{"id":10239,"date":"2026-01-06T14:30:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/?p=10239"},"modified":"2026-01-06T14:58:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:58:01","slug":"your-urine-what-do-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/06\/your-urine-what-do-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Urine \u2013 What do you need to know? \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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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.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Stinky beans aka as petai in Malay<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I also noticed that every time I take a 3 in 1 coffee, my urine has a hint of coffee smell. It doesn\u2019t happen when I take brewed coffee or coffees in cafe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 caf\u00e9 uses fresh milk in their preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, here were a few blazing questions in my mind about the smell of urine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Why does urine smell?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a) Common waste products from urine such as:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Urine mainly constitutes of water, urea and minerals<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
    \n
  • Urea<\/strong> (from protein breakdown)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Uric acid<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Creatinine<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The waste products listed above are usually present in our urine. They don\u2019t smell much, but when urine sits for long and unflushed, they can break down and release ammonia-like odours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is the reason why public toilets smell bad most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    b) Hydration status<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"
    The best hydration drink is water<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
      \n
    • A well-hydrated individual:<\/strong> urine is pale and smells mild<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • A dehydrated individual:<\/strong> urine is darker and smells stronger because waste is more concentrated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      c) Food & drinks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

      \n
      \"\"
      The aromatic compound in spices is released via urine, and this gives a unique smell to the urine<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

      Several foods can make the urine smell different\u2014most of the time it\u2019s harmless and temporary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Common ones include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Asparagus<\/strong> \u2013 The most famous culprit. It contains sulfur compounds that break down into smelly chemicals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Garlic and onions<\/strong> \ud83e\uddc4 \u2013 Sulfur compounds that affects urine odor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Coffee<\/strong> \u2615 \u2013 Aromatic compounds from coffee can make urine smell strong or slightly sweet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Fish<\/strong> \ud83d\udc1f \u2013 In some people, especially those with a rare condition (trimethylaminuria), it can cause a strong odor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Spices<\/strong> (like curry or cumin) \u2013 Can change urine scent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Brussels sprouts & cabbage<\/strong> \u2013 Also contain sulfur compounds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Alcohol<\/strong> \ud83c\udf7a \u2013 Can concentrate urine and intensify odor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        d) Bacteria<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

        \n
        \"\"
        The common symptoms of UTI and UTI is mainly caused by bacteria infection.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
          \n
        • Fresh urine is almost odorless.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Urine left for long, converts urea into ammonia<\/strong>, making it smell stronger.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Urine infections or yeast infections can make the urine smell foul or fishy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
          \n
          \"\"
          Supplements have the ability to make urine smell more metallic and herbal like<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

          e)  Hormones, meds, and vitamins<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Vitamin B, antibiotics, and some medications can change the urine odour.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • 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.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            2. When is it that a smell in urine can signal a problem?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            When the urine is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Sweet\/fruity<\/strong> \u2192 possible elevated blood sugar levels (diabetes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Strong ammonia<\/strong> \u2192 dehydration or infection<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Foul\/fishy<\/strong> \u2192 possible urinary tract infection (UTI)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Musty<\/strong> \u2192 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Most urine smells are normal and temporary. Persistent and unusual odors over a few days\u2014accompanied with pain, burning, or fever\u2014should be checked by a healthcare provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              3. What is the recommended urination frequency?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

              \n
              \"\"
              Do you think you are frequently urinating? Check out the <\/em><\/strong>guidelines on recommended urination frequency below.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
                \n
              • 4\u20138 times a day<\/strong> \u2192 Normal<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Very frequent<\/strong> \u2192 UTI, diabetes, high caffeine intake which acts as a diuretic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Very little<\/strong> \u2192 Dehydration or kidney issues that causes water retention in the body<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Waking up often at night<\/strong> \u2192 Hormonal changes due to menopause, diabetes, bladder issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                4. Should you worry if there is foam in the urine?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

                \n
                \"\"
                Foamy urine in a toilet bowl. Check out the foam guideline as blow. <\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
                  \n
                • Occasional foam<\/strong> \u2192 Normal and nothing to worry about<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Persistent foam<\/strong> \u2192 Possible protein in urine. Get a blood test done.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Small amounts often<\/strong> \u2192 Bladder irritation or infection<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Large volumes<\/strong> \u2192 Excess fluids or diabetes. This could indicate more severe issues like kidney failures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  Besides taking note of the above urine parameters, it is also crucial to take note of the urine colour as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Here is your urine colour guide:  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                  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.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":385,"featured_media":10263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,6,2],"tags":[1095,1093,1094,389,388],"class_list":["post-10239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drinks","category-wise-health","category-wise-moves","tag-foam","tag-pee","tag-smell","tag-urine","tag-uti"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10239"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10265,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10239\/revisions\/10265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wise-mag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}