Why is the urine yellow?
introduction
Urine is usually a clear liquid that is light yellow to colorless. The less you drink, the darker the urine becomes.
The urine is yellow because it contains so-called urochromes. Urochrome is the name given to all metabolic products present in the urine that cause the urine to change color. Some of the urochromes are metabolic products that arise when the red blood pigment hemoglobin is built up and broken down. These metabolites are urobilin and porphyrins. Urobilin is an important breakdown product of hemoglobin. It is excreted with the urine via the kidneys and, as urochrome, ensures the yellow color of the urine. Our urine can also take on other colors, which can be harmless or indicate illness.
How can you influence the color of urine?
The color of the urine depends both on the amount of fluids we ingest and on the diet. For example, certain foods can cause the urine to look unusual. The urine is usually clear, light yellow to colorless.
If you drink a lot, you dilute the urine. It then becomes clearer to completely colorless. On the other hand, if you drink very little, the urine becomes more concentrated and significantly darker. This means that by drinking I can influence the color of my urine.
Food can also change the color of urine. When you take supplements with vitamin B2, the urine turns bright yellow. Eating rhubarb changes the urine depending on its pH value: If you eat rhubarb when the urine is acidic, the urine turns yellow-brown. If you eat rhubarb with an alkaline urine, the urine can even take on a pink color. Consuming beetroot in large quantities can cause urine to turn red.
You can find more information on this topic here: urine pH
Why is the urine sometimes light yellow?
The urine is usually light yellow or colorless. The color is strongly dependent on the fluid intake. When we drink a lot, the urine tends to be thinned, making the color pale yellow. If we drink more water, the color of the urine becomes water-white.
Why is the urine sometimes dark yellow?
The urine is sometimes naturally dark yellow. Dark yellow urine occurs in healthy people and does not necessarily indicate an illness. The color of the urine is greatly affected by the amount of fluid you drink. This means that when we drink less, the urine becomes less diluted and therefore the color becomes darker.
Dark yellow urine often occurs in the morning when you haven't drunk a lot or when you drink little fluid during the day. Another reason for dark yellow urine can be fluid loss. When we sweat a lot, for example when exercising, the body tries to conserve water and therefore excretes less fluid in order to counteract dehydration. Then the urine is very concentrated and dark yellow. This is exactly how the body behaves when we lose fluids due to diarrhea or vomiting.
You may also be interested in this topic: Dark urine
Can one infer diseases from the color of the urine?
The color of the urine can be an indication of various diseases or conditions. Strongly concentrated, dark yellow urine occurs when there is little fluid intake, but also with diarrhea and vomiting, i.e. gastrointestinal complaints.
If the urine is yellow-green or blue-green, there may be an infection with the bacterium Pseudomonas exist. These germs can cause inflammation of the heart, lungs, wounds, respiratory and urinary tract and are often present in hospitals. The smell and color of a Pseudomonas infection are very characteristic of the pathogen.
Red urine can have harmless causes, for example from eating a lot of beetroot or from certain medications. A red color can also be caused by blood in the urine and must therefore be examined by a doctor. Red-brown urine can also get its color from blood.
Blood in the urine can have various causes such as urinary tract infections, kidney inflammation, bladder or kidney stones, tumors (bladder, urethra or kidney cancer), injuries or foreign bodies in the urethra or vascular diseases. In men, blood in the urine may indicate inflammation of the prostate (Prostatitis) or prostate enlargement. In women, it can occur in the blood in the urine as part of menstrual bleeding. Blood in the urine can be harmless or indicate one of the diseases mentioned and must therefore be examined in every case.
If the urine is brown with yellow or brown foam, there may be liver damage or blocked biliary tract.
Also read our articles:
- Causes of blood in the urine
- Kidney disease
- Bacteria in the urine- these are the signs
My urine is dark yellow even though I drink a lot - why?
Dark yellow urine is often associated with the amount consumed. It is said that if you drink a lot, the urine becomes clearer, light yellow. If you drink less, the urine becomes more concentrated and darker in color. It is possible that subjectively, from your own perspective, you drink a lot. Everyone needs a different amount of fluid. If you use more, you have to "drink more". It can help to try to drink more water and observe the color of the urine. It is helpful to drink water and teas instead of sweet sodas that contain colorings and preservatives.
But dark yellow urine can also have other causes. Certain drugs, such as some anti-malarial antibiotics, produce dark yellow urine. There are also liver diseases such as hepatitis or liver cirrhosis and metabolic diseases (e.g. porphyria), Meulengracht's disease and jaundice. These clinical pictures make the urine darker.
If the urine does not lighten even though you try to drink more fluids, you should see a doctor to rule out a medical condition that is causing the coloration.
You might also be interested in this topic: Urinalysis
How is neon yellow urine created?
Neon yellow, intensely glowing urine is often the result of taking dietary supplements that contain vitamin B2.
Vitamin B2, Riboflavin, is often taken to aid digestion and metabolism of amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates. Vitamin B2 promotes energy metabolism and protein bioysynthesis. Overdosing has no known consequences. Coloring of the urine is a common side effect. The urine turns yellow-orange to neon yellow.
The influence of vitamin B
The urine turns neon yellow if, for example, you take food supplements that contain large amounts of vitamin B. The neon yellow color of the urine is harmless and more of a cosmetic side effect. The bright color is caused by excess vitamin B2 that is excreted in the urine.
