Eating Peanut Butter Has An Unexpected Effect On Your Pee
Believe it or not, our urine can come in nearly every color of the rainbow. While healthy pee should have a yellowish tint to it, certain medications, health conditions, or how much water we've drank that day can produce pee that is orange, green, blue, black, or more (per Mayo Clinic). The more fluids we drink, the clearer our urine will appear. This is a good sign of adequate hydration. However, if you look down into the toilet and notice your pee is looking murkier than usual, peanut butter may help clear up some of that cloudiness.
If you regularly consume high amounts of wild game meat, tuna, fatty poultry, or high-fat dairy products, your body is getting a hefty dose of purines, reports FamilyDoctor.org. Purines are natural compounds that the body converts into uric acid and then discharges through urination. But as Healthline explains, an excess of purines in the body means we're producing greater amounts of uric acid, which can give our urine a cloudy appearance. Thankfully, here comes peanut butter to the rescue.
What is hyperuricosuria and hyperuricemia?
Normally, the body produces approximately 300 to 400 milligrams (mg) of uric acid daily, according to an updated 2023 article published in StatPearls. When the amount of uric acid in our pee exceeds 800 mg for men or 750 mg for women, this is known as "hyperuricosuria." Similarly, a condition known as "hyperuricemia" pertains to having high levels of uric acid in the blood, which can also occur as a result of a high-purine diet, explains the Cleveland Clinic. Hyperuricemia can increase the risk of kidney stones or gout if the buildup and crystallization of uric acid affect the joints. It may also leave one more susceptible to other health conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.
One of the most effective ways to lower uric acid levels in the body and clear up cloudy urine is by sticking to a low-purine diet, which includes the ooey-gooey treat that is peanut butter.
Peanut butter is part of a low-purine diet
Because peanut butter is low in purines, the creamy spread may help reduce the cloudiness of one's pee and protect against the development of hyperuricosuria or hyperuricemia in the first place (via Cleveland Clinic). Along with peanut butter, other low-purine foods to include in your diet are nuts, fruits, low-fat dairy products, potatoes, rice, and pasta (per FamilyDoctor.org). You'll also want to be conscious of the beverages you consume. While beer is high in purines, wine and coffee can be enjoyed mindfully. Water is your best bet, however, and drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water on a daily basis (or even as many as 16) can help flush the body of uric acid.
Murky urine may not always be related to diet, however. Having cloudy pee may mean a number of different things, such as the development of a urinary tract infection (per Mayo Clinic). In this case, you'll want to reach out to your physician if you notice any additional symptoms.