Urine therapy

Last updated
Urine therapy
Alternative medicine
Urine sample.JPG
A sample of human urine
ClaimsVarious therapeutic uses of urine.
Related fieldsNaturopathy

Urine therapy or urotherapy, (also urinotherapy, Shivambu, [lower-alpha 1] uropathy, or auto-urine therapy) in alternative medicine is the application of human urine for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, including drinking of one's own urine and massaging one's skin, or gums, with one's own urine. No scientific evidence exists to support any beneficial health claims of urine therapy.

Contents

History

Though urine has been believed useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in several traditional systems, [1] [lower-alpha 2] and mentioned in some medical texts, [lower-alpha 3] auto-urine therapy as a system of alternative medicine was popularized by British naturopath John W. Armstrong in the early 20th century. Armstrong was inspired by his family's practice of using urine to treat minor stings and toothaches, by a metaphorical reading of the Biblical Proverb 5:15 "Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well", and his own experience with ill-health that he treated with a 45-day fast "on nothing but urine and tap water". Starting in 1918, Armstrong prescribed urine-therapy regimens that he devised to many thousands of patients, and in 1944 he published The Water of Life: A treatise on urine therapy, which became a founding document of the field. [6] [8]

Armstrong's book sold widely, and in India inspired the writing of Manav mootra (Gujarati: Urine therapy; 1959) by Gandhian social reformer Raojibhai Manibhai Patel, and many later works. These works often reference Shivambu Kalpa, a treatise on the pharmaceutical value of urine, as a source of the practice in the East. [lower-alpha 4] They also cite passing references to properties and uses of urine in Yogic-texts such as Vayavaharasutra by Bhadrabahu and Hatha Yoga Pradapika by Svatmarama; and Ayurvedic texts such as Sushruta Samhita , Bhava Prakasha and Harit. However, according to medical anthropologist Joseph Atler, the practices of sivambu (drinking one's own urine) and amaroli recommended by modern Indian practitioners of urine therapy are closer to the ones propounded by Armstrong than traditional ayurveda or yoga, or even the practices described in Shivambu Kalpa. [6]

Urine-therapy has also been combined with other forms of alternative medicine. It was used by ancient Roman dentists to whiten teeth. [9] [10] [11]

Modern claims and findings

An exhaustive description of the composition of human urine was prepared for NASA in 1971. Urine is an aqueous solution of greater than 95% water. The remaining constituents are, in order of decreasing concentration: urea 9.3 g/L, chloride 1.87 g/L, sodium 1.17 g/L, potassium 0.750 g/L, creatinine 0.670 g/L and other dissolved ions, inorganic and organic compounds. [12] [13]

In China there is a Urine Therapy Association which claims thousand of members. [14] [15]

According to a BBC report, a Thai doctor promoting urine therapy said that Thai people had been practicing urophagia for a long time, but according to the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, there was no record of the practice. [16] In 2022, Thawee Nanra, a self-proclaimed holy man from Thailand, was arrested by police; his followers were observed consuming his urine and feces which they believed to have healing properties. [17]

Urinating on jellyfish, wasp or bee stings, sunburns, cuts, and blood vessel bursts is a common "folk remedy", [18] however Scientific American reports that it may be counterproductive, as it can activate nematocysts remaining at the site of the sting, making the pain worse. [19]

Urine and urea have been claimed by some practitioners to have an anti-cancer effect, and urotherapy has been offered along with other forms of alternative therapy in some cancer clinics in Mexico. [20]

In the Arabian Peninsula, bottled camel urine is sold by vendors, as prophetic medicine with its claimed urine therapy, health benefits. [21] [22] [23] Saudi police arrested a man, "because the urine in the bottles was his own". [24]

In January 2022, Christopher Key, a spreader of COVID-19 misinformation, claimed that urine therapy is the antidote to the COVID-19 pandemic. [25] Key also falsely claims that a 9-month research trial on urine therapy has been conducted. [26] There is no scientific evidence supporting urine therapy as a cure to the COVID-19 disease.

Health concerns

There is no scientific evidence of a therapeutic use for untreated urine. [4] [27] [28] [29] [30]

According to the American Cancer Society, "available scientific evidence does not support claims that urine or urea given in any form is helpful for cancer patients". [20]

In 2016 the Chinese Urine therapy Association was included on a list of illegal organizations by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. However, the Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs in Wuhan said they had no jurisdiction over the association. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Sanskrit : शिवाम्बु, romanized: Śivambu
  2. ↑ Urine was recommended for whitening teeth in ancient Rome. [2] Islamic legist Abu Yusuf allowed for use of camel urine for medicinal purposes. [3] It has also been used in some traditional remedies in Mexico [4] and in Nigeria. [5]
  3. ↑ Such as Solomon's English Physician published in 1665, One thousand notable remedies published in early-nineteenth century, [6] and A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica published in 1902. [7]
  4. ↑ Shivambu Kalpa (lit. "water of Shiva") is said to be a section of the larger work Ḍamara Tantra, which is described by practitioners of urine therapy as "belong to the Puranic age". According to Joseph Atler the 107-shloka Kalpa is not well attested or in wide circulation, and is most easily accessible through modern Indian books on urine therapy, where it is often attached as an appendix.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naturopathy</span> Form of alternative medicine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quackery</span> Promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices

Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, qualification or credentials they do not possess; a charlatan or snake oil salesman". The term quack is a clipped form of the archaic term quacksalver, from Dutch: kwakzalver a "hawker of salve". In the Middle Ages the term quack meant "shouting". The quacksalvers sold their wares at markets by shouting to gain attention.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is a United States government agency which explores complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It was initially created in 1991 as the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), and renamed the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) before receiving its current name in 2014. NCCIH is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apitherapy</span> Pseudoscientific alternative medical therapy using bee products

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craniosacral therapy</span> Pseudoscientific alternative medicine technique

Craniosacral therapy (CST) or cranial osteopathy is a form of alternative medicine that uses gentle touch to feel non-existent rhythmic movements of the skull's bones and supposedly adjust the immovable joints of the skull to achieve a therapeutic result. CST is a pseudoscience and its practice has been characterized as quackery. It is based on fundamental misconceptions about the anatomy and physiology of the human skull and is promoted as a cure-all for a variety of health conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromotherapy</span> Alternative medicine method also known as color therapy

Chromotherapy, sometimes called color therapy, colorology or cromatherapy, is an alternative medicine that is considered pseudoscience and quackery. Chromotherapists claim to be able to use light in the form of color to balance "energy" lacking from a person's body, whether it be on physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental levels. For example, they thought that shining a colored light on a person would cure constipation. Historically chromotherapy has been associated with mysticism and occultism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Gerson</span> American physician

Max Gerson was a German-born American physician who developed the Gerson Therapy, a dietary-based alternative cancer treatment that he claimed could cure cancer and most chronic, degenerative diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoga as therapy</span> Yoga in the use of physical and mental therapy

Yoga as therapy is the use of yoga as exercise, consisting mainly of postures called asanas, as a gentle form of exercise and relaxation applied specifically with the intention of improving health. This form of yoga is widely practised in classes, and may involve meditation, imagery, breath work (pranayama) and calming music as well as postural yoga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative cancer treatments</span> Alternative or complementary treatments for cancer that have not demonstrated efficacy

Alternative cancer treatment describes any cancer treatment or practice that is not part of the conventional standard of cancer care. These include special diets and exercises, chemicals, herbs, devices, and manual procedures. Most alternative cancer treatments do not have high-quality evidence supporting their use and many have been described as fundamentally pseudoscientific. Concerns have been raised about the safety of some purported treatments and some have been found unsafe in clinical trials. Despite this, many untested and disproven treatments are used around the world.

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<i>Andrographis paniculata</i> Species of herb in the Acanthaceae family

Andrographis paniculata, commonly known as creat or green chiretta, is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Acanthaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Ayush, a ministry of the Government of India, is responsible for developing education, research and propagation of traditional medicine and alternative medicine systems in India. Ayush is a name devised from the names of the alternative healthcare systems covered by the ministry: Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Homeopathy.

In Islam, prophetic medicine is the advice given by the Islamic prophet Muhammad with regards to sickness, treatment and hygiene as found in the hadith. It is usually practiced primarily by non-physician scholars who collect and explicate these traditions. Prophetic medicine is distinct from Islamic medicine, which is a broader category encompassing a variety of medical practices rooted in Greek natural philosophy. In practice, prophetic medical traditions encourage not only following Muhammad's teachings, but to search for cures to various ailments as well. The literature of prophetic medicine thus occupies a symbolic role in the elucidation of Islamic identity as constituted by a particular set of relationships to science, medicine, technology and nature. There has historically been a tension in the understanding of the medical narratives of the hadith. Some are unsure whether to treat them the same as Muhammad's religious pronouncements, or as time-sensitive, culturally situated, and thus not representative of a set of eternal medical truths. This body of knowledge was fully articulated only in the 14th century, at which point it was concerned with reconciling Sunnah (traditions) with the foundations of the Galenic humoral theory that was prevalent at the time in the medical institutions of the Islamicate world. It is nonetheless a tradition with continued modern relevance to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camel urine</span> Liquid by-product of metabolism in camels

Camel urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in a camel's anatomy. Urine from camels has been used in prophetic medicine for centuries, being a part of ancient Bedouin practices and also Muslim tradition. According to the World Health Organization, the use of camel urine as a medicine lacks scientific evidence.

Grape therapy or grape diet, also known as ampelotherapy, is a diet that involves heavy consumption of grapes, including seeds, and parts of the vine, including leaves, that is a form of alternative medicine. The concept was developed in the 19th century Germany in spas, like Bad Duerkheim or Merano. The concept has no scientific basis and is regarded as quackery by scientific institutions like the American Cancer Society.

Cow urine, gomutra or gōmēz is a liquid by-product of metabolism in cows. It has a sacred role in Zoroastrianism and some forms of Hinduism.

