Urine tests to monitor diet

Monitoring your urine is always important, it allows in particular to indicate if we are well hydrated. In a recent study, French researchers from the WHO showed that a urine test can detect bladder cancer about ten years earlier. A new study, published in the journal nature food on June 22, suggests that the analysis of our urine would make it possible to determine whether our diet is healthy and balanced, and to prevent the occurrence of certain diseases.

Diet influences metabotype

British researchers from Imperial College London (UK), in collaboration with members of the University of Illinois (USA), analyzed 46 different metabolites in the urine of 1,848 people in the United States. -United. “Our goal here was to obtain an objectively measured individual food signature”, describe the researchers. For this, they studied the molecules derived of the diet which contribute to characterize the metabolism specific to an individual since they influence our phenotype. The researchers compared these scans to “24 hour reminders” which correspond to what patients report what they have eaten during the past day.

The results of these analyzes and the comparison showed that the urine samples matched what the study participants reported about their diet. Diet influences the metabotype, ie the set of characteristic metabolites of an individual. The metabotype, which provides rich information about an individual’s physical phenotype, is easily measured by blood or urine and provides important information about an individual’s disease risk. “Urine samples exhibit higher concentrations of dietary compounds and broader dynamic ranges than in blood, which is under tight homeostatic regulation. Controlled trials have shown that urinary metabolic profiles provide an objective measure of dietary intake”, specify the researchers.

Each urine is unique

To refine their research, the scientists used urinary biomarkers as signs of food quality. Potassium is used to indicate the consumption of fruits and vegetables. “Sodium and calcium are well known to be linked to blood pressure, and formate and citrate to kidney functioncontinue the researchers. Similarly, there is an inverse relationship of proline betaine with blood pressure and obesity..”

There is an identity specific to each urine, even if the food is the same. In another study, also appeared in nature food on June 17, British researchers prescribed exactly the same diet to patients before studying their metabotype. They realized that everyone has a unique food metabotype, linked to the intestinal microbiome and physiological homeostasis (or ability to maintain a balance), as shown by glycemic control. “Here we show how different people metabolize the same foods in very individual ways.features John Mathers, co-author of the research and director of the Human Nutrition Research Center at Newcastle University. This has implications for understanding the development of nutrition-related diseases and for more personalized dietary advice to improve public health..”