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.
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What Does Beeturia Look Like?
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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 red colorant extracted from beets is called betanin (also called beetroot red).
It is still unclear how much betalain is absorbed by the body.
Betalain is also excreted through urine.
After drinking beet juice, the highest amounts of betalain show up in urine two to four hours later.
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.
Beets or beet juice itself is the obvious cause.
If red or pink urine is not due to beeturia, it could be from a health condition.
Is Beeturia Serious?
Beeturia is not serious.
It will go away when foods containing beetroot are no longer eaten.
It is not a symptom of an underlying condition.
What Else Could Make Urine Pink or Red?
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.
When Should I See a Healthcare Provider?
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 there is a kidney or urinary tract infection, antibiotics will be used.
The key in of antibiotics used will be chosen so that they are best suited to kill the bacteria.
Kidney stonesmight be removed by accessing the kidney through the back or inserting a special tube into the urethra.
A healthcare provider will treat conditions that might cause blood in the urine or other symptoms as needed.
Summary
Beeturia is sparked by color in foods or drinks and is not a reason for concern.
It will go away when those foods are no longer in the diet.
A condition that is causing blood to appear in the urine will be diagnosed and treated as needed.
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