Riboflavin is a member of the B family of vitamins (B complex). It's a water-soluble vitamin. Excess amounts are excreted through your kidneys. It makes the urine bright yellow.
Bright yellow urine is a sign of excess B-vitamins in the body, including B-2 and B-12, although this condition is harmless. Taking B-vitamin supplements can lead to urine of this color.
Your body excretes the riboflavin it doesn't need through urine, which is why excess amounts, either consumed in food or through taking supplements, could make your pee look bright yellow. Almost all multivitamins contain riboflavin, as do food such as eggs, organ meats, lean meats and dairy.
Excess beta carotene or vitamin C may lead to urine that's dark yellow or orange. Beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body, is found in yellow and orange foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes.
For reference, your body can only absorb 27 milligrams of riboflavin at one time. Any amount over that threshold will likely result as an overflow of fluorescent yellow urine.
Omega 3-6-9 Warnings
Multivitamins can turn urine bright yellow and stools a darker color. This is normal. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, ask your doctor what vitamins are best for you to use. Tell your doctor if you have heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, or a history of kidney stones.
Taking B-complex vitamins, which include vitamin B12, can cause urine to have a bright yellow or even orange color, but check with your doctor to be sure that's what is going on in your case. B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins, which means that what your body doesn't use is excreted in your urine.
If your pee is…
High-dose vitamins can turn your pee a bright, almost neon yellow color.
While it's unusual for urine to be any bright color, bright yellow urine is a common side effect of certain vitamins, like B2 and B12.
Clear to yellow urine falls within the normal, healthy range, Clayman says. Odd colors such as blue or orange are usually the result of medications such as certain antibiotics, antidepressants and laxatives. But there are two colors you should never ignore: dark brown and red.
Riboflavin may cause urine to have a more yellow color than normal, especially if large doses are taken. This is to be expected and is no cause for alarm. Usually, however, riboflavin does not cause any side effects.
Foods such as beets, fava beans, blackberries, and rhubarb can turn urine reddish, or sometimes dark brown. Carrots can turn urine light orange. Vitamin C can also turn urine orange. B vitamins can give urine a greenish tinge.
Mild overdose of Vitamin B can cause problems like Headache, Upset stomach, and Weakness of the body. Acute overdose can cause symptoms like Cardiac arrhythmia i.e, irregular heartbeats, Hypotension, convolutions, a key symptom for thiamine overdose is lips turning blue.
Potential side effects
However, taking supplements that contain excessively high and unnecessary quantities of B vitamins could lead to serious side effects. High doses of supplemental B3 (niacin) may lead to vomiting, high blood sugar levels, skin flushing, and even liver damage ( 34 ).
The upper limit for all adults is 2,000 mg a day. Although too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful, large doses of vitamin C supplements might cause: Diarrhea. Nausea.
You can—but it's probably not a good idea. For some supplements, optimal absorption can depend on the time of day taken. Not only that—taking certain vitamins, minerals, or other supplements together can also reduce absorption and may result in adverse interactions, which can be harmful to your health.
Since riboflavin contains a unique fluorescent hue, the excess creates bright yellow urine. Other B vitamins that can cause bright yellow urine include folic acid (B9), and B12.
While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine. High doses of vitamin B-12, such as those used to treat a deficiency, might cause: Headache.
Other complications of too much vitamin D include bone pain, kidney problems and even calcium stone formation. Headaches, exhaustion, irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure are other serious signs. One side effect you probably won't see with excess vitamin D is a bright yellow color in your urine.
New research finds that taking omega-3 supplements is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation in people with a high risk of, or existing, heart disease. Experts say while omega-3s are essential for health, the relationship between using these supplements and heart health is complicated.
Is clear urine always a good thing? In most cases, clear urine is a sign that you're well hydrated. And that's a positive thing because good hydration helps your body function at its best. But, in some cases, clear pee may mean that you're drinking too much water and you're too hydrated.