BALTIMORE — Have you ever wondered why your urine is yellow? Thanks to researchers in Maryland, it turns out humans didn't know exactly why until recently.
A team of scientists from the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health solved the mystery, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature. natural microbiology.
Researchers say the discovery has great significance in the scientific community because it can also help solve other medical mysteries related to the disease.
UMD figured it out, and we took to the streets of Baltimore to hear your scientific theories.
“I think it depends on how much water you drink, because the more water you drink, the lighter you can potentially be,” one passerby told WJZ's Nikki Zizaza.
“I think my pee is yellow because I'm dehydrated,'' said another woman. “Mine is white, not yellow, because I drink a lot of water.”
Brantley Hall, the study's lead author and UMD assistant professor, said they identified the enzyme bilirubin, which gives urine its yellow color. It involves red blood cells that initiate biological processes that the scientific community has been unable to understand until now.
“If you've ever wondered why your urine is yellow, think about the microbes in your gut,” says Hall. “We are definitely standing on the shoulders of giants. If some of these old scientists had the technology that we have today, maybe they would have discovered it. .”
Dr. Hall says this discovery could pave the way for medical advances in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and jaundice.
“One of the main findings of our study is that this gene is often absent in newborns,” he said.
Professor Hall said the next step would be human studies, particularly in premature babies, who have a high rate of jaundice.
