on the label.

Unknown said...

Just started juicing did 2 beet roots 1/4 " ginger root 2 carrots and a green apple....about 2 hours later I freaked out for like 5 seconds till I realised the beet juice...then I came on here and felt a little better realizing I wasn't the only one who freaked out loll

Unknown said...

On a side note..... sure wish I had a drug test tomorrow. ...would love to see their face with a cup full of red urine...loll

Unknown said...

Me too, red pee still 34hrs after consumption (maybe I need to intake more fluid to wash it out).

I showed the wife this morning and totally freaked her out!

Unknown said...

Me too, red pee still 34hrs after consumption (maybe I need to intake more fluid to wash it out).

I showed the wife this morning and totally freaked her out!

A.T. said...

Like many others, I had eaten canned beets most of my life until last evening. My husband & I had fresh grilled beets. I ate at least 2 beets while my husband only consumed about 1/2 of one. He didn't notice any change in the appearance of his urine, while I had the pink/red urine. Glad I was able to Google this. I am an RN but never heard of beeturia.

Unknown said...

I have been drinking beet carrot and apple juice for almost 6 months every morning before breakfast.i stopped drinking the juice for a week and a half, but my stool is still bright red.can someone tell me why is the pigment eliminating so hard from my body??

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...
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Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Roasted fresh organic red beets with balsamic vinegar. Oh my were they delish. Was in terrible pain from my back injury but more so that night from cooking, I guessed. Next morn woke up to a toilet of RED where my pee should be...called my "phone-a-Doc" thru my insurance and she said go to the ER...Told them about the beets first thing. They all said never heard of it...LOL..THANK GOD there was no blood in my urine! Hello to the Unique 10-15 % of us but it sounds like there may be more now that folks are eating or drinking their veggies!

Unknown said...

Very interesting i am 70 very active went for 5k run when I got back my pee was red .I had half a glass of beet juice the night before could that be cause made appointment with doc .don't want to have unessary test if only beet .will b a relief if so

Unknown said...

Same as everyone else, I got up to pee this morning and shocked to see it all red. My first thought was that it was something serious as I had a bad fall 2 days before and had been released from ER. I immediately took a sample and a photo thinking I would be heading backt to ER when I remembered I had eaten a a vegetarian beetroot burger the night before. I then looked it up and found this site. So relieved of course but on another site it says it can also happen after eating beets if you have low stomach acid. It said this can mean you don't absorb B12 or zinc among'st others. It says low stomach acid reduces your ability to break down protein. I am going to look into this further for sure. Also, after eating the beet burger which had nuts and feta in it, it gave me bad pains and gas in my stomach which doesn't normally happen to me so won't be eating that again! :-)

Unknown said...

Same here I googled veggie chips turn urine red I ate some with lunch and had beets in them so glad I didn't run to the doctor was totally freak in out.

Unknown said...

What a great relief it is to rule out bladder cancer, LOL! Thank you for starting this blog and thanks to everybody for posting on it. ��

Unknown said...

I just had red urine a few hours after eating pomegranate-cherry sorbet. The label doesn't say what the ingredients are (shouldn't it?) but I suspect there's a dye or coloring agent in there. The red color is the same as the sorbet; it doesn't look bloody. If it doesn't go away I'm off to the ER.

Benjamin H. Bloom, M.D.

Unknown said...

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sallyryna said...

This thread just keeps on giving (and serving a purpose I guess!). Just had the same thing happen, and I figured it was the beets. Didn't know about the iron deficiency relationship but it makes sense as I am constantly slightly under the levels when I try to donate blood and have had anemia during both my pregnancies. I wish I had googled before I called my doctor, because now I feel kind of silly! :)

Unknown said...

Me too! Taking Zarelto for a few months and with crimson 1&2 in the toilet was about to call an ambulance. Googled the best chips earlier and glad I did. Thank you for this blog.

Julie said...

Add me to the statistic! 10-15% .... more like 100%! Thanks for posting!

shansubraman said...

Often people eat or drink beetroots on purpose in order to test their digestive health.

