Beets, Pink Urine And Celiac Connection?

[Jennas-auntie]

Ok, this was totally unexpected. There's this person I've told maybe they should get tested for celiac, they have some symptoms. Today they told me about 24 hours ago they had beets and their urine has been pink ever since. So I think, hey, that's odd, I wonder what that is about, just look it up to see why your urine would be pink if you eat beets. Come to find out there is a condition called "beeturia" where about 10-14% of the population have this effect from eating beets. Most people eat beets and their urine doesn't change color. Interestingly the articles I've read say they aren't sure why these people aren't able to process it, but it may be linked to malabsorption in the small intestine as one of their causes (of course not actually mentioning celiac specifically)...anybody have this when they were an untreated celiac? The things you learn every day...

[Ursa Major]

Yes, I did, and I thought it was just normal. You know, licorice would turn my stool black, beets would turn my urine pink.........seemed like a logical, normal thing........except, maybe I'm wondering now whether it was. But I'm not the only one in my family who's urine will turn pink from beets. I wonder why now.

[rinne]

Me too, I thought it was normal for people to have pink pee (doesn't that sound cute) but come to think of it I don't remember my pee being pink prior to the last ten years and that is when my digestive issues really started hitting me. And actually I remember the first time I saw it and freaked out for a moment until I remembered the beets but at the time I don't think I thought to try and remember when it hadn't been pink. I wasn't a huge beet eater and could have missed it for years but I am pretty clear that as a child I loved pickled beets and never saw pink pee. Sorry that could probably have been said in two lines rather than that convoluted statement but I am too tired.

Oprah has pink pee from eating beets, she talked about seeing the pink pee in the toilet and calling her doctor in a panic and then remembering that she had eaten beets. Perhaps she would be willing to do a show on "beeturia".

[momandgirls]

It is completely normal to have pink pee after eating fresh beets (it only happens with fresh beets - not canned ones) - it happens to me and everyone and everyone else in my family (diagnosed with Celiac or other digestive problems or not).

[eleep]

That's exactly what I was about to say -- everyone I know reacts that way to fresh beets -- I've been in a room full of people sharing beet-toilet-scare stories and I'm fairly confident that they weren't all celiacs. I also don't have that reaction to canned ones from the salad bar -- perhaps because a lot of the juice has been drained out of them? Dunno.

eleep

[up-late]

I don't think I've had that, but then I've only eaten fresh beets diluted in soup and I do get kidney stones so maybe in the past I've put it down to that.

I have had the licorice thing though, and spagetti, I didn't digest that at all for a while there, until I realised what it was I thought I had worms.

[queenofhearts]

I thought that was perfectly normal, too!

[penguin]

Yet another excuse...erm, reason for me not to eat beets! Having amazing technicolor stool is enough for me, thanks

[mle-ii]

Hmmm... I've got an interesting idea.

Since I'm getting a barium upper gi xray tomorrow and it's known to turn your stool white, and beets are known to turn them red, and perhaps blueberries might turn them blue. I might be able to come up with some patriotic Red, White and Blue Poo.

Wonder what Oprah would think of that?

Mike

[eKatherine]

If all celiacs had this, would that make it a reliable test?

[Ursa Major]

Hmmm... I've got an interesting idea.

Since I'm getting a barium upper gi xray tomorrow and it's known to turn your stool white, and beets are known to turn them red, and perhaps blueberries might turn them blue. I might be able to come up with some patriotic Red, White and Blue Poo.

Wonder what Oprah would think of that?

Mike

Mike, you crack me up.

Okay, what some of you said puts my mind at ease, I agree that having pink pee with fresh beets is probably perfectly normal.

[lpellegr]

I wondered about this too - I noticed a few years ago when I first had fresh beets that it turned my urine pink for a while. Now that I have been gluten-free two years I don't see much in my urine anymore, but I noticed some in my stool - maybe my intestine is less permeable to the color now that it's had time to heal.

[2kids4me]

Its not a test of anything other than beets and other foods can change the color of urine - and its not abnormal.

Just like eating fresh asparagus, makes your pee smell funny, certain drugs can color the urine blue or green (yup, blue), and foods can color the urine.

A usless bit of info : On standing, horse urine will change to a blackish brown - nothing wrong with the horse - thats what horse pee does.

Its normal phenomenon of our bodies and the food we eat.

Add on after posting first time:

Some dyes used in candy may be excreted in the urine, and a wide variety of drugs can discolor the urine.

