Hydration Chart: Learn To Read The Shades Of Your Pee - Healthline

Maybe your like

HealthlineSubscribeAre You Dehydrated? Our Pee Color Chart Will Tell You

Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R.N., CCRN, CPN — Written by Ginger Wojcik — Updated on December 27, 2019

Clear
Light yellow
Amber to copper
Dark brown
Colors for concern
See a doctor
Hydration rules

Pee is a pretty handy measurement tool for health

Since hydration supports loads of bodily functions — affecting everything from mental cognition to sex performance — it’s worth paying attention to the color of your pee.

The good news is you don’t have to get your hands dirty peeing in a cup. You can assess the color simply by peeking into the toilet bowl after you pee. (Don’t worry if the color gets a little diluted by the toilet water. It’s still a perfectly useful gauge.)

You’ve probably noticed the color changes on a daily, often hourly, basis. So, what’s healthy and what should be addressed? We put together this helpful pee color chart so you can stop wondering.

Read on to learn why these colors are happening.

100 percent transparent

It’s important to drink enough water every day, but it’s possible to overdo it. If your pee is totally transparent and missing a yellow hue, you’re probably drinking more than the recommended amount of water.

Also, if peeing has become your full-time job, that’s another sign you’re hydrating a bit too hard. For the average adult, taking 4 to 10 pee trips in a 24-hour period is considered normal.

The reason you want to avoid overhydrating is because an excess of water dilutes your body’s electrolyte content. While rare, this can lead to water intoxication.

But the vast majority of us don’t have to worry about that level of overhydration. Generally speaking, when you’re overhydrated, limit yourself to small sips of water until your pee regains a yellow tint.

Like lemonade to light beer

Pee ranging from lemonade-colored to a brighter shade like light beer means you’re solidly hydrated. We like to consider this area of the pee spectrum our #peegoals. (That’s right, go ahead and boast about it!)

Drinking water is the most obvious way to stay hydrated. But did you know eating fruits and vegetables is also a great source of water?

Fruits and veggies great for hydration

tomatoes
cucumbers
strawberries
cabbage
zucchini
lettuce
melons

Concentrated amber to copper

When pee looks like amber or a darker shade of blond, it’s probably time to drink some water. Although this part of the spectrum doesn’t signify a dangerous level of dehydration, you could be headed in that direction.

When your body loses more water than it takes in, it starts hanging onto the water it does have. With less water to dilute them, the naturally occurring minerals and chemicals in your pee become more concentrated and deeper in color.

Light roast coffee to burnt orange

If your pee is any shade of brown or dark orange, it’s time to pay attention, because you’re likely severely dehydrated.

Vomiting, diarrhea, and fever cause the body to lose water quickly and are common causes of dehydration. Luckily, most healthy adults can easily rehydrate by consistently drinking lots of water and fluids high in electrolytes.

Keep in mind that although bottled and tap water contain trace amounts of electrolytes, you may need something with a higher concentration, like Gatorade or a homemade tonic to adequately restore your body’s electrolyte balance.

For kids dealing with dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea, the Mayo Clinic recommends treating with an oral over-the-counter rehydration solution like Pedialyte.

Tips for staying hydrated

Carry a reusable water bottle.
Limit caffeine and alcohol intake.
Drinks lots of water before you work out.
Limit foods that are overly salty or sugary.
Add lemon to your water to make it more appetizing.

It’s also possible something you recently ate is causing the brown pee. Some foods known to cause brown urine include:

aloe
fava beans
food coloring
rhubarb

Medical conditions associated with brown urine include:

kidney disease
liver disease
porphyria, a rare genetic blood disorder

What’s causing my rainbow pee?

We expect our pee to be some kind of yellow. So, when we glance into the toilet and see any other color, it can be momentarily panic-inducing.

Before jumping to any wild conclusions about why your toilet bowl looks like a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, take a second to think about any new foods you’ve eaten or medications you’ve taken.

