What the color of your urine says about your health, says an expert

It may look like what you would expect in B&Q or Homebase.

However, this chart is not intended to compare color – rather it is used by the NHS to assess your urine.

It ranges from clear to dark brown, with a light straw color being best – indicating you are well hydrated.

On the other hand, a tan indicates that you are very dehydrated.

Still, the chart, which has been used by doctors for decades, leaves out a number of other factors.

So where do you stand if your urine is somewhere else on the color spectrum? And what does it mean if your pee is green?

MailOnline spoke with Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, pharmacist and executive director of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, to find out which shades are actually a cause for concern.

Darker urine indicates you are not drinking enough and may be dehydrated, she told MailOnline.

Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches and nausea, and can have more serious health consequences for the very young and elderly.

MailOnline spoke with Dr. Leyla Hannbeck, pharmacist and managing director of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, to find out which urine colors are actually a cause for concern

The effects can be both physical, leading to lethargy, and mental, leading to poor concentration.

But dark urine can also indicate other health problems, including liver failure, or can be a side effect of some medications.

“Orange/brown urine can be caused by anti-inflammatory drugs or some chemotherapy drugs,” she said.

Or it could be a sign of jaundice, she added.

Jaundice is usually caused when the bile duct – which carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder, where it is stored – is blocked by a cyst, gallstone, or possibly a tumor.

“If people are concerned about the color of their urine, they should talk to their pharmacist or GP,” she advised.

However, pale yellow urine is an indication of good hydration, Dr. Hannbeck to MailOnline.

The NHS recommends drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, regardless of gender, age or weight, while the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have broken it down further in the US.

This suggests that males need about 12 ounces of fluid while females need 8 ounces.

This includes fluids from water, other drinks and food – about 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.

Dr. However, Hannbeck warns that clear urine can also be a bad sign.

Urine that sometimes looks clear is nothing to worry about, but urine that always looks clear may indicate that you need to drink less water.

“Drinking too much can dilute electrolytes, often it’s not good to have clear urine,” Dr. Hannbeck.

Some research also suggests that urinating more than eight or nine times a day may mean you have an overactive bladder, although this varies by age, lifestyle and health.

Clear urine can also indicate liver problems such as cirrhosis, Dr. Hannbeck to MailOnline.

If you’re not drinking large amounts of water and have persistently clear urine, “see your doctor,” she recommended.

Dr. Leyla Hannbeck said: “The urine color should return to normal after a few days if the color is caused by food or medication. But if it persists, and especially if there’s blood in the urine that makes it dark red or pink, or if it’s orange – which could indicate kidney or bladder disease – people should see their doctor.

But what if you find that your urine is green or even blue?

Blue and green urine is likely related to diet, with some foods and drinks, including asparagus, causing your urine to turn a greenish hue. But health issues can do that too, said Dr. Hannbeck.

An excess of B vitamins can cause urine to turn yellow or greenish.

“Some bacterial infections can also cause urine to appear green or blue,” she added, including infections caused by a specific bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Meanwhile, starting some drug therapies can also “cause discoloration” because of “the way drugs interact with the body, with drugs being flushed out of the kidneys,” she added.

Some foods, including rhubarb and blueberries, can cause urine to turn a red or pink hue.

Don’t worry if you’ve also recently eaten beetroot, as urine can appear red or pink after eating fruit with naturally deep pink or magenta pigments.

But red urine can often be a cause for concern.

Blood in the urine is not always a warning sign, but it can indicate an infection or other more serious problem.

Medical problems such as “enlarged prostate, kidney stones, tumors in the bladder” can cause blood in the urine, Dr. Hannbeck.

“Some laxatives and some antibiotics can also make urine look red,” she added.

“The urine color should return to normal after a few days if the color is caused by food or medication.

“But if it persists, and especially if there’s blood in the urine that makes it dark red or pink, or if it’s orange – which could indicate kidney or bladder disease – people should see their doctor.”