Beet Red: It Can Change Your Urine Color

Beet Red: It Can Change Your Urine Color

Beets are always the solution to attaining a beet red or magenta hue especially when making those sweet little velvet cupcakes. And one of the main reasons why most bakers (and chefs alike) use beet red food color is because beets are natural, healthy, and beneficial to use.

If you are a member of the DIY bandwagon and would love to try making beet red food color at home, the process is very easy. Boil beets in a saucepan over medium heat until you notice color-changes in the boiling water.

Cover and let it simmer under low heat until only a couple of tablespoons of water remain. There you have it! Reserve this juice because it is your food color.

Sometimes using powdered beet red food color especially in baked products is really important because it attains just the right and desired shade, not too much and not too little. Each package has directions for use indicating the exact amount you should add depending on what you intend to prepare. You can easily buy beet red food color (in powder form) at your local grocery store.

But Why Does Beet Red Turn Urine Color

According to CBC, approximately 10 to 14 percent of people are affected by beet red. Beets contain a compound, betanin, that gives the vegetable a red hue. Well unfortunately, not everyone can fully digest betanin.

In this case, betanin is flushed out of the system, therefore turning urine, or poop red. However, you shouldn’t feel alarmed when you observe this change in color.

It is not entirely clear what happens to betanin in the body, because only limited research has been done about it. According to Medical News Today, the beet red color is normally broken down in the stomach and colon and this process causes an increase in oxalic acid levels.

When oxalic acid levels are too high red poop is usually observed in people who do not experience beeturia.

Another research from the University of Urbino indicates that betanin plays a great role in “slowing down” colon-cancer metastasis. They also mention that “when oxalic acid is too much in the system, it greatly increases the chances of kidney stones”.

The Globe and Mail also notes that you can use this beet red color phenomenon to know how long your digestive system takes to get rid of wastes from your body. But you also might notice a crimson blue or light pink color from wastes produced, not always red.

Beet Color is Mostly Harmless

Don’t be shocked when you notice changes in color after having a nice plate of salad with beet leaves. According to research done by Harvard Health Online, beeturia doesn’t indicate serious health problems. Eating berries too can change the color of urine.

Fruits such as rhubarb can also turn urine pink or red. Rhubarb can also turn turn urine or poop to a specific tint of dark brown. But obviously this color change varies from one person to another.

Interestingly, eating foods rich in vitamin C can also, although rarely, turn urine orange. Some research also indicate that too much Vitamin B turns urine orange-green.

E153: Black Bread and Juice You Haven’t Tried Yet

E153: Black Bread and Juice You Haven’t Tried Yet

There has been quite a lot of fuss going around about E153. Several blogs online contain information that E153, commonly known as carbon black, is harmful to one’s health.

The only reason given is that “it contains toxins”. This article will help alleviate fears and misconceptions about carbon black and state a few DIY delicacies that you really have to try.

If you’d run a simple search like carbon black ice cream on your favorite search engine, you’ll notice images and a lot of web content about black hued foods.

These foods and deserts often contain E153 as the main ingredient. This additive is what gives food a black pigment.

Is E153 (Carbon black) healthy?

When vegetables are severely burnt, it is possible to obtain E153, or rather, carbon black. Also, carbon black is obtained from charcoal. This essentially means that carbon black is naturally vegan and can be consumed without worrying about health implications.

A study done by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) mentions that foods containing up to 1.0 µg/kg of E153 are not of safety concern.

This proves that not only is E153 carbon black a safe additive, it also has tremendous health benefits.

Carbon black is greatly becoming a key ingredient

Fox News’ Molly Dodd shares her experience taking carbon juice during her detox program. In preparation, she cut out alcohol, stuck to her regular diet and exercise routine.

She later mentions that she lost a total of 1.5 lbs., her skin got softer, breakouts cleared up, and noticed a significant increase in energy levels.

Terrasoul Superfoods, is one of the several companies that sell charcoal lemonades online. Terrasoul mentions that the carbon elixir helps in “cleansing and assisting the healing process of the body, helping hangovers, helping with intestinal issues like food poisoning and gases, and also makes you feel sharp and focused”

Black bread accompanied by a nice glass of carbon juice can be quite a treat. In countries such as Russia, borodinksy is a common bread made from dark rye flour, molasses and a tiny addition of cocoa powder.