Color	Medication-related cause	Food-related cause	Medical condition-related cause
wine red to pink	senna (Ex-Lax), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), thioridazine (Mellaril)	blackberries, beets, and rhubarb	infection of the prostate, bladder, or kidney; tumors or internal injury
orange peel to copper	rifampin (Rifadin), warfarin (Coumadin), phenazopyridine (Pyridium)	carrots or carrot juice	dehydration and problems with the liver or bile duct
blue to green and everything in between	amitriptyline, indomethacin (Indocin), cimetidine (Tagamet), and promethazine (Phenergan); also methylene blue and propofol (although these are rarely used outside of the hospital setting)	asparagus and food coloring	urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, blue diaper syndrome, and some dyes used in some medical tests
lavender to indigo	not applicable	food coloring	UTI caused by P. aeruginosa bacteria, Hartnup disease, highly alkaline urine (most commonly seen in catheterization)
cloudy to opaque	not applicable	anchovies, herring, red meat, an excessive amount of milk	dehydration, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), UTI, kidney stones, vaginitis, and prostatitis

Other symptoms that point to more serious conditions:

fever
nausea
vomiting
abdominal pain
frequent urge to pee

When to see a doctor

Hesitation, uncertainty, and a stream of abnormal colors that can’t be attributed to foods you’ve recently eaten or medications you use are good reasons to see a doctor.

However, experts emphasize that if your urine is very dark or orange, make an appointment sooner than later, as a malfunctioning liver can make this happen.

Also a good reason to see a doctor? Accompanying smells and symptoms, such as:

a pungent or fishy odor
abdominal pain
dizziness or confusion
fever

Compound symptoms are often a sign that something deeper is going on in the body.

So, just how much water should I be drinking?

The current daily recommendation is approximately 9 cups for women and 13 for men. But keep in mind this is just a general guideline.

Factors like age, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, how hot the weather is, and your level of physical activity all have an impact on how much water is a healthy amount for you.

Q:

Is drinking when you’re thirsty a reliable way to stay hydrated?

Anonymous patient

A:

If you’re waiting to drink until you’re thirsty, you may be missing the mark. Having a refillable water bottle that’s always handy is a good way to ensure you’re getting enough water. You can remind yourself to take a drink between tasks or at other intervals, like commercial breaks or a new episode of a show. If you’re somewhere where it’s very hot or dry, or you’re breastfeeding or doing a lot of physical activities, make sure to squeeze in a little more.

Carissa Stephens, RN, CCRN, CPNAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Adan A. (2012). Cognitive performance anddehydration.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22855911
Commoncharacteristics of liver disease. (n.d.).https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/liver_biliary_and_pancreatic_disorders/common_characteristics_of_liver_disease_85,p00664
Foot CL, et al. (2006). Uroscopic rainbow: Modern matula medicine. DOI:https://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Fpgmj.2005.037598
Hartnup disease. (2016).https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hartnup-disease/
https://casereports.bmj.com/content/2016/bcr-2016-216882.full
Jacklitsch B. (2018). Keeping workers hydrated and cool despite the heat.https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2011/08/12/heat-2/
Lee LC, et al. (2016). Whenplenty is too much: Water intoxication in a patient with a simple urinary tractinfection. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2016-216882
Lee MJ, et al. (2014). Green urine after propofol infusionin the intensive care unit. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2014.29.4.328
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Blood in urine.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/blood-in-urine/symptoms-causes/syc-20353432
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Urine color.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/symptoms-causes/syc-20367333
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Dehydration.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086
Tan C-K, et al. (2008). Purple urine bag syndrome. DOI:https://dx.doi.org/10.1503%2Fcmaj.071604
Urine color and odor changes. (2018).https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/urine-color-and-odor-changes

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R.N., CCRN, CPN — Written by Ginger Wojcik — Updated on December 27, 2019

Health Conditions

Condition Spotlight

Wellness Topics

Product Reviews

Featured Programs

Featured

Lessons

Newsletters

Lifestyle Quizzes

Health News

This Just In

Top Reads

Video Series

Find Your Bezzy Community

Follow us on social media