This discolouration of the urine, to red or pink, after eating beets is called beeturia. It’s caused by the betalain pigments in the beets, breaking down and being excreted.

The stomach acid and the flora of the gut play an important role in breaking down the pigments in food, so if they are low or compromised you may experience beeturia.

When you are LOW in STOMACH ACID, your body is NOT ABLE TO METABOLIZE and ASSIMILATE beetroot PIGMENTS properly. Chances are the same thing is happening for a lot of other foods you are eating. Being able to digest and absorb the vitamins and minerals in your food is VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR HEALTH.

For example:-If we can’t absorb our B12, we get tired. A lack of zinc will affect our immune system and thousands of the body’s processes. The partial digestion of proteins can cause havoc in the system, as they get absorbed in large portions into the bloodstream. Other factors involved may include an imbalance of the gut flora, the liver, and iron or B12 deficiencies.

Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid:
(((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))

Healthy Stomach and Digestion

Gain weight easily

Suffer from reflux,indigestion or gas

Have skin issues

Prone to asthma
and allergies

Feeling tired / lethargic

- See more at: http://www.bodyenlightenment.me/blog/2012/05/do-the-beet-test-how-to-tell-if-you-have-low-stomach-acid-weak-digestion/#sthash.lzbZbbtA.dpuf

Pauline said...

It has been FIVE days and still peeing pink/red. I had read all of this but got worried about it lasting so long. Went to urologist today and absolutely NOTHING was wrong. This is the first time this has happened to me

Karen said...

Not just fresh beets ! I ate dehydrated beets and it turned my pee bright pink

Unknown said...

Wow although happy to see I'm not the only one I'm still concerned it's been two almost 24 hours and I'm still seeing reddish or pinkish urine I drank fresh beet carrot apple juice two days in a row this week .....However when Ive eaten a few slices of beets in the past and this never happened ... This is the first time I'm seeing discoloration . I'm always super paranoid ��

Unknown said...

Huhhh OMG red pee almost killed me, i started crying literally...I drank a beetroot juice today afternoon, and didn't observed till now...after coming from office went for pee and got shocked what the hell...

Google it...and saw Blood in urine are symptoms for some shitty disease called Humeture, bleeder cancer...

What a relief after reading this post...But still i need to see a doctor can't take any risk...

Unknown said...

Haha!! Happenining to me right now, how i ended up here. Scared the crap out of me too!

Unknown said...

OMG! So glad to read this. I fed my 4 year old 1 cup of fresh beets for a snack yeaterday, noticed the pink pee and thought-oh yeah the BEETS! But it is still pink today, wasn't sure how long this will last. He balks at peeing sometimes, so I was concerned about it actually being an infection. Good to know that the discoloration can last more than one day. THANKS to all who have replied! Set this mommy's mind at ease.

Unknown said...

Omg, this afternoon had lovely bbq with plenty of fresh beetroot. Came home and was very concerned at pink pee. So pkeased i got on website and rested my worried mind. I am at mo on iron tabs, so hope tabs are working!

Mena said...

Oh wow! Just reading these. I thought of going to the ER too. Couldn't figure it out at first. I ate roasted beets this morning and it didn't take long before my urine was pink. I didn't put it together until seeing it twice & then remembering the roasted beets. I also came on online to look it up just to make sure. I guess there's plenty of us 10-20% people who have this issue.

Unknown said...

Good to know! I was a bit freaked as I started juicing and today both were red/pinkish! Feel better reading these:-)

churocks said...

Thanks for this blog.i ate strawberry flavored coloring popcorn.i dont know what kind of coloring food they put on that popcorn after 2 hours my urine is light pink.i freak out!!! Then i realized it is the coloring of that popcorn makes my pee turns light pink.

KitKat said...

It's normal, especially if you roast them. Beets turn your P/P pink/red. I eat a beet and a few hours later I'm peeing pink. No worries. It'll go away. :)

Unknown said...

