When it comes to the topic of urine, nobody talks about it in polite company, but it does tell a lot about you. The consistency, the odour, and the colour of your urine are all tell-tale signs of your well-being and the type of lifestyle that you live which ranges from what you drink and eat to the types of diseases you may not know you have.
According to UC San Diego Health, urine is at least 95% water. But the remaining 5% is a complex of different ingredients that include sodium, chloride, urea, and creatinine. The most common colour of urine is yellow, which UC San Diego Health says is caused by, which is a biochemical waste product that is generated from the breakdown of your body’s old red blood cells.
If you’re ever concerned about your urine colour, take a look below. You’ll find the types of urine colour and what they say about your health.
Transparent: The UC San Diego Health explains that colourless urine could indicate that your body may be over-hydrated. This is not a direct cause for concern, but they add that over-dehydration can dilute essential salts that can create a chemical imbalance in your blood.
Pale Color: You are well-hydrated, healthy and normal if you have pale colour urine, says the UC San Diego Health.
Yellow: As mentioned already, if the colour of your urine is yellow, then everything is completely normal. You are hydrated and your abdomen is working perfectly, says the UC San Diego Health.
Dark Yellow: If the colour of your urine is dark yellow, it’s still normal, but it also does suggest that you may be mildly dehydrated according to UC San Diego Health.
Honey or Amber: UC San Diego Health says that if the colour of your urine is honey or amber, you might be dehydrated. The worst thing you could do according to Dena Rifkin MD, a staff nephrologist at UC San Diego Health is to examine your urine for dehydration. She explains that she would never recommend any of her patients to hydrate based on urine colour. She adds that people should drink for thirst instead of drinking to simply stay hydrated.
Red: If the colour of your urine is red, there may be a need to be concerned according to UC San Diego Health. Blood in the urine is called hematuria. In some cases, it can be benign, but in other cases, it can be a sign of infection, kidney stones or even a tumour in the urinary tract. It can also signal that there may be a problem with the prostate.
Blue: Certain medications and food dyes can produce blue urine, as well as the rare metabolic disorder familial hypercalcemia (blue diaper syndrome). According to UC San Diego Health, blue diaper syndrome is when there is an incomplete intestinal breakdown of tryptophan, which is a dietary nutrient. If your urine becomes blue, consult a physician.
Dark Brown or Black: Causes that do not require you to worry include certain medications, large amounts of fava beans, rhubarb, and aloe. But the UC San Diego Health explains that potential causes of dark brown or black urine that should worry you are copper or phenol poisoning or melanoma. The best thing to do is consult your doctor if the colour of your urine is dark brown or black.
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