Deciphering the Complex Relationships Between Potential Renal Acid Load, Carbohydrate Intake, and Urine pH in Postmenopausal Women With Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections.

Abstract

Introduction: An acidic urine pH may be protective against urinary tract infections (UTI) by inhibiting bacterial growth. We investigated whether dietary acid load (DAL) and macronutrient intake are associated with changes in urine pH in postmenopausal (PM) women with recurrent UTI (rUTI).

Methods: Following Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, we collected 3-day food diet records (FDR) and urine pH measurements from non-neurogenic PM women with a history of rUTI and normal renal function from 2019-2023. FDR were analyzed for nutrient content using Nutritionist Pro software (Axxya Standalone Version 7.9).

Results: Fifty-seven participants (median age 71, predominantly Caucasian) supplied 504 meal records and 674 urine pH readings. Carbohydrate intake varied: 30 women consumed a moderately low-carbohydrate diet (<44% of calories), and 27 consumed an unrestricted carbohydrate (CHO) diet (≥44% of calories). Dietary intake varied between the two CHO groups for protein, fat, and the percentage of calories, but no significant differences were found in number of calories, other nutrients (potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium), or DAL scores. No significant associations were found between DAL scores and urine pH.

Conclusion: In this age group, carbohydrate intake did not affect DAL scores, indicating a discrepancy between DAL measurements and urine pH findings.