# Clear urine: bad or good?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 21, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852 "2013-01-21T00:27:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/1 "2013-01-21T00:27:46Z")
In the name of Dr. Oz, what’s the deal? Opinions on the internet seem fairly equally divided. Yes, you need to remain hydrated, but too much water can deplete minerals and electrolytes. I think that clear urine can mean anything from health to over-hydration and as long as you feel good, you’re ok. My room-mate thinks that you really can’t drink too much water. I disagree. I went through a period where I was on a serious water kick and would start feeling a bit off by the end of the day. And of course there are the rare instances of fatal extreme over-hydration by athletes and hazees. I think that the normal person gets enough water from the foods eaten and a moderate consumption of water.
---
### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/2 "2013-01-21T00:32:43Z")
Dr. Oz is **not** a good source of medical information. He advocates a LOT of woo and poorly supported health practices. He ignores a lot of sound evidenced base medicine. He’s a shameless self-promoter, IMHO.
And urine should be clear, not cloudy. Who’s advocating for cloudy urine?? 😕
You can drink too much water, but it’s very difficult. Avoid water-chugging contests and you’ll be fine.
If you’ve got chronic kidney disease, follow your physician’s advice on what to do.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/3 "2013-01-21T00:34:13Z")
You absolutely can drink too much. [Water Intoxication.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication)
In general, clear urine means you’re keeping yourself well hydrated. Perhaps a very pale yellow would be better to guard against over consumption.
---
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/4 "2013-01-21T00:42:13Z")
> [@runner pat](#):
>
> You absolutely can drink too much. [Water Intoxication.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication)
>
> In general, clear urine means you’re keeping yourself well hydrated. Perhaps a very pale yellow would be better to guard against over consumption.
In order to get water poisoning one must drink _a shit ton of water_; I’m talking like several gallons a day. It’s not something easily accomplished and definitely not something a person can casually wander into simply by being a bit overly enthusiastic with their commitment to staying hydrated.
---
### Author:  [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/5 "2013-01-21T01:09:25Z")
Clear urine is always good.
As above, it is almost impossible for a normal human being to over-hydrate. The only times I’ve even heard of it was when someone was deliberately force-hydrating themselves (such as when a military recruit takes his instructors advice on staying hydrated far too seriously). It takes a LOT of work to get yourself to the point where you are over-hydrated.
---
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/6 "2013-01-21T01:23:46Z")
_When you say ‘Bud’
You say a lot of things your wife doesn’t want to hear
When you say ‘Bud’
You say a beer that makes your urine oh, so clear!_
---
### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/7 "2013-01-21T01:32:13Z")
As a general rule, when you piss light, you’re all right.
---
### Author:  [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/8 "2013-01-21T01:54:09Z")
Urine is supposed to be clear as opposed to cloudy, not colorless. The color should be a light yellow.
---
### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/9 "2013-01-21T02:04:40Z")
> [@Silvorange](#):
>
> Urine is supposed to be clear as opposed to cloudy, not colorless. The color should be a light yellow.
_Should_ be? Cite?
---
### Author:  [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/10 "2013-01-21T02:06:23Z")
I know the other day, when I ended up in the ER on a Saturday with abdominal cramping and nausea, it ended up being dehydration and an UTI. I tried as hard as I could to rehydrate with just water and Gatorade, but I had a followup the next day with my OB and he really got on my case about how concentrated and dark my urine was (It looked like unfiltered apple cider, ☹ ) and that I HAD to stay hydrated for the sake of the baby. He said if I am not peeing every 2 hours I am not drinking enough. Now I keep a water bottle or large glass of water with me and sip on it constantly.
I think my biggest problem was drinking soft drinks and as a result not feeling thirsty but also not getting the hydration I needed.
---
### Author:  [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/11 "2013-01-21T02:09:33Z")
> [@Silvorange](#):
>
> Urine is supposed to be clear as opposed to cloudy, not colorless. The color should be a light yellow.
Definitely clear, but bright yellow is good, too. I think shade of yellow depends a lot on what you’re eating and what vitamins you might be taking.
---
### Author:  [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/12 "2013-01-21T02:09:58Z")
> [@moriah](#):
>
> _Should_ be? Cite?
> [@](#):
>
> Urine gets its yellow color from a pigment called urochrome. That color normally varies from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on the concentration of the urine. Darker urine is usually a sign that you’re not drinking enough fluid. “Your body needs a certain amount of fluid to function, so the body will hold on to fluid and the urine will become very strong and concentrated. When that happens, it will turn a darker color,” Griebling says.
