Urine Color and Dehydration

Believe it or not you can track your body’s hydration levels by monitoring your urine! The color of your urine can reflect how much water your body needs. Dehydration occurs when the body loses water faster than it can replenish the fluids. This is a helpful tool to help athletes or hikers to avoid serious dehydration because the amount of water they excrete is more than usual. Dehydration is a serious issue that can lead to death if not taken seriously. We don’t think about how much water we’ve consumed on a daily basis, but it is rather important to consume about a gallon of water a day. If it is not convenient to monitor the amount of water you are consuming a day, you can easily check by observing the color of your urine.

So what color urine is optimal for proper hydration and health?

To your right is a urine chart with colors ranging from light yellow to brown. The target color we want to reach is shown at the top to be an almost clear or lemonade color. If your urine displays this light yellow color, it is a good sign that you have been drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day and are properly hydrated. When your urine is not a pale yellow anymore but a bright yellow it indicates the first stage of dehydration and at this point, it is important to drink a glass of water soon.

Read Next: Why Drink Water? I am not Thirsty