In this modern day where the environment exposes humans to free radicals and natural anomalies that deliver harmful impact to their health and appearance, while at the same time the demand to stay healthy and beautiful is continually increasing, people will do anything to cure disease or even just get rid of their acne.
They will buy expensive creams, seek thousand-dollar medical treatment, and even take the risk to inject chemical substances into their skin. Many of us will do so many things to be and stay relevant, but how far will we actually go? If somebody tells you that the best way to be healthy and pretty is to drink your own urine, will you do it?
If you say yes, you’re not actually the first person to do it. Throughout history, people have been experimenting with their own urine to find the solution for various diseases and skin problems. In the Ayurvedic traditional teachings, urine has always been touted as one of the most important remedies for various ailments and to generally improve overall health. You might have also heard it called Urotherapy.
The first promotion of urine therapy as an alternative medicine in the modern world, however, was first done by John W. Armstrong in the 20th century. The British naturopath popularized the system because he was inspired by how convenient urine was to treat animal stings and toothaches.
His family practiced these and so did he by trying a 45-day fasting where he took nothing but tap water and his own urine. He started prescribing urotherapy to patients in 1918 and later published his book “The Water of Life” in 1944. The book became the basis of many later practices of urine therapy.
Meanwhile, the modern movement of urine therapy in the East was pioneered by Rojibhai Manibai Patel who was inspired by The Water of Life. The Indian social reformer later published Manav and other works about the subject, often referenced as Shivambu Kalpa. These works also mentioned the urine-drinking tradition promoted by various Yogic and Ayurvedic texts.
To most people, this particular practice sounds disgusting and unbelievable. The smell of urine alone is enough to make many people throw up, let alone the idea of drinking it.
However, the practices of drinking urine are more common than you might think. A Russian doctor has promoted urine therapy to many of his patients. In the wilderness, many soldiers and survivalists believe that drinking their own urine is a necessary survival action. People in other dire situations where they cannot get access to foods and water have also taken benefits of their own urine for survival.
Let’s talk about some specific health benefits of urotherapy now.
1. More Than Just Water
Urine is not just the excess water that we get out of our body system because we don’t need them anymore. It is the by-product of our metabolism in the form of liquid. Since it’s a by-product secreted by the filtering organ kidney, some people would argue that urine is toxic.
Many people perceive urine as a biological waste which is dirty, a host to microorganisms, and toxic. However, the assumption is proven false.
Urine is the derivative of the blood after filtered by the kidney. Since it has undergone filtering system by your powerful organs, your urine is sterile, purified, and almost certainly free from dangerous microorganisms, unless you’re suffering from infections or other diseases.
Urine is a solution of at least 95% of water, with the other 5% of constituents are a share of mostly urea, with chloride, sodium, potassium, creatinine, and other ions as well as several organic and inorganic compounds in small concentration. Some of these substances can give your body health benefits when taken properly and wisely.
2. Contains Elements That are Still Needed by The Body
The main purpose of kidneys as filtering organs is not to excrete, but rather to regulate. The kidneys do not get rid of the elements that are excreted in the form of urine because of their toxicity or harmful nature, but because the body does not need that element in that particular concentration or at the time the elements are being filtered out.
It is like when you take too much vitamin but your body doesn’t need the vitamin so it sends the excess vitamin out of your system, yet it doesn’t mean that the vitamin is bad. The minerals in urine are also still important for your body.
Thus, drinking it means reusing or recycling the elements in the urine. It is taking advantage of useful enzymes, hormones, proteins, and antibodies by sending it back to your body.
3. Healthier Than The Derivatives
Urine in its natural form is considered healthier and more beneficial because there is no known side effect to its consumption. The medical world knows an extract of urine called urokinase, which is a pretty common thrombolytic drug that is usually prescribed by the doctors for patients with blood-clotting problems. Urokinase is commonly used to dissolve the blood clots that are occurring in the lungs.
While the drug is very useful to solve the problems of blood-clotting, it can cause an abnormal bleeding as a side effect. People who are suffering from or having a history of brain tumor, hemophilia, high blood pressure, stroke, brain surgery, spinal surgery, and other bleeding disorders should avoid this urine derivative drug because it increases bleeding risk and may be life threatening.
In contrast, there is no evidence or even a report mentioning that natural urine therapy causes such a serious side effect, despite the fact that urine contains a significant amount of urokinase. In addition, extracts like urokinase, uric acid, and urea do not contain significant amounts of therapeutic agents, enzymes, and natural antibodies like the urine do.
