Urine therapy

Definition

Urine therapy is the use of one's urine, internally or externally, to heal wounds or alleviate disease symptoms and/or for overall well-being. It is also called uropathy, auto-urine therapy, amaroli, or shivambu.

Origins

References to the use of urine for medicinal purposes can be traced to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Aztec, and Hindu histories. Proponents also point to Proverbs 5:15 in the Old Testament of the Bible: "Drink water from thy own cistern, and the streams of thy own well."

As an integral part of the ayurvedic tradition of yoga , urine therapy is known as amaroli. Ayurvedic yogis are encouraged to drink their own urine between 4 and 6 a.m. in the morning in the belief that the hormones ingested will facilitate a meditative state.

The rationale of the therapy is that urine is a byproduct of blood filtration, not excess water from consumed food and liquid. In fact, the medical term for urine is plasma ultrafiltrate. Blood filled with nutrients passes through the liver where toxins are filtered out and excreted as solid waste matter. This purified blood then travels to the kidneys where any excess elements form urine and are then eliminated from the body. As urine passes through the urethra, it is a sterile solution. Ninety-five percent of it is water; the remaining five percent is a combination of urea, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones, proteins, and antibodies. Urine therapy advocates argue that the presence of these nutrients are proof of urine's medicinal powers.

Urea is an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent that forms when the body balances its ratio of sodium chloride to water. Urea is often used to make ointments and lotions for its properties of reducing inflammation and ability to kill bacteria. It can be duplicated under laboratory conditions by dissolving calcium cyanamid in water, and then heated under high pressure to produce a compound of urea and calcium hydroxide.

Benefits

Urine therapy has been touted as a remedy for a long list of ailments, including multiple sclerosis , colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis , hyperactivity, psoriasis, eczema , diabetes, herpes, mononucleosis , and adrenal failure. It is a commonly used treatment for snakebites and bee and jellyfish stings. Childhood illnesses such as acute flu, colds, viral infections, mumps , chicken pox, and allergies are also said to be alleviated by urine therapy. Urine is an ingredient in Pergonal, a fertility drug, and in pharmaceuticals used to dissolve blood clots .

Description

Urine therapy can be applied internally or externally. For internal use, a sample of the morning's first urine is collected in a sterile container. Using a clean medicine dropper, the patient places an amount between one to ten drops under the tongue. Usually, one to five drops are applied on the first day; 5-10 drops on the second day; 5-10 drops on the morning of the third day, followed by 5-10 drops that evening.

In homeopathic urine therapy, drops of urine are diluted in quantities of distilled water. Drops of the dilution are placed under the tongue hourly until a noticeable improvement in illness or the temporary worsening of the condition occurs. Then drops are applied at lengthening intervals for three days.

Only fresh urine should be used when taken orally. The genital area should be washed before collecting a specimen. The best time to collect urine is first thing in the morning, and collecting the sample mid-stream. Individuals should refrain from eating for a half hour after ingesting the urine.

For external use, new or old urine can be applied. Old urine has a higher ammonia content that is more effective on skin such rashes as eczema and psoriasis. To store urine for later use, one should pour it into a dark glass bottle and close it tightly. Keep the bottle in a cool, dark place for at least four days.

A small amount is applied to the affected area with a cotton ball or pad. Continue massaging 5-10 applications to the area until it is soaked. Tape a clean, soaked pad to the area for several hours. The urine can also be sprayed onto the skin. For cosmetic purposes, fresh or 1-2 dayold urine can be lightly massaged into the skin or added in small amounts to moisturizing cream. Some practitioners recommend avoiding the use of soap or lotion after applying urine to the skin. Dryness can be alleviated with sesame oil .

Injections of urine are not advised. One of the key components of therapy is the gradual introduction of urine into the body. The abrupt introduction of urine into the bloodstream could exacerbate possible side effects.

Preparation

Because any food, liquids, drugs, and/or medications consumed will affect the urine, an examination of one's diet is recommended before starting urine therapy. Keeping a daily nutrition journal will help to chart the body's reaction to different foods and the body's digestive patterns. High consumption of meat, for example, is thought to elevate the body's acid levels, particularly just before fasting or undergoing an intensive regime of urine therapy.

Users of urine therapy often keep regular measurements of their acid and alkaline levels, glucose levels, and blood pressure. Monitoring the body's acid and alkaline is accomplished by keeping track of the pH level in the saliva or urine. The ideal pH range for saliva is 6.4 to 7.2; below 6.4 too acidic, above 7.2 too alkaline. Urine pH normally varies from 5.0 in the morning to 8.0 in the evening.

