No scientific evidence supports that drinking urine can protect you from COVID-19. Drinking urine can actually be harmful to your health. Experts say staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines can be the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19.
It’s a common trope in many survival movies. A person who’s lost in the woods or stranded at sea drinks their own urine to stave off dehydration.
Drinking urine for medicinal purposes, also called urine therapy, has been
You may have recently heard of urine therapy for COVID-19. But drinking urine won’t protect you from COVID-19. In fact, it may actually harm you. Keep reading to find out why.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people have stated that drinking urine can protect you from COVID-19.
But no scientific evidence supports this claim.
As of writing this, PubMed, a resource containing
In fact, a 2016 research review noted that “much of what we have heard about the use of urine therapy has no medical basis, and is folk remedy that can actually worsen the injury.”
In addition to not protecting you against COVID-19, drinking urine is potentially harmful to your health. Let’s explore why.
Urine is waste
Urine itself is waste. Your
- urea and uric acid
- creatinine
- excess electrolytes, sugars, and vitamins
- proteins
- hormones
- medications and recreational drugs
Simply put, drinking urine reintroduces unneeded substances back into your body. This means that your body will need to filter them out all over again, which may lead to unnecessary strain or damage to your kidneys.
Drinking urine can dehydrate you
Remember the concept of drinking urine for survival? It may seem counterintuitive, but rather than preventing dehydration, drinking urine may dehydrate you further.
While it’s true that urine is
Additionally, more concentrated urine, such as when you’re dehydrated, contains even more salt and other waste substances.
As such, the Department of Defense noted in a survival handbook that urine must not substitute as a water source due to its salt content and potentially harmful body wastes.
Urine isn’t sterile
You may have heard that urine is sterile. But that’s not necessarily true.
Studies have
- E. coli
- Klebsiella species
- Pseudomonas species
- Salmonella species
- Shigella species
- Staphylococcus species
A
Cow urine and dung for COVID-19
People haven’t just advocated the use of human urine to treat COVID-19. A
According to the report, people have used cow urine and dung in India and other countries for wellness since ancient times. However, it also represents a significant public health concern.
There’s no scientific evidence to support using cow urine or dung to treat COVID-19, and various diseases can spread through this method, including ringworm, Q-fever, and salmonellosis.
Experts say the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 can be to stay up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized or approved
In addition to getting vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that you can also
- avoiding physical contact with people who have or might have COVID-19
- washing your hands frequently
- moving group activities outside, if possible
- improving ventilation indoors
- wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing, if necessary
Should you become ill with COVID-19, the FDA has authorized or approved
- molnupiravir (Lagevrio)
- nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (Paxlovid)
- remdesivir (Veklury)
There’s so much health information available online, and it can sometimes be difficult to tell what’s true and what’s false. When looking at health information online, always ask yourself the five W’s:
Who?
Who runs the site that you’re on? Is it run by a government, medical, or educational institution? Or does a social media influencer run it?
A reputable site should list who’s running it, their credentials, and whether they have any affiliations.
Also, who reviews the information on the site to ensure that it’s accurate? Ideally, an expert in the field needs to review health information for accuracy.
What?
What claims is the site making? Do you feel the site is trying to sell you on a specific idea or product?
When?
When was the information published, and when did an expert last review it? Verify that the source has up-to-date information, not information that’s several years old.
Where?
Where does the site’s information come from? Is it based on peer-reviewed research or anecdotal?
People must base online health information on accepted medical standards and the findings of peer-reviewed scientific research. A reputable site will list sources, so be sure to check them out.
Why?
Why does the site or page exist? Is it geared toward providing general health information? Or is it promoting a specific idea or product?
When in doubt, ask your doctor
If you have questions or concerns about health information you’ve found online, raise them with a doctor. They can address any questions or reservations you may have.
There’s no scientific evidence that drinking urine can protect you from COVID-19. In fact, it may hurt you.
Drinking urine reintroduces potentially harmful wastes back into your body and can also contain bacteria. Additionally, the salt in urine can promote dehydration.
Experts say the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 can be to get the COVID-19 vaccine. If you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination, be sure to raise them with a medical professional.