# Yellow Urine in healthy non medicated male **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660 "2020-01-19T13:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/21 "2020-01-19T21:22:05Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > for some people if you eat asparagus your urine will smell really different. It happens to me. I thought it happened to everyone but not everyone can smell it? (I can.) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/22 "2020-01-19T22:14:38Z")
Yes, not all people can smell the asparagus urine smell. Only 25% can. > **[Food & Recipes](https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/default.htm)** > > Healthy recipes for healthy meals, find thousands of delicious recipes. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/23 "2020-01-19T22:33:48Z")
I definitely smell asparagus in my urine. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/24 "2020-01-19T23:39:22Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Vitamin B supplements (or multivitamins that contain the B complex, I assume) will turn urine a strong gold color. Good old riboflavin! I wouldn’t be too worried unless it turned the color of tea or coffee. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/25 "2020-01-19T23:42:25Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > I recall the episode where they took out another unit’s “ringer” in a bowling match that way - the dye/drug was methylene blue. I’m not sure that was what they did in the other episode, which sounds like “The General Flipped at Dawn.” I was injected with methylene blue to identify lymph nodes when I had my breast cancer surgery (and a radioactive marker to increase accuracy). I was told that my urine might be greenish for a day or two, but that didn’t happen. In the pre-antibiotic era, methylene blue was used for UTIs because it does have a slight antiseptic effect, and also has a slight pain-relieving effect, similar to phenazopyridine which is more commonly used nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/26 "2020-01-20T00:09:46Z")
There was a urine color chart for the warehouse workers at the company I used to work for. Hereʻs the chart: [https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/urine-colour-chart](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/urine-colour-chart) And hereʻs a more detailed breakdown of the the colors MAY mean: [https://www.healthline.com/health/urine-color-chart](https://www.healthline.com/health/urine-color-chart) An excerpt of the common range.: "Urine colors Depending on what you eat, any medications you’re taking, and how much water your drink, urine colors can vary. Many of these colors fall on the spectrum of what “normal” urine can look like, but there are cases where unusual urine colors may be a cause for concern. Clear Clear urine indicates that you’re drinking more than the daily recommended amount of water. While being hydrated is a good thing, drinking too much water can rob your body of electrolytes. Urine that occasionally looks clear is no reason to panic, but urine that’s always clear could indicate that you need to cut back on how much water you’re drinking. Yellowish to amber The color of “typical” urine falls on the spectrum of light yellow to a deeper amber color. The urochrome pigment that’s naturally in your urine becomes more diluted as you drink water. Urochrome is produced by your body breaking down hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. In most situations, the color of your urine will depend on how diluted this pigment is. Having a lot of B-vitamins in your bloodstream can cause urine to appear neon yellow." For both the men and women, I learned a long time ago not to use colored automatic cleaners in your toilet because itʻs a good thing to check your urine and poop at least every once in a while to see that itʻs in the “normal range”. Especially poop color since it takes longer to pass through the body and the color may indicate internal issues. [https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-your-pee-and-poo-colour-says-about-your-health-59516](https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-your-pee-and-poo-colour-says-about-your-health-59516) ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/27 "2020-01-20T00:50:00Z")
My worse was when I had some tests for my eyes (a retinal specialist). They had to inject some dye into my arm vein so it would travel the blood vessels and whatnot in my eyes. They warned me that my urine would be fluorescent yellow for a day or so. And they weren’t kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/28 "2020-01-20T01:37:50Z")
If you dine on beets, remember it, so you won’t freak out later in the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/29 "2020-01-20T01:40:11Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Yes, not all people can smell the asparagus urine smell. Only 25% can. > > [Food and Recipes Center: Easy, Healthy Recipe Ideas for Your Health Needs and Preferences](https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/why-pee-smells-funny-eat-asparagus) This is one of the reasons I won’t eat asparagus. It tastes awful going in, and smells bad coming out. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/30 "2020-01-20T01:57:32Z")
I donʻt notice the smell when I eat asparagus, which is rarely. But the worse for me was after a night of drinking rum & cokes. I could smell the alcohol! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/31 "2020-01-20T02:04:52Z")
