Doctors develop urine test that can tell you if your diet is healthy in five minutes

Urine test. (Courtesy)

Would you like to check that your diet is healthy and is a good fit with your metabolism? Well, Imperial College London scientists, in ­collaboration with two universities in the US, Northwestern and Illinois, and Murdoch in Australia, have come up with a five-minute test that can give you the answers. All it involves is a specimen of urine. As a bonus the test could also furnish you with your unique urine “fingerprint” says Kate Wighton, Communications and Public Affairs at Imperial College London. That’s a rather novel idea – and it could have applications in medicine and law.

The fingerprint is in the form of 46 different metabolites excreted by the kidney and was examined in the urine of 1,848 people in the US. Metabolites are the waste products from metabolism of carbs, protein, fats and sugars. By measuring metabolites in your urine, scientists can get a good idea of what you’ve eaten and assess whether it’s good for you.