The urine that you send down the toilet could confirm vital information about your health, as proven by new and innovative urine testing methods.
Researchers claim that science is approaching the golden age of urine testing, thanks to an initiative called the Human Urine Metabolome. The project recently completed an analysis of more than 3,000 chemicals and compounds in liquid waste.
According to the project's lead scientist, David Wishart, Ph.D. of the University of Alberta, no longer will medical practitioners be looking at urine through a keyhole, but through a picture window. Dr. Wishart predicts that in the coming decades, people will have the convenience of home testing kits that are capable of reading bodily fluids to display one's risk of diseases like diabetes or cancer.
According to researchers at the Missouri University of Science, there may soon be a urine test to detect breast malignancies that could mean cancer. Although such a test will not serve as a replacement for mammograms, it can unmask tumors even before they appear in the mammogram. It can also give information as to the stage of the cancer.
Urine tests could soon be able to detect blood clots as well, and scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are currently working on it. Creators Kevin Lin and Gabe Kwong, Ph.D. are targeting next year as the launch for this product. They are also working on a paper-strip version that is very easy to use even at home.
Urine also reveals something about the body's waste disposal system, according to Dr. Wishart. He added that urine has a lot of what the body is trying to get rid of, such as excess toxins, nutrients, or drugs.
Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Alberta are finalizing the urine test they studies, which could potentially detect colon polyps. The Canadian company backing it up is aiming to market this product early next year.