The color of the pee
Betalains are natural pigments that can turn our pee or stool another color. Thus, if we eat a lot of beets, blueberries or blackberries, for example, our pee can turn a pink or reddish color, but because of this colorful change we do not have to worry since there are certain foods, medicines or artificial colors that can pigment the color of our urine and our stools without marking an alert that something is happening.
However, if the urine has a persistent red color, then perhaps it could be due to a pathology: prostate or bladder cancer, infections … so we should go to the doctor without delay.
According to a study by the University of Newcastle (United Kingdom), the color of the pee should be the color of straw . If our urine is almost colorless, practically like water, it means that we have drunk much more liquid than our body needed. However, if the pee is dark yellow, we are dehydrated and need to drink more water. If the pee is green or blue , blame it on food coloring or methylene blue that is used in some diagnostic testing procedures and medicines.
The color of poop
The normal color ranges in our stools range from light yellow to dark brown . Our poop may turn green after consuming foods and beverages that contain blue or green coloring or if food moves too quickly through the intestine and therefore some bile may still be present.
However, if the poop is yellow in color and smells quite bad it is a sign of poor absorption of food. If this color is associated with weight loss in an adult or poor growth in a child, experts recommend seeing a doctor immediately to rule out intestinal infections such as the Giardia parasite or medical conditions such as celiac disease.
A very pale poop usually appears after taking antidiarrheal medications or when digestive problems affect the liver, intestine, pancreas or gallbladder.
What if the poop is black? It could be a serious medical problem due to bleeding in the stomach or intestine, but it could also be the result of taking iron supplements or bingeing on black licorice.
Finally, if our stools are reddish, it could be a bleeding in the lower intestine, or perhaps a hemorrhoid problem. Ultimately, if we have gorged ourselves on some food with red coloring, we would already know the answer.
In any case, if we detect an unusual color in our stool or pee and we have not eaten anything unusual, the ideal is that we take a photo and show it to our GP.
