Cloudy urine can indicate underlying health issues, but it is important to understand that urine can become cloudy for a variety of reasons other than medical conditions. Certain foods and drinks can also alter the color and clarity of urine. Here's why your urine may become cloudy and how certain foods and drinks play a role.
Why can food cause cloudy urine?
Certain foods and drinks can contribute to changes in urine color and clarity due to their various compounds and substances. For example, foods high in purines like red meat, seafood, and some legumes can increase uric acid levels in the body, making urine cloudy.
Drinks also have a significant impact on urine clarity. Caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, and energy drinks can cause mild dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, urine becomes more concentrated and darker, sometimes appearing cloudy. Alcohol has a similar effect by increasing toxin levels in the body and causing dehydration, which can alter urine color and clarity.
Foods and drinks that cause cloudy urine
Meat
Meat, especially poultry and beef, is high in phosphorus. While phosphorus is an essential mineral, excessive consumption can lead to excess phosphorus being excreted through urine, causing it to become cloudy.
Seafood
Certain seafood like anchovies, shellfish, and sardines contain high levels of purines. Purines are converted into uric acid in the body. Consuming purine-rich foods can increase uric acid levels in the urine, making it appear cloudy.
Sweet foods and drinks
High sugar intake, particularly fructose found in fruits, honey, and molasses, can cause cloudy urine. Fructose is often added to sweetened food and drinks like soda, candy, and salad dressings. When the body metabolizes fructose, it produces uric acid, which is then excreted through urine, making it cloudy.
People with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome are at higher risk of experiencing cloudy urine due to high fructose consumption.
Salty foods
Salty foods like chips, canned soups, and preserved meats can cause cloudy urine. Excessive salt intake can affect fluid balance in the body and cause the kidneys to retain water, leading to dehydration. Dehydration is marked by darker, cloudier urine and reduced frequency of urination.
Cloudy urine may not always be harmful. However, if the cloudiness persists or is accompanied by foul odor, blood, pain, vomiting, or discharge, it is best to see a doctor. You can also make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- Sean Edbert Lim, MBBS
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Cleveland Clinic (2021). Cloudy Urine. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21894-cloudy-urine
Maggie O'Neill (2024). What Causes Cloudy Urine?. Available from: https://www.health.com/condition/incontinence/cloudy-pee
Health Direct (2024). Urine colour chart. Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/urine-colour-chart
National Kidney Foundation. Phosphorus and Your Diet. Available from: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/phosphorus
Mayo Clinic (2021). Dehydration. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086
Judith Frank, MD (2020). What Are Purines?. Available from: https://www.arthritis-health.com/types/gout/what-are-purines
Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA (2023). Is fructose bad for you?. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323818
