Health

One Chart Explains What Your Pee Says About Your Health

November 4th 2015

There's no greater relief than peeing, especially after holding it in for a long time. But there's more to peeing than simply plopping down on the toilet and flushing all the liquid away.

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This chart from the Cleveland Clinic reveals what your pee habits say about your health. The color, density, and smell of your pee are all important, and the chart below shows what different colors indicate about your well-being.

What your pee says about your healthCleveland Clinic - clevelandclinic.org

The average person pees up to eight times a day, and according to the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, adults tend to release around 1.4 liters of urine a day. If this applies to you or you pee more than that, then you're probably pretty hydrated and peeing clear liquid. The ideal pee is yellow, but dark yellow pee means you might want to increase your water intake.

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Things start to get a little weird when your pee looks like Coca Cola. A brown or syrupy appearance could mean you have liver disease. A pink or red appearance could mean a broad range of things: blood, certain dietary habits, a urinary tract infection, prostate issues, or even a little too much running. Other colors, such as blue, green, and orange, could be caused by food dye or other health conditions. Foamy or fizzy pee can be harmless but also indicate kidney or dietary issues.

Another thing to remember is that certain medications can color your pee. Laxatives can make your pee dark yellow or orange, and other medicines can have a similar effect. In terms of smell, "urine that contains a lot of water has little to no odor," according to the Mayo Clinic. Urine that is highly concentrated and has a high level of waste can smell like ammonia. Foods, medications, infections, and certain health issues can also cause pee to have a specific odor.

“Sweet-smelling urine is often an important clue in the diagnosis of diabetes,” Dr. Holly Phillips, a women’s health specialist in New York, told Women's Health magazine last year.

The important thing is to see a medical professional if you're concerned about your pee color or smell.