Your piss- Which color is the good color

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Replies

  • Gigi_licious
    Gigi_licious Posts: 1,185 Member
    It doesn't matter unless it's dark brown. Then you have rhabdomyolysis and need to rush to the ER before you go into kidney failure.

    I always thought that was called "Poo Poo" or "Poopie" or "poos" or "dooky"
  • samuelette
    samuelette Posts: 24 Member
    "Does clear urine mean you're healthy? What causes clear urine?

    Clear urine CAN mean you're healthy. Typically, the healthier you are, the lighter your urine color. While you would think that clear urine would mean a well hydrated, healthy body, it may actually be a symptom of some other issues. The ideal healthy urine color is actually a straw yellow color. Clear urine that does not appear to have any color can mean that you are healthy and have a well-hydrated body, but it could also mean that you are over hydrated and risk water intoxication (water poisoning) or you may even have diabetes."
    More at: http://www.urinecolors.com/clear_urine_color.php

    But at 8 glasses per day, I doubt you're at risk for water intoxication. I'd say you're okay.

    "It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition."
    More at: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm
  • BloodLad
    BloodLad Posts: 16 Member
    Very useful chart. I'm always drinking till it's clear...nice to know that light amber color means hydrated as well.
  • I live off asparagus, so I pee hilighter fluid
  • There is no need to drink til you're clear. A light yellow is fine. If you're clear that means you are super hydrated and that really isn't necessary. You don't want to be dehydrated but what's the point of drinking so much that there's nothing left to filter and your kidneys are just getting rid of excess water? We never do anything normal, everything is always overkill. This water hype is overkill in my opinion. Even in the hospital, when we are pouring IV's into people, and have them on catheters, they never get clear, always light yellow. I can't imagine how much you guys are drinking to get to clear. It can't be good for you.


    Thank goodness for someone with common sense! the beauty of your renal system is it's ability to concentrate urine in order to maintain homeostasis, drinking to obvious excess as many on here would have you do is dangerous.
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,284 Member
    If it is a light color very little yellow almost like straw colored they you my friend are hydrated. Once it starts going into the darker yellows you need to drink more fluids. I had the same question a few weeks back as I thought it was odd the color had changed and thought maybe I was sick lol
  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
    Lighter the better in general, but there are exception. There are ceirtan food that can color your urine and it is ok. Last week a day I ate a huge amount of raw beets, and my pee became kind of pink the next day. It scared the hell out of me, but then I read upon it, and it is normal.
    Also I used to take a B vitamin complex and it made my urine bright bright yellow. It was prescribed it to me by a Dr, and I was warned ahead of time of the color change. Obviously huge amount of vitamin B makes urine yellow.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    There is no need to drink til you're clear. A light yellow is fine. If you're clear that means you are super hydrated and that really isn't necessary. You don't want to be dehydrated but what's the point of drinking so much that there's nothing left to filter and your kidneys are just getting rid of excess water? We never do anything normal, everything is always overkill. This water hype is overkill in my opinion. Even in the hospital, when we are pouring IV's into people, and have them on catheters, they never get clear, always light yellow. I can't imagine how much you guys are drinking to get to clear. It can't be good for you.

    Every doctor (both naturopathic and main stream medical doctors) have always said that clear is what you should aim for. Any color at all in the urine is indicative of dehydration.

    Light yellow signals the start of dehydration and the darker the yellow the worse the dehydration is.

    The human body is made up of mostly water so drinking a lot of water makes perfect sense. It keeps everything in balance.

    Also, the human kidneys can filter up to 15 liters of water per day so there is no way that drinking 2 or 3 liters of water is in any way over kill.

    I think many people downplay the importance of water for PROPER human body function just to have the excuse of being able to drink their chemical and sugar filled drinks.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    When my husband was hospitalized for liver failure, he came out of the bathroom with his filled jug for the nurses and said, "I decided to brew some tea instead..."
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member

    I think many people downplay the importance of water for PROPER human body function just to have the excuse of being able to drink their chemical and sugar filled drinks.

    Chemical and sugar filled drinks will hydrate you pretty much the same as water. Far too many people think that drinking tons of pure water is some magical weight-loss device.

    It really isn't.

    Wow, those bottled water companies have really set this propaganda in deep...
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I drink about 10 cups of water a day. From morning to dinner, it goes from light yellow to clear. But some people here have said that clear isn’t good. So begs the question,

    Which color is a good color and shows that your metabolism is working?

    I didn't realize there was any correlation between urine color and metabolism, I thought it was urine color and hydration. There are other things that you can tell by the smell (including hydration and if you've eaten asparagus), but I'm not sure about the metabolism correlation.
  • mines clear but lately ive been taking these multi-vitamins and its going green.

    Im still drinking plenty of water and i feel fine so i dont worry....

