Get a Clue About Your Health Through Your Urine

By Janet Martin

Centuries ago, physicians assumed that they can determine the presence of a
disease by merely looking at a flask of patient's urine. Nowadays, we already
have laboratories and other gadgets to know what a person is suffering from.
However, many still believe that one can somehow get a clue of his or her
health condition simply by looking at the color and texture of urine. In fact,
some researchers claim that with a cup of urine, one can identify the lifestyle,
diet, heredity and many other factors about the person whom the urine sample
came from.

The main composition of urine includes water and some dissolved toxins and
waste materials from the things that you have been eating and drinking. It is
also natural to have traces of some dead cells in your urine, which your body
wants to get rid of. The normal color of urine should be light yellow. It is
important to note that if you have piss that has a different color, there is a
possibility that something is wrong with your health. Here are some urine colors
which should raise a red flag about your health. So watch out.

Transparent Urine

People who drink a lot of diuretics, such as beer or coffee, usually have very
clear or transparent urine. There is actually nothing wrong with this color, so
you don't have to panic and rush to your doctor, especially if you have been
drinking out with your friends.

Reddish Hue

A pink or reddish hue is not a very good sign. The usual cause of your urine's
reddish tint may be internal bleeding. If you have been having this type of urine,
you need to go to a doctor and have yourself checked because you might be
suffering from kidney stones, bladder infection, or small bladder stones.
Sometimes, injury to the kidneys or bladder could also cause the urine to turn
reddish. This is common to professional boxers, especially after a big fight.

If you have eaten quite a number of beets or blackberries, you can also have
urine with pinkish hue. Even rhubarb or pills and candies that contain red dye
can briefly turn your urine red.

Although not very common, mercury or lead poisoning can also put a reddish
hue on your urine. That is why it is best to visit a doctor if you see pinkish or

ARVIND JOSHI Page 1 of 8

reddish urine, especially if you have not eaten any of the foods enumerated
above. Toxic metals are harmful and need to be flushed out of your system
immediately.

Greenish Shade

If you are taking medications, your urine might turn green. However, if you are
not drinking any pill, you could be having bile problems or urinary tract
infection. Sometimes, a surplus of B vitamins in your system can also give your
urine the green tinge.

Brown Urine

Doctors will flip if they see that your urine has turned brown. If you are not in
the hospital at this moment, then it would be better to run to the nearest
emergency facility now. Brown urine usually indicates a serious problem in
your liver. People who have melanoma cancer, liver conditions, hepatitis or
copper poisoning are the ones who have brown piss. However, do not panic if
you have recently taken laxative or eaten fava beans because these things can
also temporarily turn your piss brown.

Yellow Urine

People who do not drink enough fluids usually have yellow urine. If, aside from
having yellow urine, you feel bloated or swollen, then you might be suffering
from dehydration. The best way to beat dehydration is by drinking plenty of
water.

Sometimes, however, women feel bloated and swollen because of hormonal

imbalance. If this is the case, then you can drink natural supplements that beat
water retention.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author.
Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news
magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

ARVIND JOSHI Page 2 of 8

Common Causes of Urine Colors – What Does Urine
Color Mean?
May 16, 2010 Katrena Wells

What Causes Urine to Turn Different Colors? – jazzmikele

Is a change in urine color serious? Discover common reasons for urine colors,
including various shades of yellow, red, pink, orange, blue, purple, & green.

Normal urine tends to be yellow or straw-colored and clear. Many people may
experience a change in urine color, which can be quite dramatic or subtle. Some
color changes in the urine may be normal or expected while others may be signs
of a serious health problem. Urine color changes may give information about a
person’s health, eating habits, treatments or medications, and more.

What Causes Light Yellow, Bright Yellow, or Dark Yellow Urine?

Light urine is usually produced by drinking a lot of fluids. This might be a very
normal occurrence, but it could also be cause for concern. People who are
excessively thirsty and tend to have consistently very light yellow or almost
clear urine may have diabetes insipidus. Sometimes diabetes may also cause
urine to have a sweet smell if large amounts of sugar are being excreted in the
urine.

