Dr. Hemant J. Bhatt

Changes in the colour of your urine can reveal important information about your health. If your urine takes on a hue beyond what's normal, it can be indicative of something wrong with your health. In general, the normal urine colour varies from pale yellow to deep yellowish-brown, which is a result of a chemical pigment in the urine called urochrome.

1. Red or Pink

• When your kidneys, urethra, bladder or any other urinary tract organ gets infected or inflamed, blood cells get leaked into the urine, giving it a red hue. The causes behind the presence of blood can be urinary tract infections, kidney cysts, kidney stones, enlarged prostate and even cancer. Taking blood thinners can also cause you to have blood in your urine.
• Certain foods like blackberries, rhubarb and beets can cause your urine to turn pink.
• The use of certain medications like a particular class of antibiotic used in the treatment of tuberculosis can turn your urine red. Likewise, a drug used to numb discomfort in the urinary tract can cause a red/pink discoloration of your urine.

2. Blue or Green

• The consumption of coloured food dyes containing green or blue pigments can cause you to pass urine of such hues.
• Certain anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory medications can turn your urine green/blue.
• A very rare medical condition called familial benign hypercalcemia (fbh), characterised by high levels of calcium in thE blood and low levels of the mineral in the urine can cause your urine to turn blue.
• Green urine can also occur if your urinary tract gets infected by the pseudomonas bacteria.

3. Dark Brown

• Having large amounts of these foods - aloe, rhubarb (a type of leafy green) and broad beans can cause you to pass dark brown urine.
• Certain anti-malarial drugs, laxatives and muscle relaxants can darken the colour of your urine as well.
• Dark brown urine can also be caused by disorders of the kidney or liver as well as infections of the urinary tract.
• Injury of the muscle as a result of excessive training can result in dark brown urine.

4. Orange

• Problems with the bile duct (the duct through which bile from the gall bladder and liver passes before entering the duodenum) or liver along with the passing of light coloured stools can result in orange urine.
• A cause of orange urine may also be dehydration as fluids bring about an increase in the concentration of compounds present in the urine.

5. White

• The presence of calcium or phosphate sediments in the urine can give it a white hue.
• White urine can also be a result of funguria infection (a form of fungal urinary infection wherein the fungus produces white sediments) or a bacterial infection. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.

Spinach has many important roles to play in maintaining a healthy body; various health benefits of spinach include the following:

Good eyesight: 
Spinach is a rich source of beta carotene, lutein and xanthine, all of which are beneficial for eyesight. Beta carotene is supplied to the eyes by cooked spinach. It can prevent people from suffering from vitamin a deficiency, itching eyes, eye ulcers and dry eyes. This is also due to some of the anti-inflammatory properties of spinach, which can reduce the puffiness or irritation in the eyes.

 Age-related macular degeneration (amd): 
Amd or retinitis pigmentosa is responsible for causing blindness. It is due to the degeneration of lutein and xanthine which form a central part of the retina. According to research conducted by the oak ridge national laboratory, the consumption of spinach can result in regaining two vital pigments and effectively preventing amd. Spinach also contains a wealth of antioxidants that reduce the harmful effects of free radicals, which are known to negatively impact vision and cause age-related conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration as well.

Neurological benefits:
Several components of spinach like potassium, folate, and various antioxidants are known to provide neurological benefits to people who regularly consume them. According to neurology, folate reduces due the occurrence of alzheimer’s disease, so spinach is a very good idea for people who are at high risk of neural or cognitive decline. Potassium is an integral part of brain health as well, and it has been linked to increased blood flow to the brain, and heightened cognition, concentration, and neural activity.

Maintains blood pressure: 
Spinach has a very high content of potassium and a low content of sodium. This composition of minerals is very beneficial for high blood pressure patients as potassium lowers and sodium raises the blood pressure. The folate present in spinach also contributes to the reduction of hypertension and relaxes blood vessels, while maintaining proper blood flow. By reducing blood pressure and relaxing the tension of vessels and arteries, you can reduce stress on the cardiovascular system and increase oxygenation to the body’s organ systems for optimal functionality.

