# Why Is My Urine Clear?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 29, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546 "2009-10-29T02:06:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546/21 "2011-11-08T04:37:01Z")

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By the way . . . you guys are aware that “clear” and “colorless” are not the same thing, right? (Chemistry 101)

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546/22 "2011-11-08T12:29:16Z")

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> [@Askance](#):
>
> DingDingDing! You contradict yourself here … coffee is a diuretic. But you almost certainly have nothing to worry about, drinking somewhat above normal amounts of water-based drinks won’t cause you any medical problem, as long as your diet is reasonably healthy.

Actually, coffee is not a diuretic. That’s been disproven. People think it is because of the water in it; you overload on water and it seems like a diuretic. When people drank equal amounts of coffee vs. other liquids, there was negligible difference in urine output.

But the coffee could easily explain the OP.

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**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546/23 "2011-11-08T14:06:48Z")

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> [@panache45](#):
>
> By the way . . . you guys are aware that “clear” and “colorless” are not the same thing, right? (Chemistry 101)

Finally somebody noticed! 😃

If your urine isn’t clear then you **DO** have a problem, regardless of whether it is colourless.

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**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546/24 "2011-11-08T19:45:16Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Me, I’m wondering how **Si Amigo** could possibly have urine that was below body temperature. I can’t think of any conceivable biological mechanism that would cool it, in humans or any other creature.

I bet zombies have urine that’s below body temperature, at least below normal human body temperature.

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**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546/25 "2011-11-08T23:48:49Z")

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> [@billfish678](#):
>
> Dude,
> 
> If you are a Scientologist, you finally made it !

:eek::D:cool:

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**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-urine-clear/515546/26 "2011-11-09T05:02:32Z")

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> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Actually, coffee is not a diuretic. That’s been disproven. People think it is because of the water in it; you overload on water and it seems like a diuretic. When people drank equal amounts of coffee vs. other liquids, there was negligible difference in urine output.
> 
> But the coffee could easily explain the OP.

This myth won’t seem to die.

Although I think current wisdom is that caffeine is possibly a mild diuretic in those who do not regularly ingest caffeine, but the body builds up a tolerance to consistent exposure and any diuretic effect is negated.  
[Cite](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html).

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