When it comes to health and nutrition, one of the most popular topics of conversation is ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the body uses fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. As a result, people who are in ketosis often experience a variety of physical and mental benefits, including improved energy levels and weight loss. One way to tell if you are in ketosis is by looking at the color of your urine. So what color should your pee be when you’re in ketosis? Read on to find out more.
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During the process of getting into ketosis, some people experience changes to their bodies, such as keto breath and changing urine colors.
Ketosis happens when our blood glucose levels get so low that our bodies produce ketones in the blood stream.
This is then used as a fuel source by both our body and brain.
Ketones are organic compounds produced by our bodies that function to regulate and maintain energy levels, helping us to feel more alert and able to concentrate.
During normal eating when we eat foods that are full of carbs, like breads, pasta and potatoes, our body produces glucose, a type of sugar that, under normal circumstances, helps give us fuel for daily activities.
To lose weight and get healthy on the keto diet, we need to restrict carbs. When we don’t eat excessive carbs, our bodies will start breaking down fats to produce ketones instead.
We want to look at how your urine color can help determine your current health, and if you need to be worried.
Ketosis Urine Color Green
When you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to consider eating a ketogenic diet if you find that you aren’t keen on a calories restricted diet.
Instead, this type of low-carbohydrate diet restricts your intake of carbohydrates while increasing the amount of fat in your foods.
If your urine is a darker shade of yellow that is verging on green then you need to drink more water.
Darker urine usually means that you are getting dehydrated, so you should urgently drink something and make sure that you maintain your hydration levels.
Colors of Keto Urine Strips?
Every urine strip is different, so you will need to consult the back of the box or container that they came in, the manual, or the manufacturer’s website to be sure of the colors and their meanings.
Going to the bathroom to Urinate very often
When people go onto keto, they often change the way that they eat- and drink. If you’ve recently started following the ketogenic diet, then you might notice that you start to pass less urine if you are not drinking enough water.
This could mean that you need to drink much more in the way fluids. You can also try drinking green tea, coffee, or other beverages to make sure that you stay hydrated.
You shouldn’t worry about your urinary frequency.
In fact, it will likely decrease as time goes by. However, you should always check in with a doctor before making any changes to your diet that could have an impact on your health.
Frothy and Foamy Urine
Most people that start with the keto diet often make the mistake of consuming too much protein without taking on the right amount of fat to balance their macros.
Too much protein can take us out of ketosis and is not a good thing if you want to stay in keto.
If you are noticing that your urine is foamy, then don’t worry – it probably isn’t due to keto.
If foamy urine persists over time and becomes more noticeable, you should see a doctor. The presence of protein in your urine can be a sign of proteinuria, which requires further evaluation.
It could be a sign of a serious kidney condition if you have an increase in protein in your urine, so you need to get it checked out ASAP.
Clear Urine
If you are drinking a lot of water and you notice that your urine is running clear, then you could be drinking too much water.
You need to make sure that you are eating enough salt with your food, but you have to strike a balance so that you are only eating what you are losing in your urine.
Darkish Yellow Urine On Keto
Dark yellow urine is a symptom that you should never ignore, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.
If you have dark yellow urine, then this could be an indication of serious health problems, or just a simple lack of hydration which can be fixed by drinking enough water.
As we know, when you are on keto you need to make sure that your diet is healthy and that you are avoiding carbs and sugars.
You shouldn’t consume things like bread, candy, or sugar. Always make sure that you have a proper diet plan that fits in with your macros.
While some sweeteners are ok, you want to avoid consuming too many of them. This includes things like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, and they can cause issues in some people.
Even though there is no real sugar in these products, there is a possibility that you can have an insulin reaction.
If you are suitably hydrated and you are still noticing that your urine is very dark and yellow, then you should consult a doctor and ask if any lab results need to be run.
You may want to test whether you’re in ketosis, to better understand your urine.
Oily Urine
If you are following the keto diet, then you might have noticed that your urine appears to have an oily sheen to it. At first, you might think that this makes sense – you are consuming a lot of fat and oil, so naturally you are seeing oily deposits in your urine.
While it might make sense on the surface, that is not quite right.
The oily sheen that you are seeing in your urine is not actually oil, and is instead excess ketones in your urine.
If you are in a deep state of ketosis then you will certainly see that there is an increase in ketones in your blood and possibly urine if you use test strips.
Oil should be filtered out of your food and drinks before it comes out in your urine.
You may be interested in this article which takes you through what your pee should smell like.
Wrapping Up: What Color Is Your Pee When In Ketosis?
We hope that this article has been helpful if you are worried about the color of your urine. It can be quite disconcerting when we start to notice changes both in our bodies and in the liquids we expel that we weren’t expecting.
If you are worried then you should speak with a doctor and seek advice about whether or not the diet is right for you, and if you should continue it or not.
