The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. General Science
  3. Question of the Week
  4. QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?

  • 6 Replies
  • 2276 Views
  • 4 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline IzzieC (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 51
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« on: 18/03/2019 16:11:24 »
Aidan asks,

"Consuming orange carrots in high excess can turn your skin orange, because of the beta-carotene. What about purple carrots?"

What do you think?
Logged
 



Offline Bored chemist

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 21931
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 508 times
    • View Profile
Re: QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« Reply #1 on: 18/03/2019 19:06:37 »
The most likely outcome is that it would turn your urine purple (or red or blue depending on pH)
Logged
Please disregard all previous signatures.
 

Offline evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 9172
  • Activity:
    77.5%
  • Thanked: 912 times
    • View Profile
Re: QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« Reply #2 on: 18/03/2019 20:22:31 »
In some people, eating excess beets/beetroot will turn urine or feces purple.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeturia
Logged
 

Online Kryptid

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 5717
  • Activity:
    86.5%
  • Thanked: 240 times
    • View Profile
Re: QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« Reply #3 on: 18/03/2019 20:39:18 »
It probably wouldn't. Orange carrots get their color from carotenoids whereas purple carrots get their color from anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are apparently metabolized and excreted rapidly from the body. Interestingly enough, purple carrots actually have more carotenoids than orange carrots, so you could well turn orange from eating too many of them instead.
Logged
 

Offline Bored chemist

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 21931
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 508 times
    • View Profile
Re: QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« Reply #4 on: 18/03/2019 20:53:27 »
Quote from: evan_au on 18/03/2019 20:22:31
In some people, eating excess beets/beetroot will turn urine or feces purple.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeturia
Yes, but beets have a different set of colours to them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betalain
Rather than
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthocyanin

The anthocyanins are more extensively metabolised, but some still gets into the urine.
(About 5% in this study)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16861803
Logged
Please disregard all previous signatures.
 



Offline syhprum

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 5093
  • Activity:
    10.5%
  • Thanked: 64 times
    • View Profile
Re: QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« Reply #5 on: 18/03/2019 23:17:30 »
As a child I used to take Do Do tablets to relieve asthma I understand the active  ingredient was Ephedrine the tablets were orange and they turned my urine green (I knew they were working when that happened!)
Logged
syhprum
 

Offline katieHaylor

  • Naked Scientist Producer
  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • ********
  • 469
  • Activity:
    11.5%
  • Thanked: 1 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
    • The Naked Scientists
Re: QotW 19.03.18 - Would eating purple carrots turn you purple?
« Reply #6 on: 03/04/2019 09:25:53 »
This question has now been answered, and you can listen to it here: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/questions/does-eating-purple-carrots-turn-you-purple
Logged
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags: carrots  / diet  / antioxidants  / beta-carotene 
 

Similar topics (5)

QotW - 15.08.24 - Why do major keys sound happy and minor keys sound mournful?

Started by thedocBoard Question of the Week

Replies: 10
Views: 47196
Last post 05/04/2018 03:06:55
by Monox D. I-Fly
QotW - 08.04.06 - Better to drink wine than to drink nothing?

Started by thedocBoard Question of the Week

Replies: 33
Views: 109227
Last post 17/01/2021 17:52:40
by LaurenaS
QotW - 18.08.02 - Why are non-stick pans non-stick?

Started by Adam MurphyBoard Question of the Week

Replies: 6
Views: 42235
Last post 18/01/2020 06:33:19
by evan_au
QotW - 10.03.28 - Is a human bite worse than a dog bite?

Started by thedocBoard Question of the Week

Replies: 10
Views: 52807
Last post 13/01/2019 09:40:37
by chris
QotW - 11.03.06 - How do pain medications target pain?

Started by thedocBoard Question of the Week

Replies: 7
Views: 15906
Last post 18/01/2018 21:08:11
by evan_au
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.257 seconds with 52 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.