Is urine sterile? Do urine ‘therapies’ work? Specialists debunk widespread pee myths

Urine remedy (or urotherapy) is a longstanding apply based mostly on the idea that urine might be drunk, bathed in, or in any other case utilized to deliver good well being and even heal the physique of sure illnesses.

Uncommon as it could sound to most individuals, it is an concept that persists even as we speak. And like most issues of this nature, it has taken on a lifetime of its personal on-line. However is there any proof urine remedy works?

To chop to the chase, no. Urine is waste and must be left excreted from the physique.

Early origins

Earlier than trendy medication, numerous cultures had revolutionary methods to handle well being. The early Egyptians, Chinese language, Indians, Aztecs and Romans reportedly used urine as a therapy for numerous illnesses, reminiscent of to heal battle wounds or whiten enamel.

There was some logic to those practices. For instance, with out entry to scrub water, urine is perhaps used to clean a wound. Or within the absence of a gasoline masks, a urine-soaked rag might be used to filter out nasties throughout a chlorine gasoline assault.

Traditionally, these makes use of have been solely justified in contexts the place no medical different was accessible. Nonetheless, some proceed to advocate utilizing urine for numerous illnesses as we speak.

With our present well being and therapy choices, there isn’t any cause to interact with any type of urine therapy. And there’s no scientific proof ingesting urine or partaking in some other urine remedy has advantages.

In all trendy contexts, there are extra hygienic and efficient options than urine remedy—no matter what ailment or downside is being addressed.

In the event you’re looking for a therapeutic profit from one of many compounds present in urine, it is best to get this over a pharmacist’s counter and never from a cup within the bathroom!

What’s in urine?

Urine is excreted from the kidneys as they filter blood, preserving what the physique wants and eradicating the waste as urine, which is saved within the bladder till we pee.

Urine is 95% water. The remaining components embrace urea (2%) and creatinine (0.1%)—a breakdown product from muscle and protein metabolism—alongside hint parts of numerous salts and proteins.

Urea is a secure natural compound, which happens naturally when proteins are metabolised. Urea-based formulations might be present in pores and skin and nail softening lotions, appearing as an efficient moisturiser and serving to to enhance the pores and skin’s barrier perform.

Nonetheless, though urea is current in urine, its focus is just too low to supply any therapeutic profit.

Other than urea and creatinine, greater than 3,000 totally different compounds have been present in urine. This implies, as we be taught extra in regards to the urinary system, future screening for all kinds of well being points, together with cancers, is perhaps obtained by means of a easy urine take a look at.

Would possibly urine therapies be dangerous?

In some instances public curiosity in urine therapies has been so sturdy, governments have needed to ban proposed urine-based “well being drinks“.

The very fact is excreted urine might be fairly dangerous. There are just a few methods the physique can take away waste from its system, and that is accomplished primarily by means of urine, faeces and sweat.

This implies urine may comprise environmental toxins and different nasties your physique has labored onerous to take away. Some drugs are additionally excreted in urine, so ingesting it might probably accumulate poisonous ranges of those medication. In some instances urine may also have pathogenic micro organism that, if ingested, could cause severe diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, an upset abdomen and infections.

And no, urinating on the location is not really useful for jellyfish stings. This has the potential to trigger much more ache by aggravating the stingers and inducing them to launch extra venom.

Even ingesting urine in a survival scenario is not as useful because it’s typically touted to be. Though it could make some sense to return fluid to your system, on the similar time reintroducing excreted salts shall be unhelpful for hydration.

Additionally, as dehydration units in you will not be making a lot urine anyway, so ingesting urine in a survival scenario is unlikely to be a viable possibility.

Is urine ‘sterile’?

Usually solely very low ranges of micro organism are excreted in urine. However the thought urine is perhaps sterile is merely a fable. The phrase sterile means “fully clear and free from grime and micro organism”.

Our physique is stuffed with resident bacterial colonies that preserve our well being and help with normal day by day features. This implies most of our physique will not be sterile, and the bladder is no exception.

A excessive degree of micro organism is normally related to urinary tract infections. Nonetheless, there’s an ever-growing physique of analysis figuring out all types of wholesome micro organism residing in our bladder, which might be excreted within the urine of wholesome folks.

Peeing within the bathe can be a no-no, as urine could cause infections if it is available in contact with cuts or wounds in your legs. This apply may even make problems reminiscent of overactive bladder or incontinence worse, by inflicting our brains to affiliate operating water with the “have to pee”. This notably impacts females as their pelvic space anatomy simply is not designed to pee standing up.

Whereas standing, the muscle tissue could wrestle to contract and chill out correctly, and even gradual the stream of urine. This implies the bladder is probably not fully emptied and will increase the prospect of infections.

The underside line is there are not any scientifically supported advantages for urine therapies. In the event you want a selected therapy, you must speak to your physician quite than turning to a urine-based prospect.

In the event you by accident drink urine, name your native poisons data centre for recommendation.

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