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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffNormal urine color ranges from pale yellow to deep amber — the result of a pigment called urochrome and how diluted or concentrated the urine is.
Pigments and other compounds in certain foods and medications may change your urine color. Beets, berries and fava beans are among the foods most likely to affect urine color. Many over-the-counter and prescription medications give urine more-vivid tones — raspberry red, lemon yellow and orange orange.
An unusual urine color is among the most common signs of a urinary tract infection. Deep purple urine is an identifying characteristic of porphyria, a rare, inherited disorder of red blood cells.
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- Castle EP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 5, 2011.
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