I Just Learned…Urine – A Rainbow of Colors
Posted on Friday, January 27th, 2012
I had always been under the impression that clear urine signified good health, but apparently – the normal color is actually a pale yellow. In exploring this fleeting curiosity, I learned that the human body can produce a rainbow of colors.
Many times, the color of your urine is an indicator of your health, while other shades are linked to things you have drank or eaten.
Below you will learn what the different colors of your urine could mean:
Clear Urine
Clear urine is an indication that you’ve been drinking an excess of water or other diuretic-like drinks, like coffee and beer. It will have little to no color, and is nothing to worry about when it happens on occasion.
Reddish Urine
Usually, red-colored urine is one of the most feared colors. There are a handful of reasons why you have red urine. Medical reasons center on a small amount of blood in the urine giving it a red tint. A bladder infection, kidney stones or bladder stones can cause urine to turn red. Also…
- Suffering a slight injury to the bladder or kidney can result in blood in the urine.
- Professional boxers may pass blood in their urine after a fight.
- Menstruating women will see reddish-colored blood before, during and after their period.
- There are foods that can turn your blood a reddish color, such as beets (reddish-purple), blackberries (red), rhubarb (reddish), and candy or pills that are made with a dye.
- Poisons that you have ingested (such as lead or mercury) can turn urine a reddish color.
Orange Urine
If you love carrots (especially carrot juice) or have too much vitamin C in your system, you may see the color orange in your urine.
Yellow Urine
A deeper shade of yellow urine means you need to drink more liquids and can happen when you’ve been sweating excessively.
Dark Yellow Urine
When you are consistently producing a dark yellow urine, it could be an indication of liver problems or jaundice, but some people might not be drinking enough fluids. Increase your intake of water to see what happens before panicking.
Blue Urine
Yes, your urine can have a bluish tint to it…if you have a psuedomonas bacterial infection. It can also be an indication that you have high levels of calcium in your body.
Greenish Urine
A urinary tract infection, bile problems and certain medications can turn your urine to a greenish color. When the urine is a brighter green color, it means you have an excess of B vitamins in your system.
Brown Urine
Serious conditions are usually associated with brown urine, and can involve ailments, such as liver disease, hepatitis, melanoma cancer, or copper poisoning. However, recently eating fava beans or taking a laxative can also turn your urine brown.
wow- great article- i guess i’m getting too much vitamin c! so much for the mega vitamins! Thanks!
I try to drink those 8 to 10 8 ounces of water a day or darn close to keep it the nice pale yellow!!