Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBeeturia AppearanceCausesAssociated ConditionsOther Causes of Red UrineBeets in StoolWhen to See a ProviderTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Beeturia Appearance
Causes
Associated Conditions
Other Causes of Red Urine
Beets in Stool
When to See a Provider
Treatment
Beeturia is when urine is turned pink or red after eating something that contains beets or beetroot. The color change can be alarming, but it’s considered harmless if it is from a food. However, it’s also important to know that certain medical conditions can cause pink or red pee, such as a urinary tract infection or kidney disease.
This article will discuss how beets turn urine (and stools) pink or red, other reasons for reddish urine, and when treatment is needed.
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What Does Beeturia Look Like?
Urine is usually a range of yellow tones. Pale yellow usually indicates proper hydration, while dark yellow can mean dehydration. Beeturia is a condition in which the urine turns a pinkish or reddish hue. It happens after eating something that contains beets or beetroot. Beets contain a red substance that can change the color of urine.
What Causes Beeturia?
Whole beets and the coloring extracted from beets can both cause beeturia. The pigment in beets and other foods that give them their yellow, red, or purple color are called betalains.
The red colorant extracted from beets is called betanin (also called beetroot red). Betanin is used in various products in the United States and Europe, such as food, medications, and cosmetics, to give them a red coloring.
How Long Beeturia LastsBeeturia will stop once betalain is no longer in the diet. The urine color change may appear in the first few hours after drinking something containing beetroot. It may continue for a day or two after eating the coloring, especially in the stool.
How Long Beeturia Lasts
Beeturia will stop once betalain is no longer in the diet. The urine color change may appear in the first few hours after drinking something containing beetroot. It may continue for a day or two after eating the coloring, especially in the stool.
Does Beeturia Indicate an Underlying Condition?
Beeturia is from eating or drinking something that contains betalains. It is not thought to be harmful, although it could be startling.
Often, thinking back on what you ate or drank during the day will help you identify where the red coloring came from. Beets or beet juice itself is the obvious cause. However, processed foods such as protein drinks or powders may also contain pink or red coloring derived from beet extract.
If red or pink urine is not due to beeturia, it could be from a health condition.
Is Beeturia Serious?
If you do not believe you have eaten anything containing beetroot but your urine has turned pink or red or other symptoms are present, contact a healthcare provider for guidance.
What Else Could Make Urine Pink or Red?
An older study shows that 10% to 14% of people have pink or red urine after eating beets or food containing beetroot.It’s also thought (based on another older study) that as many as 45% of people who havepernicious anemiawill experience red urine after eating beets or beetroot.
Foods other than beets could also cause red urine or stool.These include blackberries, cranberries, pomegranates, fava beans, and hibiscus tea.
Red food coloring not derived from beets, such as red dye number 40 (listed on ingredients labels as “Red 40” or “Red #40”), used in cakes, cookies, frostings, and candy, can also cause red urine or stool.
When it is not from a food coloring (either natural or manufactured), red coloring in the stool or urine could be blood.Blood in the urinecan occur with common conditions such asurinary tract infectionsorkidney stones.It could also, less commonly, be a symptom of a blood disorder or cancer.
Can Beets Change the Color of Stool?
Eating beets or beetroot could also change thecolor of stool. The food we eat affects our poop as well as our pee. The red color in beets could lead to the stool appearing closer to a red than a brown color.
Having bowel surgery, especially acolectomy(surgery to remove part or all of the large intestine), can cause a pronounced red color in stool as well.
When Should I See a Healthcare Provider?
After eating beets or another red or pink food, processed or unprocessed, the urine or stool could appear on the red spectrum. Thinking back on what was eaten or drunk in the last day or two could make the reason for the change obvious.
If you suspect the red coloring may be from beets, stop eating the foods as a first step in determining cause. The red color should start to go away within a day or two, or possibly sooner.
Reddish urine or stool that continues after you stop eating red foods could indicate an underlying health condition. If you experience the following symptoms along with reddish urine, see a healthcare provider:
Diagnostic Tests
Tests might be used to rule out other reasons for pink to red urine, including blood. Blood in the urine is called hematuria.Tests may include:
Treatment for Associated Conditions
The treatment for blood in the urine or other symptoms in the urinary tract will be based on the diagnosed condition.
