Case in point: Heather West, who works in a hospital lab, captured the spectrum of pee colors in this pretty sweet (and slightly disturbing!) photo. Believe it or not, pee can present in a rainbow of colors, from red to green to (yes) even blue. There are times, though, when you don’t see pale yellow in the bowl, and dehydration has nothing to do with it. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play “A pale yellow color reflects a good balance between over- and underhydration,” he says. The more dehydrated you are, the more concentrated the urine becomes and the darker the color gets. The yellow color of urine comes from a chemical byproduct that results when the kidneys do their job of processing waste, explains Koushik Shaw, M.D., a urologist and founder of Austin Urology Institute in Texas. The study examined hydration tests among older adults and found that urine color can be changed by too many other things to accurately predict hydration. The problem, other than the fact that you have to look into the toilet bowl, is that taking a glance at the color of your pee isn’t always as accurate at predicting true dehydration as, say, a blood test, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In fact, it’s become pretty standard advice to keep an eye on what you leave behind when you pee, and to aim for a light lemonade color as a sign of optimal hydration. Turns out, you can learn a lot about what’s going on inside by examining what comes out. The eyes may be a window into the soul, but the toilet bowl is a window into the body.
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