A quick peek into the toilet bowl can reveal a lot about your health. Of course, you've heard that the color of your pee can help you figure out how hydrated you are, but that's not the only thing your urine can tell you. Urine color can vary, and while those changes are usually nothing to worry about, sometimes a shift in the hue of your pee can signal that something's wrong. Keith Bijan Bidani, Vice Chair of Urology at Mount Sinai, helps explain the rainbow of possible pee colors and what they might indicate. 

The Spectrum of Normal Urine Color


If you think of urine, it's like a thermometer for the body—not that it tells you the temperature, but it tells you what's going on inside the body. Urine is what the kidneys make when they filter your blood. As a result, factors like fluid shifts, dehydration, or good hydration will affect the urine color based on the amount of fluid in your bloodstream and the filtering done by your kidneys.

What is pee supposed to look like?


There isn't one exact hue that's considered the gold standard of normal urine, but your pee should fall somewhere on the yellow spectrum. Urine gets its yellow color from a compound called urochrome, also known as urobilin, which is excreted by your kidneys.

Your urine can contain traces of thousands of different substances mixed in with plenty of water. In general, the more water you drink, the clearer your pee will look because you're diluting the other substances coming out of your kidneys.

What Different Urine Colors Mean

Clear

If you guzzle lots of water and your pee is completely clear, you can probably safely cut back on your fluid intake a bit. It’s rare but possible to actually drink too much water.

Pale Yellow

If your pee is the color of pale straw or looks like a transparent shade of yellow, that’s a good indication that you’re well hydrated. This straw-colored urine is considered "good" urine and indicates sufficient hydration.

Dark Yellow, Amber, or Honey

A darker shade of yellow, like amber or honey, suggests that you might not be consuming enough water. Your kidneys are filtering blood, and if your body needs more water, it will reabsorb water from your urine, leaving it more concentrated and darker in color.

Signs of dehydration include:

  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • Bad breath
  • Sugar cravings
  • Muscle cramps

Doctors recommend drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of water daily in addition to other fluids. If increasing water intake doesn’t help, schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Medications can also affect urine color:

Phenazopyridine (for urinary tract infection pain) and sulfasalazine (for ulcerative colitis) can turn urine dark yellow or orange.

Dark Brown

If your urine looks dark brown, like black tea, brown ale, or cola, consider whether you recently ate rhubarb, fava beans, or aloe, which can tint your urine. Dark brown urine can also be a sign of severe dehydration. If this happens, your body is critically low on fluids, which can damage your kidneys and affect multiple organs.

Medical causes of dark brown urine include:

  • Blood dissolving in urine after a urologic procedure
  • Certain antibiotics, laxatives, and other medications
  • Rhabdomyolysis (a condition where muscles break down)
  • Poor liver function leading to excess bilirubin in urine
  • Progression of melanoma
  • If you regularly notice dark brown urine, it’s essential to consult a doctor.
  • Pink or Red

Pink or red urine could result from consuming foods like blueberries, beets, or rhubarb. Some medications, such as the antibiotic rifampin, can also cause this color change. However, if you’re not taking new medications or eating red or purple foods, it could indicate blood in the urine.

Potential causes include:

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Kidney stones

Other medical conditions

If you notice dark red or burgundy urine, seek medical attention promptly.

Blue or Green

Blue or green urine can be startling, but it often has innocuous explanations. Green or blue dye in food or drink, as well as certain medications, can cause this color. Asparagus can also give urine a green tinge.

Potential causes include:

  • Medications like heartburn reducers and muscle relaxers
  • Rare urinary infections caused by fungus or yeast
  • Pseudomonas bacteria, which can give urine a green hue and is often accompanied by an odor and other signs of infection, such as burning pain and fever
  • Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, a rare genetic disorder

When to Seek Medical Attention

While many changes in urine color are due to harmless factors like diet or medication, persistent or unexplained changes warrant medical attention. If you notice a new hue in your urine along with other symptoms, consult a healthcare professional.

The bottom line is that a mellow shade of yellow is best for urine color. Stay hydrated, and if you’re concerned about what you see before you flush, contact your healthcare provider.

For more information on urine color and your health, visit reputable sources like medical websites or speak with your doctor directly.