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Eating raw beets can lead to side effects like gas, bloating, and a change in urine or stool color. While generally safe in moderation, excessive consumption may cause more serious issues such as kidney stones and gout.
1. Red Urine and Stool
Beeturia is the harmless, temporary change in urine and stool color to pink or red after eating beets. This happens because betalain, a pigment in beets, isn’t completely broken down during digestion.
Not everyone who eats beets will notice beeturia. Some factors that can increase your risk include:
- High stomach acidity
- Malabsorption disorders, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease
- Iron deficiency
- Consuming oxalate-rich foods, like spinach, soy, and chocolate
Although beeturia is harmless, it can cause concern as it may be mistaken for blood in the urine (hematuria) or stool (hematochezia).
2. Digestive Distress
Beets contain FODMAPs, short-chain carbohydrates that aren’t easily digested. These can ferment in the large intestine, leading to symptoms like:
- Gas
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain or cramps
- Nausea
- Diarrhea or constipation
Beets are particularly rich in fructans, a type of FODMAP. Humans don’t have the enzymes needed to fully break these down, leading to more undigested fructans in the large intestine.
3. Low Blood Pressure
Beetroot is sometimes used as a complementary approach for managing high blood pressure (hypertension). Beets contain nitrates, which your body converts into nitric oxide gas. Nitric oxide, causes vasodilation, or the widening of blood vessels, increasing blood flow and aiding in lowering blood pressure.
However, consuming too much beetroot can cause excessive vasodilation, resulting in a sudden drop in blood pressure (hypotension), especially in older adults.
Signs of hypotension include:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Weakness or fatigue
- Headache
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
If you have low blood pressure, you might still benefit from eating beets. Just have smaller portions and regularly check your blood pressure to stay within a safe range.
4. Kidney Stones
In addition to nitrates and FODMAPs, beets are a rich source of a naturally occurring compound called oxalate. Beetroot contains roughly 76 milligrams (mg) of oxalate per one-half cup serving.
For most healthy people, dietary oxalate is not a concern. However, for individuals prone to kidney stones, the excessive consumption of beets can lead to oxalate crystallization and the formation of oxalate stones.
If you have a history of kidney stones, limit your oxalate intake to no more than 40 to 50 mg per day. Studies suggest that even a 5-mg increase can raise your risk of kidney stones by two-fold.
5. Gout
Beets contain compounds called purines that can contribute to gout, an inflammatory form of arthritis known as gout.
Uric acid is produced when your body breaks down purines. If there is too much uric acid in the blood—either because your body produces too much or the kidneys don’t filter out enough—uric acid crystals can start to form and settle in joints, triggering an inflammatory response.
Symptoms of gout include:
- Sudden, severe joint pain, most often in the big toe
- Joint swelling, redness, and warmth
- Pain that worsens with movement
While not an especially rich source of purines (around 9 mg per 3/4-cup serving), beets can increase the risk of a gout flare-up if consumed in excess.
For people with a history of gout, experts generally recommend limiting their daily purine intake to no more than 200 mg from all sources.
6. Kidney Injury
As a root vegetable, beets can accumulate heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and mercury if grown in metal-contaminated soil. In North America, the risk of metal contamination is greatest around industrial plants and mines and in urban gardens in poorer communities.
Studies have shown that beetroot, next to carrots, has the highest amounts of heavy metals among vegetables. If consumed in large quantities and/or over a long period, these contaminated vegetables can lead to symptoms and complications of metal poisoning.
Examples include:
- Cadmium poisoning can lead to severe anemia, kidney stones, kidney failure, and bone disorders like osteoporosis.
- Lead poisoning can lead to anemia, neurological symptoms (such as headaches, mood changes, vision problems, and seizures), and kidney failure.
- Mercury poisoning can also lead to kidney damage, kidney failure, and neurological symptoms.
To avoid metal-contaminated food, peel and wash produce thoroughly and choose organic whenever possible.
Read the original article on Verywell Health
