What the Color of Your Pee Says About You

Every time you flush the toilet after urinating, you are also flushing away an important clue about your health. What color is your urine today? We can tell a lot about our health when it comes to the color of our pee.

Why does the color of our urine change?

Urine gets its color primarily from urochrome (aka, urobilin), a pigment that causes urine to range in color from pale yellow to a deep amber. The more water you consume, the more diluted your urine will be, and thus the paler yellow it will appear. If you drink a lot of water, your urine may even appear to be clear. However, the color of “normal” urine falls somewhere on this spectrum.

The color of urine is also influenced by other factors, as shown here. It may be helpful to check out this chart to recognize different colors of pee the next time you check out the toilet bowl.

Diet. Did you have beets for dinner? Don’t be alarmed when you see a pinkish or reddish tinge later at night or the next morning. Beets are just one food that may change the color of your urine, along with berries, carrots, rhubarb, asparagus, and fava beans. Processed foods that contain a lot of food dyes or colorings are other culprits, as may be meal replacement shakes, which can have a high vitamin B content. 

Supplements. Various vitamins, including the B vitamins riboflavin and cobalamin (B2 and B12, respectively) may cause your urine to turn a fluorescent yellow-green. High intake of vitamins C or beta-carotene may leave you with dark yellow or orange pee.

Exercise. Physical activity can impact urine color in several ways. If you exercise and don’t drink enough fluids, especially in heated environments, you can become dehydrated, which can cause highly concentrated urine that is dark amber or the color of tea. This is a serious medical condition and should be treated immediately. Some athletes exercise so vigorously they see some blood in their urine, which may appear as pinkish or reddish pee. This is typically a temporary condition but should be explored by a doctor if it continues for more than 24 hours, as red urine may be a sign of a something more serious.

Medications. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications may alter the color of your urine temporarily or longer term. Some drugs that may change pee color to dark yellow, orange, green, or brown (depending on the drug) are antibiotics, alpha-methyldopa and L-dopa, rifampin, laxatives that contain senna or cascara, phenazopyridine, sulfasalazine, amitriptyline, indomethacin, propofol, chloroquine, primaquine, methocarbamol, promethazine, cimetidine, amitriptyline, metoclopramide, and indomethacin.

Medical conditions. The presence of a kidney, bladder, urinary tract, or liver infection may turn your urine brown or even green in the case of urinary tract infections caused by Pseudomonas bacteria. Men who have an enlarged prostate may experience pinkish or reddish urine. Both urinary tract infections and kidney stones may cause your urine to look murky or whitish, same with deposits of calcium or phosphate crystals or mycobacterial infection.

In rare cases, bladder or kidney tumors can affect the color of your urine, as may cancer. Blue urine is associated with a rare inherited disorder known as familial benign hypercalcemia. 

Diagnosing color changes in urine

Changes in urine color are often harmless, but if it continues or you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, pain, or mental confusion, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. Think about the answers to the following questions, as your doctor will want to know:

• When did you first notice the color change
• What medications or supplements are you taking
• What have you been eating or drinking
• Have you participated in strenuous exercise
• Have you experienced any rashes, problems with vision, unexplained weight loss, headaches, or bowel movement problems
• Have your urinary habits changed

Your doctor may want to perform a urinalysis or blood test depending on your symptoms and the answers to these and other questions. A urinalysis can identify substances in your pee, such as proteins, red blood cells, and infection-causing bacteria. A blood test can determine the levels of liver enzymes and measure kidney function, which may help identify any problems with these organs.

A Natural, More Potent Antibiotic

If you could pick one item for your natural medicine cabinet that could ward off cold and flu viruses, eliminate warts, cold sores, athlete’s foot, dandruff, respiratory tract and sinus infections, what would you choose? If oregano oil doesn’t come to mind, it’s time you gave this overlooked and potent remedy its rightful place in your natural first aid kit.In a study reported by Science Daily Magazine, oil of oregano at relatively low doses was found to be effective against staphylococcus bacteria and was comparable to antibiotics like penicillin in its germ-killing properties.

Researcher Paul Belaiche reported his exhaustive studies of aromatherapy oils in his three-volume work, entitled, Traite de Phytotherapie et d’Aromatherapie (Treatise on Phytotherapy and Aromatherapy). He used a testing method that allowed him to examine the effectiveness of essential oils against specific bacteria, called an aromatogram. He found that oregano oil killed 96 percent of all pneumococcus bacteria, 92 percent of all neisseria, proteus and staphylococcus bacteria. Some strains of neisseria are responsible for diseases like gonorrhea or meningitis. Proteus is a type of intestinal infection and staphylococcus is the culprit in some types of food poisoning. 

He also found that oregano oil eliminated 83 percent of streptococcus and 78 percent of enterococcus. Various strains of streptococcus have been linked with strep throat, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever or toxic shock syndrome. Some strains of enterococcus are linked with cystitis, wound infections and anorexia.

What’s more is that oregano oil also killed 78 percent of candida bacteria, commonly linked with intestinal or systemic candida infections and 78 percent of klebsiella bacteria, which is linked to lung infections.

In a study by the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico, scientists found that oregano was effective at killing giardia, a parasite that causes abdominal distress.

The Journal Food Protection cites a study by researchers at the Department of Food Science at the University of Tennessee also report impressive findings regarding oregano oil’s potency against bacteria. Scientists found that oregano oil exhibited the most significant antibacterial action against common germs like staphylococcus, E. coli and listeria.

Researchers in the United Kingdom found that not only was oil of oregano effective against these common bacteria, it has antibacterial activity against 25 different bacteria.

Mother Nature has provided us with a powerful antibiotic in oregano oil. Unlike synthetic antibiotics that are powerless against viruses and funguses, oregano oil is effective against these pathogens too. With its wide variety of uses and potency against so many different types of infections, it is a welcome addition to any first aid kit or natural medicine chest.

Old People Are Badass

Fails And Wins (50 Gifs)