BEETROOT

[loopylou6]

right i wasnt sure where to put this, but i think this thread is the most appropriate.
We have recently had a couple of scares with beetroot, first off my ds (8) went the toilet for a poo and started shouting me manically, the toilet looked like something from jaws, after a few minutes of severe panicking it emerged he has eaten beetroot at school, secondly my dad phoned me in a right old flap because he was weeing blood, again turned out he had eaten beetroot, the thing is, what if someone with heart problems or similar was unaware of the effects of beetroot this could cause catastophies, i really think there should be some sort of a warning on the jars, whgat do u think? am i being silly? or should i contact some manufacterors?

Only if it's pickled

maybe they should also put similar warnings on asparagus because it makes your wee smell odd

yeah apparently from what ive read on the net, beetroot in the little plastic packs is not so bad, it is the vinegar mixed with the beetroot that causes the problems thats why i said jars

Yellow beetroot is lovely, not quite as strong tasting as the red stuff. Forgot to check whether it turned my wee bright yellow though

loopylou sorry that you had such a shock, but it really is fairly common knowledge that beetroot has this effect, I am surprised that no-one in your family has heard of it.

What about warnings on onions about eating them raw and smelly breath?

ah the joys of the AIBU thread...

"Ummmm..... yes"

lol @ "It obviously has to be put into jars"

Over consumption of cranberry juice can have the same effect...just incase you are drinking that alongside the beetroot

Unpickled can have a similar effect I assure you

well, i thikn that after two nasty scares, you are wanting to save others from the same experience.. but most people do know it already.. so YABU, but i can see why.

Put a positive spin on it, loop. You - and all your family - now know the horrors of pissing after eating beetroot. Think of the fun practical jokes you can play on unsuspecting people.

ffs, there really no need to go over board with taking the piss is there, so i asked a question that u all found hilarious, ive answered a few "silly" questions myself, but have never taken the piss coz its just not nice is it? its like being in a primary school playground.

no nothing to do with what they put in the jars
all beetroot has this effect

lulumama - thank you, yes thats exactly what i was trying to avoid, thank you for having the decency to answer my question without feeling the need to take the piss

Not unreasonable. I'm the only one in my family who eats beetroot, but keep trying to persuade others - it's a veg. I failed to mention the colour change excretion element, producing similiarly dramatic results. Can you email the curriculum people and get them to include beetroot in their "what you are - what you eat" syllabus - it's a perfect example that what you put in has an effect, very visual.

thank you MB, how qould i go about doing that?

I'm sorry you weren't aware of this prior to DSs 'discovery' but I don't think it warrants a warning on packaging. I buy loose beetroot from a farmers market anyway.

A friend once had similar (pink) effect from eating her own body-weight in strawberries at a Pick Your Own farm.

Here's the science bit - the kidneys usually break-down all the coloured stuff in the food we eat, but beetroot is so concentrated that it passes through before the kidneys can process it properly.

thanks, TDONB, interesting reply - i bet your friend is sick of strawberrys now lol

Poor loopy, you did get a bit jumped on, didn't you?

You're not unreasonable to be shocked by it, as you didn't know. But I think it would be unreasonable to put warnings on it, because it doesn't actually have any harmful effects, other than be a surprise if you don't know.

Warnings about nuts, gluten etc. are there because they actually can cause harm.

And I confess, I did smile at the thread, but please, with the day I'm having, consider that a good thing

I ate beetroot and so when I pissed red 3 days later I thought it was the vegetable, only when it carried on for days did I realise that I had a UTI

Lol, yabu, but i can see where you're coming from.

luckily my dad is a big fan of beetroot, so i grew up knowing what it does, but i can understnad it'd be a shock if you didn't

thanks, i really wasnt aware of the effects, it was such a shock, especially with my dad coz hes recently had a bladder/prostate cancer scare

Well, I for one didn't know about this wonderous effect Just pleased am forwarned!
I don't eat the stuff very often or in quantity tho.
I think its perfectly reasonably to be shocked, but am wary of food warning labels that spell out the obvious (anyone looked on a packet of peanuts recently?!)
Am just thankful for mumsnet community keeping us all informed on the quirkier things life can throw at us

lol ayomi, glad i could be of service, i wouldnt wish the shock on anyone. Well my mumsnet faith is being restored now anyway, was beginning to feel quite hurt by all the pisstaking comments, at least its only a minority