Bright yellow urine may be due to dehydration or liver problems (see next
paragraphs) or from medications or nutritional supplements. For example, B
vitamins and carotene tend to cause the urine to appear bright yellow, even
when a person is adequately hydrated. Eating large amounts of foods containing
B vitamins, such as whole grains, may produce a brighter yellow hue to the
urine.

Dark yellow urine, or urine that is amber or deep yellow, is often due to
dehydration, which tends to occur when people do not take in as much water as
the body is excreting. Warm weather, high fevers, excessive sweating,
vomiting, laxative use, or diarrhea may contribute to dehydration with the result
of darker yellow urine.

ARVIND JOSHI Page 3 of 8

Dark urine not related to dehydration may be due to a liver disorder, including
infections such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. Certain medications may cause liver
damage as well. People who have liver damage may also have a jaundiced
appearance in which the whites of the eyes and skin may have a yellow hue.

What Causes Brown or Tea-coloured Urine?

Brown urine may be due to eating foods such as rhubarb and fava beans. Aloe
might also produce urine with a brown hue. Liver conditions, such as cirrhosis
and hepatitis, may produce urine that is brown or looks like tea. A kidney
disease called acute glomerulonephritis may also product urine that is brown or
looks like cola.

Medications may cause brown or darker urine, such as:

certain antimalarial drugs

laxatives with cascara or senna

metronidazole

nitrofurantoin

methocarbamol

What Causes Orange, Red, or Pink Urine?

Orange urine may have several possible causes. This may be the result of
dehydration as described above. Laxatives may produce orange colored urine.
Certain medications, such as Pyridium, Rifampin, or Coumadin, tend to produce
orange urine and may also turn other body fluids, such as tears, an orange color.

Foods and drinks may also cause the urine to turn orange, including drinks with
dyes that produce an orange color. Nutritional supplements, vitamins, or foods
such as carrots and winter squash, that contain carotene, B complex vitamins, or
vitamin C may also contribute to orange-colored urine.

Red or pink urine has many other possible causes. One of the more serious
causes of red urine includes blood in the urine, which commonly occurs with a
UTI, or urinary tract infection. Strenuous exercise, bladder cancer, cystitis,
kidney infection, an injury to the kidneys or urethra, an enlarged prostate, or
tuberculosis may also cause blood in the urine, or hematuria. Porphyria or
hemolytic anemia may also cause the urine to turn red.

ARVIND JOSHI Page 4 of 8

Several foods may cause the urine to turn red or pink, including:

beets

blackberries

boysenberries

rhubarb

cereals and other foods with red dyes

drinks with a red dye

Medications might also turn urine a red color. Certain laxatives, particularly
those that resemble chocolate candy, thorazine, or propofol may produce red
urine. Lead poisoning and mercury poisoning may also produce urine that is red
or pink.

What Causes Blue, Purple, or Dark Green Urine?

Perhaps the most common cause of “blue” or “green” urine might not be a
change in urine color at all but might appear that color as a result of certain
cleaning fluids in the toilet water.

Blue urine may appear due to artificial colors added to foods, drinks, or
multivitamins. Some foods, such as asparagus, may give urine a dark green or
blue appearance and may also produce a distinctive smell. Having excessive
amounts of calcium in the body, also known as familial hypercalcemia, may
produce blue or dark green urine.

Some of the more common medications that may cause dark green or blue urine
include:

amitriptyline

cimetidine

indomethacin

phenergan

certain medications that treat urinary pain

Changes in Urine Color May Have Many Causes

Urine may be a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, brown, red, pink,
green, purple, or blue. Although a change in urine color may be simply due to
how hydrated a person is, eating certain foods, or taking particular medications,
some changes in urine color may indicate a serious health problem. People who
are experiencing an unexplained change in urine color should consult with a
healthcare provider for further evaluation.

ARVIND JOSHI Page 5 of 8

The above information includes some of the more common causes for urine
color changes. Other causes are possible. This article is for informational
purposes and should not be considered medical advice.

