Chances are, you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the color of your urine. But urine color can tell you a lot about your health, so it’s worth paying attention.
What is urine, exactly?
Urine is a waste product made by your kidneys. It’s what remains after your kidneys filter your blood. Most of it — over 90% — is water. Other substances found in urine are salt, electrolytes, and waste products called urea and uric acid.
What color is healthy urine?
Most of the time, healthy urine is a pale shade of yellow. The color comes from a chemical called urochrome.
Urine might be a darker yellow if you’re dehydrated, as it contains more waste products. In fact, if your urine looks dark yellow, it could be a sign to drink more fluids. Once you’re hydrated again, your urine should go back to its pale yellow color.
Sometimes, a change in urine color is easily explained. Other times, discolored urine is a symptom of a health condition that needs diagnosis and treatment.
Why might urine change color?
There are times when your urine might be a different color, like red, brown, white, or even blue or green. Sometimes, a change in urine color is easily explained. Other times, discolored urine is a symptom of a health condition that needs diagnosis and treatment.
Foods and Food Dyes
Certain foods can change the color (and sometime the smell) of your urine. For example, you might notice red or pink urine after you’ve eaten rhubarb, blackberries, or beets. Fava beans can turn your urine dark brown. Carrots may turn it orange. And products with food dyes, like candy, gelatin, and certain breakfast cereals, might turn your urine green or blue.
Supplements of vitamin A, vitamin B-12, or vitamin C can make urine orange or yellow-orange. Other B vitamins may turn it green.
If you’ve had a kidney or bladder test using a dye, you might notice blue urine.
Medicines
Some medicines can change the color of your urine. A medication package insert might list discolored urine as a side effect, but you can also ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Here are some examples of medications that might change your urine color:
Health conditions
Certain health conditions can cause discolored urine. Here are some examples:
There are also times when your urine may be completely clear, with no color at all. This can be a sign of overhydration (drinking too much water). But consistently clear urine could be a symptom of diabetes or a kidney problem.
What about blood in the urine?
You might have blood in your urine if it’s reddish brown. (The medical term for blood in the urine is hematuria. When the blood cannot be seen with the naked eye, it’s called microhematuria.)
Possible causes of blood in the urine include:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Kidney infection
- Infections in the bladder, urethra, or prostate
- Trauma to the urinary tract
- Kidney stones
- Kidney cysts
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Vaginal bleeding
- Endometriosis
- Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
- Benign (not cancerous) tumors
- Hemophilia
- Sickle cell disease
- Hard exercise, such as distance running
- Sexual activity
If you suspect there is blood in your urine, see your doctor as soon as possible.
Other qualities of urine
Aside from color, you might notice other characteristics in your urine. For example, urine that is cloudy, milky, or smelly could be a sign of a UTI. Foamy urine could also be caused by UTIs as well as diabetes, kidney disease, or medications.
If you notice these changes to your urine, call your doctor.
Should I call my doctor if my urine is a different color?
If you feel concerned about discolored urine, a call to your doctor is a good idea. If your doctor thinks there might be a medical problem, you can make an appointment right away. If they think it is caused by something harmless, they can put your mind at ease.
Your doctor might ask you:
- How long has your urine been this color? Has it been a couple of days? A few weeks? When did you first notice the change?
- Are there any other changes to your urine? Is it milky or foamy? Does it have a distinct odor?
- Do you have any other symptoms? Do you have any abdominal or back pain? Fever or chills? Do you have difficulty urinating or feel a more urgent need to urinate? Do you have pain or a burning sensation when you urinate?
- What foods have you been eating? What beverages have you been drinking? Have you had any changes in diet? Have you consumed any products that contain food dye, like candy or fruit punch?
Your doctor may also ask about your health history, family health history, chemical and dye exposure, smoking status, and exposure to secondhand smoke.
In addition, you will have a physical exam and might have some tests, such as the following:
- Urinalysis, a urine test used to diagnose urological conditions
- Urine culture, a test that checks for bacteria
- Urine cytology, a test that checks for cancer and other diseases
- Cystoscopy, a test that allows your doctor to see the inside of your bladder and urethra
- Imaging tests, such as ultrasound or CT scan, of your bladder and kidneys
- Blood tests to measure levels of waste products in the blood. The results may show how well your kidneys are working
- Liver function tests
Is there a treatment for discolored urine?
Discolored urine is not a health condition in and of itself. Rather, it can be a symptom of another health issue. When that health problem is treated, urine color may return to normal.
If your discolored urine is caused by food, drink, or medicine, you might find that it becomes pale yellow again once these products are out of your system. For example, if you’ve had beet salad at a picnic, your urine will probably go back to normal in a day or two.
If a medication is the culprit, your urine color may go back to yellow once you stop taking the drug. (Always follow your doctor’s instructions about taking medications.)
Should I worry about discolored urine?
Not necessarily. If you notice that your urine is not pale yellow, think about your activities and what you’ve been eating or drinking. If you’re dehydrated, take in more fluids.
If you’re not sure of the cause or have any other concerns, call your doctor.
Resources
Cleveland Clinic
“Urine”
(January 14, 2025)
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/urine
“Urine Changes”
(Last reviewed: September 28, 2023)
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15357-urine-changes
“What the Color of Your Pee Says About You”
(November 8, 2021)
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-urine-color-means
Mayo Clinic
“Porphyria”
(April 5, 2023)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/porphyria/symptoms-causes/syc-20356066
“Urine Color”
(January 10, 2023)
Symptoms & Causes: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/symptoms-causes/syc-20367333
Diagnosis and Treatment: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20367351
MedlinePlus
“Cystoscopy”
(Reviewed: May 17, 2024)
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003903.htm
“Cytology exam of urine”
(Reviewed: July 1, 2023)
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003905.htm
“Urine – abnormal color”
(Reviewed: July 1, 2023)
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003139.htm
“Urine culture”
(Reviewed: October 9, 2024)
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003751.htm
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
“Hematuria (Blood in the Urine)”
(Reviewed: October 2022)
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/hematuria-blood-urine
Urology Care Foundation
“The Meaning Behind the Color of Urine”
(August 22, 2018)
https://www.urologyhealth.org/healthy-living/care-blog/2018/the-meaning-behind-the-color-of-urine
VeryWellHealth
Burch, Kelly
“Why is My Pee Green? 5 Possible Causes”
(Updated: February 17, 2025)
https://www.verywellhealth.com/green-pee-5272140