This black bread is known to have high fiber content therefore minimizing the risk of heart diseases, several types of cancer and type two diabetes.

NHS Eatwell Guide mentions that this type of bread contains essential minerals and nutrients such as calcium, potassium and Vitamin E.

It is important to remember

Despite the fact that dark hued foods might be aesthetically pleasing, it is important to remember that too much carbon-black in food can be dangerous.

Your bowel might have a hard time absorbing nutrient from ingested foods or block medications from working. This is due to carbon’s strong binding properties.

Always remember to consult a medical professional if you decide to incorporate carbon-black in your health regimen.

Black Carbon Color: Is it a safe additive?

Black Carbon Color: Is it a safe additive?

Vegetable carbon is black. It is certainly becoming the new hot flavor from cocktails to mash and meat. Black carbon color is emerging in food pop-ups and restaurants as well. It contains an earthly, slightly smoky taste and a dark coloring.

Black carbon color gives a premium feel to foods and a real talking point, according to Jonathan Moore, an executive chef in Waitrose. Carbon food color can be bought online, or at any food store as well.

However, remember not to eat too much carbon because even though it removes toxins, it also removes a few nutrients.

Benefits of Using Black Carbon Color

Most commercial black carbon additives are made from bamboo. Black carbon often have an earthy, smoky taste, and a black coloring, so it offers an exotic fashionable appearance to food.

Black carbon color contains tremendous health benefits, therefore it is recommended for persons with vertigo and anthrax conditions.

Due to the ability to absorb toxins, vegetable carbon works best as a detoxifier by absorbing chemicals, binding toxins, and essential nutrients like vitamins. This is also because of its negative charge that has the capability of binding positively charged ions from chemical elements.

Vegetable carbon also adds flavor, texture, color, and a touch of playfulness to plates, drinks and food.

Vegetable carbon does not taste. However, it has a pleasant granular texture, which gives a feeling of chewing while gulping it down.

What Experts Say

According to the European Commission and the FDA, “vegetable carbon helps reduce excessive postprandial flatulence”. The relieving benefits of vegetable carbon are however recommended by multiple practitioners.

Food-grade vegetable carbon is modified, which provides a surface area maximized to make it more porous. However, it is recommended to consume 1gram dosages at least half an hour before meals or shortly after every meal.

Also, carbon black can be produced by incomplete combustion of petroleum products such as coal tar, ethylene cracking tar and catalytic cracking tar.

The carbon powder obtained from this process is then used to make cosmetic products such as makeups, eyeliners and mascaras.

However, this specific carbon black is not approved for consumption.

In Conclusion

Multiple regulatory bodies, nonetheless, have approved the use of vegetable carbon as an additive in our diet. These regulatory approvals include JECFA (No ADI allocated, 31st meeting 1987), and EU (No ADI allocated, EFSA 2012) where “specific food categories including vegetable carbon is authorized for use at quantum satis and have been defined in Directive 94/36/EC on colours for use in foodstuff.

Natural Food Color: Safest Way to Color Your Food

Natural Food Color: Safest Way to Color Your Food

Natural food color is quite dominant in plants, minerals, vegetables, fruits, and other edible natural products.

Natural food color is free from compounds such as glycerin, and costlier. These compounds are commonly found in synthetic colors and their toxins are harmful to human health.

Food colors are sold in smaller quantities in small dropper bottles. The colors can also be obtained in bulk also. Natural organic colorants are useful to individuals with allergic reactions to artificial and synthetic food coloring.

The colorants are safe, easy to make, and work as organic colorants with little to no effects on your health. Moreover, adding color to food is ideal as it makes food products look more attractive and appealing to taste.

Natural food colors are essential in preserving food color, in order to manipulate consumers' sensory perception.

Benefits of using natural food colors

Organic colorants come with incredible amounts of nutrients beneficial to your health.

Spirulina, for example, is used as a natural blue food color that contains multiple essential minerals. Calcium, Iron, B vitamins, and Magnesium are some of these minerals that help keep the endocrine system in check.