Pink, red, or smoky brown urine can be a side effect of a medication or may be caused by the recent consumption of beets, blackberries or certain food colorings.

Dark yellow or orange urine can be caused by recent use of laxatives or consumption of B complex vitamins or carotene. Orange urine is often caused by pyridium (used in the treatment of urinary tract infections), rifampin, and warfarin.

Green or blue urine is due to the effect of artificial color in food or drug. It may also result from medications including amitriptyline, indomethacin, and doxorubicin.

Open Original Shared Link

[rinne]

Its not a test of anything other than beets and other foods can change the color of urine - and its not abnormal.

Just like eating fresh asparagus, makes your pee smell funny, certain drugs can color the urine blue or green (yup, blue), and foods can color the urine.

A usless bit of info : On standing, horse urine will change to a blackish brown - nothing wrong with the horse - thats what horse pee does.

Its normal phenomenon of our bodies and the food we eat.

That's great, I am glad to be normal in at least one respect.

[RiceGuy]

Oddly enough, this one I've not had to my recollection at all. I've always loved beets too. Don't know about how long they'd have to cook to alter the effect, but as a child most of the beets I had were fresh from the garden. In fact, my mother would remind me not to be frightened by it, so I guess it happens to her. I have tried to get it into her head she needs to try the gluten-free diet with all her health issues, but she's a stubborn one...

[momandgirls]

Just another example of things turning pee/poop different colors - did you know that artificial grape flavoring (i.e., medications) can turn pee green (especially in infants)? Just one of those strange things...

[whitball]

I have had this happen with canned beets. I usually eat the whole can though. I rarely have the chance to eat the fresh stuff. I was alarmed at first but realized that I had eaten a whole can an figured this was the cause of red/pink pee. Never thought it was an issue til I read this thread. Tara

[Jennas-auntie]

Ok, so I've done a bit more research now. So 10-14% of the population has this happen to them. I've read over the studies and it seems that of these people, many of them "just have it", and it probably isn't related to any pathological condition. However,

"Beeturia is most common in individuals with enhanced iron absorption: in 66-80% of patients with untreated iron-deficiency anemia, 45% of patients receiving treatment for pernicious anemia (augmented iron absoption occurs in this disease during Vitamin B12 treatment), and 33% in non-anemic patients with both malabsorption and biopsy-proven jejunal atrophy (the jejenum plays an important role in iron absorption).3,4,6,7

This suggests that beeturia is more likely to occur at a time of "iron hunger" perhaps via the pathway for iron absorption. Because beeturia can appear and disappear in individuals, at least some of the 14% incidence may be due to the fluctuating nature of iron absorption in normal individuals. 6,7"

(From Open Original Shared Link studies are listed on the bottom and you can get them online also-they make it a bit clearer).

Basically, if you have this, you are probably one of the 10-14% of people who "just have this", but it can be a sign for people with anemia or hematochromatosis, or malabsorption issues (of an undefined nature). It can be influenced by what kind of beets you are eating, and how well your body is able to process betalins. Since oxylate is involved with this process, if you eat lots of spinach or oysters with your beets (high oxylate foods), your urine is more likely to be colored. Because it is not always definitive (some people have it and then not have it, depending, while others will always have it), it can't be used as a test to rule out anemia or hemachromotosis, though people have suggested the idea of it being able to be a warning sign in those disease's favor, in the literature, it doesn't seem reliable enough. However, there are indeed certain diseases that are listed as possible causes or related issues with beeturia.

[kalanfan]

i remember the first time that happened to me.....i thought i was bleeding internally or something....i really freaked out!!!! it was funny

[lonewolf]

I rarely eat beets, except occasionally in borscht, so I can't comment on pink pee. But, in the words of my husband, "I know why bears have green poop". Try eating WAY too many blackberries and it will be a very sickly shade of green.

[justjane]

Its not a test of anything other than beets and other foods can change the color of urine - and its not abnormal.

Just like eating fresh asparagus, makes your pee smell funny, certain drugs can color the urine blue or green (yup, blue), and foods can color the urine.

A usless bit of info : On standing, horse urine will change to a blackish brown - nothing wrong with the horse - thats what horse pee does.

Its normal phenomenon of our bodies and the food we eat.

Add on after posting first time:

I learned in a biology class this summer that if you eat fresh asaragus and your pee smells like asparagus afterwards, then you have a special gene that makes you react like that. Too bad I dont remember what it's called. But, anyway, I thought that that was interesting. Maybe there's a connection there, too?