Urine is proof that our kidneys are working properly, it is the result of the work of purifying the blood. It has several characteristics such as salty taste and yellow color. The first is explained by the fact that urine retains salt from the bloodstream, and the second has its origin in the body's incredible function of getting rid of substances that are harmful to our health.
The yellow color of your “pee”, as urine is popularly called, comes from its components. Ammonia (from cells) and bilirubin (originated in the breakdown of hemoglobin) are undesirable substances in our body, hence one more task for our filters, the kidneys, which are in charge of converting ammonia into urea and bilirubin into urobilinogens. The latter color our urine yellow.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
The water we drink has the power to dilute the urobilinogens, making the urine lighter, but if it is showing a strong color (dark yellow), it is very likely that you are ingesting too little liquid. Try to drink more water and if the problem is not resolved, see a doctor.
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Why the color of urine"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/o-porque-cor-urina.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
