A new color scale depicting five distinct shades of ‘yellow’ tells us when we need to hydrate

April 27, 2021

A new color scale has been created with five different shades of  “yellow,” each of which indicates whether we are properly hydrated or not, SWNS Digital reports.

Color experts from the Carlstadt, New Jersey-based Pantone Color Institute have teamed up with London nutritionist Lily Soutter and Scottish bottled water supplier Highland Spring to create the ‘shades of pee’ visual to highlight the importance of hydration.

The five shades of yellow have names such as “Dry Spell” for the darkest shade and “Spring In Your Step”for the lightest. The in-between shades are aptly called “Feeling Good.” “Glass Half Full.” and “You’re At Amber.”

The guide is unveiled to mark Highland Spring’s new 10-litre (338 fluid ounce) hydration pack going on sale, and comes after a study of 2,000 adults found 40%r cent are confused about how much water they should be drinking.

Despite believing they should be consuming seven glasses of water a day, people typically have five—although 23% just manage to drink one to two.

Nutritionist Lily Soutter points to the NHS advice on the health benefits of proper hydration and said: “Drinking enough fluids and staying hydrated throughout the day is important for energy, concentration, mood, and even exercise performance.”

But 43% of respondents said they do not think they are getting enough—because they simply forget to drink water (63%), get distracted by their day-to-day routine (42 %), or are too busy (15%), SWNS Digital reports.

Carol Saunders, spokesperson for Highland Spring said: “Our bodies have a built-in and natural way of helping us to know if we are drinking enough fluids. We know it can be embarrassing to talk about our pee, but it’s an important indicator to help us stay hydrated.

“So we’ve partnered with Pantone Color Institute to kick start that conversation, because for many of us, drinking enough fluids is the first step to feeling more like our natural selves in any self-care routine.”

The study also found people are likely to drink more water if the weather is warmer (33%), if they cut back on other beverages such as coffee (27%) , or if they set reminders (21%).

And almost a 25% of adults track how much they drink throughout the day, by using an app (26%), writing it down (22%), or using the measurements marked on a bottle (27%).

However,  more than 50% of respondents do not take a bottle of water with them when they leave the house and 23% of desk workers admit that they do not keep a drink at their desk.

One in 10 of those polled via international research firm OnePoll do not even have a drink when they exercise and 14%  do not have one with a meal.

Side effects people have experienced from not staying hydrated enough included a dry mouth (46%), dark urine (43%), and fatigue (26%).

Whereas the benefits adults have enjoyed from keeping on top of their water consumption were found to be clearer skin (25%), feeling more active (22%), and reduced cravings for snacks (18%).

Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, said: “Eating right and drinking proper amounts of water are critical contributors to taking care of our personal health and our overall well-being.

“Being able to collaborate with Highland Spring and their expert nutrition partner Lily Soutter to create a color flow chart illustrating the relationship between urine color and hydration levels highlights how the visual language of color can be used as an indicator to provide quick and natural insights as to whether we are keeping ourselves healthfully hydrated.”

Research contact: @SWNS