Home Articles Alternative Medicine and Health

 Urotherapy is a term used to describe urine therapy which involves the practice of drinking, massaging or bathing in one’s own urine. While this may sound repulsive to many, it is an ancient practice that has been used to treat a number of illnesses ranging from common colds to more serious illnesses such as tuberculosis. The most common objection to urine therapy that one hears is with regards to its toxicity and the fact that the body’s own waste product couldn’t possibly benefit it in any way.

Proponents say otherwise, claiming that the benefits of drinking urine are many and that it is non-toxic. It is a substance secreted by the body containing compounds not required by the body and is technically a blood byproduct and non-toxic. To understand better the effectiveness of urine therapy in the treatment of various disorders, one must first have some knowledge of the various compounds present in urine. Urine is composed of 95% water and 5% of salts, minerals, enzymes, hormones and some body waste. Compounds present in urine include:

• Urea
• Amino acids
• Proteins
• Vitamins C, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and riboflavin
• Dopamine
• Epinephrine
• Glucose
• Minerals & trace elements such as calcium, iodine, zinc, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and nitrogen
  

While urine does contain some amount of toxic substances, their concentration is not enough to cause any harm to the body. Drinking your own urine allows only a small proportion to get absorbed into the bloodstream. Most of it stays confined to the digestive tract which absorbs only those nutrients that are required by the body. The toxins in urine stimulate the intestines into flushing themselves, thereby getting rid of all accumulated toxins.

Proponents speculate that the small amounts of toxins in urine help to inoculate the body against future illnesses. They claim that urine therapy helps our bodies build immunity towards diseases rather than cure them. The process is referred to as auto or self-inoculation and is part of nature’s way of strengthening our bodies to fight illnesses.
Some of the basic thumb rules regarding urine therapy include:

• Only midstream urine should be used

• The ideal time to drink it is between 3 and 4 a.m.

• Urine should be sipped slowly rather than drunk quickly

• Drink adequate amounts of water every day.

• Avoid eating spicy or salty food as well as food with a high protein content

Advocates of urine therapy claim that urine has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Urine therapy has been used to treat numerous disorders and conditions including polio, rabies, tuberculosis, HIV infection, cancers, anemia, urinary tract infections, colds, flu, candidiasis, ringworm, diabetes, heart disease, digestive disorders, arthritis, prostate problems, glaucoma, rheumatism, sexually transmitted infections, malaria, diphtheria, chickenpox, asthma, renal diseases, scurvy, burns, rashes, warts and skin disorders. In total, urine therapy can be used as a treatment for approximately 175 different diseases and conditions. To top it all, proponents of urine therapy claim that till date, there has not been a single documented case of side effects due to the therapy.

Proponents of urine therapy offer some pretty convincing arguments to support their claims. For example, urokinase, an enzyme contained in urine, has been found by scientists to cause vasodilation, bolstering claims that urine therapy can help those suffering from hypertension and coronary diseases such as atherosclerosis.

However, all these claims can be misleading. No one doubts that urine does contain many useful therapeutic compounds. However, there is very little scientific evidence available to support these claims and until they can be verified, one should view them with a certain degree of skepticism.

Reference

• http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/Urine_Therapy.htm

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

 More articles from the Alternative Medicine and Health Category