Houston, TX
A 21-year-old male asked:
i noticed that when i eat beets my feces has a red tint that sort of resembles blood. are there other foods that cause that as well?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Charles Cattano answered
Gastroenterology 39 years experience
Lots...: The color of stool varies with foods, speed of emptying of the GI tract, medications & supplements ingested, gut flora (unique for each individual), additives (like blood), subtractions (like absent bile), infection, inflammation, & other factors. Consider what you ate in the prior few days, but if a reddish color of your stool persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, see your doctor.
2806 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Similar questions
San Francisco, CA
A 32-year-old male asked:
Can eating Beets make your stools blood red?
1 doctor answer • 8 doctors weighed in
Dr. Charles Cattano answered
Gastroenterology 39 years experience
Yes. So can bleeding: Blood in stool is a warning sign. Brisk bleeding warrants emergency care. Causes of bleeding may be predictable (e.G rectal trauma), & worsened by your thrombocytopenia, A rule of thumb (but not absolute): black stool means bleeding comes from upper GI tract; grape jelly stool from small bowel; silver stool from biliary tree; burgundy stool from right colon; red blood from left colon to anus.
3939 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. Get help now:
Last updated Dec 11, 2017
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