The beetroot (beetroot / beetroot juice) test is a test for intestinal tightness. If you see red urine after drinking beetroot juice, it is supposed to mean leaky gut, say proponents of this study. The thing is, a disease like leaky gut doesn't exist. So what does red urine mean after drinking beet juice and is there anything to be afraid of?

The beetroot test (beetroot / beetroot juice)is a test forintestinal leakage . If you see red urine after drinking beetroot juice, it is supposed to mean leaky gut, say proponents of this study. The thing is, a disease such as leaky gut is not considered a disease entity by EBM (evidence-based medicine).

Leaky gut syndrome, in which the small intestine allegedly forms microscopic "holes" through which unwanted substances, such as toxins, enter the body, has not been included in the International Classification of Diseases and He alth Problems.

It is, however, the subject of interest in the circle of the so-called natural medicine. So what does red urine mean after drinking beet juice (bituria) and is there anything to be afraid of?

The beetroot (beetroot juice) test and intestinal leakage - how to do?

Testbeetroot juice is a method used in the so-called alternative medicine, supposedly to diagnose leaky gut syndrome.

The beetroot test for intestinal tightnessinvolves drinking 3-4 glasses (about 1 liter) of beetroot juice before going to bed.

It is best to reach for freshly squeezed beetroot juice or buy one-day juice in the store, because such juices are unpasteurized.

The juices in the carton are pasteurized to have a longer expiry date. And the high temperature during pasteurization destroys some of the betanins, i.e. the beet dye.

Check your urine color in the morning. The test can also be performed during the day - then you should observe the first urine after drinking beetroot juice.

If your urine has turned red or pink, this is a sign of leaky gut.

This is reportedly a condition in which thousands of erosions unseal the gastrointestinal mucosa.

It is necessary to introduce a proper diet to "seal" the intestines -persuade supporters of the beet juice test.

The thing is, there is no such thing as leaky gut syndrome (if the gut were indeed leaky - it is technically known as intestinal perforation - the patient would need intensive care). So why is urine red after eating beetroot or drinking beetroot juice?

Red urine after beet juice - reasons

In this case, the dyes contained in beets - betacyanins (specifically those belonging to this group of betanins) - are responsible for the red color of urine.

They are not widely distributed in plant-based foods. They are found only in red beet, chard, prickly pear, pitaya, ulluko and amaranth.

In Poland, red beet is the richest source of these pigments.

Unchanged betanins are excreted in human urine in an amount from 0.28 to 0.9%. (in case of consumption of betanins from beet juice)

Probably such a low content of betanins is a consequence of low absorption from the intestine. The reason may be, for example, the fact that betanins are highly sensitive to changes in pH and elevated temperature, and they are exposed to such environmental conditions during passage through the digestive tract.

The action of a number of digestive enzymes should also be taken into account, especially enzymes produced by the intestinal microflora, which largely degrade this type of compounds.

The extent of absorption of betanins is also influenced by the degree of their release from the organic substance of the food and the interaction with other compounds of the same nature contained in the consumed food .¹

Red beet urine - what does it mean?

After eating beetroots, betanins are found in the urine of all people, but only about 10-14 percent¹ of them color the urine red. Why?

Until recently, it was thought that red urine excretion after eating red beet, or bituria, was a symptom of a disease-related condition caused by beetroot ingredients or a consequence of a genetic defect .¹

Today it is known that this is not true. Currently, bituria is defined as an idiosyncratic reaction of an organism, depending only on its individual physiological characteristics .¹

After eating beetroots, betanins are found in the urine of all people, but only in some people they color the urine red.

The color of betanins depends on the pH of the environment in which they are located. Optimum red color stability is between pH 4 and pH 5 .³ They lose their color at pH 7 and above (i.e. in a neutral and alkaline environment), similar toextremely low pH (at the level of 1-2 pH) .³

Therefore, whether the urine turns red after drinking beetroot juice depends, among others, on from its pH. Betanins will only stain acidic urine red (alkaline urine will not stain it).

The color of your urine after eating beetroots also depends on the acidity of your stomach. Betanins lose their color under the influence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach (the correct pH of which is 1.5). In this regard, some researchers have suggested that red urine after eating beetroot may suggest stomach acidity (acidosis), meaning that there is too little gastric juice.

Research has also shown that substances such as oxalic acid and ascorbic acid may act as protective agents to reduce the degradation of this dye by stomach acid .³

The color stability of betanins is also influenced by temperature. At high temperatures, such as during cooking or exposure to sunlight, the pigments in beetroot decompose, so that the urine of boiled beets will be less red than that of raw beets. The degradation of the dye is also caused by repeated cycles of thawing and freezing beets.

The level of hydration of the body is also important, as it affects the volume of urine and the dilution of the dye in it. In the case of dehydration, the dye in the urine will be more concentrated, and therefore the red color of the urine will be more intense than in a person with an adequate level of hydration.

Red beet urine may indicate iron deficiency

Bituria can also be a sign of iron deficiency, in the course of which there is increased absorption of betanin. According to one study², bituria was present in 66-80% of patients with untreated iron deficiency anemia and in 45 percent. patients receiving treatment for pernicious anemia (a condition where iron absorption is increased). In seven such patients, the problem of bituria was resolved after 8 days of iron therapy. It is also associated with food allergies and malabsorption syndrome.

Worth knowing

Why don't tomatoes or cherries color the urine?

Because they contain a different type of pigments - anthocyanins - which are absorbed even less than betacyanins. In addition - unlike the pigments contained in beetroots - they are metabolized, therefore they are excreted in a changed form (colorless metabolites).

Category:

Alternative medicine