A doctor has gone viral on TikTok this week after debunking one common myth about the color of your urine.
Dr. Sermed Mezher is an NHS doctor in the UK who has racked up more than 200,000 followers sharing healthcare advice.
Doctor debunks common pee myth
The clearer your pee the better, right? WRONG! Many have been wrongly led to believe that clear pee is a good thing and means your body is correctly hydrated – but it’s actually a sign that you’re drinking too much water.
Mezher responded to a video in which a woman said her life was “ruined” the day she found out her pee isn’t meant to be clear in color.
“She’s most definitely not wrong,” he said. “If you’re peeing clear, that means you’re having more than 2.5 litres of fluid per day which means your kidneys are working overdrive to keep that water off your brain.”
He explained that if your kidneys can’t keep up, you can suffer from something called water poisoning or intoxication, which is when sodium levels in your blood drop to critically low levels and your brain starts to swell.
Stop Trying to Get Your Pee Completely Clear hydration. The daily water intake recommendation for adults is crucial for maintaining proper hydration levels, which are essential for overall health and well-being. While there is a common guideline suggesting eight glasses of water per day, equivalent to around 2 liters or 64 ounces, individual hydration needs can vary based on several factors. Age, weight, activity level, and even climate all play roles in determining the appropriate amount of water intake. For instance, someone who exercises regularly or lives in a hot, humid climate may need to consume more water to replenish fluids lost through sweat. Listening to the body’s thirst cues is also important in determining hydration needs. Thirst is the body’s way of signaling that it needs more fluids. However, it’s worth noting that by the time you feel thirsty, you may already be mildly dehydrated. Therefore, it’s beneficial to drink water regularly throughout the day, even when not feeling thirsty, to maintain adequate hydration levels. In addition to water, other beverages such as herbal teas, fruit-infused water, and low-sugar electrolyte drinks can contribute to overall fluid intake. However, it’s essential to be mindful of the sugar and caffeine content in some beverages, as excessive consumption of these substances can have adverse effects on hydration levels and overall health. Certain factors can increase the need for hydration beyond the standard recommendation. For example, individuals who engage in intense physical activity or exercise may lose significant amounts of fluids through sweat and increased respiration. In such cases, it’s essential to drink water before, during, and after exercise to prevent dehydration and maintain performance levels. #kidneys #water
What your urine should look like
Typical, healthy pee should be a straw-yellow color, Medline Plus reveals. Abnormally colored urine may be cloudy, dark, or blood-colored and can be caused by dehydration, infection, disease, medicines, or certain foods you eat.
The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men consume 3.7 liters of water per day and women have 2.7 liters. However, this is made up of all water consumed from both food and drinks.
Mezher says that healthy adults should drink an average of two liters of water per day, which is around eight 8-ounce glasses. Many factors can affect the amount of water you should drink, including your activity level, body weight and the climate where you live.
You should contact a medical professional if you have an abnormal urine color that cannot be explained and does not go away. Also, seek help for blood in your urine, clear, dark-brown urine or pink, red, or smoky-brown urine that is not due to a food or medicine.
What different urine colors mean
The doctor showed a helpful chart created by Healthline which reveals what different pee colors mean.
- Clear: You are drinking too much water.
- Pale or transparent: You are drinking enough water.
- Dark yellow: You are not drinking enough water.
- Orange: You are not drinking enough water. Certain vitamins and medications can also cause an orange color.
- Dark orange or brown: You are not drinking enough water or the body is not producing enough water. Can also indicate liver problems.
- Dark brown or black: A sign of medical conditions, such as liver disease, rhabdomyolysis, or alkaptonuria.
- Pink or red: An indication of blood in the urine. Can also be a result of some medications or foods, like beets.
- Blue or green: A result of eating foods containing large amounts of dye or some medications. Green urine can indicate a urinary tract infection.
- Cloudy: A sign of a urinary tract infection.
- White or milky: An indication of a condition called chyluria.