4. Cleanses The Blood
Urine therapy’s most popular role is as a cleansing mechanism. Urine is a by-product of the blood. According to the proponents of urotherapy, since the blood is filtered through the kidneys, the recycled result becomes more purified compared to the contaminated blood.
People who advocate urine therapy believe that continually recycling the urine, by drinking it regularly, will lead to cleaner urine and therefore also cleaner blood.Cleaner blood in the system equals to better health. It is this cleansing effect which is sought after by a lot of people.
It is worth to notice that people who advocate urine therapy only believes that healthy urine is urine that is derived from a clean body system. Clean, purified urine does not have a strong and repulsive smell. When the color is not clear and the smell is bad, then it’s the system which is bad and should be improved by maintaining a good diet and lifestyle.
5. Boosts Cardiovascular Health
An important enzyme which can be found naturally in human’s urine is urokinase. The enzyme can strengthen and stimulate bloodstream that flows from the heart through certain heart arteries to all part of the body.
In fact, the derivative of this urokinase is used as prescribed and commercial drug to unblock and dissolve blood clotting, such as the one that may be found in the coronary arteries.
When the blood stream is obstructed, then there is a higher risk of heart attacks and arteriosclerosis. Blood clot dissolver thus reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems. Drinking urine is the more natural and arguably less risky way to obtain the benefit of urokinase without drinking the synthetic or extracted forms.
6. Treats Disease
One of the most controversial health benefits of urine therapy is its ability to treat disease. Many people, including experienced and well-known naturopaths, testify the effectiveness of urine therapy in treating disease. The anti-disease characteristic is mostly due to the urea content, which was claimed as an effective disease treatment.
Professor Evangelos Danopoulos, an expert in the field of internal medicine, conducted numerous studies in the 1970s and 1080s to find evidences on the ability of urea to fight disease.
His works demonstrated that urea might speed up the treatment of breast disease, liver disease, and other types of disease. It achieves the result by preventing the disease cells to form a group and grow. Urea also disrupts the metabolism of the disease cells and destroy them.
On the other hand, many people with medical experts argue that the claim is false. In regard to breast disease, for instance, these scientists believe that it can only be treated by surgery, followed by chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation therapy to minimize the risks of disease recurring.
7. Heals Acne
Urea has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that have long been taken advantage to treat various skin conditions, especially acne. Topical use on the affected area will reduce the presence of acnes and make the skin heal faster.
It is recommended to gently and carefully massage the infected areas with your own urine up to four times a day. This will abolish the acnes quickly.
8. Promotes Youthful Skin
Besides getting rid of acnes, urine therapy by the topical application may also promote healthier, brighter, and younger-looking skin. This is because urine contains Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the crowd-favorite steroid hormone praised for its wonderful anti-aging properties.
Based on a study, applying DHEA topically on four months gives the test subjects more youthful skin. It improves the rate of sebum on menopausal population. In addition, it also counters the effects of hormone-related aging and reduces wrinkles.
9. Makes Skin Smoother
Allantoin is a substance found in most mammal’s urine, including human being. Lab-created allantoin is used in a lot of skincare products, despite the lack of media spotlight. Lab-created allantoin has the similar characteristics of naturally occurring allantoin. It is non-toxic to use and very safe to apply on the skin.
The most important role of allantoin in skincare products is its effectiveness in promoting skin smoothness. It improves the water content of skin cells and protects the outer layer of the skin. Allantoin may also help wound healing. When you apply some urine, the wound will heal quickly and the new layer of skin will be smoother.
10. Relieves Stings
Perhaps, the most popular application of urine as a universal folk remedy around the world is its ability to provide relief from animal stings, such as bees, jellyfish and stingrays. Many people claim that urine is one of the many versatile and useful tools to solve certain emergency cases. Unlike tape, gauze, or cold packs, it’s sterile and always available.
People will use urine to provide an emergency treatment to jellyfish stings, bee stings, and sting ray stabbings. Naturopathic experts claim that the acidic pH in urine neutralizes toxins in your skin whenever a bee or jellyfish stings you. People will usually soak a cotton ball in their urine before applying it to their skin to relieve the pain.
However, many medical experts warn that the attempt might be counterproductive as the content of urine may trigger the sting to release more toxins.
11. Prevents Antibacterial and Fungal Infection
Urine also contains antibodies and antibacterial properties that can protect the body against bacterial infections. This benefit can be achieved both by drinking it or by applying it directly on your skin when you see some infection.
