Very often, a person with a urostomy is advised not to drink orange juice, but is not given an explanation as to why. The rationale behind it actually applies to everyone at one time or another. If you get a bladder infection, your urologist may give you the same admonishment, and for the same reason. Acidic urine tends to keep bacteria in check, thereby lessening the incidence of infection. Orange juice is not used by the body as acid, but as alkali. Alkaline urine can also cause crystal buildup around the stoma.
When the food that you consume is burned in the body, it yields a mineral residue called "ash." This ash can be acidic or basic (alkaline) in reaction, depending on whether the food eaten contains mostly acidic or basic ions.
The reaction of the urine can definitely be changed by foods like orange juice. Most fruits and vegetables actually give an alkalized ash and tend to make the urine alkaline, but there are some exceptions. Meat and cereals will usually produce an acidic ash that will acidify the urine.
Some acid-producing foods are breads (especially whole wheat), cheese, corn, crackers, cranberries, eggs, nuts, macaroni, pastries, rice, plums, prunes, meat, fish, and poultry.
Some alkaline-producing foods are milk, bananas, beans (lima and navy), beets, greens, and spinach. Some neutral foods are butter, cream, honey, salad oils, syrups, sugar, tea, and tapioca.
Normally, the urine in the bladder is acid in nature, so watch your diet. Nature knows what she is doing.