The largest fluid compartments are intracellular, interstitial, and blood. The greater the volume, the greater the pressure. Take your blood pressure before collecting your urine sample. Record the time of your last meal or snack. Determine the visual appearance of your specimen.
Normal color ranges from pale straw to amber.
Carrots, beets, and rhubarb may alter the color, but this is nothing to worry about. Reddish, brownish, or greenish colors under other conditions are not normal. A very rare hereditary condition called alcaptanuria causes the urine to turn black when exposed to air. A fresh sample of normal urine is usually clear but may become cloudy after standing. It may look cloudy right away if it contains fat from the last meal.