In addition, its antifungal characteristics can also prevent fungi from expanding and causing disturbing skin problems.
12. Prevents Allergies
An allergy is a certain reaction developed by people because their body is unable to function properly to certain substances. An allergy is a necessary coping mechanism to prevent yourself from further exposing your body to the allergens which will eventually cause more damage.
Some people believe that drinking their own urine may treat allergies because of the antibody substances that are present in the urine. Antibodies make your immune system stronger so the allergic symptom will be prevented.
13. Boosts Head and Hair’s Health
Drinking urine may also be beneficial for your hair. This is because urine contains allantoin which boosts the health of your hair and scalp in some different ways. The ability to improve the water content of cells and to fight inflammation makes allantoin able to soothe your scalp and prevent scalp flakes which will lead to dandruff.
Besides, allantoin also improves the elasticity and softness of your hair and boost its growth. When you regularly drink your own urine, it’s believed that you will have a head full of thick, smooth, strong and shiny hair.
14. Relieves Constipation
Another benefit of urine therapy is the use of it to treat constipation. This is because of the liquid and salt content.
As it moves toward the intestinal tract, the urine will bind the stool material. It increases the volume of the store and carries it to exit the body system. You will have an easier and more regular bowel movement.
15. Aids Sound Sleep
Drinking your own urine may also help you achieve a regular sound and peaceful sleep at night. This is because urine contains melatonin, a hormone which is naturally produced by your body as you go to sleep.
The hormone has a soothing and calming power. Thus, it will make you more relaxed and prevent sleep disturbance.
I would like more info on how to begin this method. And does this method improve mobility?
Its stands to reason that water soluble pharmaceuticals will be reintroduced by drinking ones urine have any studies been done on this? Specifically for me I’m intrested in precitam
I have had a toenail fungus on four of my toes for several years now. I have tried a few remedies with very little positive results. I have been soaking my foot in my urine for about a little over a week now and the two of the toenails have almost completely cleared up and the two worst toes look a lot better.
When I tell people about urine therapy, usually I ask them “can you see where the stove blew up in my face?” Usually they can’t. I have forgotten which side, but if I look very very closely I see a slight difference in the skin quality.
After the accident (propane stove) I lay in bed covered with urine soaked cloths for several days. It was not pleasant. But afterward, the one place that I hadn’t covered with cloths hurt deeply, for many days, while the rest of my body was feeling good.
Right now I’m drinking my urine again after about 10 years off. I’m 74 and have kidney disease I’m embarrassed to say that I resisted for a year, but right now I’m on a urine fast. Wish I knew about immediate blood pressure effects, but apparently urine therapy has a history of reducing blood pressure in the long run.
One more thing: the last time I checked the Internet for urine therapy, everything I found was hostile. It’s a pleasure to see many sites supporting and promoting it now, as the beneficial practice I know it to be.
Let’s be clear…
Urine therapy involves the internal or external application of urine for alleged therapeutic or cosmetic purposes. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the claims made about the supposed benefits of urine therapy. Moreover, urine therapy can be harmful and may result in infections, allergic reactions, and electrolyte imbalances.
As a Natural Health Practitioner, Herbalist, and Nutritionist, my focus is on evidence-based methods that are safe and effective. Therefore, I encourage individuals to seek professional medical advice before trying any new treatment or supplement for their health and well-being.
Interesting. How does this compare with the FDA scientifically approved pharmaceutical’s side effects?
People talk about lack of studies. Having done a documentary on the Pharma industry I know a lot about this subject. Studies are very expensive, especially good ones. Ninety percent of medical research is funded by pharmaceutical companies and the remaining ten percent mostly by NIH, NIMH and a few foundations. A study on urine therapy would probably never get funding. If funded, it might not be published in a high ranked medical journal because its not a trendy subject. If a study is not published, its like it doesnt exist.
For these reasons and others. Research on cheap alternative medicine is not a career builder. Its literally a career blocker. Science has a conformity problem, and a money problem. So certain subjects are hot, get funding, lead to consulting gigs in biotech etc.
Had a tooth infection twice and it left with swooshing it in my mouth. It’s gone now, healed. Urine apparently has thousands of micronutrients. Oh also my hair stopped falling out. Drinking it too now. If you close your nose while you drink you don’t taste it. Have a wee bit of peanut butter or so ready before you breathe. Also I notice I’m less hungry and my sugar cravings are gone. I’m sold for life, don’t care what anyone says. Hands are softer as well. I feel more energy. So worth!