Buzz
Before you could utter a word, you were already familiar with peeing. Before you could sign your own name, you could pee. (And if you grew up in a particularly snowy region, you might have even combined those skills.) Urination is often a topic we avoid, a daily marvel, a vital bodily function, and an absolute mystery to most people who engage in it.
Let’s lift the veil shaped like underpants that surrounds our understanding of urination. Let’s explore the fascinating world of peeing.
What Is Urination, and How Does It Function?
Peeing is one of the body’s incredible waste-removal mechanisms. Alongside pooping and sweating, urination eliminates byproducts from vital cellular functions like metabolism and respiration, sending them out to the body's disposal zone. Should any of these processes fail, the waste would pile up like trash and cause illness.
Urination—also known by terms like uresis, micturition, voiding, or going to see a man about a dog—marks the conclusion of a remarkable physiological journey. The tale starts, like many others, in the heart. Blood is pushed through renal arteries into the kidneys for filtration. After extracting unnecessary substances such as salts, potassium, and chemicals, the kidneys send purified blood back into the heart. What remains is pee. The freshly mixed urine travels through long, narrow tubes called ureters, then enters the bladder. As the bladder fills, your brain signals that it’s time to go. Once you give the go-ahead, your pee rushes from the bladder to the urethra, to your genitals, and then out into the world beyond your body.
TL; DR/VERDICT/SHORT ANSWER: Peeing is essential and amazing. Also, kidneys.
Why Does My Pee Always Look Yellow? (And What If It Doesn’t?)
The yellow color of urine is mostly due to a substance known as urobilin. When you’re well-hydrated, the urobilin is diluted by enough water, giving your pee a typical soft yellow hue. Dark yellow or amber urine is a clear sign of dehydration, while completely clear pee suggests you might be overhydrated. Despite what supermodels might say, it’s important to remember: It is possible to drink too much water.
What if your urine isn’t yellow at all, but instead red, blue, or even black? Well, now you’ve got a mystery to unravel.
Did you happen to indulge in a lot of borscht lately? You might be experiencing beeturia, the term for when your urine turns red or pink after consuming large amounts of beets. I'm not kidding. Eating a surplus of strawberries or rhubarb could trigger the same reaction.
Have you started a new medication? The chemical methylene blue found in some drugs can turn your urine an unexpected blue or green. Overeating asparagus or consuming food coloring (yes, I'm looking at you, festive green beer) might lead to green pee as well. On the other hand, orange urine could be due to medication or vitamins, or perhaps you indulged in a carrot-heavy dinner last night. Almost every shade in the urine color spectrum has a fruit or vegetable behind it.
NOTE: If your urine turns dark brown, reddish (and not in the delightful beetroot way), or black, it's time to consult a doctor. Urine color has been a diagnostic tool since ancient Greece and Rome. In the past, physicians and self-proclaimed “piss prophets” would inspect, sniff, and even taste urine to gauge someone's health or even their future. Your doctor will likely take a more modern approach.
TL; DR/VERDICT/SHORT ANSWER: A) urobilin! B) Ease up on the beets! C) If you’re beet-free, visit a doctor.
Is it true that drinking your own urine is possible?
The urine gurus likely gave this away, but yes, technically, you can drink it since urine is usually free from harmful bacteria and non-toxic. But the real question is: Why on earth would you want to?
Some people certainly have their reasons. (I mean, you'd have to, right?) In extreme situations, like being stranded without access to fresh water, drinking your own urine might keep you alive a bit longer, but it’s not something you should make a habit. Remember that whole waste-product idea? Since urine is a byproduct of your body’s filtering system, every time it passes through, it picks up more toxins, which means over time, it’ll do you more harm than good.
Other enthusiasts of pee-drinking claim it has health benefits, even saying it can extend life. Practitioners of “urotherapy” believe drinking urine can heal acne, help with weight loss, and even cure cancer. The American Cancer Society disagrees with this view.
TL; DR/VERDICT/SHORT ANSWER: Yes, you can. You can also hammer your thumb or chew gum that’s lost its taste. You’re in charge of your choices. Choose wisely.
Is Peeing on a Jellyfish Sting a Good Idea? What About That Athlete’s Foot?
Only if you’re aiming to make the situation worse and smell like urine all day for no reason. While urine may be sterile, it doesn’t have any magical curative powers. It’s as helpful as plain water (which isn’t much help at all) for athlete’s foot, and can actually make jellyfish stingers more painful—the very ones that burned you in the first place.
TL; DR/VERDICT/SHORT ANSWER: No, and definitely no.
Why Do We Call It Pee?
The word “urine” is the oldest term in English for our bodily liquid, dating back to the Old Norse word ur, which meant “drizzling rain.” The word “piss,” with all its gritty and somewhat unpleasant associations, emerged next. To soften the blow, the word “piss” was euphemized to “pee” by cautious parents in the late 18th century.
TL; DR/VERDICT/SHORT ANSWER: Because we fear mortality, decay, and discussing the natural functions of our bodies.