Glucose tests measure the level of sugar in the blood, by millimoles per litres (mmol/l). Normal levels range from 4 to 8 mmol/l during the day, with the lowest levels occurring in the morning and higher measures occurring after meals.

At-home testing kits for pH levels, glucose levels, and blood pressure are available in most stores that carry over-the-counter (OTC) medical products.

Precautions

Urine that will be taken orally should never be heated or boiled. On the other hand, some advocates suggest that boiled urine is best for massage purposes. Boiling should be done in a stainless steel pot.

Proponents are divided on whether or not pregnant women should practice urine therapy. Some believe that it is beneficial for both the mother and the growing fetus. Others advise against it. Because of the fertility properties of urine, birth control pills may be less effective.

Several pre-existing conditions preclude the use of urine therapy. Heavy smokers and people taking therapeutic or recreational drugs should not use their own urine. Those suffering from bladder infections or venereal disease are also advised against ingesting their urine.

Side Effects

Side effects can include headache, diarrhea , itch and rashes, pain, fatigue , soreness of the shoulder, and fever . An increase in symptoms of the specific illness may also occur. These symptoms can last from a week to six months. Starting the therapy with small doses can alleviate some of these side effects.

Research & general acceptance

Much of the current research is based on anecdotal evidence from users of urine therapy. Nonetheless, its popularity is growing worldwide. The first World Conference on Urine Therapy was held in 1996 in India. Two more conferences were convened at three-year intervals: in 1999 in Germany and in 2003 in Brazil. In the United States, urine therapy advocates cite the works of John W. Armstrong, The Water of Life: A Treatise on Urine Therapy, Martha M. Christy, Your Own Perfect Medicine, and Coen Van Der Kroon, The Golden Fountain.

Although components of urine are extracted to create a number of topical creams and fertility drugs, the drinking of urine is not generally accepted by the Western medical establishment. Dr. Andrew Weil , a noted physician, self-healing expert, and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine, posits that reports of positive results experienced by users have more to do with placebo effects than with the actual healing properties of urine. According to Weil, treatments that elicit negative emotional charges can be result in benefits when the treatment "mobilizes attention and belief." In other words, adhering to urine therapy in spite of one's loathing for it increases its placebo effect .

Training & certification

No training or certification is required.

Resources

BOOKS

Christy, Martha M. Your Own Perfect Medicine. Mesa, Arizona: Wishland Publishing, 2000.

PERIODICALS

Bouaravong, Natalie. "Urine Therapy" Berkeley Medical Journal Issues [cited June 18, 2004]. <http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~issues/fall02/urine.html>.

ORGANIZATIONS

Chinese Association of Urine Therapy. 72 Wu Kon Lio Road, Wuku Industrial Park, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan, Republic of China. 886-2-22988446. <http://www.everlifepharm.com/urine/>.

OTHER

"Urine Therapy." Biomedx.com/ [cited April 13, 2004]. <http://biomedx.com/urine/>.

Mary McNulty

urine is the fluid excreted by the kidneys. It consists of water, carrying in solution the body's waste products such as urea, uric acid, creatinine, organic acids, and also other solutes such as Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, the body fluid concentrations of which are regulated by the kidneys.

After being produced by the kidneys, urine passes along the ureters to be stored in the bladder, until it is allowed to flow out of the body through the urethra, in the process of micturition (urination). The smooth muscle of the bladder forms an internal sphincter at its junction with the urethra, and further along the urethra is the voluntary-control external sphincter. The bladder begins to contract (micturition reflex), and produces the desire to urinate, when its volume exceeds about 200 ml. However, if we do not relax the external sphincter, the contractions subside, but return with increasing force and frequency as the bladder continues to fill. When the bladder volume is about 500 ml the micturition reflex may force open the internal sphincter and lead to a reflex relaxation of the external sphincter, so that urination occurs involuntarily.

Voluntary urination involves relaxation of the external sphincter and tensing of the abdominal muscles to increase abdominal pressure and compress the bladder, to initiate bladder contraction and relaxation of the internal sphincter.

Most people excrete about 1.5 litres of urine per day, but the volume can range (in healthy adults) from 400 ml up to about 25 litres, depending on fluid intake. In renal failure, there may be no urine production, and in the rare condition of untreated diabetes insipidus, the urine volume is consistently 25 litres/day. Urine is termed ‘dilute’ if its solute concentration (osmolality) is lower than that of the blood plasma, and ‘concentrated’ if its solute concentration is greater than that of the plasma.

Humans who are maximally conserving water — when their kidneys are reabsorbing as much as possible — can produce urine with a solute concentration (osmolality) about five times that of blood plasma. Many other animals can conserve water much more effectively. For example, cats, dogs, and rats can produce urine of ten times the plasma osmolality, and gerbils twenty times!

