The future of diet assessment may come from a simple urine test. A new study shows that a simple urine test can identify people who are eating a poor diet and that levels of potassium in urine are closely related to nutrition.
220 participants with a kidney stone diagnosis and aged between 18 to 50 were evaluated for a period of 24 hours. Participants also answered questionnaires regarding their food intake and had their blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) measured as well. Results showed that the higher the level of potassium in urine, the higher the intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Participants with lower potassium levels in their urine were more likely to report eating red meat, fast food, and high-calorie drinks with lots of sugar. Participants with higher levels of potassium also had lower levels of BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate than participants with lower levels of potassium.
Reasearchers did not find any association between sodium and any of the above mentioned variables. They also recommend further research to validate their findings although they are confident in their hypothesis that potassium in urine can objectively measure dietary quality. Further research will be conducted in participants with other problems besides kidney stones as well.
SOURCES: Journal of Nutrition, April 2009.
 |
 |
|
|
|