The asparagus issue seems a bit off-topic in this thread, but I’ll put in my $0.0002 anyway. I remember reading about the asparagus controversy before – Right here on this board, IIRC. There was a discussion, and I don’t recall if there was ever any consensus as to whether asparagus really makes everyone’s pee stink or only some people’s – or whether it was the case that some people can smell it and some can’t. It sure makes my pee stink, and I can sure smell it. I quit eating asparagus. Anything that strong, going through your bloodstream and through your whole body before your kidneys clean it out, can’t be good for you! Can it? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/32 "2020-01-20T02:17:54Z")
> [@Nansbread1](#): > > Now as an adult if passing light yellowish urine, regularly, would it indicate Light yellow urine sounds perfectly normal to me. I mean, pee is supposed to be yellow, ain’t it? Like the old adage, “Watch out where the huskies go; don’t you eat that yellow snow.” 🙂 But, seriously, pee is supposed to be some shade of light yellow. It sounds like it varies by individual, but I only get clear urine if I’ve been chugging liquids all day. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/33 "2020-01-20T04:13:32Z")
This thread reminds me of one of my favorite moments in medical school. We were in a kidney lecture and the professor said “Do you know why beer goes through you so quickly? It’s because you don’t even have to change the color!” Later on he was quizzing us on what caused clear urine, what caused bright yellow urine, etc. “What causes dark urine?” he asked. A loud voice came from the back of the lecture hall “dark beer”. Maybe you had to have been there but whenever a patient asks about dark urine, my first thought is still “dark beer”, ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/34 "2020-01-20T06:07:22Z")
At the warehouse where the Pee Color Chart was posted, the warehouse workers were encouraged to shoot (no pun intended) for the clear to pale yellow range because of the greater risk of dehydration. The few times I worked as a laborer, we highly encouraged, almost forced to keep drinking water because by the time you felt dehydrated, you were possibly already in the danger zone. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/35 "2020-01-20T06:26:33Z")
Off topic, but I just remembered and have to share this from Off The Great Wall: [https://youtu.be/ZhxH3DkiP\_Q?t=937](https://youtu.be/ZhxH3DkiP_Q?t=937) Mia: Who poos cubes? Tell me. What sort of animal in this world poops cubes? Mike: I do it about once a month. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/36 "2020-01-20T12:36:59Z")
“Clear” and “colorless” do not mean the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/37 "2020-01-20T16:04:27Z")
I was surprised to find a urine color [sign like this](https://www.amazon.com/NMC-S300R-Urine-Color-Hydration/dp/B07MTNVC8Y) in almost every restroom I visited while in Arizona last year. A couple places my wife and I visited required we carry water with us. One of the places only had temperatures in the 70’s and we were there about an hour. But it was pretty dry and we drank most of the 2 bottles water we had with us. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/38 "2020-01-21T13:32:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Light yellow urine sounds perfectly normal to me. I mean, pee is supposed to be yellow, ain’t it? Like the old adage, “Watch out where the huskies go; don’t you eat that yellow snow.” 🙂 > > But, seriously, pee is supposed to be some shade of light yellow. It sounds like it varies by individual, but I only get clear urine if I’ve been chugging liquids all day. Exactly. If you’re drinking enough water to make it almost colourless, then you’re wasting water. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/39 "2020-01-29T15:11:40Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I was surprised to find a urine color [sign like this](https://www.amazon.com/NMC-S300R-Urine-Color-Hydration/dp/B07MTNVC8Y) in almost every restroom I visited while in Arizona last year. A couple places my wife and I visited required we carry water with us. One of the places only had temperatures in the 70’s and we were there about an hour. But it was pretty dry and we drank most of the 2 bottles water we had with us. I assume it was because I clicked this link, back when you posted it, that Amazon today sent me a “We found something you might like” email offering me a two-pack of Urine Color Hydration Signs for $45.97. I think I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660/40 "2020-01-30T21:41:07Z")
Two thoughts to chime in here… 1. Better to err on the side of drinking a bit too much water (or other benign liquids, such as tea) than too little. Kidney stones…happen, I believe, more often to those who are chronically dehydrated. Such as my uncle, who lived in Florida. 2. There was a chart with gradations of yellow, posted above the urinal in the college Football training facility where I worked a couple of summers ago. You guessed it: they were trying to ensure their athletes drank enough water. All that sweating during workouts can quickly dehydrate you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellow-urine-in-healthy-non-medicated-male/846660.md?page=3)