The blue food coloring, obtained from spirulina, is also a high source of protein. The food dye also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce inflammation, and sometimes pain.

According to King Arthur Flour's renowned baker and a big proponent of natural food coloring, Susan Reid, naturally occurring foods and spices have tons of nutritive value.

A number of fruits and spices used to make food colors have tremendous health benefits.

  • Wheat grass has amino acids, vitamins and iron
  • Calcium, vitamins and folate can easily be obtained from spinach.
  • Berries contain phytochemicals, vitamins and folic acid as well.
  • There are tons of health benefits surrounding turmeric. The spice has anti-inflammatory properties, and slows cancer metastasis. Moreover, turmeric helps with a range of dermatological diseases.

Nailing the right shade in your food

Common spices, fruits, and vegetables can be used to extract natural food colors. This makes is quite easy to obtain ingredients required.

To get a natural red or pink color, you can use beet powder or freeze-dried berries. Pomegranate juice also works just as well.

For a yellow pigment, you can use ground turmeric. You can use blueberry juice or powder to acquire a blue shade as well.

For a green pigment, you can use spirulina, spinach powder, or chlorella.

Carrot juice or powder will help you obtain an orange pigment. Also, you can use paprika, saffron, fruit juices, and carmine to obtain the desired hue.

Finally

It is important to note that despite the numerous benefits of natural food colors, just be careful not to use too much.

Food colorants also provide pigments, flavoring, essential vitamins, and organic acids as well. Thus, the next time you want to add a bit more color to your dish, natural food colorants are the way to go.

How to Make Vegetable Black Ice Cream?

How to Make Vegetable Black Ice Cream?

You may have seen pictures of vegetable black ice cream online and wondered how they are made – and what makes them seemingly dark in color. Carbon-labelled foods and ice creams have been around for some time now.

Famous black ice cream shops like Morgenstern’s have been trending on social media for their prowess in making unique, relatively rare, dark tinted ice creams.

We will guide you through the process of making DIY vegan carbon ice cream and also help you understand the benefits of consuming activated charcoal.

Making Vegetable Black Ice Cream

The process of making a vegetable carbon ice-cream is quite simple and should only take 30 minutes of your time.

To make this desert, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • 2 cups of cream
  • 1/2 cup of coconut ash (activated charcoal)
  • 2 tablespoons of zest (preferably lemon)
  • 850ml of coconut condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract (or any other flavor of your choice)

Once you have your ingredients ready, follow these 4 easy steps:

  1. Add both activated charcoal (1/4 cup) and cream to a glass or metallic bowl. Beat until foamy and set the mixture aside
  2. Using a separate bowl, mix both lemon juice and condensed milk. Add the desired amount of lemon zest. To increase the “lemon flavor”, add more zest.
  3. Add vanilla extract and the remaining coconut ash (1/4 cup) into the mixture in step 2. Mix well.
  4. In equal proportions, add both mixtures into a loaf pan and freeze overnight.

There you have it! Best vegetable black ice cream there is.

Why consider having vegetable carbon ice-cream in your diet?

Before being incorporated into our foods, activated charcoal was added to juices and lemonades by detox enthusiasts.

According to a research by Elisa Goodman, whose developed detox plans for celebrities including Kate Hudson, says carbon based foods bind and trap toxins before being absorbed into the body.

Besides, if you want to make water safe for drinking, add activated charcoal in filtration systems to help remove toxic mold spores.

Moreover, coconut ash has been touted to have anti-ageing properties and is one of the main ingredients in weight loss supplements.

Activated charcoal is used to reduce gastrointestinal problems and draw venom from wounds due to its strong carbon-binding properties.

In Conclusion

Despite the numerous benefits of activated charcoal, it is important to note that excessive consumption could lead to undesirable health effects.

Always remember to add coconut ash (activated charcoal) in controlled amounts especially since it affects absorption of some medication.

However, since the amount that goes into each ice-cream serving isn’t great enough, it is safe trying out the all famous vegan carbon ice-cream.

At Santacolor, we provide one of the best vegetable carbon black on the market that assures you of a rich, intense black color that easily mixes with any processed or self-made foods.

Contact us for a quote!