WOW Judging by the #'s I'd say that 15% is on the LOW side!!! I have to say this was the first time my urine changed color with fresh beets. I LOOOVE FRESH BEETS, I eat them on a pretty regular basis & Ive DEF noticed the red/pink tinge in #2 but never in my p til I made fresh beets on Thanksgiving. I was somewhat dehydrated that day but once I got my H2o intake balance the color was gonna, but I got scared outta my wits til I googled it..Then I got scared AGAIN cuz I'm always terrified that I'll read something someone put up as a prank/joke, which is why I decided to read a few more & was lucky enuf to find y'all. THANK U! for this post/info! I'm sure u get thank u's all the time,but i was SO scared, thanks again!

strongwindsahead said...

I'm always glad when I hear about my blog post assuaging people's fears! Yeah, I think 15% is definitely on the low side. At least for me, I can't honestly think of a time I had beets and it DID NOT change the color of my pee. lol

And yeah, in this era of fake news it's important to look at sources and citations. Again, glad to provide a resource for all of us in our post-beet eating freak out state. :)

Unknown said...

I'm here for the same reason everyone else is. I freaked or after 2 pee breaks was light pink assuming I had a UTI then I thought about the beets. I have high BP and beets are supposed to help lower it so I bought fresh beets for the first time and roasted them. I've always eaten picked jarred beets so this was a first for me. I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were and ate 3 whole beets. Was so glad to find this page. Thanks for all three people commenting. I also just has blood work done 3 days and my iron was fine. Healthy all but the high BP.

Kelly said...

I was lead here by google because the same thing happened to me. I was thinking of going to urgent care and remembered that I ate a beet salad for lunch. Thanks for post.

Unknown said...

My daughter loves beets, she is 10 months old and Eats them weekly, I'd say probably 4x a week. Only recently has her diapers been pink, do you think i could be feeding her too much? or is it just a delayed reaction? any similar stories would help greatly.

Ashley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ashley said...

I am expecting my third child and I've been using my new juicer like a produce-loving maniac. As you can imagine, being pregnant and seeing RED in the bathroom is NOT a pleasant sight. Very relieved to find this site. Phew! Thanks for all the comments, people! ♡

Anonymous said...

I had Beet chips today and my urine is red and I freaked out

Chrissy said...

Lol I'm like the rest of you...I found this blog because I pressure cooked some fresh beets and though I was losing a kidney! Lol whew! I also get smelly per from asparagus...I think they are related.

Chrissy said...

Thank you!!

Tinker said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tinker said...

Fresh grown beets do cause urine to turn red. The other week I made pickled eggs for the first time with fresh grown beets. At first I thought maybe I wasn't drinking enough water. Then after trying the eggs again a few days later I noticed the deep red color.

Unknown said...

I've been pissing red for the past few hours and I had no idea it was the freshly roasted beets from the farmers market. I ate 3 of them for lunch and and sure enough a few hours later it looks like I'm pissing blood, freaked me out!

William said...

I was looking for this kind of information that I received from here.. salus red beet

Cath.H said...

I've just had the same experience tonight. Only just remembered I'd been eating fresh baked beetroot earlier on. I was for emergency call with sample to dr first thing to n morning . Thank goodness it a common acurrence. Thanks everyone

Unknown said...

It actually made my everything turn a strange color. My urine was almost peach colored which was somewhat worrisome but then the next day my stools were bright red and then the lightbulb went off in my head. I had eaten a handful of Beet Chips before my workout the night before. I have a fast metabolism so it stained EVERYTHING right away. I drank tons of water obviously thinking I was dehydrated and BOOM GONE! But not before I emailed the Dr. so he could schedule me a UA just to be on the safe side. NEVER overlook discolored urine and stools. I had really only eaten about 10 chips and the color changes were dramatic.

Unknown said...

I've eaten beetroot for years and never once had pink pee,until yesterday.Nearly died a bloody death.Been drinking loads of water and it did clear but have noticed it was abit pinkish earlier.glad to have found this site.Thanks.

Unknown said...

I've eaten beetroot for years and never once had pink per,until yesterday. Nearly died a death when I noticed it was a pinkish colour.been drinking lots of water and it did clear but has since returned.glad to have found this site. Thanks.

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