References

  1. ↑ J.S. Alter (19 September 2004). Yoga in modern India: The body between science and philosophy. Princeton University Press. ISBN   0691118744.
  2. ↑ Marc Geissberger (19 April 2010). Esthetic Dentistry in Clinical Practice. John Wiley & Sons. p. 6. ISBN   978-0-8138-2825-1 . Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Williams, John Alden (1994). The Word of Islam. University of Texas Press. p. 98. ISBN   9780292790766.
  4. 1 2 Gardner, Martin (2001). Did Adam and Eve Have Navels?: Debunking Pseudoscience. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 92–101. ISBN   0-393-32238-6.
  5. ↑ Ogunshe AA, Fawole AO, Ajayi VA (2010). "Microbial evaluation and public health implications of urine as alternative therapy in clinical pediatric cases: health implication of urine therapy". Pan Afr Med J. 5: 12. doi:10.4314/pamj.v5i1.56181. PMC   3032614 . PMID   21293739.
  6. 1 2 3 Atler, Joseph S. (2004). Yoga in Modern India: The Body Between Science and Philosophy. Princeton University Press. pp. 181–210. ISBN   0691118744.
  7. ↑ A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke, London: Homoeopathic Pub. Co., 1900–1902. See Médi-T online version
  8. ↑ Armstrong, John W. (2011). The Water Of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy. Random House. ISBN   978-1446489925.
  9. ↑ Lenkeit, Roberta Edwards (2018-10-23). High Heels and Bound Feet: And Other Essays on Everyday Anthropology, Second Edition. Waveland Press. p. 72. ISBN   978-1-4786-3841-4.
  10. ↑ Perdigão, Jorge (2016-08-03). Tooth Whitening: An Evidence-Based Perspective. Springer. p. 170. ISBN   978-3-319-38849-6.
  11. ↑ Bonitz, Michael; Lopez, Jose; Becker, Kurt; Thomsen, Hauke (2014-04-09). Complex Plasmas: Scientific Challenges and Technological Opportunities. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 465. ISBN   978-3-319-05437-7.
  12. ↑ David F. Putnam Composition and Concentrative Properties of Human Urine. NASA Contractor Report. July 1971
  13. ↑ Dan Nosowitz for Popular Science. September 5, 2013 What's in your Pee?
  14. ↑ Jamincost, Ben (5 May 2018). "Wuhan man claims 'urine therapy' cured his hyperthyroidism". Shanghaiist . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  15. 1 2 Mu, Natalie (16 August 2016). "Group that advocates drinking urine still active despite being ruled illegal". South China Morning Post . Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "BBC NEWS - Asia-Pacific - Thais drink urine as alternative medicine". 21 July 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Police arrested a self-proclaimed 'holy man' whose followers ate his feces and drank his urine in hopes of being cured of illnesses". Insider.com .
  18. ↑ Peschek-Böhmer, Flora; Schreiber, Gisela (1 May 1999). Urine Therapy: Nature's Elixir for Good Health. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. p. 114. ISBN   978-0-89281-799-3 . Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  19. ↑ Curtin, Ciara (4 January 2007). "Fact or Fiction?: Urinating on a Jellyfish Sting is an Effective Treatment". Scientific American.
  20. 1 2 "Urotherapy". American Cancer Society. November 2008. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014.
  21. ↑ JB (9 August 2013). "Drinking Camel Urine in Yemen". VICE News . Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  22. ↑ Abdel Gader, Abdel Galil (2 April 2016). "The unique medicinal properties of camel products: A review of the scientific evidence". Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences. 11 (2): 98–103. doi: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2015.12.007 .
  23. ↑ Al-Yousef, Nujoud; Gaafar, Ameera; Al-Otaibi, Basem; Al-Jammaz, Ibrahim; Al-Hussein, Khaled; Aboussekhra, Abdelilah (2012). "Camel urine components display anti-cancer properties in vitro". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 143 (3): 819–25. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.07.042. PMID   22922085.
  24. ↑ Rehman, Dawood (16 August 2016). "Saudi police arrest Pakistani man in camel urine scam". Daily Pakistan . Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  25. ↑ Mahdawi, Arwa (11 January 2022). "Anti-vaxxers are touting another new Covid 'cure' – drinking urine. But they are not the only obstacles to ending the pandemic | Arwa Mahdawi". the Guardian.
  26. ↑ "Fact Check-No evidence that 'urine therapy' cures COVID-19". Reuters. 12 January 2022.
  27. ↑ Robert Todd Carroll (September 12, 2014). "Urine Therapy". The skeptic's dictionary: a collection of strange beliefs, amusing deceptions, and dangerous delusions. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  28. ↑ Christopher Middleton (2003-02-24). "A wee drop of amber nectar". The Daily Telegraph . London. Archived from the original on 2012-12-23.
  29. ↑ Why You Definitely Shouldn't Drink Your Own Pee, Gizmodo, 22 Oct 2014
  30. ↑ Maxine Frith (21 February 2006). "Urine: The body's own health drink?". The Independent. Retrieved 2016-09-26.

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