DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old male in relatively good health. I only take losartan for my blood pressure. Over the past year, my urine has gotten quite foamy. The internet suggests that this means a high amount of protein from protein drinks, high physical activity, or a kidney problem.

I saw my primary care physician, and they analyzed my urine and sent it out for further testing. All the tests came back normal. I take supplements as well as psyllium along with losartan, so I discontinued the supplements for a week but saw no change in my urine.

What else could cause the foam? Do you think the analyses were faulty? — C.S.

ANSWER: Urine protein is indeed the concern we have when a person notices foamy urine. However, before getting too worried, it’s important to recognize that normal urine does make bubbles. There are trace amounts of protein in normal urine (called Tamm-Horsfall protein), and this may be why urine makes bubbles more than plain water.

In people who have very high amounts of protein, such as with nephrotic syndrome, the bubbles may take several flushes to get rid of; it’s not usually subtle. So, if they did a urine analysis, and there was no protein, it’s very unlikely to be a serious kidney problem in your case.

The best time to check urine for protein is in the morning, so if you do decide to recheck, urine from first thing in the morning is the most sensitive way to find protein.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had mostly nocturnal leg cramps for years. I usually get out of bed immediately and stretch my cramped leg. If I’m lucky, the aftereffects of the cramp don’t linger for more than a day. A neighbor said that eating a banana at the onset stops her cramping. It sounded unbelievable to me, but I saw no harm in having a banana on the nightstand.

Twice I have had leg cramps in the past two to three weeks, and twice they have disappeared with the first bite of a banana before I even swallowed it. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t experienced it. — E.C.

ANSWER: I am glad it is working for you, but it doesn’t work for most people. Furthermore, it isn’t the potassium, sugar, or any other nutrients in the banana that is causing the cramps to stop, since the cramps stop before any of these things can be absorbed.

This phenomenon has been proven experimentally by looking at leg cramps that were caused by intense muscular activity in athletes, but they used pickle juice, not bananas. The researchers showed that the benefit must be coming from nerve activity, since the benefit was too fast to be coming from the absorption of electrolytes or macronutrients.

As you say, there is no harm from having a banana at night (brush your teeth afterward), so it might be worth a try. Still, the evidence-based approach to prevent leg cramps at night is regular moderate exercise and stretching. Many people also find that leaving their sheets and blankets untucked also helps reduce nighttime leg cramps.