Urophagia#Flavor and odor
{{short description|Consumption of urine}}
{{Alternative medicine sidebar |fringe}}
Urophagia is the consumption of urine.
Urine was consumed in several ancient cultures for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes{{Cite web|last=Picturedesk|date=2018-09-20|title=After Reaching 18 Stone This Woman Resorted To A Traditional Native American Lifestyle Which Includes Drinking and Washing With Her Own Urine|url=https://mediadrumworld.com/2018/09/20/32609/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Media Drum World|language=en-GB}}{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=May 2025}}. People have been known to drink urine in extreme cases of water scarcity{{Example needed|s|date=May 2025}}, however numerous sources, including the US Army Field Manual{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}, advise against it.
Urine may also be consumed as a sexual activity.
Human health warnings
The World Health Organization has found that the pathogens contained in urine rarely pose a health risk.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} However, it does caution that in areas where Schistosoma haematobium, a parasitic flatworm, is prevalent, it can be transmitted from person to person.{{Cite web |last=Schönning |first=Caroline |title=Urine diversion – hygienic risks and microbial guidelines for reuse |url=https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/wastewater/urineguidelines.pdf |access-date=February 15, 2022 |website=World Health Organization |page=13}}{{Citation not found|date=May 2025}}
Human consumption of urine
{{Expand section|date=June 2025}}
= As food =
{{See also|Virgin boy egg}}
= Emergency survival techniques =
Survival guides such as the US Army Field Manual, the SAS Survival Handbook,{{cite book |title=The SAS Survival Handbook |first=John "Lofty" |last=Wiseman |page=42 |quote=Warning: Urine and sea-water. Never drink either – Never!}} and others{{cite web|url=http://www.equipped.com/primer.htm|title=Equipped to Survive – A Survival Primer|access-date=May 26, 2016|archive-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230135005/http://www.equipped.com/primer.htm}}{{better source needed|date=September 2018}} generally advise against drinking urine for survival.{{cite web |title=Water Procurement |url=http://www.equipped.com/21-76/ch6.pdf |work=US Army Field Manual}} These guides state that drinking urine tends to worsen rather than relieve dehydration due to the salts in it, and that urine should not be consumed in a survival situation, even when no other fluid is available.
Aron Ralston drank urine when trapped for several days with his arm under a boulder.{{cite web |author=Mark |first=Jenkins |date=August 1, 2003 |title=Aron Ralston – Between a Rock and the Hardest Place |url=http://outsideonline.com/outside/features/200409/aron_ralston_9.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812150111/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/aron-ralston-between-rock-and-hardest-place/ |archive-date=August 12, 2021 |access-date=May 26, 2016 |work=Outside}} Survivalist television host Bear Grylls drank urine and encouraged others to do so on several episodes on his TV shows.{{•}} Thistlethwaite, Felicity (February 26, 2015). "[https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/560690/Bear-Grylls-Mission-Survive-celebrities-vomiting Stars vomit profusely after drinking their own urine on Bear Grylls: Mission Survive]". Daily Express. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210301180659/https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/560690/Bear-Grylls-Mission-Survive-celebrities-vomiting Archived] from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
{{Bullet}}Loughrey, Clarisse (December 18, 2015). "[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/obama-refused-to-drink-his-own-urine-on-bear-grylls-a6777991.html Obama refused to drink his own urine on Bear Grylls, 'It's not something I'd make a habit of]'". The Independent. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220309042836/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/obama-refused-to-drink-his-own-urine-on-bear-grylls-a6777991.html Archived] from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
{{Bullet}}Singh, Anita (May 31, 2014). "[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10867228/Bear-Grylls-Kids-please-dont-drink-your-own-urine.html Bear Grylls: Kids, please don't drink your own urine]". The Telegraph. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210326220932/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/10867228/Bear-Grylls-Kids-please-dont-drink-your-own-urine.html Archived] from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
= Medicine =
Historically, doctors would taste patients' urine to detect hyperglycemia.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
= Sexual activity =
{{Main article|Urolagnia|Soupeur}}
= Folk medicine =
{{Main article|Urine therapy}}
In various cultures{{Which|date=May 2025}}, alternative medicine can advocate the consumption of urine from various animals such as humans, camels, or cattle for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, but no evidence supports their use.[https://gizmodo.com/why-you-definitely-shouldnt-drink-your-own-pee-1648474064 Why You Definitely Shouldn't Drink Your Own Pee], Gizmodo, 22 Oct 2014{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/urine-the-bodys-own-health-drink-5335496.html |title=Urine: The body's own health drink? |newspaper=The Independent |date=21 February 2006 |author=Maxine Frith |access-date=2016-09-26}}
= Forced =
People may be forced to drink urine as a form of torture or humiliation, as in the case of a Dalit boy in Jaunpur, India, who in 2023 was accused by local youths of sexually harassing a girl.{{cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/up-horror-dalit-boy-thrashed-forced-to-drink-urine-eyebrows-shaved-allegedly-for-sexually-harassing-girl-in-jaunpur-video|title=UP Horror: Dalit Boy Thrashed, Forced To Drink Urine & Eyebrows Shaved Allegedly For Sexually Harassing Girl In Jaunpur; VIDEO}}{{Clarify|reason=was he made to drink it? did he make her drink it? why should we care about an isolated incident? is there historical precedent for this being a humiliation ritual?|date=May 2025}}
Consumption of urine by non-human animals
{{Needs expansion|date=June 2025}}
= Livestock =
{{See also|Reuse_of_human_excreta#Food_source_for_livestock}}
= Giraffes =
{{Main article|Giraffe#Reproduction_and_parental_care}}
Male giraffes taste the urine of females in order to detect fertility.{{Cite journal |last1=Pratt |first1=David M. |last2=and Anderson |first2=Virginia H. |date=1985-08-01 |title=Giraffe social behaviour |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00222938500770471 |journal=Journal of Natural History |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=771–781 |doi=10.1080/00222938500770471 |bibcode=1985JNatH..19..771P |issn=0022-2933|url-access=subscription }}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.westword.com/news/urine-therapy-explained-by-boulders-brother-sage-10983164 Urine Therapy explained by Boulder resident Brother Sage]
- [https://www.Shivambhu.org Shivambhu, non profit organization]