Regular urine color ranges from clear to pale yellow. But certain things can change the color. Foods such as beets, blackberries and fava beans can turn urine pink or red, for example. And some medicines can give urine vivid tones, such as orange or greenish-blue.
When you're healthy and hydrated, your urine should fall somewhere between colorless and the color of light straw and honey. When you don't consume enough fluids, your urine becomes more concentrated and turns a darker yellow or amber color.
The most optimal color for your urine is a pale yellow. If it is a darker yellow or orange, it can mean you are becoming dehydrated. An orange urine could indicate a serious liver condition. Darker brown can be caused by foods or medication.
Is clear urine always a good thing? In most cases, clear urine is a sign that you're well hydrated. And that's a positive thing because good hydration helps your body function at its best. But, in some cases, clear pee may mean that you're drinking too much water and you're too hydrated.
It is normal for urine to change color with levels of hydration. Pale or transparent yellow urine typically indicates sufficient hydration, while darker yellow or amber urine may be a sign of dehydration. Certain food and medications can also change urine color.
When your kidneys are failing, a high concentration and accumulation of substances lead to brown, red, or purple urine. Studies suggest the urine color is due to abnormal protein or sugar as well as high numbers of cellular casts and red and white blood cells.
When everything is healthy and normal, your urine should be pale yellow to gold. It is helpful to regularly pay attention to your urination to see what your normal color is, so that you can tell when it is different.
Transparent and lacking in color
Transparent, colorless urine could also be a sign of some other health disorders, including diabetes and kidney disease, or from taking diuretic medication.
If your urine is clear and you're not on a water pill or drinking a lot of water, it may signal an underlying kidney problem or possibly diabetes.
Bright yellow urine is a sign of excess B-vitamins in the body, including B-2 and B-12, although this condition is harmless. Taking B-vitamin supplements can lead to urine of this color. The yellow color darkens as the concentration of the urine increases.
Seeing red or orange instead of the usual yellow can be alarming, especially if there are also symptoms like a burning sensation or pain with urination. The alarm may be justified: an abnormal urine color can be an early sign of a serious medical condition.
Even if you see your urine turn pink or red one time, you should contact your doctor and get evaluated. Dark brown and foamy urine can indicate the presence of liver disease or possibly old blood and should also prompt you to visit your doctor. “Dark brown doesn't always mean disease.
When you're dehydrated and your pee gets very concentrated, it can smell strongly of ammonia. If you catch a whiff of something really strong before you flush, it might also be a sign of a UTI, diabetes, a bladder infection, or metabolic diseases.
What causes dark urine? Dark urine can be a sign of dehydration, jaundice, infections, and other health conditions. Certain medications and foods such, as rhubarb or beets, can also change the color of urine.
Normal urine is mild or pale yellow — that's an indication of appropriate hydration. Dark yellow, amber, or cloudy urine can indicate dehydration. Cloudy urine could also indicate a urinary tract infection.
Excessive bubbles in the urine – especially those that require you to flush several times before they go away—indicate protein in the urine. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambling eggs, as the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein that is found in eggs.
Drinking too much fluid during the evening can cause you to urinate more often during the night. Caffeine and alcohol after dinner can also lead to this problem. Other common causes of urination at night include: Infection of the bladder or urinary tract.
Regular urine color ranges from clear to pale yellow. But certain things can change the color. Foods such as beets, blackberries and fava beans can turn urine pink or red, for example. And some medicines can give urine vivid tones, such as orange or greenish-blue.
“A healthy urine color range is from pale yellow to amber-colored urine,” Dr. Newton says. “A lot depends on your hydration level. Pale yellow urine means you are more hydrated.
When you have not drank enough fluids your kidneys try to save as much water as they can and cause your urine to be darker in colour (more concentrated). Dark yellow urine is a sign that you are dehydrated and that you must drink more fluids to prevent dehydration.
Foamy, frothy or bubbly urine.
Bright yellow pee, even as dark as amber, may be harmless, but it could be a sign that you're a little dehydrated or taking more vitamins than your body needs. You may want to check with your provider on what vitamins your body doesn't need as much so you can cut back.