Strengthens muscles: 
A component of spinach, factor c0-q10, which is an antioxidant, plays an important role in strengthening muscles, especially heart muscles which continuously pump blood to all parts of the body. According to the journal of cardiovascular nursing, c0-q10 can be used to prevent and treat many cardiovascular diseases like hyperlipidemia, heart failure, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

Bone mineralization: 
Spinach is a good source of vitamin k, which functions in retaining calcium in the bone matrix, thereby leading to bone mineralization. Apart from this, other minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus also help in building up of strong bones. This in turn can prevent an individual from developing osteoporosis of the bones. These minerals are also essential for maintaining healthy teeth and nails.

Reduced risk of cataracts: 
The lutein and zeaxanthin present in spinach both act as strong antioxidants, thus preventing the eyes from the harsh effects of uv rays that can lead to cataracts. They also reduce the impact of free radicals, which can be a major cause of cataracts and other eye conditions.

Proper metabolic activity:
There is a reason why doctors recommend adding spinach in a significant way to your diet. The amount of protein found in spinach is impressive for any vegetable, and they are easily broken down by enzymes into amino acids that are essential to humans. The re-formed mammal proteins aid our muscle development and growth, our body’s ability to heal wounds, and provides a boost for our entire metabolism, encouraging all of our organ systems to function at their optimal level. Also recent study suggests that thylakoid found in spinach can curb cravings and hunger which can further help in weight loss.

Anti-ulcerative: 
It has been found that spinach and some other vegetables have the ability to protect the mucous membrane of the stomach, thereby decreasing the occurrence of gastric ulcers. Furthermore, the glycoglycerolipids found in spinach can boost the strength of the digestive tract lining, thereby preventing any unwanted inflammation in that part of the body that can cause harm.

Prevents atherosclerosis and strokes:
Atherosclerosis is caused due to the hardening of the arteries. A pigment called lutein that is found in spinach has been shown to reduce the occurrence of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. This is due to the fact that spinach proteins tend to reduce the cholesterol and other fat deposits in the blood vessels.

Fetal development: 
Folate found in spinach is needed by a growing fetus for proper development of its new nervous system. Defects like cleft palate or spina bifida may occur due to a deficiency of folate. The vitamin a contained in spinach is advised to be consumed in higher quantities by the mother. Vitamin a is required in the lung development of the fetus as well, and can be transferred during breast-feeding, so spinach consumption should be continued after birth as well.

Anti-inflammatory capacity:
There are many anti-inflammatory compounds found in spinach, more than a dozen, in fact. They are classified into the category of methylenedioxyflavonol glucuronides, and spinach is one of the most powerful vegetables when it comes to reducing inflammation throughout the body. This not only means protecting the heart from dangerous inflammation and preventing cancer, but also in reducing the inflammation and associated pain from conditions like arthritis and gout, which afflict millions of people around the world.

Anti-cancer properties: 
Spinach is made up of various important constituents that have been found to be promising in the treatment and prevention of various kinds of cancer. These include bladder, prostate, liver and lung cancers. Different constituents in spinach like folate, tocopherol and chlorophyll act via different mechanisms to treat and protect patients suffering from cancer.

Recent studies have revealed that spinach is very effective against aggressive prostate cancer, and this has been linked to epoxyxanthophylls, which are unique carotenoids, along with neoxanthin and violaxanthin, that directly reduce tumorous activity and the spread of cancer throughout the body.

Skin protection:
Different phytonutrients and pigments have been shown to protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun, including uv rays. These not only protect, but also repair the damaged genes to some extent, thereby preventing skin cancer in the long run.

Protein source for infant growth:
‘popeye the sailor man’ is known for his obsession with spinach. The cartoon was deliberately aimed to convince children to eat spinach and get strong. Infants are advised to be fed with spinach, which is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. These will result in proportionate development in their essential growing stages.