Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Protein-rich diet and bubbles in the urine

February 10, 2015 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med Ralf von Seckendorff

Hello

I am 21 years old and female. I have a very protein-rich diet, but I live vegetarian. Lots of soy products, some dairy products, protein bars, legumes, and so on. With my body weight of just under 50kg, I consume at least 100g of protein per day. I actually only eat so much protein because I prefer the taste of these foods, and when I calculated it once, it sounded like quite a lot...

I drink enough (2-3 liters per day), but sometimes in the morning, when my urine is relatively concentrated, it is slightly foamy. However, the bubbles usually disappear relatively quickly. I have read that this indicates a high protein excretion. During the day, when the urine is lighter, there is never (or practically never) foam or bubbles.

My kidney values have always been good so far, but the last measurement was about 1.5 years ago. Apart from the foamy urine, I have no complaints.

Is this partially foamy morning urine alone an indication that I need to restrict my protein intake? Is a partially foamy urine a sign that I am damaging my kidneys?

Kind regards

Dr. med Ralf von Seckendorff

Hello,

I am happy to help you further. Foamy urine in the morning can also be caused by increased concentration during the night and does not necessarily indicate protein. The proof of whether it is really protein will be provided by a urine test strip at your doctor's office. I don't believe it is protein at first. In your young age with otherwise healthy kidneys, there is usually nothing to worry about. If you want to know if your kidneys are really okay, a urine test and possibly a blood test (creatinine level) should be done, I assume that everything is okay, but your doctor can confirm this as a precaution. Just from the foam, I wouldn't make a diagnosis.

Furthermore, (not related to the kidneys) vegetarians should monitor their vitamin B12 and folic acid levels. In the long term, there is often a deficiency here (which can take some time, sometimes years), in which case you would need to supplement with B12/folic acid tablets (B12 is very important for nerve function!).

Kind regards