Can Beets Change the Color of Your Urine?

Beets, also known as 'beetroots' are very healthy foods that can benefit the body in various ways by bringing a lot of positive changes in overall health. They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and they are also rich in vitamin B and C. In spite of being so rich in nutrition, beets are not something that are consumed on a regular basis.

In fact, people who are health conscious consume them often, especially athletes and sportsperson who drink beet juice on a regular basis as it tends to increase their stamina and energy which helps them in working out and exercising in a better way. But can eating beets change the color of your urine?

Yes, they can. As we already know, our urine is nothing but the waste material that is filtered from the kidneys. It consists of various bodily fluids including the remains of what we eat. Beets tend to make the urine pink, reddish or smoky brown in color, although, not all people tend to experience urine discoloration after eating them.

Research states that only 10-14 percent of the population tend to experience urine discoloration after consuming beets. Which is why when most of the people hear that beets can cause changes in the color of the urine, they fail to agree with the same.

You would be surprised to know that beets not only tend to change the color of the urine, they also tend to change the color of your stool.

Urine discoloration occurs due to the presence of certain phytochemicals like the carotenoids and the flavonoids in beets, however most of the people tend to have no discoloration because the acid present in their stomach tends to wash off these substances.

But some people (10%-14%) tend to secrete these substances through their urine, making the color of the urine different from normal. When urine changes color due to the consumption of beets, the condition is known as beeturia. Though beeturia is considered to be a side effect of beets, it isn't harmful at all.

In fact, with beets having so many health benefits, you can easily avoid the so-called 'side effect' of this vegetable. However, if you notice discoloration of your urine but don't remember consuming beets recently, then you must not ignore the change in urine color.

Change in the urine color can be a sign of health issues like urinary tract infection, kidney infection, tuberculosis or enlarged prostate. So make sure to get yourself checked if the discoloration persists for more than a few days.

So, yes, the color of your urine does change by beetroot consumption, but it may be observed only for a day or two after heavy consumption of beetroots, and does not persist for long. Apart from beets, other food items like blackberries, dark leafy vegetables, food colorings, and multivitamins can also cause discoloration of your urine.

But that should not keep you from reaping the health benefits of beets and other such foods. In order to prevent the change in color of urine on consuming beets, you need to drink a lot of water with it. Water will diminish the effect of phtyochemicals present in the beetroot and will keep your urine color normal.

An additional benefit of drinking water would be that you will not only have a clear urine, but also a clear and glowing skin, so what's there to worry, right?