When voided, urine is normally sterile and clear, although it has a yellow colour due to the presence of pigments. However, small amounts of particulate matter such as epithelial cells and lipids may be present; these are ‘casts’. Protein is not normally filtered from the blood plasma by the kidneys, so protein in the urine — proteinuria — is generally indicative of damage to the glomeruli, at the blind inner ends of the kidney tubules, where filtration occurs. The urine may also appear to contain blood (haematuria). This may be due to haemolysis in the bloodstream (breakdown of red cells) so that some haemoglobin is released from them and excreted, or it may be due to the presence of whole red cells, as a result of bleeding in the kidneys or urinary tract.

Investigation of urine composition (urinalysis) is a normal part of diagnostic medicine and can indicate the presence of many different illnesses.

Christopher Lote

urine clear, amber-colored fluid formed by the kidneys that carries metabolic wastes out of the body (see urinary system ). As the blood circulates it collects excretory products from the tissues and these substances are separated from the blood by the kidneys and eliminated chiefly in the urine. The urine is then stored in the bladder and passes out of the body via the urethra . The amount passed depends on fluid intake and other factors. Urine is 95% water, in which are dissolved urea, uric acid, creatinine, and other waste products. Normal urine also contains small amounts of substances ordinarily utilized by the body, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium; these substances are excreted by the kidneys when excessive amounts are present in the bloodstream. Analysis of the urine is important in detecting diseases of the urogenital organs, as well as disorders of other body systems.

Urine

Urine has long been credited with magical and medicinal properties. It has been featured in black magic rituals. It has been mixed with wine, herbs, or oils; used as an ointment and in pills; employed in amulets, talismans, and charms ; and used in aphrodisiacs and fertility potions.

Medicinally, urine has unusual properties. It contains ammonia, which can neutralize acids, and is usually free from bacteria, thus has disinfectant properties. Women have drunk urine from their husbands to speed up childbirth or have been given their own urine to relieve hysteria. Male urine contains androsterone, a male hormone, and it has long been believed that drinking one's own urine improves health and virility. Moraji Desai, former prime minister of India, openly admitted to drinking a small quantity of his own urine each morning for health reasons.

URINE CYTOLOGY

Urine typically contains epithelial cells shed from the urinary tract. Urine cytology evaluates this urinary sediment for the presence of cancerous cells from the lining of the urinary tract, and it is a convenient noninvasive technique for follow-up analysis of patients treated for urinary tract cancers. For this process, urine must be collected in a reliable fashion, and if urine samples are inadequate, the urinary tract can be assessed via instrumentation. In urine cytology, collected urine is examined microscopically. One limitation, however, is the inability to definitively identify low-grade cancer cells and urine cytology is used mostly to identify high-grade tumors.

Bijan Shekarriz

Marshall L. Stoller

(see also: Genitourinary Disease; Urinalysis )

urine The aqueous fluid formed by the excretory organs of animals for the removal of metabolic waste products. In higher animals, urine is produced by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and excreted through the urethra or cloaca. Apart from water, the major constituents of urine are one or more of the end products of nitrogen metabolism – ammonia, urea, uric acid, and creatinine. It may also contain various inorganic ions, the pigments urochrome and urobilin, amino acids, and purines. Precise composition depends on many factors, especially the habitat of a particular species: aquatic animals produce copious volumes; terrestrial animals need to conserve water and produce much less (about 1.0–1.5 litres per day in humans).

urine (yoor-in) n. the fluid excreted by the kidneys, which contains many of the body's waste products. It is the major route by which the end-products of nitrogen metabolism – urea, uric acid, and creatinine – are excreted. The other major constituent is sodium chloride. Biochemical analysis of urine (see urinalysis) is commonly used in the diagnosis of diseases; immunological analysis of urine is the basis of most pregnancy tests.

u·rine / ˈyoŏrən/ • n. a watery, typically yellowish fluid stored in the bladder and discharged through the urethra. It is one of the body's chief means of eliminating excess water and salt and also contains nitrogen compounds such as urea and other waste substances removed from the blood by the kidneys.

urine Fluid filtered out from the bloodstream by the kidney. It consists mainly of water, salts, and waste products such as urea. From the kidneys it passes through the ureters to the bladder for voiding by way of the urethra.

urine XIV. — (O)F. — L. ūrīna.
So urinary XVI. — medL. *ūrīnārius. urinate make water. XVI. f. pp. stem of medL. ūrīnāre (in classL. dive); see -ATE3.

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