What happens when you drink your own urine asked Max

By Meril Haseen

Any negative effects from drinking your own urine
...asked Max. Apparently, you shouldn't drink your own wee unless you are a vegetarian or vegan who abstains from drugs (meat-eaters produce urine with high levels of potentially harmful urea, which allegedly tastes disgusting).

Isn't urine just a waste product
Not entirely. Urine, which consists almost entirely of water, is completely sterile when it leaves the body. Its chief waste product is urea, a substance formed from the breakdown of proteins. It also contains minute quantities of various chemicals, such as amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and minerals.

Are there any health benefits
Well, auto-urine therapy, as it's known, is said to boost the immune system, cure migraines and other chronic conditions, stave off a cold and work wonders on eyesight problems. It's claimed that it can work wonders on skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis. You can apply it directly for athlete's foot, bee stings and jellyfish stings. And you can gargle it for toothache and gum disease. However, drinking wee is particularly recommended for its anti-ageing properties.

How does that work
One simply drinks the mid-stream part of the first wee of the morning to retain one's youthful looks.

Would your GP recommend it
As you might expect, the orthodox medical profession is extremely sceptical. However, drinking one's own urine has been relatively common in India for centuries, and the Greeks and Romans favoured it for all sorts of ailments.

Is there any evidence that it works
There was some research in the early 1990s at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, which showed that urine is a cure for jet lag because it contains the hormone melatonin. Drunk first thing in the morning, it can, claim the researchers, calm and refresh the system, creating for patients the illusion that they have just had a good night's sleep.

Isn't it an acquired taste
Devotees claim that it doesn't taste as bad as you might imagine. Early morning urine tastes somewhat salty and bitter, but as the day goes on, it becomes almost tasteless. You can mix it with fruit juice until you get used to the flavour.

Does anyone admit to drinking it
The actress Sarah Miles is famous for it, as was the author J.D. Salinger. Most people keep quiet...

Where can I find out more
The Chinese Association of Urine Therapy can fill you in.

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