What would happen if one drank his or her own urine? Would there be health complications? You, I am sure, have heard the stories about people stranded in small spaces after earthquakes who survive on their own urine. Are these true stories?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Well, there are apparently plenty of subscribers to the theory that drinking your own urine actually benefits your health. Even a former prime minister of India, Morarji Desai, is rumored to have imbibed his own urine. For details, just do a Google search on “urine therapy.” One of these sites is understandably preoccupied with plugging the nose: “If you find it difficult to drink warm, plug your nose and hold it closed for a while after drinking. The urine can also be chilled, but holding your nose is usually all it takes to get the job done. Rinse the mouth with water afterwards and remember, the longer your nose is plugged the better. It may even be worthwhile using a nose plug so both hands are free while waiting for any residual taste and odor to disappear.” http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/treat/T45177.html
Although AP can’t find any information on the therapeutic value of urine in standard medical sources, it does seem to be a recognized form of therapy in many cultures around the world. AP has also heard about it as a survival trick, and I guess it must be true if you’re to believe newspaper accounts, but I suspect it was an extreme last resort (only after hallucinations began), and maybe didn’t aid in survival. Some survival web sites say flat out not to do this as it will dehydrate you more. Anyway, would you really be urinating much if you were that dehydrated? I believe the kidneys remove material from your blood (water or excess vitamins) that aren’t needed, which wouldn’t seem to be the case if you were dying of thirst. For definitive answers on safety, like with all medical questions, AP will ask that you seek the advice of a trained medical professional.