Urine color is an important indicator of your health and hydration; different colors define how good or bad the condition of your urine is. This defining chart is called the urine color chart. A urine color chart shows different shades of yellow and defines the health of your urine through the intensity of the color. Urine colors usually range from transparent to pale yellow to dark amber. Urobilin or urochrome is the pigment that gives your urine the yellow color and its presence or absence is what defines the shades of your urine.

The urine color chart does not cover all possible aspects of change in urine color, in some cases, the color of your urine could change due to your diet or the pigments in certain food products. For example, eating beetroot, carrots or asparagus could bring about a change in the color of your urine. Apart from the food products, some medicines might also influence the color.

When must you consult a doctor?

• An unusual color of your urine could be a reason for you to visit a doctor and possibly get some medication. If you find your urine to be a dark shade of brown or a deep red, then it might be a case of porphyria. While a dark shade of yellow or orange urine could indicate a condition of your liver malfunctioning.
• If you find blood in your urine, you must consult a doctor at the earliest. Bloody urine can also cause a burning sensation when you urinate. Blood in the urine usually indicates a kidney stone or a urinary tract infection.

What factors put you at risk of medical conditions affecting your urine color?

• Age: As you grow older, the risk of attaining a kidney disease or a urinary tract disease increases. Once you cross the age of 50, your prostate gland enlarges. As read above, you might see a change in the urine color or bloody urine due to these diseases.
• Sex: Your sex could also be a reason for you to witness a change in your urine color, more than 50% women are prone to a urinary tract infection at some point in their life. While men are prone to kidney or bladder stones.
• Arduous exercise: If you exercise aggressively on a regular basis, then you might find some blood in your urine.
• Hereditary diseases: If there is a case of kidney problems that run through your family, there is a high probability that you could also suffer from a kidney disease or a kidney stone. These diseases could lead to bloody urine or a change in the color of your urine.