Your Urine – What do you need to know?  

I recently went to my office toilet, and it smelled like petai (stink beans). I knew who the culprit was because one of my colleagues was having petai during lunch. The petai dish she made had the whole pantry smelling like the dish itself.

I also noticed that every time I take a 3 in 1 coffee, my urine has a hint of coffee smell. It doesn’t happen when I take brewed coffee or coffees in cafe

This got me wondering that maybe the creamer in the 3 in 1 coffee causes this smell to be enhanced. Because the brewed coffee and coffee in the café uses fresh milk in their preparation.

Hence, here were a few blazing questions in my mind about the smell of urine:

1) Why does urine smell?

Our kidney functions to filter waste products and this is eliminated via the urine. The urine smell arises for multiple reasons and below are some the reasons:

a) Common waste products from urine such as:

• Urea (from protein breakdown)
• Uric acid
• Creatinine

The waste products listed above are usually present in our urine. They don’t smell much, but when urine sits for long and unflushed, they can break down and release ammonia-like odours.

This is the reason why public toilets smell bad most of the time.

b) Hydration status

• A well-hydrated individual: urine is pale and smells mild
• A dehydrated individual: urine is darker and smells stronger because waste is more concentrated

c) Food & drinks

Several foods can make the urine smell different—most of the time it’s harmless and temporary.

Common ones include:

• Asparagus – The most famous culprit. It contains sulfur compounds that break down into smelly chemicals.
• Garlic and onions 🧄 – Sulfur compounds that affects urine odor.
• Coffee ☕ – Aromatic compounds from coffee can make urine smell strong or slightly sweet.
• Fish 🐟 – In some people, especially those with a rare condition (trimethylaminuria), it can cause a strong odor.
• Spices (like curry or cumin) – Can change urine scent.
• Brussels sprouts & cabbage – Also contain sulfur compounds.
• Alcohol 🍺 – Can concentrate urine and intensify odor.

d) Bacteria

• Fresh urine is almost odorless.
• Urine left for long, converts urea into ammonia, making it smell stronger.
• Urine infections or yeast infections can make the urine smell foul or fishy.

e)  Hormones, meds, and vitamins

• Vitamin B, antibiotics, and some medications can change the urine odour.
• Hormonal changes especially in menopausal woman can also affect urine odour. This is usually due to vaginal dryness and can be treated using topical vaginal oestrogen.

2. When is it that a smell in urine can signal a problem?

When the urine is:

• Sweet/fruity → possible elevated blood sugar levels (diabetes)
• Strong ammonia → dehydration or infection
• Foul/fishy → possible urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Musty → rare metabolic disorders like phenylketonuria (PKU) where the amino acid, phenylalanine accumulates in the body and can cause brain damage and intellectual disabilities in children.

Most urine smells are normal and temporary. Persistent and unusual odors over a few days—accompanied with pain, burning, or fever—should be checked by a healthcare provider.

3. What is the recommended urination frequency?

• 4–8 times a day → Normal
• Very frequent → UTI, diabetes, high caffeine intake which acts as a diuretic
• Very little → Dehydration or kidney issues that causes water retention in the body
• Waking up often at night → Hormonal changes due to menopause, diabetes, bladder issues

4. Should you worry if there is foam in the urine?

• Occasional foam → Normal and nothing to worry about
• Persistent foam → Possible protein in urine. Get a blood test done.
• Small amounts often → Bladder irritation or infection
• Large volumes → Excess fluids or diabetes. This could indicate more severe issues like kidney failures.

Besides taking note of the above urine parameters, it is also crucial to take note of the urine colour as well.

Here is your urine colour guide:  

To conclude it all, even though urine is a waste item, it is crucial to monitor and take note of the urine changes. Many ailments are diagnosed with urine and we can prevent ailments from worsening with our alertness.