This topic is about understanding how diet can affect the color of mucus in individuals with a transverse colostomy and a separate mucus fistula. The person noticed that their mucus had a dark-magenta color, similar to raw beef, after eating beets and dark-cherry jam. They reached out to their care team and are curious if others have experienced similar changes.

Here are some helpful insights and advice:

1. Many people agree that while the foods you eat can change the color of stoma output, they do not affect the color of mucus from a distal-end mucus fistula. This is because food no longer passes through that part of the bowel.

2. Mucus is the colon’s natural lubricant, and its usual color ranges from clear-white to pale-yellow.

3. If mucus appears pink, red, dark-red, brown, or black, it often indicates the presence of fresh or old blood. Possible reasons include:
- Minor irritation or trauma at the fistula opening, which typically results in bright red mucus.
- Inflammation or bleeding deeper in the intestine, which can cause darker shades.

4. Contacting the medical team, as the person has already done, is the right step to take.

5. Personal experiences shared by others include:
- Eating beets can turn ileostomy or colostomy output a red or purple shade.
- This color change is due to pigments in the food and affects effluent that still contains food residue, not the mucus from a disconnected distal segment.