What your urine colour says about your health

What your urine colour says about your health

in Style & Wellness March 6, 2016 901 Views

It is important to note that normal urine color is yellow and it is due to a yellow pigment called urochrome– that results from destruction of hemoglobin.
But it can vary from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on the amount of fluids you drink. The more fluids you drink, the clearer your urine will be.

If your urine has an unusual color, there’s a good chance that the color change is caused by a harmless factor, but it can also be a sign of disease and disorder in the body.

Before you flush, here are a few urine changes to look out for, and what they might be telling about your health.

Clear Urine: Clear or transparent urine means you are drinking lots of water and may even need to cut back on water consumption. However, this condition could also be a sign of diabetes. If you have symptoms of diabetes such as increased thirst and frequent urination, then you should immediately check with your doctor.
Pale Yellow Urine: That’s means you are normal and staying well-hydrated.‎

Dark Yellow Urine: This is another normal color for your urine, but it is an indication of dehydration. This is where you want to start thinking about drinking some more water. Excess consumption of vitamin supplements, like vitamin B or Riboflavin, may also result in such color of urine.

Dark Honey or Amber Urine: Too dark or very concentrated urine signals severe dehydration. It may also be indicative of over consumption of laxatives or food supplements which contain B complex vitamins.

Orange Urine: It may be due to the over consumption of beta carotene – the yellow-orange pigment that gives carrots and sweet potatoes their color. This is more typical in infants and toddlers who have been given too much of these types of vegetables during weaning, and suggests parents should give them more of a variety of foods. Taking certain drugs like rifampin, doxorubicin, phenazopyridine, and warfarin could also turn urine to the orange color. Other reasons could be dehydration or excess intake of certain food dyes. In some case, orange urine can indicate a problem with your liver or bile duct.

Pink or Red Urine: Pink or red urine may be caused by excessive consumption of certain foods like beets, rhubarb, or food dyes. More seriously, the red color could be a sign of kidney disease, tumors, or urinary tract infection.

Blue or Green Urine: Blue or green urine is extremely rare and would not be the first indicator that you are suffering from a serious condition. Over consumption of certain foods like asparagus and some food dyes can turn urine color between some shades of blue or green. However, urine that is green can also be caused by pseudomonas bacteria in the urinary tract. While the blue urine can be due to a rare genetic disease known as Hypercalcemia.

Cloudy, Foamy Urine: Cloudy, foamy urine could indicate excess protein in your diet. However, if this type of urine persists, it may be a sign of kidney disease, especially when you’re not eating high protein  diet.