>
> The opposite is also true. If your urine is very pale, it means that you’re either drinking a lot of fluid, or you’re taking a diuretic – a drug that forces the body to get rid of excess water.
>
> Urine can turn a rainbow of colors, and an unusual hue isn’t necessarily cause for alarm. Certain medications can turn the urine fluorescent green or blue, carrots can tint it orange, vitamins can give it a yellow hue, and an inherited disease called porphyria can shade it the color of port wine.
[http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/features/the-truth-about-urine](http://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/features/the-truth-about-urine)
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/13 "2013-01-21T02:12:36Z")
> [@moriah](#):
>
> _Should_ be? Cite?
Some things are just known to be. This is one of them. What color do _you_ think it should be?
---
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/14 "2013-01-21T02:15:49Z")
> [@April\_R](#):
>
> I know the other day, when I ended up in the ER on a Saturday with abdominal cramping and nausea, it ended up being dehydration and an UTI. I tried as hard as I could to rehydrate with just water and Gatorade, but I had a followup the next day with my OB and he really got on my case about how concentrated and dark my urine was (It looked like unfiltered apple cider, ☹ ) and that I HAD to stay hydrated for the sake of the baby. He said if I am not peeing every 2 hours I am not drinking enough. Now I keep a water bottle or large glass of water with me and sip on it constantly.
>
> I think my biggest problem was drinking soft drinks and as a result not feeling thirsty but also not getting the hydration I needed.
Yeah, drinking water when you’re not thirsty is amazingly difficult; at least if you are trying to drink a fairly large amount. Every single time I have competed in a bodybuilding competition and put myself on a pre-contest diet regimen I’ve found that the most difficult aspect has been the water/hydration requirements (2-2.5gal/day). After doing it steady for a week or so my body adapts and it’s not so bad but it’s always _work_ drinking that much water (not to mention releasing it out of the other end).
---
### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/15 "2013-01-21T02:17:05Z")
Clear as in colorless means you’re drinking excess water. Your kidneys can process it, but why make them?
---
### Author:  [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/16 "2013-01-21T02:20:18Z")
Hi **Qad**!!
As Dr. **Qadgop** and others have noted, it is very, very difficult to become “water intoxicated” (better to say [hyponatremic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia) instead, IMO) soley due to ingestion of lots of water. That said . . .
. . . If I had a dime for every little old lady who came to the ER with big-time hyponatremia because, well, “the doctor told me to make sure to drink at least eight glasses of water every day”, I’d have, um, about a sawbuck. BUT, there’s a catch: they’re all on diuretics. So, basically, they all are in a state of mild, chronic volume depletion with a consequent high level of ADH. Bingo! Those eight glasses a day don’t get peed out.
Apologies for the jargon and shoptalk - this post was directed to the estimable **Qadgop** (and any other medicos who may be listening).
ETA - ditto what QtM said about Dr. Oz!
---
### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/17 "2013-01-21T02:24:39Z")
> [@moriah](#):
>
> _Should_ be? Cite?
Every piss I’ve ever taken, unless dehydrated.
---
### Author:  [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/18 "2013-01-21T02:46:03Z")
> [@moriah](#):
>
> _Should_ be? Cite?
I’m afraid I got rid of my nursing school textbooks a while back, but healthy urine was described as “straw-colored.” Obviously, there will be some variation.
---
### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/19 "2013-01-21T02:51:34Z")
If you’re diabetic and uncontrolled, your pee is always (relatively) clearer, right? You’re pouring down and pissing out so much liquid all the time. I often wonder (I’m type II) about any minor diagnostics I can do with the color of my pee.
---
### Author:  [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852/20 "2013-01-21T04:03:31Z")
> [@runner pat](#):
>
> Some things are just known to be. This is one of them. What color do _you_ think it should be?
Glow in the dark green, so you know where you’ve been? 😃
Actually, I try to drink more water if I think that my urine has more than a slight yellow tinge to it. I keep a half gallon plastic jug in the fridge, filled with water, and I try to drink at least 3/4 of that jug every day. It’s too easy to drink other liquids and then not feel thirsty. I’m very fortunate in that I live in a city that has good tasting tap water.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-urine-bad-or-good/647852.md?page=2)