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Beeturia and Hemochromatosis.

Posted , 3 users are following.

robert71867
robert71867

Greetings.

Waiting on my DNA results for Hemochromatosis.

I have always found red beets to easy stomach pain, don't know why.

However I do experience a harmless side effect called Beeturia. Red/pink urine and fecal matter after eating beets.

I have heard there may be a connection between this condition and Hemochromatosis.

Curious, anyone else notice this harmless side effect from eating beets ?

Thanks

Robert 

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • sheryl37154
    sheryl37154 robert71867

    Posted

    I buy a large beetroot each week, steam it, and serve it in 1/8ths each day and no problem with colour.  I suppose if you eat a lot of them this will happen because the colour is so strong.  Like asparagus, we can smell it in our urine.

    I have never heard that there is a connection with Beeturia and hemochromatosis at all, and I read a lot about hemochromatosis - medical research.  Is Beeturia harmful to you?  If not, I would not worry about it.  If anything, beetroots are high in sugar which is not good, and iron, but iron in vegetables is not harmful.

     

    • robert71867
      robert71867 sheryl37154

      Posted

      Beeturia is NOT harmful at all. However 10-14% of population have. Results from low iron in intestines due to Anemia or HFE.(all iron absorbed early in Duodenon(sic))
    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 robert71867

      Posted

      I googled it in relation to hemochromatosis and there are some websites and one research study which claimed beeturia was a marker to indicate HH and therefore children with it should be investigated for HH.

      Even children with (non active) HH are more inclined to be anaemic and need iron rich food to grow.  And anaemia as you say causes beeturia.

      In my position as an advocate for a HH organisation, I have spoken to probably a couple of hundred people about their symptoms, and not once was your symptom mentioned.  Some people has porphyria (of their hands) which is not necessarily a sign of HH.  But if taken to a dr, it brings attention to something out of order.

      Do you have beautiful skin? - beetroot is supposed to be good for the skin and it has some wonderful antioxidants.

      We will see if this forum exposes a commonality.

       

  • stacie32
    stacie32 robert71867

    Posted

    I have porphyria cutanea tarda, this causes red/purple urine no matter what I eat and is also linked to iron loading/haemochromatosis. That's the only link to red urine/ haemochromatosis I've read of and I've scoured the internet on the subject for 3 years thinking I was going mad! 😁

    • sheryl37154
      sheryl37154 stacie32

      Posted

      That would have been scary for you, seeing red coloured urine - thinking it was blood.
    • stacie32
      stacie32 sheryl37154

      Posted

      A little Sheryl, I had to have a camera in my bladder to check for cancer which was uncomfortable. Even though it was a lovely strawberry red there was only ever blood detected on a dipstick twice(gp totally puzzled,opening new packs of dipstick and looking at me like I've two heads!😁wink. Even after this and being told I was imagining it/it's not possible by the urology nurses doing the tests, nobody ever mentioned porphyria but I had already started my own research, all my symptoms fit! Aswell as the urine ive got blisters,scarring,skin fragility, hairy face and arms etc. It was when they started mentioning kidney biopsies(I knew they were fine) that i kicked up a stink and pushed for testing until they took me seriously. I basically had to diagnose myself, still waiting to see haemotologist for proper info (gp knows very little) and treatment, 18 week wait... the sun is upon us soon and I have to try and avoid it 😣. Could be worse, it is the most treatable type. Xxx

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