I've turned orange

LauraFouhse
LauraFouhse Posts: 115
in Food and Nutrition
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?
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Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    No, thankfully, or I would've turned into a pizza.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    I wouldn't mind looking like I have a tan. I'm currently rockin' the Casper the Ghost look.
  • cpagano68
    cpagano68 Posts: 9 Member
    i eat those exact same veggies all the time and im just as pale as ever...
  • novembersuse
    novembersuse Posts: 77 Member
    Really?! I have never heard of that! Are you sure it doesn't look good, like you've got a bit of a tan? :p

    I'm worried now, because you've listed aaaall my favourite veggies....
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    That's really odd. Maybe you could just sub out those veggies with some other veggies. Or maybe eat more fruit.

    I honestly think you are either eating way more of those foods than you need or you are just simply having a reaction to them.
  • Blokeypoo
    Blokeypoo Posts: 274 Member
    Are the whites of your eyes affected? If so you should check with doctor that it's not jaundice - although unlikely.

    I would have thought one would have to consume stuff in vast quantities to get such an effect.
  • Maaike84
    Maaike84 Posts: 211 Member
    I've never heard of this - I only once experienced actually getting tan due to taking a beta-carotene supplement which was supposed to help with my sun allergies, but i didn't turn orange. If I were you, I would get medical advice ruling out other causes of this, because it would seem to me like you'd need to have eaten an extrodinarily large amount of those veggies for that effect to have taken place.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    LOL, this happened to a friend of mines baby because he only liked the orange vegetables. She rushed him to the doctor and he laughed and promised it was not a problem. I really did not notice it until she pointed it out, he just looked a little tanned to me.

    Spray tans are expensive. I would not stop eating those foods that are incredibly nutritious. Plus, it helps ward off macular degeneration. Not important to you now, will be later in life, I promise.
  • LauraFouhse
    LauraFouhse Posts: 115
    I wouldn't mind looking like I have a tan. I'm currently rockin' the Casper the Ghost look.
    I wouldn't mind so much if it looked like a natural tan... but it really is more like a spray on tan gone bad.

    From what I read online, it really isn't all that uncommon. I was just hoping to find someone else who had experienced it personally.
  • Apocalypz
    Apocalypz Posts: 155 Member
    Your body may have a deficiency with your new diet. It wouldn't hurt to speak with your GP just for a quick question, see how you're doing, let them know your new diet, show them the healthier side of how you've changed. A trained observation is going to reduce your concerns more.
  • emmietoby
    emmietoby Posts: 172 Member
    yes, it's so true!! a friend of mine ate baags of raw carrots and she was orange all the time there isn't any hurmful reselts for once you stop eating those veggie you lose the orange glow!! so really no need to worry.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 526 Member
    I have known people to turn orange. This person was frighteningly thin and only eating veggies. It went away quickly, though, I think. As long as you aren't eating JUST the veggies and getting a balanced diet - and you can't OD on beta carotene.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It could be worse you could have turned purple !!! In all seriousness I wouldn't rely on websites for information. Go visit your doctor you could be deficient in something or it could be a symptom of something else.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    I wouldn't mind looking like I have a tan. I'm currently rockin' the Casper the Ghost look.
    I wouldn't mind so much if it looked like a natural tan... but it really is more like a spray on tan gone bad.

    From what I read online, it really isn't all that uncommon. I was just hoping to find someone else who had experienced it personally.

    It's not that uncommon. Children in the 60s were know to have "carrot bottoms" due to carrot purée, etc. it's called carotenosis, totally harmless.

    However, I would consider some moderation. It's also a precursor of Vitamin A overdose IF you are taking supplements. From vegetables there is no risk, if you are supplementing vitamins on top of that, be careful. Oliver Sachs wrote about a patient with too much vitamin A - if I remember correctly, it affected her propioreceptors - those receptors that give you a sense of body position and awareness (for example when your eyes are closed).
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    One of my friends in college turned orange, but she was basically living on carrots and the orange tint was the least of her problems. You might want to switch up your veggies a bit--your favorites are delicious and nutritious, but it sounds like you've been enjoying too much of a good thing.
  • erockem
    erockem Posts: 278 Member
    I didn't see your water intake listed in your diary, but more water may help flush out the extra beta-carotene in your diet.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    I didn't see your water intake listed in your diary, but more water may help flush out the extra beta-carotene in your diet.

    Nope. Carotenoids are lipid soluble.
  • mollybuck
    mollybuck Posts: 64 Member
    I've been a nurse for a loooong time and have seen this. It won't hurt you, but if the orange color is not that appealing, cut back a little on the carrots as they are the main culprit probably. Switch them for something a little lower in beta carotene. But I agree, you should consult your doctor also.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I had a friend tell me this wouldhappen to me because I eat so many carrots. I eat them at nearly every meal, and often as snacks. She said she had known people that turned orange from eating too many carrots. It never happened to me, though.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
    I did know a girl in college who was orange from eating loads of carrots and yams. She was super active and in great shape.

    You might want to ask a dr, though and not just the internet.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    You should probably see your doctor and have your liver enzymes checked. It could be a sign of something more serious.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    Willy Wonka called. You're late for work again!
  • Emi1974
    Emi1974 Posts: 522 Member
    Yes, I know someone who years ago really got into eating mandarins the whole day long. He did turn orange. No joke
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    I wouldn't mind looking like I have a tan. I'm currently rockin' the Casper the Ghost look.

    nothing wrong with that either .. :drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    Willy Wonka called. You're late for work again!

    Thanks for the laugh.

    oompa-loompa-gif-o.gif
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    This is actually a quite well known phenomenon. You'll be fine - google what veggies are high in beta carotene and eat less of those and more of the others. And watch your macros for a balanced diet. :smile:
  • ghafer
    ghafer Posts: 20 Member
    I have had friends (master degree registered nurses) of mine that were perfectly healthy, quite active..they always ate food rich in beta carotene, and yes at times were very orange. No problem. But as always, be sure that a physcian is supervising your overall healthcare and that you relate any concerns to that person.
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
    Yes, I did that. I was eating around 0.5-1kg of raw carrots a day as a snack, though. Which is a lot to eat raw. I've never had the same problem when eating that amount cooked.

    If you're eating a lot of these raw, I'd dial back that amount. Try cooking them more and get a little more variety in your diet. There's a website/poster somewhere regarding eating the rainbow, which gives you a broader spectrum of micronutrients.

    My 'tan' faded within a month of cutting down on the raw carrots and I've never had it back.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    It has to do with the beta carotene in veggies (what makes tomatoes red and carrots orange). Either you are getting too much or are not processing it appropriately. Since beta carotene is processed in the liver, this might be a problem, more likely you just need to dial back the amount of red/orange veggies you eat a little. The following are some peer reviewed info from the NIH.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/999.html

    http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    Yep, I have seen it.

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