Because beets contain oxalates, people who have a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones may need to discuss their intake with a healthcare professional. Dietary recommendations for kidney stones should be individualized because the appropriate diet depends on the type of stone and other risk factors.
People with certain kidney conditions may also need to monitor potassium intake.
Another issue is beeturia.
If your urine becomes pink or reddish after eating beets, don't immediately assume that you are bleeding. Beet pigments can produce this harmless color change.
However, blood in the urine should never automatically be attributed to beets, especially if the discoloration occurs without a recent beet meal or is accompanied by pain, burning, fever, or other symptoms.
The Bottom Line
Beets aren't a miracle cure, but they are a genuinely nutritious vegetable.
Regularly including them in a varied diet may provide:
- Dietary nitrates that support nitric-oxide production
- Nutrients important for cardiovascular health
- Fiber for digestive health
- Folate and other essential micronutrients
- Antioxidant plant compounds such as betalains
- Potential support for exercise performance and blood flow
The healthiest way to think about beets is not as a food that “detoxes” the body or cures disease, but as one useful part of an overall nutritious diet.
Roasted, steamed, grated into a salad, or added to a balanced meal, beets can be a surprisingly powerful little vegetable.
And if your urine or stool turns pink after eating them, don't panic—your beets may simply be showing up where you least expected them.