No evidence that drinking urine has health benefits, could make health issues worse
IN SHORT: A Facebook reel claims that drinking urine helps reabsorb important chemicals that the body lost in the process of creating the liquid waste. But medical research shows no evidence of this, and experts say it may actually lead to health complications.
A reel claiming that urine contains "5,662 ingredients, including everything people rush to health food stores to buy" is circulating on Facebook. In the video, a man lists some of these ingredients, which are critical for bodily functions, such as magnesium, serotonin and human growth hormone.
He adds that it's very common to hear people who drink urine sharing that they "feel more relaxed and more at ease with the things that used to disturb and trigger them". The reel has over 100,000 views and has also been shared here. The caption describes drinking urine for health purposes as "urine therapy".
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Brother Sage and unreliable evidence
The captions of the reels refer to the man in the video as "Brother Sage". Brother Sage is a well-known proponent of urine therapy and has published books on the topic. In his bio on online retailer Amazon, he is referred to as a "wellness practitioner, who "facilitates self-healing". He appears from his website and social media accounts to be based in the US state of Hawaii. Brother Sage has claimed that urine therapy can heal medical issues such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and even Alzheimer's disease.
What is most notably missing in his bio are any details of his education or medical experience in healthcare. Africa Check has found that many dodgy health claims are made by people who are not medical experts - from a mentalist claiming that getting a cancer diagnosis is what makes you sick and a chiropractor recommending essential oils and various absorbents as treatments for heavy metal poisoning, to an entertainment blogger saying lime water can cure cancer.
In news articles about Brother Sage and his use of urine therapy, medical practitioners consulted directly debunk his claims.
But what is urine therapy, and does it actually work?
Urine therapy
Urinating is a vital bodily function, removing waste from the body.
"Urine therapy" is the practice of using human urine for medical or health purposes, most commonly by drinking it or applying it to the body. "Drinking or local application of human or animal urine for medicinal purposes has been practised all over the world for millennia", according to a 2010 article published in the Pan African Medical Journal. In the modern era, proponents of urine therapy have claimed that it can treat acne and even cure serious illnesses such as Hashimoto's disease, caused by the body's immune system attacking healthy cells in the thyroid.
The idea is that urine therapy replaces nutrients that the body has lost through urination. The reel claims that urine contains, among other things:
- Magnesium: A naturally occurring compound that, among many functions, regulates the body's calcium and blood sugar levels and helps the body produce protein.
- Serotonin: A chemical that carries messages between the nerves in the brain and the rest of the body. Some of the functions it affects include mood, digestion and wound healing.
- Melatonin: A hormone released by the brain to influence sleep patterns.
- Oxytocin: A hormone that aids in childbirth, the production of milk for feeding babies, and influences some human behaviours.
- Human growth hormone: A hormone that induces growth and assists with cellular metabolism.
- B vitamins: A group of eight vitamins that play a role in creating energy that the body needs to function properly.
- Iron: A compound that, among its other functions, creates proteins that carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body through blood.
However, healthy urine is mainly made up of water (91% to 96%), salt and by-products such as urea and electrolytes. Its composition differs based on diet, water intake, medication and even age.
Any excess vitamins that can dissolve in water and minerals that the body does not need or reabsorb will also be present in urine, but experts have said that the amount is too small to have any health benefits.
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No medical evidence
Experts also say urine is not sterile. Dr Neel Parekh, a US-based urologist, told the Cleveland Clinic that urine contains bacteria. "While healthy urine always has trace quantities of bacteria and other germs, it picks up more as it travels through your urinary tract and out of your body."
He added that drinking or applying urine does not have health benefits and could make health issues worse. "Drinking urine can actually increase dehydration because of its salt and waste content."
According to a 2016 medical report published in the Journal of Urology, "much of what we have heard about the use of urine therapy has no medical basis".
While some celebrities have endorsed drinking urine for its health benefits, medical research says otherwise. If you're concerned about what vitamins, minerals and hormones your body is lacking, it's best to speak to a healthcare practitioner for recommendations on necessary supplements and medication.
