Scientists Say Medieval Beliefs About Urine May Contain Drops of Truth

Call Toll Free: 877-985-2695

SEARCH:

FREE Subscription

The World’s Most Popular Natural Health Newsletter

ARTICLE TOOLS:

Current Newsletter

Share Your Comment

Print this Page

Podcasts

Save as Favorites

Submit My Story

Newsletter Feed

Health Blog Feed

TRANSLATE THIS PAGE:

Aging Allergies Alzheimers Arthritis Artificial Sweeteners Asthma Autism Back Pain Book Reviews Brain/Memory Health Cancer Cardiovascular Health Children’s Health Cholesterol Chronic Fatigue Conflict of Interest Conventional Medicine Corporate Greed Death And Dying Diabetes Digestive Disorders Digestive Health Drug Companies Drugs EFT EMF Emotional Health Energy Support Entertainment Environmental Exercise and Fitness Fats Fibromyalgia Finances Food GMO Government Abuses Health Concerns Health Support Healthy Aging Healthy Recipes Heart Diseases Hormones Immune Support Infectious Disease Internal Special Report Iron Excess/Hemochromatosis Joint Support Looking and Feeling Younger Men’s Health Mental Health Obesity Online Tests Osteoporosis Pain Management Personal Development Personal Improvement Pet Health Pets Raw Food Seizure Disorders Senior Health Sexual Health Sleep/Insomnia Smoking Soy Spiritual Health Substance Abuse Sugar Sunlight Supplements Swine Flu Technology Television Thyroid Disease Toxicity/Detoxification Toxins/Pollution Vaccines Vision Health Vitamin D Water Weight Management Women’s Health

Share this article

Scientists Say Medieval Beliefs About Urine May Contain Drops of Truth

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
May 10 2008 | 84,976 views

Medieval physicians believed that they could diagnose disease by holding up a flask of the patient’s urine to the light and squinting at it. Now, scientists at Imperial College London believe they could have been on to something.

Researchers have completed the first worldwide study of the metabolites (breakdown products) that are found in urine, reflecting the diet, inheritance and the lifestyle of the people from whom it came. They call such studies “metabolomics.”

The team believes that the research may provide the basis for a “metabolome-wide association” approach to help to understand interactions between lifestyles, environment and genes and how they determine diseases.

For instance, the team has identified metabolites that are linked to high blood pressure, and others that are found in people with lower blood pressure who drink less and eat more fiber.

Sources:

Times Online April 21, 2008

Nature April 20, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Your urine holds many clues about your health, which is why physicians in ancient times studied its color, smell and taste as a way to diagnose disease.

What exactly is your urine? It’s a byproduct of blood filtration from your kidneys. A pigment called urochrome, which results from the breakdown of hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells, is what makes it yellow.

At the most basic level, the color of your urine can tell you two things:

1. If you have an infection
2. If you’re dehydrated

Ideally, your urine should be light yellow, so for the former, cloudy urine is often a sign of an infection (or kidney stones), while dark yellow urine is a sign that you need to drink more water.

What else can the color of your urine tell you?

Red or Pink Urine: This could be caused by blood in your urine (due to urinary tract infections, enlarged kidney stones or even strenuous exercise), medications or eating lots of blackberries, beets or rhubarb.

Orange Urine: If your urine is orange, you may be very dehydrated. This can also be caused by medications or eating lots of carrots.

Fluorescent Yellow Urine: This happens when you take B vitamins.

Blue or Green Urine: This can be caused by a rare condition that causes high levels of calcium. It can also result from eating a lot of asparagus or taking certain medications. Additionally, if you have ever eaten asparagus you will also know it imparts a very characteristic odor to your urine.

Brown Urine: Medications and some liver disorders can turn your urine tea-colored, as can eating a lot of fava beans, rhubarb or aloe.

Urine that is sweet-smelling is also a sign that you may have diabetes, as the sugary smell may be coming from a high concentration of blood sugar in your urine.

Ultimately, paying attention to the simple clues your body gives you -- and that includes the things your body excretes -- is something everyone should do.