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Drinking Fresh Beet Juice And Noticed Change In Stool Colour. Hemorrhoids Broke And Blood In Stool. Concerned?

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Posted on Tue, 22 Oct 2013
Question: I drank 1 cap of fresh beet juice every day for six days and noticed that my stool changed color. Actually I notice like a reddish fuschia like halo around my stool. First I freaked out but read that this can be from beets. However, I stopped drinking it two days ago and my stool is still the same. Do I have a reason for worry or the beet did not find its way from my body yet? Usually I pass stool once or twice a day. I will also mention that I got hemorrhoids that broke last week before starting drinking beet juice. When they broke I noticed clear blood in my stool than I started drinking beet juice and something different happened. Blood from hemorrhoids was just like blood. And my stool now after drinking beat juice is like I said more like beet color.
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Answered by Dr. Preeti Parakh (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
It is beetroot juice, so do not worry.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Welcome to Healthcare Magic!

Usually beetroot juice take 48 to 72 hours to be excreted completed from the body. But this rate varies from person to person, depending on the metabolic rate. Therefore, it is quite possible that you are still excreting beet root juice in your stools and may continue to do so for a day or two more.

Blood in stools can be differentiated from beetroot juice in stools. Blood in a toilet bowl does not diffuse into the water but beet juice mixes with water and gives it a pink colour. If smaller amounts are excreted, beet juice tends to be concentrated in the stools and appears in the form of ribbons or rings that hover or float around stools. Actual blood in stools will be literally mixed in with it. Beet juice tends to hover around stools like a halo, and in the water, it is crimson when it does this.

Another test can be done to tell the difference between beet red and blood in your stools. If you place stools on tissue paper or napkins, the stain will be markedly magenta or fuchsia in tinge in case of beetroot juice. If it is blood from haemorrhoids, it will be pure red or red with a tinge of dark orange. It will retain this color when it dries. Beet juice will quickly change to a light brown or dark gold or golden-brown.

Going by your description, I am fairly sure that what you excreted was not blood. Please do not worry.

Hope this answers your query.

Best wishes.

Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Preeti Parakh

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 1486 Questions

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Drinking Fresh Beet Juice And Noticed Change In Stool Colour. Hemorrhoids Broke And Blood In Stool. Concerned?

Brief Answer:
It is beetroot juice, so do not worry.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Welcome to Healthcare Magic!

Usually beetroot juice take 48 to 72 hours to be excreted completed from the body. But this rate varies from person to person, depending on the metabolic rate. Therefore, it is quite possible that you are still excreting beet root juice in your stools and may continue to do so for a day or two more.

Blood in stools can be differentiated from beetroot juice in stools. Blood in a toilet bowl does not diffuse into the water but beet juice mixes with water and gives it a pink colour. If smaller amounts are excreted, beet juice tends to be concentrated in the stools and appears in the form of ribbons or rings that hover or float around stools. Actual blood in stools will be literally mixed in with it. Beet juice tends to hover around stools like a halo, and in the water, it is crimson when it does this.

Another test can be done to tell the difference between beet red and blood in your stools. If you place stools on tissue paper or napkins, the stain will be markedly magenta or fuchsia in tinge in case of beetroot juice. If it is blood from haemorrhoids, it will be pure red or red with a tinge of dark orange. It will retain this color when it dries. Beet juice will quickly change to a light brown or dark gold or golden-brown.

Going by your description, I am fairly sure that what you excreted was not blood. Please do not worry.

Hope this answers your query.

Best wishes.

Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry