Scientists Create Urine Test That Reveals The Quality Of Our Diet

Scientists have developed a five-minute test that can determine the health level of an individual’s diet.

The diet test picks up on biological markers left in urine after the breakdown of ingested foods such as fruits, veggies, poultry, fish, and red meat. The fiber, fat, sugar, and protein an individual consumes is also revealed by this test.

The healthy-diet test may eventually allow scientists, doctors, and dietitians to track a subject’s, or patient’s dietary habits accurately.

“A major weakness in all nutrition and diet studies is that we have no true measure of what people eat,” said Professor Gary Frost, senior study author. “We rely solely on people keeping logs of their daily diets - but studies suggest around 60 percent of people misreport what they eat to some extent. This test could be the first independent indicator of the quality of a person’s diet - and what they are really eating.”


The researchers created a healthy-diet urine profile by having 19 volunteers follow four different diets, ranging from very healthy to very unhealthy, based on World Health Organization dietary guidelines. The participants followed the diets for three days within a London research facility; urine samples were collected morning, afternoon, and evening.

Each urine sample was analyzed for metabolites, or compounds produced when food breaks down in the body. The compiled data resulted in a urine metabolite profile for a balanced diet that includes plenty of vegetables, and fruit. Comparing an individual’s urine profile to the healthy-diet profile can reveal how well that person is eating.

The scientists tested the validity of their healthy-diet profile by using it to predict the diet of almost 300 people who provided urine samples, and kept a record of their daily food intake. The research team is now working on refining the test and further assessing its accuracy.


“This will eventually provide a tool for personalized dietary monitoring to help maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Isabel Garcia-Perez, a study co-author. “We’re not at the stage yet where the test can tell us a person ate 15 chips yesterday and two sausages, but it’s on the way.”

The healthy-diet urine test was developed by researchers at Imperial College London, Newcastle University, and Aberystwyth University.

Source: Science Daily


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...