Beeturia: When Beets Turn Urine Pink to Red
Medically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MDMedically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MD
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.
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.
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?
Beeturia is not serious. It is caused by pigments in beets or beetroot excreted in the urine (which may also color the stool). It will go away when foods containing beetroot are no longer eaten. It is not a symptom of an underlying condition.
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 have pernicious anemia will experience red urine after eating beets or beetroot.
This is because pernicious anemia causes a decrease in red blood cells because the body can't absorb enough vitamin B12, which affects red blood cells’ health and function. So, while beeturia is harmless, it could sometimes be caused by anemia.
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 urine can occur with common conditions such as urinary tract infections or kidney 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 the color 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 a colectomy (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:
Burning or pain while peeing
Changes in mental state such as anxiety, confusion, or hallucinations
Fatigue
Fever
Leaking urine
Muscle weakness
New or worsening stool changes (constipation or diarrhea)
Weight loss
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:
Blood tests might check for high white blood cell counts, which could indicate an infection, or low red blood cell counts or low hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells carrying oxygen), which indicate anemia.
Urinalysis tests urine for the presence of blood or other cells and substances that could indicate a urinary tract infection.
Computed tomography (CT) scan is a type of X-ray that can make detailed images of the tissues and organs of the urinary tract.
Cystoscopy uses a thin tube inserted into the urethra (the tube by which urine exits the body) and bladder to look for inflammation or signs of disease.
Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is a type of X-ray used along with contrast dye to see the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
Kidney biopsy collects a piece of tissue from the kidney to look for damage or disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses strong magnets and radio waves to make images of the structures of the urinary tract.
Ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image of the organs in the abdomen, including the kidneys.
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 cancer will usually be treated with surgery and possibly also with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and/or targeted therapy.
Kidney stones might be removed by accessing the kidney through the back or inserting a special tube into the urethra. Stones could also be broken up with shock waves, which makes it easier for the pieces to pass through urination.
A healthcare provider will treat conditions that might cause blood in the urine or other symptoms as needed.
Summary
Beeturia is caused 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. If there are symptoms associated with it, however, including pain or problems with urination, seek care from a healthcare provider. A condition that is causing blood to appear in the urine will be diagnosed and treated as needed.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
