WOW, that may seem to be a very personal question to ask someone, but actually, knowing the colour of your urine could prevent many illnesses and even save your life.
How could knowing the colour of your urine save your life, I hear you ask. It can, because the colour of your urine denotes whether you are dehydrated or not, and if so, exactly how dehydrated you are. Dehydration can lead to various health problems and even to coma and death if not attended to.
What Colour is Your Urine?
The colour of your urine indicates short-term hydration levels. When you are dehydrated, your kidneys will recycle your urine and it will become more concentrated and darker in colour. The darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are.
There are other factors that could change the colour of your urine, such as certain vitamins or foods, as I am sure that many of you have noticed:
- Asparagus can give your urine a greenish tint as well as a characteristic odour;
- Carrots and carrot juice can give your urine an orange tinge;
- Beets, blackberries and rhubarb, can impart a reddish hue;
- Ingestion of large quantities of fava beans, aloe and rhubarb can turn your urine a dark brown; and
- Vitamin manufacturers often add a dye that turns your urine a bright yellow in order to remind you to take your medication.
If you have eaten any of the above foods, then this is nothing to be worried about, but if you have not eaten anything strange and are not on vitamins and your urine is dark, then you need to pay heed to your water intake.
The numerous shades that may show up in your urine mean:
Transparent: If your urine is completely colourless, it could be a sign that you are over-hydrating, which is also not healthy as you may be diluting the salts in your body.
Pale Straw to Amber or Honey-coloured: These shades are fairly normal and show that you are well-hydrated, but as your urine gets darker it means that you are tending towards dehydration and should drink some water.
Syrup or Brown Ale-coloured: The darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are getting and shades of brown are generally a sign that you are rather dehydrated and should drink water immediately. If you are sure that you are drinking sufficient water yet still have brownish urine, consult a doctor as it could be the signs of a kidney disease.
To ensure that you are drinking pure, toxin-free water, the smart move is to invest in a water cooler that will provide you with fresh, toxin-free, chilled drinking water 24/7.
Buy or rent a stainless steel water cooler or table top water cooler from Living-Water in London.
