How is urine pH generally affected by diet?

Urine pH is influenced significantly by diet, particularly by the types of foods consumed. High protein diets tend to increase the amount of acids in the urine, resulting in a lower pH, or more acidic urine. This is because protein metabolism produces sulfuric and phosphoric acids, which contribute to the overall acidity of urine.

Conversely, a high carbohydrate diet is generally associated with a more alkaline urine pH, as carbohydrate metabolism tends to produce less acid. Water intake does indeed have an effect on urine pH; it can dilute urine and alter its concentration but does not directly change the pH significantly by itself.

Vegetarian diets often increase the intake of fruits and vegetables, which can contribute to a more alkaline urine pH due to their higher potassium and bicarbonate content, reducing acidity. Thus, the assertion that high protein diets lower urine pH aligns with the known effects of dietary components on the acidity of urine.