Beets Can Turn Poop and Pee Red: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Freak Out

There’s nothing like waking up in the morning, using the restroom … and jumping out of your skin when you notice that your pee or poop is bright red. Are you bleeding, or is that beet salad you ate last night coming back for a visit?

It’s probably the beet salad.

Urologist Andrew Altman, MD, explains why.

Why beets turn urine and stool red

Beets can turn your urine and stool red because they contain a pigment called betanin, which some people can’t fully metabolize.

Studies suggest that only about 10% to 14% of the population experiences red pee (beeturia) after eating beets. Beet poop, which hasn’t been honored with a fancy medical name of its own, is far more common.

“If your stomach isn’t acidic enough, a lot of that pigment will get by the stomach and be dumped into the colon instead,” Dr. Altman explains. “That’s why eating beets is more likely to turn your stool (poop) a reddish amber color.”

Though beet pee is far less common, it’s more likely if you eat a lot of beets at once.

“When you eat lots of beets, the betanin is absorbed through the wall of the gut and enters your bloodstream,” he continues. “When that blood gets filtered by your kidneys, you end up with red urine. But it doesn’t happen that often.”

What affects whether it happens?

If you’ve ever wondered why some meals with beets in them change your pee or poop color and others don’t, you’re not the only one. Turns out, there are lots of different factors that determine the impact eating beets has on your waste. Let’s take a look.

The amount and kind of beets you eat

The way you prepare and eat beets may dictate whether eating them changes the color of your urine and stool.

“Beeturia happens with pure beets, not foods with processed beet flavor in them,” Dr. Altman clarifies. So, that breakfast cereal that uses natural dye and the beet powder you add to your smoothies are unlikely to have any effect.

And raw beets and beet juice are likely to create a stronger pink or red hue than cooked beets. The number of beets you eat or drink can affect your pee and poop color, too.

Side note: Golden beets aren’t red. But they do contain betanin. And that means they, too, can give your pee and poo a pinkish hue.

Acid levels

As with your pee, the acidity level of the fluids in your stomach and small bowel helps dictate whether you’ll have red urine or stool after eating beets. Ditto for systemic imbalances, like metabolic acidosis (too much acid) or alkalosis (not enough acid).

Genetics, your diet and chronic conditions like diabetes can affect acidity levels throughout your body, too.

Iron deficiency

Beet pee can sometimes be associated with iron-deficiency anemia, though the same isn’t true of beet poop.

“Beeturia is connected with iron-deficiency anemia because most of the beet ends up being broken down in the stomach and the proximal gut,” Dr. Altman says. “There’s less betanin dumped into the lower gut, which means less red pigment in the stool.”

Interestingly, having too much iron in your blood (hemochromatosis) may also increase your odds of beeturia.

So, if you notice that eating beets turns your pee red, do you need to see a doctor? Beeturia won’t necessarily raise any eyebrows at your provider’s office

“I don’t ask people about beeturia to look for iron deficiency anemia,” he continues. “But if someone mentions it, I’ll look in their chart — just to check on the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels from their most recent bloodwork. If they’re low, then I’ll make a referral, usually back to their primary care provider.”

Other medical conditions

You’re more likely to experience red pee and poop after eating beets if:

• You have a health condition that affects your ability to digest and absorb nutrients, like a food sensitivity, irritable bowel disease (IBD) or celiac disease.
• Your kidneys aren’t functioning properly.
• You take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

In the past, some people theorized that having red pee or poop after eating beets was a sign of a beet allergy. But researchers now know that an allergy is unlikely to affect your pee or poop color.

Is it dangerous?

While seeing a bunch of red in your toilet can be frightening, there’s nothing dangerous about the red pee or poop you get from beets.

“It’s totally benign,” Dr. Altman reassures. “It’s more of a curiosity, and on its own it doesn’t really mean much.”

Red pee and poop that isn’t caused by betanin is another story altogether.

When to be concerned

When it’s not related to beets, red urine or poop can be a sign of real medical problems.

“If it’s not beeturia, it could be blood in your urine (hematuria) or blood in your stool (hematochezia),” Dr. Altman stresses. “That’s serious and has to be investigated further.”

Always contact your primary care provider if your pee is pink, red, brown or black and if:

• You haven’t eaten beets, dragon fruit (pitaya), blackberries, rhubarb or food that’s been dyed red within the past 48 hours.
• You did eat one of those foods, and your pee or poop is still red 48 hours later.
• You take medications that affect your “normal” pee or poop color.
• You have an iron-deficiency anemia diagnosis.
• You’re at high risk for kidney stones, bladder cancer or other urinary or gastroesophageal issues.
• It burns or hurts when you pee.

If you’re being treated by a urologist or gastroenterologist for an ongoing problem that involves bleeding — like ulcers, kidney stones or hemorrhoids — contact them instead of your primary care provider.

Final thoughts

While beets changing the color of your pee or poop can be a bit disconcerting, don’t let that keep you from eating them.

“They taste great, and they’re good for you,” Dr. Altman says. “Just make sure you take occasional beet breaks so you can be sure they’re behind the red in your toilet.”