Chef Adam Richman Shares Super Relatable Beet Dilemma
When it comes to overcoming food dilemmas, Adam Richman has some hard-earned experience. The former host of the Travel Channel's popular "Man v. Food" faced some pretty incredible challenges for the show, like finishing a 72-ounce steak in Amarillo and throwing back 15 dozen oysters in New Orleans. So, what exactly has Richman so shaken up about eating some little ol' beets?
It's what happens after Richman eats the beets that seems to be the issue. In a recent tweet, he revealed: "I hate panicking every time I forget that I ate beets." The chef's tweet included emojis of a droplet of blood and a toilet, indicating the resulting scarlet shade of his stool from eating beets causes quite the initial scare. Responses to the tweet such as "LOL!!!! That's what happened to me this morning" and "Yep, every time. Still panic even though I know better" reveal the reliability of the situation. But at least one follower, who responded with "TMI bro," may have felt that what happens in the bathroom is better left in the bathroom.
What you should know about beeturia
It turns out there is a technical term for having red beetroot pigments in your urine or stool, and that term, according to Medical News Today, is "beeturia." The good news is that beeturia is considered largely harmless. According to the outlet, the condition affects roughly 10% to 14% of the general population but is much more common in people who have an iron deficiency. Medical News Today recommends talking to your doctor if you're seeing red flags in your toilet and are worried about your iron levels. Of course, if "Man v. Food" was any indication, Adam Richman has an iron stomach and doesn't need to worry.
Having beeturia also has something to do with the foods you are eating alongside your beets. Red pigments in beets are normally broken down in the stomach and colon, but when oxalic acid levels are high, the red pigment doesn't get broken down. Foods like spinach, rhubarb, and cocoa powder all have high oxalic acid levels, which means eating these foods with beets may result in the red color making its alarming appearance — even in people who don't usually experience beeturia! You may want to keep this in mind the next time you have a spinach salad with rhubarb and beets followed by hot cocoa. That might be one challenge Adam Richman would back down from.