Urine drinking has been a tradition for ages.
The use of pee for medical purposes is still practised in various regions of the world and is now known as urine therapy, urophagia or urotherapy.
Urine therapy has reportedly been used to cure conditions ranging from cancer to acne, according to records from antiquity stretching back to Rome, Greece and Egypt. There was a time when doctors tasted urine samples to check for diabetes.
Similar broad-based claims regarding urine’s healing abilities are still made by supporters today. So, should you add your morning urination to your smoothie?
Most likely not.
The benefits of drinking pee have not been shown scientifically. Contrarily, research indicates that consuming urine may cause the bloodstream to get contaminated with dangerous germs, poisons and other chemicals. Your kidneys may possibly experience unnecessary strain as a result.
Your body doesn’t need the fluid and waste components that make up urine. Your kidneys function as filters, taking out extra water and cellular waste from the blood. Urine is produced from this waste and delivered to the bladder.
Your pee contains between 91 and 96% water. The remainder is created using salts, ammonia and leftovers from regular bodily functions.
From your kidneys to your urethra, your urinary tract is present. There are two kidneys in your body, one on each side.
Urine is transported from the kidneys to the bladder through two ureters, which are muscular tubes. Nerve endings in your bladder inform your brain when it is time to use the restroom.
Urine leaves the body through a little tube known as the urethra when the bladder is emptied. Some bacterial species reside in the urethra. These bacteria often don’t create any issues unless they go out of hand. However, studies on the make-up of urine reveal that these bacteria can taint urine as it leaves the body.
British naturopath John W Armstrong wrote a well-known book about the purported healing benefits of drinking one’s own urine in 1945.
According to the book The Water of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy, urine may treat all serious diseases. He asserted that those who were close to death needed to consume just urine for several weeks while also receiving daily urine massages.
Other urine therapy claims are based on anecdotes or prehistoric writings. The following ailments are allegedly treated by consuming urine:
- Allergic reactions.
- Skin conditions like acne, rashes and other skin ailments.
- Cancer.
- Cardiac issues.
- Bacterial and fungal infections.
- Septic wounds.
- Congested nasal cavity.
Some traditional communities in contemporary Nigeria continue to treat children with seizures at home using urine. None of these assertions are supported by scientific data.
Is urine clean? Simply put, no. It has been a long-standing and popular belief that pee is sterile.
Even some medical professionals are unaware that it is a myth. The belief that urine is sterile most likely originated from a 1950s study on urinary tract infections (UTIs). In this investigation, urine samples that had no indication of a UTI were classified as “negative”.
But the absence of a UTI, which is brought on by a bacterial overgrowth, does not equate to the absence of bacteria.
According to more recent research, urine does indeed include bacteria that might be dangerous to consume or go into the bloodstream through a cut.
Even though a small amount of your own urine generally won’t harm you, it’s unquestionably riskier than drinking a glass of water. Numerous distinct colonies of beneficial bacteria reside in your body. The urinary system is home to a variety of germs.
Unless they start to grow out of control, they are harmless. Urinary fluid picks up micro-organisms as it travels through the urinary system. Drinking urine sends bacteria into your system that can lead to infections or other health issues, whether it is your own or someone else’s.
Waste materials from your bloodstream are filtered out and found in your urine. Despite their names, these waste materials aren’t actually poisonous. However, they are very concentrated. And because they are harmful if they remain in the body, your body is working to get rid of them.
Concentrated waste materials are reintroduced into your system when you drink pee. This puts undue strain on the kidneys because they have to filter them out once more.
Prescription drugs are metabolised and then eliminated through urine. It’s possible that drinking your own pee will change the dosage of a drug you’re already taking. Taking someone else’s urine could put an unfamiliar drug in your system.
Urine is generally not a good thing to drink. But what if you find yourself marooned on a remote island? Can consuming your own urine prevent dehydration from killing you?
This is a myth, despite the dramatic cinematic scene it would create. If you were dehydrated to the point of death, drinking urine would be similar to drinking seawater – only grosser. Concentrated salts and minerals can be found in urine.
Your kidneys need a specific amount of water to handle salt. You would need to urinate more water than you take in to make up for an increase in salt consumption. In fact, doing so would hasten the process of dehydration.
Additionally, in a survival situation, the South African National Defence Force Field Manual advises soldiers not to consume their own pee.
It is not a good idea to drink your own urine. Your body may be exposed to bacteria, poisons, and drugs as a result. There is no evidence to support the notion that consuming pee would be healthy in any way.
Getting a high dose of vitamins and minerals can be done in far more efficient ways. Take some gummy vitamins; you’ll probably like the flavour more.
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