Scientists Say Everyone Should Follow The '21 Second Rule' When Peeing To Stay Healthy

Regarding urinating, there's a rule that you should adhere to, and it's really easy.

There are many methods to make sure we're taking care of our bodies, and this simple trick will help you monitor the health of your bladder.

If there is blood in it or it appears unusually hazy, for example, your urine may already be a sign that something is amiss.

However, this tip relates to the duration of your urination rather than the appearance of it.

A study done by a group of Georgia Institute of Technology mechanical engineering students served as the impetus for this so-called rule.

The phrase 'The Law of Urination' was created by the research team after they examined fast-paced recordings of animals of all sizes urinating for the study.

The study found that animals that are over three kilograms (6.6 pounds) empty their bladders over about 21 seconds, while smaller animals such as rats took just a fraction of a second to empty their tiny bladders.

According to IFL Science, these results allowed the researchers to demonstrate that the length of a pee has something to do with gravity in addition to bladder pressure.

The team penned in the paper, which was published back in 2014: "How can bladders of both 0.5 kg and 100 kg be emptied in nearly the same duration? Larger animals have longer urethras, and so greater gravitational force driving flow.

"These long urethras increase the flow rate of larger animals, enabling them to perform the feat of emptying their substantial bladders over approximately the same duration."

In terms of the study's application to humans, it has provided us with a broad guideline for the appropriate duration of urination.

Around 21 seconds is the sweet spot, and if you're peeing for much longer or much quicker, it could signify that you're either relieving yourself too often or holding in your wee for too long.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) can result from holding in your urine for an extended period of time, whereas an overactive bladder can be brought on by frequent urination. In addition to bladder ruptures and enlargement, frequent bathroom use is associated with an increased risk of renal disease.

Urologist Nicole Eisenbrown suggests that in addition to urinating for 21 (about) seconds, we should aim to urinate eight times a day if we consume eight cups of water.