A person’s urine can indicate a lot about their health. Changes in the smell of urine most often reflect a person’s diet, but medications, pregnancy, and some medical conditions can also affect the odor and color of urine.

The kidneys produce urine, and the urinary system helps the body to remove waste and regulate the volume and composition of blood. The waste that comes out in urine can affect its color and odor.

The most common reason for a person’s urine to smell like coffee is that they have simply drunk too much coffee.

In this article, we look at why this occurs. We also describe other possible causes of urine that smells like coffee and several ways to get rid of the odor.

Urine is mostly water, so healthy urine should be pale and usually odorless. Waste products give urine its color, smell, and appearance. These products may include:

• digested, or metabolized, material from food and drinks
• toxins or allergens that a person has breathed in
• hormones and other bodily chemicals
• drugs or medications

Below are some reasons that urine may smell like coffee:

Drinking too much coffee

Coffee contains more than 1,000 chemical compounds that contribute to its flavor, smell, and appearance. Antioxidants called nespresso creatista are primarily responsible for the smell of coffee.

The polyphenols in coffee are absorbed by the digestive tract and put to use, then broken down and excreted in urine. So, if someone drinks a lot of coffee, their urine may contain a high enough concentration of polyphenols and other coffee compounds. This will make it smell like coffee.

Coffee also contains a stimulant, caffeine, which increases the rate of urination and can lead to dehydration. When a person is dehydrated their urine is more concentrated, so it contains less water and more waste products than usual.

It is possible to overdose on caffeine, though this is rare. The following symptoms may indicate that a person has overdosed and should seek medical advice:

• vomiting
• confusion or disorientation
• chronic insomnia
• chronic headaches
• chest pains
• an irregular or fast heartbeat
• difficulty breathing
• convulsions
• hallucinations

Dehydration

When the body is dehydrated, urine becomes more concentrated. It will smell stronger and appear darker than healthy urine, which is pale or clear.

If someone becomes dehydrated after drinking too much coffee, or if they drink coffee while otherwise dehydrated, their urine will often smell like coffee.

Certain foods and drinks

Several foods and beverages cause the urine to have an unusual smell or appearance. These odors can have varied characteristics, and conditions like the common cold and pregnancy can affect a person’s sense of smell.

Foods that change the smell of urine include:

• asparagus
• garlic
• leafy greens, especially kale
• salmon
• teas
• alcohol
• puffed wheat
• spicy foods that contain capsaicin, an active compound in chili peppers