Several years ago, I remember watching a program on television where a doctor was treating a woman who had been put under a ‘voodoo’ curse. He didn’t believe in voodoo, but he felt that the ‘nocebo effect’ from the curse could actually cause the woman serious harm, so he gave her a voodoo placebo to counteract the curse. He said what he gave her was completely harmless, but that it would turn her urine green, making it appear to be a very powerful concoction.
What was it that he gave her? Similarly, is there anything you can take to make your urine some other unusual color??
Likewise, are the any other foods that can significantly alter the color of feces or semen? Holiday colors would be preferred here.
All I’ve seen as far as colored urine goes is differing intensities of yellow depending on how well hydrated the subject (read: me) is. Staying well-hydrated over the course of a day or so causes virtually crystal-clear urine. Neglecting to take in sufficient amounts of water over a day or so (but while still drink syruppy Cokes, Dr. Peppers, etc.) will cause almost amber urine.
Coloring feces is a different matter, and is really a cinch – at least for blue, purple, and green. There are flavored syrups that are used to make “snowballs” in the Southern U.S. Snowballs are conceptually similar to “Italian ices”, but contain way more flavoring and are far more vividly colored. A blueberry snowball is Smurf blue, or even a bit darker.
Anyhow, eating darker-colored snowballs – such as spearmint, grape, blueberry, etc. – will color the feces. The effect can be comical to a little kid, and startling to an unitiated adult. Red, orange, and yellow snowballs don’t seem to affect the feces very much.
More familiar flavored syrups in other parts of the U.S. may be the Torani syrups found in coffee shops and some Italian restaurants (even Olive Gardens). They come in a multitude of flavors and colors. I can’t vouch for whether or not Torani syrup will color feces – I’ve never downed enough at one sitting to make a difference. But if you can down a cup or two of mint Torani syrup, I’d bet you’ll probably end up with green feces.
Semen, having no direct connection to the digestive system, probably can’t be colored very noticeably by anything you might eat. Just a WAG, but one based on common sense.
I wonder if straight grenadine syrup would do the same? That’s the syrup sometimes used to make a Tom Collins pink. It can be found in liquor stores or in the local grocery near the booze.
Guinness makes your poo go black. Red wine has a similar effect.
I’ve mentioned before that back in the 70s my dad, who was a NASA physiologist at the time, had some dye tablets that were to be used to dye the astronauts’ poop different colors based on the days of the week (because it’s difficult to stick labels on poo). In the end they went for drying and boxing the crap, so he brought the capsules home.
Needless to say us kids experimented with them, and I even took one to school and mixed the dye in with my friend’s mashed potatoes…
When I was going through chemotherapy, they pumped some stuff into my veins that turned my urine bright red, which would be a good holiday color. Luckily, the chemo nurse warned me about it, or it would have thoroughly freaked me out.
I suppose cancer treatments are a bit farther than you’d want to go to change your urine color, though…
Have you tried food coloring? Drink half of one of those little squeeze bottles of blue food coloring and see what happens. Let us know (shudder).
The generic “Urinary Pain Relief” pills they sell at Wal-Mart turned my pee a bright reddish-orange color. Apparently the active ingredient is a cranberry extract of some description.
Be advised you will need to bleach your underwear afterwards if you’re sloppy like some guys.
I’m surprised no one has yet mentioned methylene blue, a la a memorable episode of MAS*H, which will turn the urine (surprise!) blue. Or possibly greenish, if it would otherwise be a dark yellow color.
The prescription drug Rifampin will turn body fluids a reddish-orange. Urine in particular turns a rather ghastly shade of red-orange, and can look like you’re peeing blood.
I had to take “the Rif” for a while in college when there was a meningitis scare in my dorm; Rifampin was the antibiotic of choice dispensed by the quack shack. The warnings that came with the pills stated that it affected ALL body fluids, including sweat and tears, so you shouldn’t even wear contact lenses while taking the drug because they might become stained.
Consuming food coloring straight is gawdawful. (Don’t ask) Heavy usage in a food should utilize something to counteract the bitterness. i.e. lots of sugar in frosting.
Methelene blue is easily available in pet stores in the fish section. If consumed in a beverage, it will stain the mouth thus tainting any chance of a later surprise.