Sources:

University of Maryland Medical Center’s 2009 online article “Urine –

Abnormal Color – Overview”

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research 1998 – 2009 online
article “Urine Color”

Health Grades, Inc. May 5, 2010 online article “Causes of Blue Urine”

Collective Wisdom.com January 28, 2008 online article “The Color of Your
Urine – What it Means”

Colour of urine is useful indicator to level of hydration

Aug 9 2010

By Fiona Russell

WHEN did you last take a really close look at the colour of your pee? Believe it
or not, the tone of your pee can tell you a lot about your state of health.

The lighter the shade the more hydrated you are, while a darker hue means you
are dehydrated.

And the more dehydrated your body, the greater the chance you'll suffer
headaches, lethargy, a lack of concentration and a desire to over-eat.

Now a new Keep It Light campaign is urging people to check the colour of their
urine.

The health drive calls on us all to drink more fluids to "keep our pee light".

The Keep It Light mission, which is backed by Olympic superstar Sir Steve
Redgrave, follows recent research that reveals habitual dehydration among 96
per cent of the UK's office workers.

The survey, supported by the soft drinks company Juice Doctor, also uncovered
a surprising lack of knowledge about the consequences of dehydration.
ARVIND JOSHI Page 6 of 8
Their findings show that 93 per cent of office workers either don't check or
don't know what the colour indicates.

A shocking 75 per cent said their first response to a headache is to pop a

painkiller rather than drink more water.

And while the majority of workers believed that they drink enough water, less
than four per cent are actually getting the recommended six to eight medium-
sized glasses of water per day.

In fact, almost three-quarters admitted to drinking either no water at all or only

one to two glasses.

The study also found that being thirsty affected the productivity of 80 per cent
of UK workers.

But while most of us are familiar with the health message to drink more water -
around 1.5 to 2 litres a day - we have no idea how to check our hydration.

And according to the health experts thirst is not a good indicator of hydration.

By the time you are thirsty, you'll be two per cent dehydrated - and your energy
levels will already be diminished by 20 to 30 per cent.

Instead, medics underline that the most reliable barometer of hydration is the
colour of your urine.

Professor Marcus Drake, a consultant at the Bristol Urological Institute, said:

"Since the body and brain are made up of a large quantity of water, being
properly hydrated is crucial to your good health.

"The lighter your urine, the more water you have in your body, which in turn
means that you are better hydrated.

"Meanwhile, it's the opposite case if your urine is darker coloured."

The only exception to this general rule is that some vitamin and medical
supplements can cause pee to be darker.

Beetroot also has a tendency to turn pee a reddish colour.

But as you continue to drink water - or fluids of most kinds - the colour of your
urine will work its way back to clear.

ARVIND JOSHI Page 7 of 8

And remember that when exercising or in a warm environment you need to
drink more to replace a greater loss of fluid through sweating.

Professor Drake does warn, however, that there is no benefit to being

"overhydrated".

He said: "The guidelines are to drink around seven glasses of water a day and to
ensure you urine is a nice light yellow colour.

"But drinking any more water or fluids on a regular basis will not add to your
health."

For more information, check out www.keepitlight.com.

WATER OF LIFE

Five top hydration tips from Olympic champion and co-founder of Juice Doctor,
Sir Steve Redgrave.

1 Drink little and often.

2 Make drinking fluids including water, juices etc part of your daily routine.

3 Carry a drink with you and make fluid a constant companion.

4 Check the colour of your urine to monitor hydration levels.

Why is water good for your health?

After oxygen, water is the most important factor for achieving optimum health.

This is because a large part of our bodies and brains is made up of water.

Adequate hydration is essential for: Good brain function; maintaining body

temperature through perspiration; transporting nutrients and oxygen via the
bloodstream; lubricating joints; flushing out toxic waste through urine; keeping
your skin hydrated and younger looking.

Your body loses water through urine, perspiration, breath and faeces.

ARVIND JOSHI Page 8 of 8