Vivoo's protein parameter analyzes the presence of protein in your urine.
Related: What Causes Protein in Urine?
Albumin
Albumin is the most abundant type of protein in your body that is synthesized by the liver and found in the blood. It has an important role in regulating the exchange that takes place between organs and tissues through the blood. Albumin constitutes approximately 60% of the protein in the blood and is also found in fluids in body tissues and in the circulatory system. In other words, albumin is a type of protein found in the body's blood, muscles, skin, tears, and bile. Normally, albumin does not appear in the urine, but it may appear in the urine in some unusual situations. The majority of your body's processes require protein. These proteins, however, should be present in the blood. A properly functioning kidney stops albumin from passing from your blood into your urine. One of the primary functions of your kidneys is to filter your blood. Your kidneys store vital substances like protein in your blood that your body needs. They also get rid of stuff your body doesn't need, such as waste and excess water. However, protein may appear in the urine in specific circumstances. When the body feels excessively exhausted as a result of stress and fatigue, there may be a greater tendency for protein to appear in the urine.
Protein in Urine
The kidneys filter out harmful substances found in the blood and excrete these substances through urine. Protein is not a harmful substance, which is why you typically wouldn’t expect to detect protein in your urine. While the kidneys filter toxic compounds from the blood and eliminate them through the urine, they do not allow proteins to pass through. However, this can be disrupted in certain situations, such as if you are experiencing a fever, are dehydrated, underwent strenuous exercise, and/or are experiencing stress. Proteins leak into the urine as a result of this.
Stress causes psychological changes and increased glomerular protein permeability. The kidneys undergo a variety of alterations as a result of stress. It enhances renal membrane permeability, resulting in increased urinary protein excretion. Estimating the protein content in 24-hour urine samples is one way to determine the quantity of protein emitted from your body through urine.
How Does Vivoo Measure Protein?
Vivoo’s at-home urine test strips offer a convenient, straightforward, and fuss-free way for you to check on your urinary protein levels at any time and place. Our protein parameter measures your urinary protein. Fluctuations in urinary protein levels are usually not a cause for concern, as they may be temporary as a result of exercise or dehydration.
Some other conditions can also induce a brief rise in protein content in the urine, such as:
- High temperatures (hot or cold)
- Emotional stress
- Fever
- Dehydration: Dehydration happens when your body loses an abnormally large amount of water. It is a common and temporary cause of high protein content in the urine. Your body uses water to transfer nutrients such as proteins to your kidneys. It will struggle to transfer nutrients if there is inadequate water.
Possible Symptoms of Protein in Urine:
- Frequent urination: The presence of protein in urine can make people need to pee more often.
- Foamy urine: Urine frequently seems foamy.
- Fatigue and stress: Albumin protein does not enter the urine in a healthy body, so an increase in protein levels in urine can cause a person to feel sluggish and dissatisfied.
These variables all have the potential to generate protein in the urine. If the underlying cause of protein in urine is eliminated, then urine should return to normal. Even if you aren't aware of it, stress symptoms can have a negative effect on the body.
*Your excretion of protein may rise if you are experiencing everyday stress from daily life. Increased burden, low mood, and anxiety all increase physical oxidative stress, which affects your body and can cause an increase in protein in the urine.
Possible Results:
Here’s how to interpret your Vivoo test results:
Score: 10/10, Label: Great, Value: 0 mg/dL Protein (Albumin)
If you receive a "Great" result, it means that your body is in good condition. That said, you should still be mindful of maintaining a great protein level, and should still check your protein values regularly.
Score: Between 9/10 to 6/10, Label: Moderate, Value: 0 < X ≤ 150 mg/dL Protein (Albumin)
If you receive a "moderate" result, it means that your urine contains small amounts of protein. Protein in the urine may occasionally occur in healthy people due to stress, exercise, medications, or exposure to high or cold temperatures. If any of these situations apply to you, use Vivoo to analyze your urine again once these situations have resolved to see if the protein is still present in your urine. Note that lifestyle changes can help normalize protein levels.
Score: Between 5/10 to 1/10 Label: Weak, Value: > 150 mg/dL Protein (Albumin)
If you receive a "weak" result, it means that your urine contains high concentrations of protein.
If you receive a “moderate” or “weak” test result, you might consider adopting the following lifestyle changes to prevent greater protein levels in urine:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Drinking enough fluids
- Losing weight
- Quitting smoking
- Avoiding unnecessary pain relievers
- Participating in frequently physical exercise
- Deep breathing, meditation, and yoga
- Spending time with family and friends
- Making time for hobbies like reading a book or listening to music
- Getting plenty of sleep
If you have a high protein content in your urine, you may benefit from some or all of the following dietary recommendations:
- Choose foods low in sodium, and high in potassium and magnesium.
- Read food labels, as this can assist you in determining how many calories and how much fat and protein you are ingesting.
- Eat complex carbs (like pasta and cereals), as these have the largest influence on blood sugar levels, which is important for urinary system functions.
- Eat fiber and fresh vegetables, as these can help regularize your digestive movements and avoid other problems.
- Keep saturated fats and oils at a minimum.
