The color of urine provides valuable information that can tell us a lot about our state of health.
Usually its color is in shades of yellow, but it can take on a range of different colors that can be linked to our hydration, diet, taking certain medications or health problems.
What is urine?
It is produced continuously by our kidneys and consists of a mixture of water and waste.
What is it used for?
It eliminates toxic substances from our bodies, but it is much more than just a waste evacuator; it also provides us with valuable information.
Is urine sterile?
For a long time, we believed that urine was sterile. Recent research shows us that urine contains bacteria in small quantities, that there is a urinary microbiota, just like in the intestine.
In the strict medical sense, urine is not clean, but in a normal context in a healthy person (without urinary tract infection and who urinates often thanks to good hydration), urine is not dirty and not dangerous.
Why is it light yellow?
The body is constantly renewing and eliminating red blood cells. This produces waste products, and these waste products turn into pigments, resulting in the urine turning yellow.
Yellow, a reliable gauge of hydration
First and foremost, its color reflects our body's need for water. From pale yellow to amber, urine is considered normal and indicates good hydration.
In cases of dehydration, urine becomes dark yellow and its odor is stronger. This lack of water in the body can simply be linked to simply forgetting to drink regularly throughout the day. It is therefore important to increase your intake according to your build.
Dehydration, however, can also be due to excessive water loss. This is the case with diarrhea, vomiting, poorly balanced diabetes, taking laxatives (against constipation) or diuretics.
Dehydration can also be caused by excessive water loss.
This lack of water can also be the cause of excessive alcohol intake or more profuse sweating, for example during sporting activities, prolonged exposure to the sun, or in menopausal women suffering from hot flushes with insufficient water intake.
Surprising colors!
The color spectrum of urine is not limited to different shades of yellow; it can sometimes turn orange, red, brown, black, blue, green or purple.
Orange urine
It can appear in cases of dehydration, or due to certain foods, taking certain vitamins or medications. More rarely, it can be linked to a liver problem.
Red or pinkish color
It can be caused by certain foods such as beet, but also by the presence of blood in the urine.
Dark brown or blackish urine
When it is very dark it may be due to severe dehydration, a liver problem, the presence of processed blood, or muscle damage.
Blue or green urine
These colors are often linked to medications, food dyes or, more rarely, certain infections.
Note that almost transparent, almost colorless urine is a sign of excessive beverage consumption. Now, while it's strongly recommended to drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of water a day to ensure the body functions properly, excessive consumption can damage your health and can cause an imbalance between water and mineral salts and disrupt the body's proper functioning.
It's important to note that excessive consumption of beverages is a sign of poor health.
Disturbed, odorous or frothy urine
Other than the color, its odor is more or less strong, depending on our diet and hydration. In fact, consuming asparagus, beets, garlic or onions can alter its odor.
Urine is cloudy
the most common causes are dehydration and urinary tract infection.
Foamy urine
is a sign of too much protein. However, the first urine, the morning urine, is often frothy because it is highly concentrated and the stream is stronger.
In conclusion, to avoid over-concentrated urine, it's necessary to hydrate regularly and in sufficient quantities. Outside the yellow color panel it's best to consult a doctor.
Isabelle Goussey, naturopath
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