Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Ever since I went paleo five months ago my urine has been foamy. Any idea what it could be? I eat VLC and very high fat. I consume no fruit, nuts, dairy, or starchy vegetables. Could it be a problem with my kidneys?

flag	asked Dec 8 2010 at 15:28 rob 1,566●10●23

How foamy? Do you mean your urine forms bubbles in the toilet bowl? Or is it something other than that? – JJ Dec 8 2010 at 15:39

Yes, bubbly white foam. It sometimes even sizzles. Pretty gross but it does. Could it be some kind of by product or a sign of a weak liver, kidney,etc.? – rob Dec 8 2010 at 15:41

I really have no idea, so wait until you get an answer from someone who does. If you're talking about your urine forming bubbles on the surface, I think it's normal. A friend of mine looked into why some people's urine forms bubbles and others' do not, and he reported that bubbles are formed by increased protein content -- and is normal. Are you eating more meat than you were before? – JJ Dec 8 2010 at 15:57

Yeah I actually I am eating more meat than before so that could be it but I don't know, my family eats a lot of meat and they don't have that problem. – rob Dec 8 2010 at 16:01

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you're standing too far from the bowl of water that you're peeing into. – ben61820 Apr 21 2011 at 14:35

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Dr. B · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-08 16:18:09Z UTC

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High levels of protein in the body.

answered Dec 8 2010 at 16:18

Dr. B

I agree. When I focus my diet mainly on protein, my urine appears different, more foamy. – Todd Dec 8 2010 at 16:39

That's weird because I never thought my protein intake was that high. I only consume about 100 grams. Or is that considered high?? I weight about 130. – rob Dec 8 2010 at 17:43

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Not quite. High levels of protein in the urine - proteinuria - which means that your kidneys are not filtering as much protein as they should. Could be benign, could be a sign of kidney problems. Safest bet is to go to your PCP first, then a nephrologist perhaps. – Uncle Herniation Dec 8 2010 at 18:45

I think so too, my urine gets a little foamy if I am eating a lot of protein, very little carbs, and not enough fluids. I do try to focus on eating good sevings of vegetables and drinking lots of water, which decreases the foamy-ness. – UncleLongHair Jan 13 at 13:50

rob · Answer 2 · 2010-12-08 16:03:06Z UTC

I just found this while searching on google. Is it legit, or CW thinking?

Proteinuria or presence of significant amounts of protein in the urine is one of the most common foamy urine causes. A small amount of protein is naturally excreted in our urine. However, when this small amount turns to large amounts, the condition is called proteinuria. The responsibility to regulate protein levels in the urine lies with the glomeruli of the kidneys. Times when the glomeruli get infected or damaged and are unable to prevent protein from leaving the body in the urine, proteinuria occurs. When the protein from the urine hits the toilet bowl after urination, foamy urine is produced. Find out more about proteinuria on high protein in urine and protein in urine causes.

rae · Answer 3 · 2011-04-21 14:09:01Z UTC

I have been researching foamy urine for over a month. The foamy urine could be caused by anything as a urinary track infection or a chronic kidney disorder. I am a diabetic, so this is a huge concern for me. After my anxiety totally drained me, i decided to make an appointment with a kidney specialist called 'nephrologist' to ease my mind. The bottome line is that you need blood work to see what your GFR, Bun / creatine functions are. Get a copy of the results and compare it to the 'normal range'. Not eating dairy products and fish and drinking 8-10 glasses of water has significantly helped in flushing my kidney / urinary system...Go to a specialist.

rae · Answer 4 · 2011-04-21 14:13:12Z UTC

Theresa.....go to the doctor, get a blood test especially for kidney functions..the back pain could be from kidneys or muscle spasms....dont fool around with this issure....go into action and see what the medical field has to say before you drive yourself nuts.

Lee · Answer 5 · 2011-04-21 14:45:07Z UTC

I had foamy white urine when I had the Swine Flu a couple years ago. I was REALLY sick for about a month and would bet my labs, including kidneys, were messed up. Have you been sick or had an infection that you know of?

I agree with Rae: don't mess around with this. Best get to a doctor for labs right away. Whether it's something or nothing, you should find out.

philly · Answer 6 · 2011-05-16 10:09:07Z UTC

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I ve had my gall bladder removed 2 months ago and now I have just a little foam now and again could this be related ?

answered May 16 2011 at 10:09

philly
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Mike · Answer 7 · 2013-01-12 19:22:49Z UTC

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Stop eating so much meat! Eat complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables. Stay away from animal products. Your problem will be solved. Also dont eat GMO foods, as they are toxic.

answered Jan 12 at 19:22

Mike
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So much BS in this answer. Only the part about GMO is something I'd agree with. Complex carbs break down to glucose, so the result of eating them is the same as eating "simple" sugars, aka a bowl of sugar. Working kidneys aren't damaged by protein consumption, but they are damaged by high blood sugar as type 2 diabetics rely on their kidneys as a sugar removal organ. Damaged kidneys show symptoms of damage by high levels of protein in the urine (not in the diet). A higher level of protein can be used to repair tissues, including kidneys. – raydawg Jan 13 at 13:33

Kashkillz · Answer 8 · 2013-01-12 20:16:19Z UTC

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Protein won't damage healthy kidneys. But, if your kidneys are already a mess for whatever reason, excessive protein will be dangerous. This is due to it building up... NOT being excreted.

So basically, if you're eating a high protein diet, when your urine's NOT foamy is when you need to worry.

answered Jan 12 at 20:16

Kashkillz
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uh i dont think thats correct. i eat a high protein diet and my urine isn't foamy except the first 1-2 weeks of keto adaptation. – DH Jan 13 at 15:19

raydawg · Answer 9 · 2013-01-13 13:29:45Z UTC

In general, this has little to do with the amount of protein consumed as much as how functional kidneys are. Protein doesn't damage kidneys, but if you are type 2 diabetic, kidneys will be used to eliminate sugar (hence frequent thirst/urination), but this process will damage kidneys and they won't be able to deal with protein filtering as well.

Joe · Answer 10 · 2013-02-12 17:43:19Z UTC

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It can also be due to excess of semen, which can cause the foam.

answered Feb 12 at 17:43

Joe
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What is foamy urine a sign of?

10 Answers