Beets and dark urine: what to know

Pigments from beets can pass into urine and alter its colour, especially after eating them. The change is usually noticed around the time of the meal and should fade as the food leaves your system. Colour alone cannot confirm the cause.

Dark urine can also occur when urine is concentrated from dehydration. Brown urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, pale stools, nausea, or unusual tiredness may point to a liver problem such as hepatitis A or hepatitis B rather than a food pigment.

Think back to when you ate beets and observe whether the colour settles after normal fluid intake and time. Do not force fluids if you have been told to restrict them. Note the colour, smell, amount of urine, medicines, and any pain so you can describe the pattern clearly.

Contact a clinician if the change continues, returns without beets, or is accompanied by burning, fever, back pain, or reduced urine. A urine test and other checks can help separate pigment from blood, concentration, or illness.

Seek urgent care for dark urine with severe abdominal pain, confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting, inability to pass urine, or yellow skin or eyes. Get prompt advice after heat exposure if you feel weak, dizzy, confused, or unable to drink, as heat exhaustion and dehydration can worsen quickly.

Ask: Could this colour be from beets or blood? Do I need a urine test? Are my liver symptoms or medicines relevant? What warning signs should make me seek urgent help?