While I agree with you that a Mediterranean-style diet has many health benefits, your son has had success with his fasting strategy. I have seen over and over again people having success with their plan(whatever that plan might be), only to go back to their old dietary habits and have the weight come back on. I would recommend he continue with the intermittent fasting, continuing to count calories, but to try to make sure what he does eat is as healthy as possible.
Dear Dr. Roach In a recent column, a reader was concerned about his enlarged prostate and possible UTI. You wrote that he may possibly benefit from changing the pH of his urine, but you did not specify which way. It implied that acidic urine could be a problem. However, doesnt the drug Hiprex given for recurring UTIs help prevent infections by making the urine acidic? J.B.
Answer Methenamine (Hiprex) is converted in an acidic environment (a pH below 5.5) to ammonia and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is not an antibiotic, but does have general bacteria-killing effects. Hiprex also contains two organic acids, hippuric acid and mandelic acid, which help keep the urine pH low so the drug will work. Other physicians prescribe vitamin C in addition to help ensure an acidic urine.
So, its not the acidic urine that kills the bacteria with methenamine, its that the drug is converted to bacteria-killing formaldehyde in the acidic urine. Most bacteria are relatively resistant to the acidic pH changes that are possible in the urine.
Excerpt from:
Intermittent fasting is one more tool in weight-loss toolbox - STLtoday.com