    Maybe im turning in to the incredible hulk ? or maybe im just peeing out cryptonite - i am super human by the way
  • aj_rock
    aj_rock Posts: 390 Member
    There is no need to drink til you're clear. A light yellow is fine. If you're clear that means you are super hydrated and that really isn't necessary. You don't want to be dehydrated but what's the point of drinking so much that there's nothing left to filter and your kidneys are just getting rid of excess water? We never do anything normal, everything is always overkill. This water hype is overkill in my opinion. Even in the hospital, when we are pouring IV's into people, and have them on catheters, they never get clear, always light yellow. I can't imagine how much you guys are drinking to get to clear. It can't be good for you.

    Every doctor (both naturopathic and main stream medical doctors) have always said that clear is what you should aim for. Any color at all in the urine is indicative of dehydration.

    Light yellow signals the start of dehydration and the darker the yellow the worse the dehydration is.

    The human body is made up of mostly water so drinking a lot of water makes perfect sense. It keeps everything in balance.

    Also, the human kidneys can filter up to 15 liters of water per day so there is no way that drinking 2 or 3 liters of water is in any way over kill.

    I think many people downplay the importance of water for PROPER human body function just to have the excuse of being able to drink their chemical and sugar filled drinks.

    You've misquoted a few facts. First off, the colour indicates ONLY the relative concentration of minerals in your piss. You could theoretically get a darker color just by taking too many multi-vitamins. Clear piss can also indicate a vitamin deficiency, as your body holds on to every last bit it can.

    And the kidneys filter BLOOD, not water. And filter upwards of 160 liters of blood per day. Spot on for 2-3 liter recommendation. Helps to note that the 2-3 liters is AFTER we take food and metabolism inputs into account.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
    Clear = You're Very Hydrated.
    Yellow = Dehydrated.

    But certain veggies/foods can lead to change in colour -

    This is not entirely true. You get dehydrated as you drink alcohol, and yet, in most cases your urine is clear. Additioanlly, if you double up the amount of vitamins in your body and are passing yellow, it means that the nutrients are not being fully absorbed by the body. before you quote that which you were conditioned to believe, please become medically certified.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Clear is very good.
    Just make sure you don't drink too much water. People have done that, but I don't see how.
  • missmaggiemd
    missmaggiemd Posts: 25 Member
    That's funny cause after only 4 cups of water mine is clear. I don't think that's a large amount and I rarely go over 8snacking cups a day. Hmm so I don't know what that means...
  • wiglet23
    wiglet23 Posts: 887 Member
    It's good to be clear. When it's yellow, your body is flushing out the things it doesn't need. (Esp. if you take more supplements than your body needs...)
  • sarah_ep
    sarah_ep Posts: 580 Member
    Clear is very good.
    Just make sure you don't drink too much water. People have done that, but I don't see how.

    My grandmother did this and ended up in the hospital. She was drinking loads of water and not eating enough. The only way we knew was when she became delusional from the tissue swelling putting pressure on her brain and nerves.

    ETA: It is called water intoxication. It is not common.
  • Steven
    Steven Posts: 593 MFP Moderator
    Posters,

    Please observe the following forum rule:

    17) Please stay on-topic, and help us make our forums a "No Hijacking" zone. Users come to MyFitnessPal for support and encouragement. Off-topic or derogatory remarks are discouraging and disrespectful, and will be deleted. Repeated offense may result in revocation of posting privileges. Please either contribute positively to a thread, or move on without posting.

    The OP has asked a legitimate health-related question. Please don't dilute the thread (no pun intended) with crass comments (which I'm about to delete).

    Thanks,
    Steven
    MyFitnessPal Staff
  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
    I went a few years ago to see a doctor and he said clear to light yellow is best and anything that colors the toliet a regular or dark yellow ussually means that you are dehydrated or have an infection.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    There is no need to drink til you're clear. A light yellow is fine. If you're clear that means you are super hydrated and that really isn't necessary. You don't want to be dehydrated but what's the point of drinking so much that there's nothing left to filter and your kidneys are just getting rid of excess water? We never do anything normal, everything is always overkill. This water hype is overkill in my opinion. Even in the hospital, when we are pouring IV's into people, and have them on catheters, they never get clear, always light yellow. I can't imagine how much you guys are drinking to get to clear. It can't be good for you.

    My body functions best on 6-10 glasses of water a day (depends if I'm sitting driving all day or going to the gym). My urine is usually clear after just a couple glasses, sometimes a super pale yellow. Nothing wrong with this. It means my kidneys are effectively cleansing my blood of toxins & that the water is helping.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    The color in the toilet bowl is a lot different than when you pee into a cup... keep that in mind... I doubt that most people actually have clear!
  • Many multi's load up on beta carotene so that your urine goes deep yellow, and you think you are getting a tonne of good stuff.
  • My fiancé is in the Army. Is his basic training, they've told him that it should be clear. If it's yellow, it means you're dehydrated!

    It's not that long ago the Army put cigaretts in ration packs and told soldiers they were good for 'em!
  • nursekj
    nursekj Posts: 100 Member
    Darker in the morning then as you rehydrate it clears up....blood in urine can be from too much exercise but tt's something a doc needs to see.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Mine gets totally clear when I drink a lot of beer, so I'm not sure clear pee is any indication of health.
  • ruthieg18
    ruthieg18 Posts: 1 Member
    Clear pee is the way to be!
This discussion has been closed.