Urine therapy by drinking urine, is it really effective?

The reaction that comes to your mind when you first hear about drinking normal urine for health may be disbelief or even disgust. Urine therapy is indeed an unusual method of self-medication and care.

However, before you immediately look away, you should first learn some facts about urine which is believed to be the water of life for certain communities.

The origins of urine therapy

Urine therapy or human urine therapy has been known for thousands of years as a method of treatment and self-care. This treatment is found in many countries in Asia such as China, Egypt, and India.

Several findings also show that urine therapy is widely practiced in countries in Africa. People in ancient times believed that urine contained various healthful properties and was able to treat various diseases.

This traditional method is still believed today as a form of alternative medicine. Usually, people who are undergoing urine therapy will routinely consume one cup of their urine in the morning before eating breakfast.

By doing this, the body is expected to be healthier and resistant to various diseases. This therapy is also generally undertaken when a person is fighting a certain disease.

How does urine therapy work?

Unlike what has been thought so far, urine or urine is not a biological human waste that is produced from the excretion system (disposal). The content in it is believed to still have a number of benefits.

Blood, which stores various essential substances and nutrients, passes through the liver, where toxins are separated and excreted in a solid form known as feces. Then, this clean blood will go through a filtering process again in the kidneys.

In this process, the components that are no longer needed by the body will be collected in the form of fluids. This fluid, called urine, consists of 95% water and 5% other components consisting of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and antibodies.

The benefits of urine therapy are said to be believed

Methods of treatment and self-care with urine can be done in many ways, including by drinking it directly or applying it to certain parts of the body.

Those who believe in the benefits of urine therapy think that urine can help overcome various health problems. Here are some common examples of using urine as a form of alternative medicine.

1. Potential against cancer cells

In the treatment of cancer, urine is considered a powerful agent against cancer cells that develop in the body. This is because the urine of cancer patients is believed to contain tumor antigens.

Tumor antigen is a type of protein found in the blood of people with cancer. This antigen is one of the factors that trigger cancer. By drinking urine containing tumor antigens, it is hoped that the body will produce more natural antibodies that will fight the growth of cancer cells.

2. Helps relieve bacterial infection

Some people believe that human urine has antibacterial properties. This is because urine is thought to contain antibody substances and various cells that play a role in building immunity.

If drunk, urine is believed to relieve infections in the body caused by bacteria. It is also believed that bacterial infections that occur on the skin can be cured by applying urine directly to the affected area.

3. Helping the treatment of various skin problems

In addition to relieving infections caused by bacteria, many people believe in the efficacy of urine for treating acne. In ancient times, urine was also believed to be able to maintain skin firmness and prevent premature aging which is characterized by the appearance of wrinkles or fine lines on the face.

Apart from drinking urine, some people routinely apply urine to the face to treat beauty.

4. Whiten teeth

The ancient Romans used human urine to treat teeth because they believed it was useful for whitening teeth. This is because the ammonia content in urine is believed to function as a natural bleach.

Roman society usually rubbed their urine on the teeth and gums as a natural cleanser.

5. Assist in the treatment of burns and animal stings

When you are stung by an animal such as a jellyfish or have burns, human urine is the choice of some people to relieve pain and treat the wound.

Urine is believed to contain natural antiseptic substances. By applying it to the wound, it is hoped that the skin will heal faster because of this substance. Until now, there are still many who practice this method.

6. Potential to prevent infection

Some people in Asia, especially China and India, still routinely undergo urine therapy by drinking urine produced after waking up in the morning (the first urine).

This therapy is considered effective in preventing various types of diseases and increasing the body's immunity against harmful viruses and bacteria. Millions of people around the world have undergone urine therapy and have recognized its health benefits.

How about drinking camel urine therapy?

Not only human urine, drinking camel urine therapy is also believed to provide health benefits. One of them was reported by research published in journals Integrative Cancer Therapies in 2017.

Middle Eastern people have long consumed camel urine to treat fever and reduce the risk of cancer. According to the study, camel urine has the potential to prevent the growth of 4T1 cells in breast cancer.

In laboratory testing, camel urine also has the potential to prevent the spread of 4T1 cells. The anticancer substances in it work by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels to the cancerous tissue.

The results of this study are potential, but the success rate depends on the dose. Camel urine is also the same as human urine which contains various kinds of bacteria and waste substances that can have an impact on health.

In addition, excessive consumption of camel urine also has a bad effect. The Chinese Urine Therapy Association has not even forgotten to warn of the dangers of drinking urine such as fever and muscle aches, which can increase with the amount of urine you drink.

Is drinking urine dangerous?

So far there have not been cases where people who undergo urine therapy, rub urine on their skin, or even drink urine, have had serious side effects.

Even so, until now there has been no scientific research that has succeeded in revealing what are the positive and negative impacts of using urine that is sufficiently tested or can be used as a reference.

Experts conclude that drinking urine in general will not cause dangerous side effects, but various contents in urine are not certain to provide certain properties for the body.

This is because even if there are nutrients or good substances in the urine, the amount is very small and the strength is very small. So, there is no impact that can be felt by the body after undergoing urine therapy or using urine as an external medicine.

In fact, experts are of the opinion that in certain situations, the use of urine will only exacerbate the problem. For example, when you are stung by a jellyfish, the urine that comes in contact with the wound will react and increase the pain.

In addition, the British Dietetic Association adds that if you undergo urine therapy, the day the urine you consume will become more concentrated. This can have an impact on the digestive system or possibly even lead to bladder disease.

The scientific and medical communities are mostly against urine therapy or the use of urine in general. Scientific magazine Scientific American and the organization of the American Cancer Society have also called on the public to avoid urine therapy as a form of medication, first aid, or self-care.

Laboratory tests conducted by researchers at Loyola University of Chicago have proven that various bacteria live in your urine. This means that urine is not sterile as people believed in ancient times.

Experts, doctors, and medical personnel generally recommend that you focus more on a balanced diet, a healthy lifestyle, and guaranteed medication. In the end, the decision to undergo this therapy is yours alone.