I've turned orange

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13

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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    It's probably carotenemia, which is harmless. If you had jaundice it would show up as a yellow tinge under your tongue and in the whites of your eyes in addition to your skin being yellow.

    Another fun fact about vegetables making you change colors is beeturia. Juice or eat an entire beet and chances are you are going to pee orange/red later that day or the next day.

    people have dialled 999 after their baby has had a beetroot nappy (diaper)... it's quite vivid in babies because beetroot tends to be recommended when they're first starting to eat solid foods so it's sometimes the only thing the baby's eaten other than milk so the colour is undiluted

    BTW while you're probably right about it being just from too much beta carotine, I still think the OP should visit the doctor ASAP in case it's not.... the OP should not be attempting to self diagnose.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Hi there, someone said it is a precursor of vitamin A overdose and looking in your diary you take cod liver oil which is v high in vitamin A so you might want to get yourself checked out or ask your dr about it. It doesn't look like you eat loads of beta carotene so it might be something else.

    Good catch!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I have heard of this before...but only because I watched the Magic School Bus as a kid. :laugh:
  • LauraFouhse
    LauraFouhse Posts: 115
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    Thanks everyone for your suggestions, advice & wise cracks (Willy Wonka.. haha)!

    I also take a protein powder which was given to me by my naturopathic doctor and it also has Vitamin A. (Although she also prescribed the Arctic Cod Liver Oil so you'd think she wouldn't give me too much vitamin A)

    Anyway... I started taking all of these supplements from the naturopath back when I ate a crap diet. Maybe I should just trust that my diet itself is giving me the nutrients I need.

    I will cut back on Vitamin A supplements and carrots and see if I return to my normal pasty white color. If it doesn't change I will make an appointment to see my GP.

    I'm going to post a photo as evidentiary proof to those who haven't heard or seen this before (If I can figure out how to post a picture)
  • LauraFouhse
    LauraFouhse Posts: 115
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    20140403_101247.jpg
  • LauraFouhse
    LauraFouhse Posts: 115
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    i would post a photo.. if I could figure out how
  • LauraFouhse
    LauraFouhse Posts: 115
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    photo.php?fbid=10151924620381105&set=a.10150262914256105.321031.684881104&type=1
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    i would post a photo.. if I could figure out how

    use the "quote" option on my oompa loompa post above and look at the IMG code you need to use to make a picture show. then just replace the URL in that code with the URL to your pics. your pics must be online somewhere though, or it won't work.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    don't worry about the pic... I believe you

    naturopathic doctor - does that involve all the same med school training as a regular doctor? And even regular doctors can make mistakes. Maybe she wasn't aware how much vitamin A there is in both of them, or even that it's in the protein powder at all. Most protein powder doesn't contain vitamin A. In any case too much vitamin A supplementation is dangerous. If you're eating foods that are high in the animal form of vitamin A then even if the cod liver oil + protein powder is within the range for a safe dose, the other foods could push your levels beyond that.

    Vitamin A deficiency isn't common in the developed world, and you're getting plenty of beta carotine from vegetables, if you're eating stuff like eggs, fish and milk as well you're probably getting enough from your diet.

    but do see your GP in case it's not from this at all
  • jensmile1999
    jensmile1999 Posts: 4
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    I have never heard that. But I don't think it would have been as noticeable on my skin because I'm darker but I'm sure it may have shown itself in my eyes or nails. Thank you for sharing I enjoy those veggies to and I will be more mindful of them but I won't give them up just won't eat as much so to speak.
  • PghPensFan69
    PghPensFan69 Posts: 2,393 Member
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    Same thing happened to me
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Not kidding. 8 months ago I began eating healthier (increased the amount of veggies I eat, added lean protein etc). I discovered I love veggies and have at almost every meal.

    About a month ago people started asking me if I had been somewhere warm cuz I looked tan. Then one night I was at a meeting and sitting under florescent lights I noticed that my hands and arms were considerably more orange than the people beside me and then I noticed that the palms of my hands were really orange. I started asking people if I looked orange and everyone agreed I did. A few then confessed that they thought I had been using a spray tan or something. How did I not notice this?

    Anyway, I started reading some stuff online and as it turns out you can turn orange from eating too many foods with beta carotene. I did some more research and all of my favorite veggies are rich in it: carrots, broccoli, brussell sprouts, spinach.

    I feel like I need to stop eating them to return to my normal color but I can't imagine life without it. Some websites say it could take months to return to normal color.

    It's not harmful to turn orange because of eating veggies, but it sure looks strange.

    Anyone else ever have this experience? If so, how long before it resolved itself and what did you need to do?

    Sounds like you are eating alot of carrots


    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEAQFjAF&url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenosis&ei=7I89U_-QIuersASOq4Ao&usg=AFQjCNFDU3nQhvQjUlI2ZEjlkpXffLnlBg&sig2=bVWnPwCCtyq-BY-Qlq4X1g&bvm=bv.63934634,d.cWc
  • zanne54
    zanne54 Posts: 336 Member
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    No, thankfully, or I would've turned into a pizza.

    OMG, I just sprayed water all over my desk. ME TOO!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    After we're done w/ carrots...

    ...can we discuss the side effects of eating too many beets?



    (I almost went to the ER once upon a time because of that...)
  • jessilyn76
    jessilyn76 Posts: 532 Member
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    This was the case with all three of my babies!! I can still picture their little orange noses!!!
  • Julettashane
    Julettashane Posts: 723 Member
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    i knew someone that turned orange it was mainly their hands and they drank a lot of carrot juice and ate tons of veggies. do you drink carrot juice? or eat a lot of carrots?
  • Super_Amy
    Super_Amy Posts: 97 Member
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    After we're done w/ carrots...

    ...can we discuss the side effects of eating too many beets?



    (I almost went to the ER once upon a time because of that...)

    I know what you are talking about. I had a momentary freak out over that myself once.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I've heard of this but I was under the impression that you would need to eat copious amounts. Maybe check it's not a kidney problem, jaundice isn't always a yellowy colour, sometimes people look 'tan'.
  • Gwennie9476
    Gwennie9476 Posts: 45 Member
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    Yes from eating sweet potatoes.....
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    Lol, my boyfriend was drinking a lot of carrot juice and his hands/feet turned orange too. Took about 2 months for it do completely go away... maybe switch to other vegetables in the meanwhile and eat smaller helpings of the orange stuff :P

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