What Can We Learn, From Our Urine?

We are currently in the dead of winter, and most of us are longing for warmer weather to resume outdoor activities. Some people enjoy the cold weather and truly embrace the outdoor activities available to us, ice fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, and skating, to name a few. I consider this time of year to be like a "winter lul" or downtime, so what better time to visit about our pee.

Scientifically pee is referred to as urine, and why would I be writing about something like that? We can obtain a great deal of information from our urine regarding our health. Some practitioners have chosen to focus on the area and study of our urinary tract.  Urology is a part of health care that deals with the male and female urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra). It also deals with the male organs that can make babies (penis, testes, scrotum, prostate, etc.).

A standard test when you have a physical exam may be a urinalysis, which tests your urine's concentration, content, appearance, and chemical makeup. 

A urine concentration test provides the specific gravity of your urine. Before explaining further, let's define specific gravity, which is a measurement of the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water. The density of water is 1.0, the standard against which everything is measured. A substance with a density >1.0 would be heavier and would sink if placed in water, and a density <1.0 would float if placed in water. The density of urine will always be greater than 1.0 because it is water with electrolytes, waste, blood cells, and other things in it.

Specific gravity measures the kidney's ability to balance water content and excrete waste and is an essential diagnostic tool. Based on the urine test results, your provider may advise you to stop drinking water if you are over hydrated or the reverse, drink more water, or receive IV fluids if you are dehydrated. The specific gravity test is used to diagnose many conditions, primarily diabetes-related illnesses.

The appearance or color of your urine can range from pale yellow to a dark, almost brown color resulting from a pigment or other compounds in foods or medications. Beets and berries are the foods most likely to affect the color. Medications can give urine a red or greenish-blue color. Staying hydrated will ensure that your urine is pale yellow and is a great way to track hydration status.

If your urine turns red, blue, green, dark brown, or cloudy white, it is time to check in with your provider and have them do a urinalysis to make sure there isn't anything going on about your health.

In my early exposure to pharmacy, the only test diabetics used to assess their diabetes was urine glucose. My grandfather was a diabetic, and I recall as a child that he would test his urine to see how he was doing. Diabetic patients have an excess amount of glucose in their blood, and when insulin cannot drive the glucose into our muscles, it accumulates. The excess glucose is processed through the kidneys and excreted in our urine. Testing our blood glucose is a more accurate way to check glucose status, but urine testing was the only option available back in the day. Testing for urine glucose is still part of a standard urinalysis.

Here is a bit of random urine knowledge. Did you ever notice the smell of your urine after you eat asparagus? Scientists believe the asparagus odor is created by a methane molecule made by everyone when asparagus is broken down and metabolized. But not all people can smell this volatile sulfur odor, and it can be overpowering for some.

Interestingly, the researchers at 23andMe, a genetic testing company, have now identified genetic markers linked to the likelihood of smell the asparagus-related odor in urine. The isolated gene contains instructions for the olfactory protein receptor that detects the asparagine molecule odor. Between 25 and 40 percent of the population is suggested not to carry this genetic marker. Science refers to these people as Asparagus Anosmia.

What can you do to support kidney function adequately? That question would undoubtedly lead to further questions on what your goals are.

If you are a person that routinely gets urinary tract infections, you may want to consider taking a product that has either D-Mannose or Cranberry. D-Mannose is a form of sugar that supports a healthy urinary tract by activating a specific glycoprotein. D-Mannose is a safe option that will not affect blood glucose and soothe an irritated urinary tract. (products are featured at the bottom of the page)

In its pure form, in unsweetened juice, or as an extract, Cranberry has long been used as a treatment or prevention for UTIs. Recent studies show that cranberry juice contains a substance that prevents bacteria from adhering to the urethra, decreasing UTIs' recurrence in those who drink it. 

Certain probiotics can affect the bacterial makeup of the vaginal cavity. With a UTI, harmful bacteria can overwhelm the good bacteria in the vagina, creating an imbalance. Supplementing with specific strains of bacteria may reduce the recurrence of UTIs.

The incidence of kidney stones is a topic I recently wrote about that has increased since Covid. Depending on the type of stone, your practitioner may recommend taking Magnesium Citrate, which helps keep the calcium in solution inhibiting calcium oxalate stone formation.

If you have chronic kidney issues, you may want to consider a supplement designed to support kidney function. Formulas containing herbal extracts and micronutrients contain vital compounds that help function and cellular regeneration. Having our kidneys working optimally is a must as they filter roughly 150 quarts of blood per day, and only 1 to 2 quarts become urine.

I hope that this article was able to shed some light on the importance of urine and kidney function in general. When in doubt, get it checked out.

Please stop in or call the pharmacy if you want help choosing a kidney support product that best meets your needs. You can access this and other articles on our website at irsfeldpharmacy.com. Until next time, be vigilant about your health!!