Debunking Urine Therapy

Believers in this controversial "therapy" claim that the regular ingestion of one's own urine provides "an invaluable source of nourishment and healing" that can, according to believers, treat (and even cure) everything from allergies to cancer. But before you jump on the pro-urine bandwagon, take a few moments to ask yourself if these claims are really all they're cracked up to be.

Myth: We're conditioned to believe that urine is "dirty" and that's why urine therapy isn't practiced more in the U.S.

Fact: Modern medicine has long recognized that healthy urine is sterile until it meets microorganisms outside the body. If urine therapy is met with skepticism in the country, it's because urine therapy is unproven and based more on shock value than real science.

Myth: Double-blind studies prove that urine is effective at reducing allergies.

Fact: Popularized by author Martha Christy, this myth twists scientific fact to suit urine drinkers' agendas. The fact is, there is no credible scientific evidence that re-consuming one's own urine is beneficial.

Myth: Urine isn't waste.

Fact: Urine IS a waste product. Urine contains substances that your body either didn't need or couldn't use the first time you consumed them. What possible purpose could be served by re-consumming them?

Myth: Drinking your own urine is safe. Because it's a creation of your own body, it can't hurt you.

Fact: Even the largest pro-urine organization in the world, The Chinese Association of Urine Therapy, warns against side-effects including diarrhea, fever and infection.

The fact is, no credible scientific evidence exists to support these absurd claims, despite what proponents of urine therapy say. And contrary to what many pro-urine supporters believe, urine is a waste product. There's simply nothing to be gained by re-consuming something your body couldn't use the first time.

After looking at all the evidence, it's clear that while urine therapy is probably safe for most people, the only thing urine therapy actually cures is a social taboo.