You might not spend much time looking at or thinking about the appearance of your urine, but your doctor can tell a great deal about your current health by analyzing it. A normal urine color can range from pale yellow to dark amber, but if your urine is cloudy, it's considered to be an abnormal color and may indicate an underlying medical condition. The foods that you eat, including certain vegetables, can impact the color and appearance of your urine, but if you have noticed that your urine is cloudy, contact your doctor immediately.
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Urine Color
A pigment called urochrome is responsible for the color of your urine. The concentration or dilution of your urine might also influence the color. When you drink more fluids, your urine will be lighter in color, but if you begin to become dehydrated, your urine can take on more of an amber hue. Changes in urine color might also signify the presence of a medical condition, or they may occur because of a medication that you take or because of certain foods that you eat. Beets and blackberries can cause pink, red or light brown urine, and high doses of carotene, the antioxidants found in orange vegetables, can cause urine to turn orange.
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Vegetables
A diet rich in vegetables provides you with many of the vitamins and minerals that you need for good health, but is also associated with clear urine. According to Larry Trivieri, author of "Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide," cloudy urine is usually alkaline, which is a measure of the pH of urine. The National Institutes of Health website, Medline Plus, reports that eating vegetables can increase the acidity of your urine, which makes it less alkaline. However, the vitamin content of certain vegetables might cause cloudy urine, but would only occur if you ate large quantities of them.
Vitamins
High doses of vitamin C and B vitamins can be associated with cloudy urine, but it occurs more often with high-dose supplements than a large intake of vegetables. This discoloration occurs because vitamin C and B vitamins are water-soluble, which means any excess that your body doesn't need is excreted in your urine, making it appear cloudy. Bell peppers are high in vitamin C and leafy greens and asparagus are both high in certain B vitamins.
Considerations
Don't limit your intake of vegetables for fear of developing cloudy urine. If a certain vegetable is the cause of your cloudy urine, it's most likely due to the vitamins it contains and not an underlying medical condition. If your cloudy urine persists, or is accompanied by a dark red, brown or black hue, contact your doctor immediately. You might have an infection or other serious medical condition that needs immediate treatment.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES MedlinePlus: Urine: Abnormal Color MedlinePlus: Urine pH Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide; Larry Trivieri, et al. Health Guidance: Cloudy Urine Causes
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