Why is urine yellow?

The question of why urine is yellow, may seem trivial, but not so trivial an answer. Its color can be either transparent or light yellow. As a rule, it is transparent due to the water we drink, but sometimes it is yellow, light yellow, in particular, because of a chemical called urobilin. This chemical compound is responsible for the color of urine.

Urobilin is a product of the disintegration of bilirubin, which gives a yellowish tinge to bruises, bile and feces. Most of the bilirubin contained in our body is processed by the liver or, more specifically, by the gallbladder and transferred to the intestinal tract for withdrawal. Unfortunately, not all of the bilirubin can be removed in this way, so the kidneys filter out all that is left, and pass it to the bladder for excretion in the urine.

In the old days, when asked why the urine is yellow, you would be told that this is a blessing, since our ancestors believed that such a color is caused by the presence of gold in it.

Nevertheless, from the point of view of medicine this is due to the state of human hydration. So, the dark yellow color of urine with a high probability indicates dehydration of the body. Conversely, a clear and light yellow color - the presence of a sufficient amount of moisture in the body.

Finally, the most common reason why urine is yellow is taking medications, in particular B vitamins.

And some interesting facts about urine:

• The strong smell of urine can be caused by alcohol, curry, asparagus, coffee and onions.

• In urine 95% water, its pH is close to neutral (7). Nevertheless, it can vary between 6.5 and 7.4 in healthy people.

• A healthy adult produces 1-2 liters of urine per day.

• People who take vitamin supplements (especially B vitamins) may have fluorescent yellow or green urine.

• Diluting urine in water (about 8 parts of water, 1 part of urine), you can get excellent fertilizers.

• Some foods, such as beets, can temporarily change the color of urine. And eating a lot of carrots or carrot juice can make it orange. Dishes from asparagus can lead to the fact that you will have bright yellow urine.

From all of the above, it follows that the light yellow color of urine usually indicates a healthy state of the entire human body. It will have a faint smell and be practically free of foam.

However, you should not care about the question of why urine is yellow. On the contrary, an unusual color should be alarmed, which may indicate health problems. So, a brown or red color may indicate a serious kidney problem, for example.

The best way to change the color of urine from dark to pale yellow is to drink a few glasses of water or another liquid. Most health professionals recommend eating eight glasses of water a day, although some people may need a little more or less. After several glasses of water, urine should become a normal color. If it remains dark after a day of increased water intake, you should consult your doctor to make sure that there are no medical reasons for discoloration.