The technical term for the presence of the red beetroot pigments in urine or stool is beeturia.Scientists from the Universities of Bologna and Urbino in Italy recently showed that betalains can kill colon cancer cells in laboratory studies.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom found a link between oxalic acid, which is a key component of most kidney stones, and beeturia.Oxalic acid is present in many foods, including spinach, rhubarb, and cocoa powder. .
Can Beets Make Your Pee (Or Poop) Red?
Though red-tinged pee or poop is never a welcome sight in the toilet, it may not be cause for alarm if you've recently eaten beets.While occasional beeturia in and of itself is harmless, you should definitely consult a doctor if you're experiencing discoloration every time you ingest the root vegetable.If you have discolored pee or poop more than a day or so after eating beets, call your doctor immediately — this could indicate bleeding, and should be examined ASAP.Betanin, a compound in beets, gives the veggie its vibrant red hue.Anemia, or iron deficiency, occurs when you don't have enough healthy blood cells to carry oxygen to your body's tissues.Stomach acid helps your body metabolize vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.Even if you suspect your red or pink urine or stool is a result of beeturia, you should consult your doctor if it happens often or continues days after you've eaten beets.Blood in stool or urine can indicate serious health conditions that need immediate diagnosis and treatment.High in fiber, folate, vitamin C, iron, and potassium, the tasty root veggie packs a seriously nutritious punch.Lower blood pressure and improve exercise capacity, thanks to high levels of nitric oxide.bowl of beet soup with sour cream and dill Credit: NINJETTE. .
Beets & Blood in the Stool
From borscht soup to grilled vegetable kebabs to vegan cupcakes, beets are increasingly appearing on the menus of fine restaurants and in recipes on foodie websites.Packed with dietary fiber, folate, potassium and manganese, red beets rate high on the list of healthy foods.Factors that influence whether betacyanin passes through your digestive system intact include the acid content of your stomach and the nutrients in other foods eaten along with red beets.This is because blood from the upper part of the digestive system -- including the esophagus, stomach and small intestine -- is altered as it passes through, causing it to lose its red color.If you're otherwise feeling well, noticing reddish stool and urine a day or two after eating red beets is likely harmless and due to betacyanin.A pinkish to purple tint to the toilet water instead of a true red is a tip-off that the reddish coloration of your stool is due to the beets rather than blood.Seek medical help right away if you suspect you're passing blood in your stool and experience any other warning symptoms, including: -- fever or chills -- nausea and vomiting -- severe or worsening abdominal pain -- dizziness or fainting -- paleness, weakness or fatigue. .
Why does eating beets turn my pee and poop red? Are there any
The beetroot pigment called betanin is responsible for the red coloring in urine and feces and this should not cause any health concerns. .
Beeturia: Why Beets Cause Pink Pee in Some People and Not Others
And eating beets can increase your energy level, boost your brain power, and improve your immune system.Even though beeturia isn’t usually a cause for concern and dissipates on its own, red or pink urine after eating beets can sometimes indicate problems with your health.A study found that this condition occurs in about 66 to 80 percent of people with untreated iron deficiency anemia.A healthy level of stomach acid helps your body absorb minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.Because low stomach acid can make it difficult to digest and absorb nutrients, your body may have trouble metabolizing the red pigment in beetroot.Diagnosing beeturia Even if you believe the pigment in beetroot is responsible for red or pink urine, you should still speak with your doctor if discoloration happens often.Your doctor can use this test to check your kidney function by examining your urine for traces of blood and bacteria.Your doctor can use this test to check your kidney function by examining your urine for traces of blood and bacteria.When an iron deficiency or low stomach acid is responsible for red or pink urine, getting rid of beeturia involves treating the underlying problem.Your doctor may even suggest a digestive enzyme, such as Betaine HCL with pepsin, to increase the acid level in your stomach.While there’s no treatment for beeturia when tests rule out other conditions, drinking more water increases urination and helps flush the pigment out of your body sooner. .
Gastrointestinal Bleeding or Blood in the Stool
Symptoms like changes in bowel habits, stool color (to black or red) and consistency and the presence of pain or tenderness may tell the doctor which area of the GI tract is affected.A blood count will indicate whether the patient is anemic and also will give an idea of the extent of the bleeding and how chronic it may be.Endoscopy is a common diagnostic technique that allows direct viewing of the bleeding site.The instrument allows the doctor to see into the esophagus, stomach, duodenum (esophagoduodenoscopy), colon (colonoscopy) and rectum (sigmoidoscopy); to collect small samples of tissue (biopsies); to take photographs; and to stop the bleeding.Some drawbacks of barium X-rays are that they may interfere with other diagnostic techniques if used for detecting acute bleeding, they expose the patient to X-rays and they do not offer the capabilities of biopsy or treatment.In selected situations, angiography allows injection of medicine into arteries that may stop the bleeding.A physician can also cauterize, or heat treat, a bleeding site and surrounding tissue with a heater probe or electrocoagulation device passed through the endoscope.Medication is useful primarily for H. pylori, esophagitis, ulcers, infections and irritable bowel disease.Endoscopic injection or cautery can be used to treat bleeding sites throughout the lower intestinal tract.However, surgery is often needed to control active, severe or recurrent bleeding when endoscopy is not successful. .
Quick Easy Way to Tell if Red in Stools Is Beet Juice » Scary
Perhaps the biggest telltale sign that the red in your poops is from the beet pigment betain, is that it has a glowing, neon-like quality.Even veteran beet eaters can still wonder if the red in their stools is blood, especially if they’ve recently had a digestive problem.Read the descriptions; almost always, there are other items juiced into the beverage, such as carrots, blueberries, apples, celery or some leafy green.Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. .
Rectal Bleeding: Causes, Colors, Tests & When To Call The Doctor
It can be different colors, ranging from bright red to a dark maroon to black.Bright red blood usually means bleeding that’s low in your colon or rectum.Dark red or maroon blood can mean that you have bleeding higher in the colon or in the small bowel.This type of bleeding is usually found during a lab test of a stool sample.In some cases, rectal bleeding can be a minor symptom of a condition that can be easily treated.If it’s heavy, frequent or causing you to worry, call your healthcare provider to check it out.Noticing dark red, black or tarry poop while you are having a bowel movement.This can happen when you have very small amounts of blood in your stool — called occult bleeding.Occult bleeding is usually found during lab tests that look at a sample of your poop to check for small amounts of blood.This is called a fecal occult blood test and it can be used as a way to screen for possible colorectal cancer.Your healthcare provider might recommend this if you have a family history of colorectal cancer.There are certain foods that can change the color of your stool and make it look red or even black. .
Stools with blood
If you are experiencing bloody stools or bleeding from a bowel movement, you may need to see a doctor.Seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing fever, excessive weakness, vomiting, or seeing large amounts of blood in your stool.These include cranberries, tomatoes, beets, or food that is dyed red.These include blueberries, dark leafy vegetables, or black licorice.Blood vessels near the anus that become swollen, due to increased pressure, can bleed or prolapse.Typically, the amount of bleeding from hemorrhoids is small and may be a few drops that appear on toilet paper after passing a stool.Small tears in the lining of the anus, typically from constipation or diarrhea, can cause blood with stools.Your doctor can prescribe additional options to treat an anal fissure that isn’t healing on its own.Your doctor can determine the exact cause of stools with blood.If the blood is red it typically means it came from the lower digestive tract or rectum.If the blood is darker or black, it typically means it came from the upper digestive tract.Whether or not the blood is mixed with the stools or covering it, can also help determine where it came from and what is causing it. .
