Skip to main content
Topic: Assessment of nutritional status (Read 7361 times) previous topic - next topic

Assessment of nutritional status

Can members tell me what has been done to develop markers for determining an individual\'s nutrition status using a non -invasive biological fluid such as urine? We want to use this approach to determine if people on certain diets have been adhering to those diets or indeed if the diet thay are on is having the required effect.

 

Assessment of nutritional status

Reply #1
In literature, many scientists ask the same question, so you hit the right button here.
Urine can provide a good \'read-out\' of what humans have been eating and drinking; however, there are so many factors that can influence the urinary profile, that it is very difficult to connect the often complex mixture of food ingredients that are consumed with the even more complex urinary profile. That said, I think it is possible when you can relate the presence of a specific compound/compounds (whether by LC-MS or by NMR) in the urine with one or more specific metabolites in urine.