If there is a kidney or urinary tract infection, antibiotics will be used. The type of antibiotics used will be chosen so that they are best suited to kill the bacteria.
Bladder cancerwill usually be treated with surgery and possibly also with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and/or targeted therapy.
A healthcare provider will treat conditions that might cause blood in the urine or other symptoms as needed.
Summary
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sadowska-Bartosz I, Bartosz G.Biological properties and applications of betalains.Molecules. 2021;26:2520. doi:10.3390/molecules26092520Hadipour E, Taleghani A, Tayarani-Najaran N, Tayarani-Najaran Z.Biological effects of red beetroot and betalains: a review.Phytother Res.2020;34:1847-1867. doi:10.1002/ptr.6653Watts AR, Lennard MS, Mason SL, Tucker GT, Woods HF.Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments.Pharmacogenetics. 1993;3:302-311.Sotos JG.Beeturia and iron absorption.Lancet. 1999;354:1032. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)76638-1.University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.Stools with blood.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behinds the color of urine. August 22, 2018.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hematuria (blood in the urine). July 2020.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for bladder infection in adults. March 2017.National Cancer Institute.Bladder cancer treatment. February 16, 2023.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for kidney stones. May 2017.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sadowska-Bartosz I, Bartosz G.Biological properties and applications of betalains.Molecules. 2021;26:2520. doi:10.3390/molecules26092520Hadipour E, Taleghani A, Tayarani-Najaran N, Tayarani-Najaran Z.Biological effects of red beetroot and betalains: a review.Phytother Res.2020;34:1847-1867. doi:10.1002/ptr.6653Watts AR, Lennard MS, Mason SL, Tucker GT, Woods HF.Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments.Pharmacogenetics. 1993;3:302-311.Sotos JG.Beeturia and iron absorption.Lancet. 1999;354:1032. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)76638-1.University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.Stools with blood.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behinds the color of urine. August 22, 2018.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hematuria (blood in the urine). July 2020.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for bladder infection in adults. March 2017.National Cancer Institute.Bladder cancer treatment. February 16, 2023.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for kidney stones. May 2017.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sadowska-Bartosz I, Bartosz G.Biological properties and applications of betalains.Molecules. 2021;26:2520. doi:10.3390/molecules26092520Hadipour E, Taleghani A, Tayarani-Najaran N, Tayarani-Najaran Z.Biological effects of red beetroot and betalains: a review.Phytother Res.2020;34:1847-1867. doi:10.1002/ptr.6653Watts AR, Lennard MS, Mason SL, Tucker GT, Woods HF.Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments.Pharmacogenetics. 1993;3:302-311.Sotos JG.Beeturia and iron absorption.Lancet. 1999;354:1032. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)76638-1.University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.Stools with blood.Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behinds the color of urine. August 22, 2018.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hematuria (blood in the urine). July 2020.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for bladder infection in adults. March 2017.National Cancer Institute.Bladder cancer treatment. February 16, 2023.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for kidney stones. May 2017.
Sadowska-Bartosz I, Bartosz G.Biological properties and applications of betalains.Molecules. 2021;26:2520. doi:10.3390/molecules26092520
Hadipour E, Taleghani A, Tayarani-Najaran N, Tayarani-Najaran Z.Biological effects of red beetroot and betalains: a review.Phytother Res.2020;34:1847-1867. doi:10.1002/ptr.6653
Watts AR, Lennard MS, Mason SL, Tucker GT, Woods HF.Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments.Pharmacogenetics. 1993;3:302-311.
Sotos JG.Beeturia and iron absorption.Lancet. 1999;354:1032. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)76638-1.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.Stools with blood.
Urology Care Foundation.The meaning behinds the color of urine. August 22, 2018.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Hematuria (blood in the urine). July 2020.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for bladder infection in adults. March 2017.
National Cancer Institute.Bladder cancer treatment. February 16, 2023.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for kidney stones. May 2017.
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