The 24-Hour Urinalysis Test

Home Loomis Urinalysis Digestive ChallengeTest Laboratory Services

    Throughout medical history the observation and testing of a patient's urine has been a common practice. 1,000 - 2,000 years ago, Chinese and Indian physicians studied urine to determine the best course in treating a patient's illness. The famous Greek physician, Hippocrates, recorded the changes in his patients' urine during health and illness. He is known for the Hippocratic Oath whom all doctors pledge an oath to "First, do no harm".

    Oddly enough, up until the 1970's, testing of urine with chemical reagents and microscopic observation was standard procedure. When the "medical high-tech" revolution occurred, well established tests were phased out in favor for more exotic testing covered by insurance. Medicine was more interested in measuring disease conditions and charging exorbitant prices for profit rather than observing what constitutes health. After all, "medicine" is still a business. Older chemical tests took a little longer and suddenly the medical filed had new "toys" to experiment with. Rather than studying normal healthy processes and bodily functions, allopathic medicine investigates disease and suppresses symptoms produced through their arsenal of drugs, surgery and radiation.

    Contrary to this line of thinking, Homeopathic medicine understands signs and symptoms to be the expression of the body's attempt to fight off disease and move it out of the body. In Homeopathic medicine, Hering's "Law of Cure" states the body heals from the top downwards, from the inside outwards and from the most recent and backwards to the original onset of symptoms. 

    Oriental medicine believes both external and internal pathogens (micro-organisms) are capable of disrupting normal body functions thus causing disease. Exposure to cold, heat, damp, and wind are viewed as external pathogenic influences. We have the equivalent ideas in western thought when we say to our loved ones, "Bundle up, you don't want to catch a cold". Signs and symptoms are the clues to how deep the disease is. It can be an acute illness - the symptoms appearing more on the surface; or it may be chronic - the signs being much deeper affecting internal organs severely.

    An example of a valid test being dropped from practice in mainstream medicine is that of indican. It is a metabolic waste product manufactured by pathogenic bacteria throughout the digestive tract. It is formed by the decomposition of tryptophan (an amino-acid) through the putrefaction of protein in the small & large intestines. When it is found in the urine it is a marker for bowel toxicity. Bowel toxicity has been associated with most degenerative diseases. 

    Normal elimination of waste material in the colon should occur 12-18 hours after a meal. Anything slower indicates constipation. It can be mild, moderate or severe (no bowel movements for several days). A diet high in sugars and simple carbohydrates produce constipation because water is pulled out of the colon. When evacuation is less than 12 hours it manifests as loose stools or diarrhea.  Diets high in dairy tend to cause diarrhea because dairy pulls water into the colon, flooding it. Both are signs of an unhealthy colon & digestive tract. "Leaky Gut Syndrome" is a compromised intestinal tract that has lost its ability to protect the body from toxins and pathogenic organisms.

    In the early 1980's, the medical field chose not to run indican tests because it occurred in most disease conditions. It was declared too general a finding and could not be used to determine accurate measurements of disease conditions and was dropped. What the medical field failed to acknowledge was that indican as a marker for bowel toxicity, is a sign of imbalance leading to disease. Internal toxins play just as much a role in disease conditions. 

    An article written in the "Saturday Evening Post" in 1984 discussed the findings from a clinical study published in the "New England Journal Of Medicine". The study showed the relationship between breast cancer and a history of constipation in women. Women who had a history of constipation were many more times susceptible to breast cancer than their counter parts with no history of the condition.

    Testing for Indican is only one of many tests that are available in the 24-hour urinalysis. It should be clear how important measurement of bowel toxicity is. A 24-hour urinalysis reflects the ingestion of food and drink within a 24 - 48 hour period. What one ingests must be digested, transported, absorbed, utilized and finally eliminated on a cellular level in order to maintain optimal health. If any of the stages is compromised the whole body suffers the consequences which  easily leads to chronic degenerative disease.

    Most urine tests use a dipstick to screen for serious conditions like diabetes, kidney & liver disease and urinary tract infection. Other more complicated tests look for hormone levels, allergies and amino-acid content. Some measure mercury and lead contamination.

    The 24-hour urinalysis looks closely at how well the body is handling food and drink. It measures dietary stress factors from food. Carbohydrates, fats, fiber and protein can either be nourishing or may cause stress. We are familiar with mental/emotional stress. The death of a loved one, loss of employment or the college exam at the end of the week can be very stressful. Dr. Hans Seyle wrote a book in the 1960's entitled, "The Stress of Life". He was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for his research by reporting how the body responds to stress. Along with emotional/mental stress there exists chemical/nutritional and mechanical/structural stress. The misalignment of the spine for prolonged periods or eating highly processed/cooked foods void of any nutritional value  creates the exact same response as does emotional stress. It manifests as an imbalance of hormones especially high levels of corticosteroids. 

    Homeostasis is a term reflecting balance. In humans this balance is constantly  monitored by the Hypothalamus which is situated in the brain. It regulates bodily functions such as autonomic mechanisms, endocrine activity, water balance, body temperature and food intake. It maintains the body's chemistry. Whatever one ingests as food or drink, the Hypothalamus "reads" the chemistry and adjust parameters to maintain balance. Too much protein, whether from animal or vegetable sources, acidifies the blood. Alkalizing elements must enter the blood to maintain the proper pH of 7.35 - 7.45. Conversely, a diet high in fruits and vegetables has an alkalizing effect on the blood. The body must then rely on acidifying elements to reach a balanced pH.

    The 24-hour urinalysis measures the pH of the urine which reflects what the body must do to maintain the proper acid-alkaline balance. Measuring the pH of the urine and comparing it to the chloride index shows what the electrolyte levels are. Too much salt or not enough? How do you know if you're getting the right amount for yourself? This specially developed 24-hour urinalysis reveals what is the correct amount for each individual. There are approximately 14 different parameters observed during the urine testing indicating how well the body is maintaining chemical balance.

   Tests included in the 24-Hour urinalysis are:

Pathology screening includes glucose, ketones, protein, blood, biliruben, urobilinogen, nitrites and leukocytes.


Indican is a toxic by-product of bacterial breakdown of undigested foods, namely carbohydrates (fermentation) or proteins (purification) It reveals the degree of bowel toxicity or sugar intolerance


Sediment rate measures the extent of undigested carbohydrates, fats/oils and proteins


Calcium index displays normal, excessive or deficient calcium levels


pH digital reading - Unlike the chemical strips used in clinics and hospitals, a digital meter gives an accurate reading, showing if the urine is normal, acidic or alkaline. It  is a indication of blood pH


Chlorides - Do you get too much or too little salt in the diet


Volume - Do you drink too little or too much water


Specific gravity measures the kidney's ability to concentrate urine for the purposes of eliminating waste material 


    Taken together with the Digestive Challenge Test, the 24-hour urinalysis is used to make dietary recommendations, suggest enzyme formulas for improving digestion, propose nutritional support for affected glands, organs and systems and advise for adjusting salt and water intake. It is one of the most useful and objective tests available to the patient. Mutually, the practitioner and patient can plot a course for full recovery for any number of conditions.



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