10 things you should know about your pee

These facts about your pee will leave you speechless and explain why the Romans were so obsessed with it

How well do you know your pee? As bizarre as that sounds, after reading these 10 facts about urine you will in fact realise that you knew nothing in the first place. Buckle up because some of these facts will change how you perceive pee.

1. A person pees seven times a day on an average. If you pee more frequently or less than the stated estimate, you're totally normal.

PHOTO: SCOOPWHOOP

2. The Romans gargled using their pee! Their explanation is that urine contains ammonia which whitens teeth (that doesn't sound very convincing, does it?).

PHOTO:SCOOPWHOOP

3. The colour of your pee is indicative of your health. If it is clear then you are well hydrated, maybe even more than necessary; if it is pale yellow then you are hydrated enough; if dark yellow then less hydrated; if it is brown then it could be a serious liver infection; if red or pink then there is fresh blood in your urine and you need to go see a doctor.

PHOTO: SCOOPWHOOP

4. If you emerge from a public pool smelling like 'chlorine' know that it's probably the smell of chloramine mixed with human pee, so the stronger the 'chlorine' stench, the dirtier the pool.

PHOTO: SWIMSWAM

5. Unlike what a lot of people believe, the first time a baby pees is not after it is born but when it is in the womb. It starts peeing into the amniotic fluid.

PHOTO: YOUTUBE

6. There are 96 bags of urine, feces, and vomit lying around on the surface of the moon along with 1,81,437 kg of man-made material.

PHOTO: THEATLANTIC

7. If your pee has a sweet smell then chances are you might have diabetes, similarly one's foul smelling pee could indicate that the kidneys are probably spilling glucose or protein into the urine.

PHOTO: AMERICANDADWIKIA

8. Pee was long ago utilised to make gunpowder for about a hundred years, because urine contains nitrogen.

PHOTO: SCOOPWHOOP

9. Unlike what a lot of people might believe, if one is lost in the wilderness with no water in hand, it is not advisable to drink one's urine because it accelerates dehydration due to its high salt quotient.

PHOTO: THEGAURDIAN

10. Urine tax was introduced in the Roman era because pee was considered so precious. Merchants went from door to door buying it. Nero saw the opportunity and levied a tax which added to the imperial treasury.

This article originally appeared on ScoopWhoop

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