What the Color of Your Urine Can Reveal

 

The color of your urine can say a lot about a person’s overall health. In some cases, the color of one’s urine could even be an indicator to an underlying medical condition. Urine color varies on a scale from nearly transparent all the way to a deep brown color, and the different shades in between can be a sign of what may be going on (or wrong) in your body. Let’s take a look at some of the things the color of your urine could be saying…

 


The Color of Health

 

We’re all a little different and therefore what may be “normal” for one person may not be for another. When it comes to urine the same typically applies. In general, the color of healthy urine is light yellow or the color of straw. Your urine is kind of your body’s vehicle for carrying out toxins, chemicals, dead cells, and other waste mixed with excess water. Light colored urine is usually a sign that your body is in good health.

 

Light Yellow or Clear

 

Extremely light yellow or nearly transparent urine is generally a sign that you drink plenty of water throughout the day—which is good! It just means that there is more excess water for your body to dispose of which allows for a lower concentration of toxins as they pass out of the body. Clear urine could also mean that your body has fewer toxins to dispose of. In some cases, clear urine could be a sign of diabetes. Diabetes may be suspected if clear urine is accompanied by extreme thirst. Many undiagnosed diabetics complain that they drink more than eight glasses of water in a day and still feel very thirsty. Again, light yellow/straw color is the ideal urine color however very light colored urine is normal for those who drink a lot of water.

 

Dark Yellow

 

If the color of your urine is dark yellow then this is likely a sign that you haven’t been drinking enough water. The average adult is supposed to get at least eight glasses of water every day. When your body fails to receive enough water it has to push out the toxins from your body in a higher concentration which is why the color of your pee urine is darker. There are some foods that can account for dark yellow urine, such as asparagus or beet root. If you have eaten either of these foods then you likely have nothing to worry about as long as you have been drinking enough water.

 

Neon or Bright Yellow

 

Neon or bright yellow colored urine is often caused by taking in excessive amounts of B vitamins. B vitamins are water soluble, which means that your body doesn’t store them as it does many other vitamins. Instead, your body flushes the excess out via your urine and you rebuilt your vitamin B stores the next day. If you take a vitamin B complex or a multivitamin that contains any B vitamins, then this is likely the cause behind your 90’s-neon colored urine!

 

Green Urine

 

Have you ever looked into the toilet to notice with shock that your pee is green? Not a weird shade of yellow but actual green! There are a few foods that have been known to cause green urine color. Black licorice, for example, can cause your urine to turn green if you eat too much of it. Asparagus and green food coloring are other possible causes behind this funky urine color!

 


Orange

 

Orange urine can be caused by eating too much of a certain food, like blackberries, rhubarb, beet root, and senna herb. It can also be caused by some types of prescription medication. There are times, however, when orange urine could be a sign of a serious illness such as dehydration or jaundice. Jaundice causes one’s skin to turn an orange hue and if left to progress it can also cause the whites of the eyes to turn orange. Jaundice happens as a side effect when the liver doesn’t work as it should. If you think you have jaundice then you need to see a doctor as soon as you can.

 

Red

 

It can be a scary thing to see red urine in the toilet, but just like green urine this is commonly caused by food coloring and certain foods, like beet root. A possible cause behind red urine is that there is blood mixed in with it. This is usually not a good sign and can be an indicator that your kidneys are not working properly or that your bladder or prostate (if applicable) is damaged. If your urine is pink then it may be that you have only a slight amount of blood in your urine, but it could still be a sign that things aren’t quite right in your body. If you notice red or pink urine at random with long periods of time in between (and no other symptoms are present) then it’s probably safe to assume that the color is related to food or food coloring. If the issue persists for days or weeks then you should probably see a doctor.

 

Cloudy Urine

 

If the color of your urine seems healthy but it’s cloudy—kind of like lemonade—then the likely cause is an infection. It could be a urinary tract infection or a kidney infection, both of which are accompanied by discomfort, sometimes pain, and the urge to urinate whether you produce urine or not. Other possible causes of cloudy urine are gonorrhea and kidney stones.