How can you regulate the pH of urine through diet?

Answer 1

The formation of renal stones is related to the urine pH. Patients being treated for renal calculi are frequently given diets or medications to change the pH of the urine so that kidney stones will not form. Calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium phosphate stones develop in alkaline urine; when this occurs, the urine is kept acidic. Uric acid, cystine, and calcium oxalate stones precipitate in acidic urine; in this situation, the urine should be kept alkaline or less acidic than normal. Drugs such as streptomycin, neomycin, and kanamycin are effective in treating urinary tract infections if the urine is alkaline. During treatment with sulfa drugs, alkaline urine helps prevent formation of sulfonamide crystals. Here are important points to remember about urinary pH: * An accurate measurement of urinary pH can be done only on a freshly voided specimen. If urine must be kept for any length of time before analysis, it should be refrigerated. * During sleep, decreased pulmonary ventilation causes respiratory acidosis. As a result, a first waking urine specimen is usually highly acidic. * Bacteria causing a urinary tract infection or bacterial contamination will produce alkaline urine. * A diet rich in citrus fruits, most vegetables, and legumes will keep the urine alkaline. * A diet high in meat and cranberry juice will keep the urine acidic. * Urine pH is an important screening test for the diagnosis of renal disease, respiratory disease, and certain metabolic disorders. * If urine pH is to be useful, it is necessary to use pH information in comparison with other diagnostic information. * All this text is taken from the site below: * http://www.rnceus.com/ua/uaph.html