What Causes Reddish Brown Stools After Consuming Beetroot?

Posted on Sat, 14 Apr 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 14 Apr 2018 Answered on

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 Last reviewed on

Question : I ate beets on my salad 3 days ago and yesterday morning and this morning my stool has been reddish brown with red specs in it and the stool turns the water around it red Before this i had no problems in fact i just gad my yearly physical and complete blood work do e and everything was fine

Answered by Dr. salah saad shoman (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Due to the beets most likely

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

Please note that beets contain a chemical substance called betacyanin which tends to turn stools red or purple in color.

However, if this continues more than three-four days then you should get a stool micro-analysis to exclude the presence of blood in stools.

Hope I have answered your query.

Regards,
Dr. Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee