Urine

Scientists Finally Figure Out Why Urine is Yellow

Posted by

0


Scientists have uncovered what enzyme turns urine is yellow. Eduardo Ramos Castaneda/Getty Images

  • Researchers have discovered a new enzyme, bilirubin reductase, that gives urine its yellow color.
  • These findings could help better understand the connection between the gut and health issues like jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Learning more about bilirubin reductase will help in understanding the breakdown of bilirubin and how it affects other bodily systems.

Urine color can change due to hydration, diet, and medication. But among the average healthy person, it’s a shade of yellow.

According to a new study published this week in Nature Microbiology,Trusted Source researchers have finally uncovered a long-standing mystery, what leads to that yellow color?

Researchers have found that an enzyme called bilirubin reductase (BilR) is what gives urine its yellow color. These results could be used to help study the links between the gut microbiome and health conditions such as jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease.

How blood cells turn into pigment

As red blood cells degrade, the pigment bilirubin is created as a byproduct. Bilirubin is released in the gut to be excreted, but it’s possible to be reabsorbed. If bilirubin builds up in the blood, it can lead to jaundice where the skin and eyes turn yellow.

For more than 125 years, experts have known that compounds in the gut turn bilirubin into the compound urobilin, which is the pigment that results in yellow urine.

But what they didn’t know was what enzyme or collection of enzymes turned bilirubin into urobilin.

“Unfortunately, gut microbes can be challenging to study,” Brantley Hall, PhD, an assistant professor in the University of Maryland’s Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics and study author, told Healthline. “The gut is a low-oxygen environment, and many of the bacteria in our guts can’t survive if too much oxygen is present, making them difficult to grow and perform experiments on in labs. This ultimately meant that only a handful of bacterial species had ever been identified as being able to metabolize bilirubin, limiting the amount of data that was available.”

Hall said advancements in genome sequencing helped them discover this key enzyme.

“Our work to find BilR relied on combining experimental screening with genomic analysis, an approach that has only become possible with the isolation of more gut bacterial species and the advancement of genome sequencing technology,” he said. “So in summary, we unraveled a fundamental aspect of how our gut microbiomes influence our daily lives.”

“Gut microbes encode the enzyme bilirubin reductase that converts bilirubin into a colorless byproduct called urobilinogen,” Hall explained in said in a statement. “Urobilinogen then spontaneously degrades into a molecule called urobilin, which is responsible for the yellow color we are all familiar with.”

How the new research can pave the way for understanding gut health conditions

“Bilirubin reductase will help in terms of future research to understand the breakdown of bilirubin, which is formed by the breakdown of heme which is present within red blood cells and some other cells within the body,” Dr. Boback Berookhim, a urologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, stated. “In some disease states high levels of bilirubin may result in brain damage which can be sometimes severe and may even lead to death. This is an important step in better understanding how to treat these disease processes.”

Researchers discovered that bilirubin reductase is present in nearly all healthy adults but not in newborns and adult individuals with inflammatory bowel disease.

Failure of bilirubin breakdown has been clearly associated with jaundice in infants and gallstones in adult patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, Berookhim explained.

For the next research steps, Hall would like to conduct human studies.

“We hope to conduct observational human studies to better understand how bilirubin reduction by gut microbes influences the concentration of bilirubin in circulation,” said Hall. “We are especially interested in looking at premature infants where jaundice rates are high, and the prevalence of bilirubin-reducing microbes is low.”

“The hypothesis is supported by genome-based studies looking at the microbiome of infants with jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease,” he said. “It appears to have validity although confirmatory studies are needed to better support this finding. Biologically, the link is plausible and appears to have validity.”

Why it’s important to pay attention to urine color

Urine color can indicate a variety of health issues with patients.

“Yellow, or dark yellow urine may indicate that a person is not adequately hydrated,” said Berookhim. “Red urine usually indicates blood in the urine, which may be associated with kidney stones, enlarged prostates, urinary infections, bladder cancer or kidney cancer.”

Some liver dysfunctions can also be related to red urine. Brown urine may also reflect either a liver dysfunction or the presence of old blood in the urinary tract, Berookhim explained.

The gut microbiome’s role in human health

Along with jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease, the gut microbiome has been associated with numerous health conditions, including arthritis, psoriasis, and allergies.

“The microbiome is a collection of bacteria, fungi and viruses that live in and on the body,” Berookhim stated. “These play a significant role in immune response and help modulate the balance between inflammation and immunity. Within the gut, this can also influence the nervous system, and has been shown to play a role in obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease among other issues.”

These organisms tend to be protective of and coexist with our bodies to help break down waste products. Alterations in this microbiome can set off a chain of events that can lead to disease or predisposition to disease throughout the body, Berookhim explained.

Takeaway

In a new study, scientists say they have figured out why urine is the color yellow.

They report the enzyme, bilirubin reductase is responsible for giving urine its yellow hue.

These results may be useful in learning more about the gut microbiome and health conditions such as jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease.

The more scientists learn about bilirubin reductase, the more they will understand how bilirubin breaks down in the body and its health implications.

Things That Can Affect the Smell of Your Pee

Posted by

0


What You Eat or Drink

What You Eat or Drink

1/16

Asparagus might be the most common reason for stinky pee. The harmless odor is caused by a breakdown of asparagusic acid. Your genes affect whether you can smell these sulfur byproducts. If you can’t, that’s called asparagus anosmia. Your pee may also have a strong smell after you drink coffee, or eat fish, onions, or garlic.

Dehydration

Dehydration

2/16

Fluids help water down, or dilute, your pee. While there’s always waste in your urine, like ammonia, the smell is stronger if you’re dehydrated. That doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. But a lack of fluids does raise your chances of getting kidney stones and urinary tract infections. That’s why it’s important to drink water when you’re thirsty. Fruits and vegetables can help hydrate you, too.

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary Tract Infections

3/16

You may go to the bathroom a lot if you have a UTI. While you’re in there, you might get a whiff of something that doesn’t smell good. That’s because bacteria can build up in your urine and make it stink. Talk to your doctor if it hurts to pee and you have a fever. You may need to take antibiotics to get better.

Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones

4/16

These make your pee smell for a few reasons. They can stop or slow urine flow, leading to a buildup of salt and ammonia. They can also make infections more likely. Some stones are made from cystine, a substance with sulfur in it. If cystine is in your urine, it may smell like rotten eggs. Tell your doctor if you have a fever, blood in your pee, or if you’re in a lot of pain. You may need to get the stones taken out at a hospital.  

Uncontrolled Diabetes

Uncontrolled Diabetes

5/16

Your pee or breath may smell fruity if you don’t treat high blood sugar. The sweet smell is from ketonuria, or a buildup of ketones. Those are chemicals your body makes when you burn fat, instead of glucose, for energy. Tell your doctor right away if you vomit, have trouble breathing, or feel confused. You could have a serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. They’ll test your pee for ketones and help you manage your diabetes.

Maple Syrup Urine Disease

Maple Syrup Urine Disease

6/16

People born with this condition can’t break down certain amino acids. When these amino acids build up, their pee or earwax starts to smell sweet. If your baby has the disease, you may notice this syrupy odor a day or two after they’re born. They’ll need to follow a special diet. Your doctor can help you figure out ways to manage your child’s condition.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually Transmitted Infections

7/16

Some STIs can lead to a smelly discharge in males and females. You may notice the smell as the fluid mixes with your pee. You may not have other symptoms. Or your genitals may itch, and it might burn when you pee. Bacterial infections like chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. You’ll need another kind of medicine for viral infections.

Vitamin Overload

Vitamin Overload

8/16

Your body gets rid of nutrients you don’t need through peeing. Extra vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can give it a strong odor. Too much vitamin B1 (thiamine) can make your pee smell like fish. B vitamins can also make your pee look a bright greenish-yellow. Talk to a doctor about what vitamin doses are right for you.

Medication

Medication

9/16

Sulfa drugs can give your pee a bit of stench. That includes sulfonamide antibiotics. They’re commonly used to treat UTIs and other infections. Medicines for diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis also can affect the way your pee smells. If the stinky scent bothers you, tell your doctor about it. They might want to make sure nothing else is causing the odor.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy

10/16

Morning sickness may leave you dehydrated. And prenatal vitamins might change the way your pee smells. Pregnancy also raises your chances of urinary tract infections and ketonuria. You could just be super sensitive to scents. That’s called hyperosmia. Experts think hormones may change your perception of smells. And that means that even if your pee is the same, it may seem like the odor is weird or more intense.

Organ Failure

Organ Failure

11/16

Liver disease can make your pee and breath smell musty. The odor is caused by the buildup and release of toxins in your urine. If you have kidney failure, you may smell a lot of ammonia when you go to the bathroom.

Douching

Douching

12/16

Let your vagina clean itself. Washing inside of it could upset the balance of good and bad bacteria. That can lead to infections and discharge, which can smell bad when you pee. Health issues linked to douching include yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. There’s no need to erase your vagina’s natural odor. If you notice a new or strange scent, talk to your doctor. They can tell you if it’s normal.  

Poop Gets in Your Bladder

Poop Gets in Your Bladder

13/16

A fistula is an extra opening that forms between two organs. If you get one between your bladder and bowels, poop or gas may come out when you pee. You might get this kind of fistula if you have cancer or an inflammatory condition, like Crohn’s disease or diverticulitis. If you’re female, it may happen after you give birth or have a certain kind of operation. Surgery can fix fistulas. 

Tyrosinemia

Tyrosinemia

14/16

Some babies are born with a condition called tyrosinemia type 1. It means they don’t have the right enzyme to break down the amino acid tyrosine. Too much of this compound can give body fluids, like urine, a rotten odor. It may smell like cabbage. Tyrosinemia is treated with medicine and a low-tyrosine diet.  

Fish Odor Syndrome

Fish Odor Syndrome

15/16

Also called trimethylaminuria, this genetic condition can give your pee a fishy smell. It happens when your body can’t break down trimethylamine. You end up getting rid of the compound through your pee, sweat, breath, and other fluids. It doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy. But your doctor can help you manage the smell. They may give you antibiotics, special soap, or suggest eating certain foods.

Holding It for Too Long

Holding It for Too Long

16/16

Your urine might smell funky if it hangs out in your bladder for a while. That may also raise your chances of getting a UTI. This may happen more often in children who don’t pee when they feel the urge. That’s why it’s always a good idea to remind kids to take bathroom breaks.

26 Interesting Facts About Urine

Posted by

0


1-Most-people-pee-about-seven-times-a-day-on-average

http://www.curejoy.com/content/26-interesting-facts-urine/

Are Your Medications Causing or Increasing Incontinence?

Posted by

0


If you are struggling with urinary incontinence or your existing incontinence is getting worse, take a look at the medications you are taking. They may contribute to the problem.

There are four groups of medications doctors commonly recommend that can cause or increase incontinence. If you are taking any of these, you should let your doctor know about your incontinence and discuss your medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) to see if there is another approach to control or eliminate the problem.
The most common incontinence problems arise from medications in the following four categories:

1. Diuretics to reduce excess fluid

Diuretics, also known as “water pills,” stimulate the kidneys to expel unneeded water and salt from your tissues and bloodstream into the urine. Getting rid of excess fluid makes it easier for your heart to pump. There are a number of diuretic drugs, but one of the most common is furosemide (Lasix®).

According to urologist Raymond Rackley, MD, approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from overactive bladder symptoms.

“Many of those patients also have high blood pressure or vascular conditions, such as swelling of the feet or ankles,” he says. “These conditions are often treated with diuretic therapies that make their bladder condition worse in terms of urgency and frequency.”

A first step is to make sure you are following your doctor’s prescription instructions exactly. As an alternative to water pills, Dr. Rackley recommends restricting salt in your diet and exercising for weight loss. Both of these can reduce salt retention and hypertension naturally.

2. Alpha blockers for hypertension

Another class of drugs used to reduce high blood pressure or hypertension by dilating your blood vessels can also cause problems. These medicines are known as alpha blockers. Some of the most common are Cardura®, Minipress® and Hytrin®.

These are usually more of an issue for women. Again, discuss this with your physician, because there are alternative drugs you may be able to take.

Men typically take these to treat an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH) which can restrict urination by putting pressure on the urethra. By relaxing the muscles in the bladder neck, they allow smoother urine flow for those patients.

3. Antidepressants and narcotic pain relievers

Some antidepressants and pain medications can prevent the bladder from contracting completely so that it does not empty. That gives rise to urgency or frequency or voiding dysfunction. They can also decrease your awareness of the need to void.

“Some of these drugs can also cause constipation,” Dr. Rackley says. “Constipation, in turn, can cause indirect bladder incontinence because being constipated takes up more room in the pelvis that the bladder needs to expand.”

4. Sedatives and sleeping pills

Using sedatives and sleeping pills can present a problem, especially if you already have incontinence. They can decrease your awareness of the need to void while you are sleeping.

The best way to address this situation, Dr. Rackley says, is to take other steps to relax and improve your sleep. Getting more exercise to make you tired, for example, can help. It’s also important to maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule. Dr. Rackley says finding other ways to relax before bed — meditation, reading a book or listening to soothing music or sound effects (e.g., rain or waves) — can also help you sleep better.

 

Nanomedicine: Particle physiology

Posted by

0


Urine-powered mobile phone charger lets you spend a penny to make a call.

Posted by

0


New microbial fuel cells contain bacteria that produce electricity from urine as part of their natural life cycle

A group of researchers from the University of the West of England have invented a method of charging mobile phones using urine.

Key to the breakthrough is the creation of a new microbial fuel cell (MFC) that turns organic matter – in the case, urine – into electricity.

v2-Ioannis

The MFCs are full of specially-grown bacteria that break down the chemicals in urine as part of their normal metabolic process. The bacteria produce electrons as they consume the matter and it this natural process that creates a small electrical charge to be stored in the MFC.

“No one has harnessed power from urine to do this so it’s an exciting discovery,” said Dr Ioannis Ieropoulos, an engineer at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory where the fuel cells were developed.

“The beauty of this fuel source is that we are not relying on the erratic nature of the wind or the sun; we are actually reusing waste to create energy. One product that we can be sure of an unending supply is our own urine.”

After the urine has been processed by the MFCs the electrical charge is stored in a capacitor. In the first test of the new invention, researchers simply plugged in a commercial Samsung phone charger and were able to charge up the handset.

Although the amount of electricity produced by the fuel cell is relatively small – only enough for a single call on the mobile – researcher believe it might be installed in bathrooms in the future, helping to power electric razors, toothbrushes and lights.

The device is about the size of a car battery, but engineers believe that future versions will be smaller and more portable. With each fuel cell only costing around £1 to produce such devices could provide a new, cheaper way of generating power.

The research was sponsored by public money from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Gates Foundation (the charity run by Microsoft-founder Bill Gates), with the scientists hopeful that the technology could be beneficial in developing countries.

“One [use] would be to put these into domestic situations or it could be used in remote regions of the developing world,” said Dr Ieropoulos.

“The fuel cells we have used to charge a mobile phone with hold around 50ml of urine but the smallest we have had working in the laboratory hold 1ml, so we can make them a lot smaller. Our aim is to have something that can be carried around easily.”

“The concept has been tested and it works – it’s now for us to develop and refine the process so that we can develop MFCs to fully charge a battery.”

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk

 

What You Can Learn About Your Health by Analyzing the Color and Smell of Your Urine

Posted by

0


urineStory at-a-glance

  • Urine has been an important diagnostic tool for 6,000 years, as well as having some surprising historical uses
  • You can learn a great deal about your overall health by examining your urine and noting its color, odor, and consistency, your urine can be a powerful window into your overall health
  • Urine color and odor can be altered by your diet, medications, supplements, water consumption, and physical activity
  • Your urine characteristics can also function as an early warning system for serious health problems including urinary stones, infections, kidney problems, metabolic disorders, diabetes, pituitary disorders, and even tumors
  • Frequency of urination is also important; increased urination may suggest infection, overactive bladder, diabetes, or a number of other concerns
  • Suggestions are provided on how much water to consume daily; the common “eight glasses per day” recommendation is overgeneralized, and you should instead pay attention to your body’s own individual cues

Urine can reveal important information about your body’s waste elimination process, providing clues about your overall health status.

Your kidneys serve to filter excess water and water-soluble wastes out of your blood, getting rid of toxins and things that would otherwise build up and cause you to become ill. Many things — from excess protein and sugar to bacteria and yeast — may make their way into your urine.

Instead of ignoring your urine and dashing back to whatever important activity having to pee interrupted, take this golden opportunity to become familiar with your “normal.”

If you notice changes in the way your urine looks or smells, the cause might be something as benign as what you had for dinner last night, such as beets or asparagus. Or, your astuteness may potentially alert you to a serious condition.

If you suspect you have a urinary tract problem, you should consult your physician. One of the first things he or she is likely to do is a urine test. Urine tests have been around for more than 6,000 years1 and are easy, noninvasive tools for quickly assessing your health status2.

Minding Your Pees and Cues

In your lifetime, your kidneys filter more than one million gallons of water, enough to fill a small lake. Amazingly, one kidney can handle the task perfectly well. In fact, if you lose a kidney, your remaining kidney can increase in size by 50 percent within two months, to take over the job of both.3

Urine is 95 percent water and five percent urea, uric acid, minerals, salts, enzymes, and various substances that would cause problems if allowed to accumulate in your body4. Normal urine is clear and has a straw yellow color, caused by a bile pigment called urobilin.

As with your stool, your urine changes color depending on what foods you eat, what medications and supplements you take, how much water you drink, how active you are, and the time of the day.

But some diseases can also change the color and other characteristics of your urine, so it’s important to be alert and informed. With so many variables, you can’t always be sure of what’s causing any particular urine characteristic, short of laboratory testing. However, urine’s character gives you some clues to potential problems that may be developing, giving you time to do something about it.

The following chart outlines some of the most common color variations for urine and their possible origins. The majority of the time, color changes resulting from foods, medications, supplements, or simply dehydration. But there are certain signs that warrant concern.

Color Possible Cause Necessary Action
Yellow/Gold The most typical urine color, indicative of a healthy urinary tract; yellow will intensify depending on hydration; some B vitamins cause bright yellow urine None
Red/Pink Hematuria (fresh blood in the urine) related to urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney stone, or rarely cancer; consumption of red foods such as beets, blueberries, red food dyes, rhubarb; iron supplements; Pepto-Bismol, Maalox, and a variety of other drugs5; classic “port wine” color may indicate porphyria (genetic disorder) ***Consult your physician immediately if you suspect you have blood in your urine
White/Colorless Excessive hydration is most likely. (See Cloudy) Consult your physician only if chronic
Orange Typically a sign of dehydration, showing up earlier than thirst; “holding your bladder” for too long; post-exercise; consuming orange foods (carrots, squash, or food dyes); the drug Pyridium (phenazopyridine); liver or pituitary problem (ADH, or antidiuretic hormone) Drink more water and don’t delay urination; consult physician if orange urine persists despite adequate hydration
Amber More concentrated than orange so severe dehydration related to intense exercise or heat; excess caffeine or salt; hematuria; decreased urine production (oliguria or anuria); metabolic problem; pituitary problem (ADH, or antidiuretic hormone) Consult your physician if problem persists despite adequate hydration
Brown Very dense urine concentration, extreme dehydration; consumption of fava beans; melanuria (too many particles in urine); UTI; kidney stone; kidney tumor or blood clot; Addison’s disease; glycosuria; renal artery stenosis; proteinuria; pituitary problem (ADH, or antidiuretic hormone) Consult your physician if problem persists despite adequate hydration, especially if accompanied by pale stools or yellow skin or eyes
Black RARE: Alkaptonuria, a genetic disorder of phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism marked by accumulation of homogentisic acid in the blood; poisoning Consult your physician
Green RARE: Unusual UTIs and certain foods (such as asparagus); excessive vitamins Usually benign; consult your physician if it persists, especially if you have pain or burning (dysuria), and/or frequent urination (polyuria), which are symptoms of UTI
Blue RARE: Artificial colors in foods or drugs; bilirubin; medications such as methylene blue; unusual UTIs Usually benign; consult your physician if it persists, especially if you have pain or burning (dysuria), and/or frequent urination (polyuria), which are symptoms of UTI
Cloudy Urinary tract infection, kidney problem, metabolic problem, or chyluria (lymph fluid in the urine), phosphaturia (phosphate crystals), pituitary problem (ADH, or antidiuretic hormone) Consult physician, especially if you have pain or burning (dysuria), and/or frequent urination (polyuria), which are symptoms of UTI
Sediment Proteinuria (protein particles) or albuminuria; UTI; kidney stones; see Cloudy Consult your physician
Foamy Turbulent urine stream; proteinuria (most common causes are diabetes andhypertension) Consult physician if not due to “turbulence”

 

Does Your Urine Smell Like Roses?

If you’re a woman from ancient Rome and your urine smells like roses, you’ve probably been drinking turpentine. This is a high price to pay to woo your suitor with pleasant-smelling pee, as turpentine may kill you! Short of drinking turpentine, there are many common substances that may alter the way your urine smells, which is why it’s helpful to know what’s normal. Urine reflects all of the inner workings of your body and contains a wide variety of compounds and metabolic by-products. Some dogs can actually “smell cancer” in human urine6.

Urine doesn’t typically have a strong smell, but if yours smells pungent (like ammonia), you could have an infection or urinary stones, or you may simply be dehydrated. Dehydration causes your urine to be more concentrated and may have a stronger smell than normal, as do high-protein foods like meat and eggs. Menopause, some sexually transmitted diseases, and certain metabolic disorders may also increase the ammonia smell7. Here are some of the more common reasons your urine’s odor may change:

  • Medications or supplements
  • Certain genetic conditions, such as Maple Syrup Urine Disease, which causes urine to smell sickeningly sweet8
  • Certain foods — most notably asparagus. Asparagus is notorious for causing a foul, eggy or “cabbagy” stench that results from a sulfur compound called methyl mercaptan (also found in garlic and skunk secretions). Only 50 percent of people can smell asparagus pee because they have the required gene. Cutting off the tips of asparagus will reportedly prevent the pungent-smelling pee…but of course, this is the tastiest part!
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Uncontrolled diabetes is known to cause your urine to have a sweet or fruity or, less commonly, a yeasty smell. In the past, doctors diagnosed diabetes by pouring urine into sand to see if it was sweet enough to attract bugs. Other physicians just dipped a finger in and took a taste. Fortunately, today’s physicians have access to far more elegant diagnostic tools.

When You Feel the Urge to Go, GO

Urinary frequency is also important. Peeing six to eight times per day is “average.” You might go more or less often than that, depending on how much water you drink and how active you are. Increased frequency can be caused by an overactive bladder (involuntary contractions), caffeine, a urinary tract infection (UTI), interstitial cystitis, benign prostate enlargement, diabetes, or one of a handful of neurological diseases.9

It is important to pee when you feel the urge. Delaying urination can cause bladder overdistension — like overstretching a Slinky such that it can’t bounce back. You may habitually postpone urination if you find bathroom breaks inconvenient at work, or if you have Paruresis (also known as Shy Bladder Syndrome, Bashful Bladder, Tinkle Terror, or Pee Anxiety), the fear of urinating in the presence of others. Seven percent of the public suffers from this condition.10

How Much Water Should You Drink?

I don’t subscribe to the commonly quoted rule of drinking six to eight glasses of water every day. Your body is capable of telling you what it needs and when it needs it. Once your body has lost one to two percent of its total water, your thirst mechanism kicks in to let you know it’s time to drink — so thirst should be your guide. Or course, if you are outside on a hot, dry day or exercising vigorously, you’ll require more water than usual — but even then, drinking when you feel thirsty will allow you to remain hydrated.

As you age, your thirst mechanism tends to work less efficiently. Therefore, older adults will want to be sure to drink water regularly, in sufficient quantity to maintain pale yellow urine. As long as you aren’t taking riboflavin (vitamin B2, found in most multivitamins), which turns urine bright “fluorescent” yellow, then your urine should be quite pale. If you have kidney or bladder stones or a urinary tract infection, increase your water intake accordingly.

You and Your Urinary System

You should now have a pretty good idea of how important it is to familiarize yourself with what’s normal for your pee. Urine is a window into the inner workings of your body and can function as an “early warning system” for detecting health problems.

The most important factor in the overall health of your urinary tract is drinking plenty of pure, fresh water every day. Inadequate hydration is the number one risk factor for kidney stones, as well as being important for preventing UTIs. To avoid overly frequent bathroom breaks, stay hydrated but not overhydrated. Drink whenever you’re thirsty, but don’t feel you have to drink eight glasses of water per day, every day. If you’re getting up during the night to pee, stop drinking three to four hours before bedtime.

Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, which can irritate the lining of your bladder. Make sure your diet has plenty of magnesium, and avoid sugar (including fructose and soda) and non-fermented soy products due to their oxalate content. Finally, don’t hold it. As soon as you feel the urge to go, go! Delaying urination is detrimental to the health of your bladder due to overdistension.

Source: mercola.com