Paresh Rawal swears by urine therapy; is it truly 'effective'?

Veteran actor and former BJP MP Paresh Rawal recently made a startling revelation that has made people view him in an entirely new light.

In a recent interview, Rawal revealed that after an injury, he was advised by late action director Veeru Devgan, father of Ajay Devgn, to drink his own urine for 15 days to speed up his recovery.

According to Rawal, the results were remarkable: doctors were astonished by the unexpected bone healing, with his hospital discharge happening significantly earlier than predicted.

His story has once again thrown the spotlight on urine therapy, an ancient practice both celebrated and criticised across cultures and centuries.

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How old is this practice?

The idea of drinking urine, known as urophagia, has existed for thousands of years.

Historically, urine therapy has roots stretching back thousands of years. Ancient Indian yogic texts, Egyptian papyri, Roman writings, and Chinese medical treatises have all referenced the consumption or topical use of urine for various ailments.

Closer home, former Prime Minister Morarji Desai famously endorsed the practice.

In a 1978 interview with journalist Dan Rather for CBS’s weekly news magazine 60 Minutes, Desai stated he drank "five to eight ounces" of his urine daily, when asked about the secret behind his sprightly health at the age of 82.

The revelation caused such a stir that the practice came to be popularly known as the “Morarji Cola"— a subtle reference to his government booting out Coca-Cola from the country in 1977.

What is urine made of?

Urine is primarily composed of water (95 per cent), with the remainder being urea (2 per cent), salts, minerals, hormones, and waste products filtered out by the kidneys. Essentially, it is the body’s way of expelling substances it does not need.

How effective is urine therapy?

Despite the enthusiastic endorsements from prominent figures, modern science views urine therapy with scepticism.

A 2010 editorial in the Pan African Medical Journal sharply criticised the practice, noting that while urine may occasionally be the cleanest available liquid in extreme survival situations, it offers no proven medical benefits in normal circumstances.

The editorial warned against using urine for treating ailments, especially in vulnerable populations, citing lack of evidence and potential risks.

Similarly, Dr René Sotelo, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, has stressed that there is "no scientific basis" for claims that drinking urine can treat conditions like cancer, hair loss, infections, or cardiovascular issues.

What are the risks involved?

Mainstream medical communities do not endorse urine therapy as it lacks scientific evidence.

Doctors caution that reintroducing waste materials into the body can strain the kidneys and risk bacterial infections, particularly if the urine is contaminated.

Moreover, for people taking medications, drinking their urine could cause unpredictable drug interactions and could cause toxic levels of these drugs to build up in the body.

Drinking urine means you have to urinate more water than you get from it, which speeds up dehydration – it’s similar to drinking seawater.

What does WHO say about urine therapy?

The WHO has further advised people against drinking camel urine, noting that they should employ “common sense” measures when it comes to hygiene.

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Is urine useful in survival scenarios?

Yes, in survival scenarios, urine has occasionally been used to treat wounds or as a last resort for hydration. During World War I, soldiers trapped in trenches sometimes resorted to drinking their own urine.

Even today, NASA has technologies that recycle urine into drinkable water aboard the International Space Station — although it is heavily filtered and purified before consumption.

But, in all these cases, the circumstances are extreme. And critically, modern urine recycling systems remove toxins and waste products, making the end product fundamentally different from raw, unfiltered urine.

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How Ayurveda uses urine?

The AAYUSH Ministry recently revealed that it was seriously working on the use of cow urine as a treatment for cancer.

In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, urine is used to treat asthma, allergies, indigestion, wrinkles and even cancer.

Why urine therapy remains popular?

Part of the reason for the enduring popularity of urine therapy could lie in the naturalistic fallacy — the belief that anything 'natural' must automatically be good for health.

Advocates argue that urine is sterile when fresh and only develops odour and bacterial contamination over time. They also point to cases like Desai’s longevity (he lived to 99) as anecdotal evidence.

Jagdish Bhurani, the author of many books on urine therapy, claims that he has treated and cured thousands of people with incurable diseases using urine therapy, leaving them with better results than they would find through conventional treatments.

From Covid-19 to cancer, Bhurani maintains that urine therapy is the best solution to all of life’s physical ailments.

Bhurani adds that a healthy diet is also key, with substances like chilli and garlic tainting the smell and taste of one’s discharge. Once collected the urine can be stored for up to two days in the open and up to a week once refrigerated, although, if possible, it is best consumed fresh.

In the final analysis...

However, critics counter that longevity and good health are influenced by a complex mix of factors — diet, genetics, environment, and lifestyle — rather than any single, sensational habit.

The mainstream medical consensus remains clear: urine therapy is not backed by scientific evidence. No major medical body recommends drinking urine as a health practice.

For those drawn to alternative healing methods, it is advisable to rely on proven, evidence-based treatments.

While ancient traditions carry cultural weight, when it comes to health, science and safety should ideally prevail.

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