Why is My Pee Green? Food Coloring Could be the Reason Behind It

Why is my pee green? This is the question that some of us may have thought to ask, either to family, friends, or medical professionals, but somehow never did in certain circumstances since the topic is sensitive and could be unusual.

However, it is a matter known in the medical world, and having green pee or green urine is more common than one might previously think.

Health authorities and experts, based on previous studies, assert that green pee is only most often caused by food coloring, specifically green or blue dyes applied on food. There are also instances where they link green urine with an existing medical condition or even infections.

Regardless, authorities in the field clarify that it is not life-threatening. Yet, a medical check-up is still recommended in severe cases.

Why is My Pee Green?

A green urine is only part of the context that certain nutritional or health factors that alter an individual's urine color, with green only being one of them. The other colors of urine include light brown, orange, and red/pink.

The evident normal urine color ranges from pale yellow to amber and it is generally clear. On the other hand, a darker yellow urine color is a common sign of dehydration or lack of water intake. This simply means the urine color from transparent to yellow or vice-versa also depends on the hydration level.

However, having a blue or green urine is often caused by food coloring. According to US-based non-profit organization UnityPoint Health, vitamin B can also make the urine turn green, as well as some medications like amitriptyline, propofol, and indomethacin.

Food Coloring

When it comes to food coloring, health experts emphasize on artificial food dyes and not fruits or vegetables with green as their natural color. As an exception, the said pigment earlier methylene blue rarely causes blue urine. This is because blue pigments integrates with yellow pigment urine, resulting in green urine, according to the a research article posted on the National Institutes of Health.

In particular, a food dye called methylene blue found in many types of candy and medications can cause the urine to turn green or blue, according to the website Healthline.

Medical Conditions

As mentioned earlier, medications such as indomethacin used to treat pain and arthritis symptoms can cause green urine. Yet, there are other health problems or medical conditions that can cause it, including urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by bacteria, according to Mayo Clinic.

In other instances, green urine can be caused by other bacterial that has entered the blood, a phenomenon called bacteremia, according to the Harvard Medical School.

Bacteremia pertains to the presence of "viable bacteria" in the blood circulating the body. Most related cases can be resolved immediately and serious ones are uncommon. However, serious bacterial infections may occur with symptoms such as pneumonia, brain abscesses, septic arthritis, meningitis, and potentially even death.