1. Any negative effects from drinking your own urine?
Apparently, you shouldn’t drink your own pee unless you are a vegetarian or vegan who abstains from drugs (meat-eaters produce urine with high levels of potentially harmful urea, which allegedly tastes disgusting). NASA has developed a urine-to-water purifying machine where it converts the urine from astronauts into drinking water for consumption through filtration.
2. Isn’t urine just a waste product?
Not entirely. Urine, which consists almost entirely of water, is completely sterile when it leaves the body. Its chief waste product is urea, a substance formed from the breakdown of proteins. It also contains minute quantities of various chemicals, such as amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and minerals. However, depending what you eat 2-3 hours prior to urinating; your urine can contain certain amino acids and other toxins.
3. Are there any health benefits?
Well, auto-urine therapy, as its known, is said to boost the immune system, cure migraines and other chronic conditions, stave off a cold and work wonders on eyesight problems. It’s claimed that it can work wonders on skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis. You can apply it directly for athlete’s foot, bee stings and jellyfish stings. And you can gargle it for toothache and gum disease. However, drinking wee is particularly recommended for its anti-ageing properties.
4. How does that work?
One simply drinks the mid-stream part of the first pee of the morning to retain one’s youthful looks.
5. Would your GP recommend it?
As you might expect, the orthodox medical profession is extremely skeptical. However, drinking one’s own urine has been relatively common in India for centuries, and the Greeks and Romans favored it for all sorts of ailments.
6. Is there any evidence that it works?
There was some research in the early 1990s at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, which showed that urine is a cure for jet lag because it contains the hormone melatonin. Drunk first thing in the morning, it can, claim the researchers, calm and refresh the system, creating for patients the illusion that they have just had a good night’s sleep. Many researches are investing large sums of money and resources into studying Urophagia – (the consumption of ones own urine)
7. Isn’t it an acquired taste?
Devotees claim that it doesn’t taste as bad as you might imagine. Early morning urine tastes somewhat salty and bitter, but as the day goes on, it becomes almost tasteless. You can mix it with fruit juice until you get used to the flavor.
8. Does anyone admit to drinking it”
The actress Sarah Miles is famous for it, as was the author J.D. Salinger. Most people keep this a private matter.
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