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Beeturia is the passing of red or pink
The red color seen in beeturia is caused by the presence of unmetabolized betalain pigments such as betanin in beetroot passed through the body. The pigments are absorbed in the colon. Betalains are oxidation-sensitive
Beeturia is the passing of red or pink urine
Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and many other animals. In placental mammals, urine flows from the Kidney (vertebrates), kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder and exits the urethra through the penile meatus (mal ...
after eating beetroots or foods colored with beetroot extract or beetroot betalain pigment
A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...
s. The color is caused by the excretion of the betalain pigments, such as betanin.
The coloring is highly variable between individuals and between different feeding occasions, and can vary in intensity from light pink urine to strongly-colored deep red urine. The condition is benign and dissipates promptly with avoidance of beet foods. Beeturia occurs in about 10-14% of the public, with higher frequency and intensity occurring in people with iron deficiency, pernicious anemia or digestive diseases.
The pigment is sensitive to oxidative degradation under strongly acid
An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
ic conditions. Therefore, the urine coloring depends on stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the upper gastrointestinal tract of Human, humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The Ancient Greek name for the stomach is ''gaster'' which is used as ''gastric'' in medical t ...
acidity and dwell time, as well as the presence in foods of betalain-protecting substances, such as oxalic acid
Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and chemical formula , also written as or or . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name i ...
. Beeturia is often associated with red or pink feces.
Cause
The red color seen in beeturia is caused by the presence of unmetabolized betalain pigments such as betanin in beetroot passed through the body. The pigments are absorbed in the colon. Betalains are oxidation-sensitive redox indicator
A redox indicator (also called an oxidation-reduction indicator) is an indicator which undergoes a definite color change at a specific electrode potential.
The requirement for fast and reversible color change means that the oxidation-reduction Ch ...
s that are decolorized by hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungency, pungent smell. It is classified as a acid strength, strong acid. It is ...
, ferric ions, and colonic bacteria preparations. The gut flora
Gut microbiota, gut microbiome, or gut flora are the microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, that live in the digestive tracts of animals. The gastrointestinal metagenome is the aggregate of all the genomes of the g ...
play a not-yet-evaluated role in the breakdown of the pigment.
Differential diagnosis
The incidence of beeturia increases in people with pernicious anemia and iron deficiency. There is no known relation to deficiencies in liver metabolism or removal from the body by the kidneys. There is no known direct genetic influence, and no single gene variant, that differentiates excreters from non-excreters.Factors
The extent of excreted pigment depends on the beet pigment content of the meal, including the addition of concentrated beetroot extract as afood additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...
to certain processed foods. Storage conditions of the beet foods, including light
Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...
, heat, and oxygen
Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...
exposure, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles could degrade the beet pigments. Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the upper gastrointestinal tract of Human, humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The Ancient Greek name for the stomach is ''gaster'' which is used as ''gastric'' in medical t ...
acidity and dwell time may affect urine color intensity. The presence of beet pigment-protecting substances, such as oxalic acid, in the meal and during intestinal passage, increase the color intensity in the urine. Medications may affect stomach acidity, such as proton pump inhibitor
Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a class of medications that cause a profound and prolonged reduction of stomach acid production. They do so by irreversibly inhibiting the stomach's H+/K+ ATPase proton pump. The body eventually synthesizes ne ...
s, thereby affecting urine color.
See also
*Food coloring
Food coloring, color additive or colorant is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or beverages. Colorants can be supplied as liquids, powders, gels, or pastes. Food coloring is commonly used in commercia ...
* Porphyria
Porphyria ( or ) is a group of disorders in which substances called porphyrins build up in the body, adversely affecting the skin or nervous system. The types that affect the nervous system are also known as Porphyria#Acute porphyrias, acute p ...
, a group of disorders that may cause reddish urine
* Blue diaper syndrome
References
{{reflist Symptoms and signs: Urinary system Urine