Urine is the body’s liquid waste product, created when the kidneys filter the blood to remove substances the body no longer needs. Whether a person should drink urine is no, as the practice is unsafe and strongly discouraged by medical and survival experts. Ingesting this waste material reintroduces contaminants and metabolic byproducts that the body has actively worked to eliminate, presenting a health risk rather than a source of hydration.
What Urine is Made Of
Human urine is an aqueous solution, making up between 91% and 96% of its total volume. Despite this high water content, the remaining percentage is composed of a complex mixture of waste compounds and dissolved solids. These solutes are the materials the body has filtered out because they are in excess or are the end products of cellular metabolism.
The largest non-water component is urea, a nitrogen-rich compound. Urea is formed in the liver from ammonia, and its excretion is one of the kidney’s primary functions. Other prominent dissolved components include inorganic salts, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, along with creatinine, a waste product generated by muscle activity.
Urine also contains trace amounts of a wide variety of other substances, including hormones, vitamins, organic acids, and various metabolites. The concentration of all these components varies depending on a person’s diet, hydration level, and overall health status. This variability means that urine is a constantly changing cocktail of bodily waste.
Immediate Health Risks of Ingestion
Consuming urine risks the reintroduction of biological waste and potential pathogens. Modern research has shown that even the urine of healthy individuals contains low levels of bacteria. The fluid becomes contaminated with various bacteria from the urethra and surrounding skin as it exits the body.
Reintroducing these microorganisms into the gastrointestinal tract can lead to infections or severe gastrointestinal distress, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The body’s detoxification system has already filtered out metabolic wastes, such as urea and creatinine. Consuming these concentrated wastes forces the kidneys to process them a second time, placing unnecessary strain on the organs.
For individuals taking medications, drinking urine also presents the risk of reabsorbing drug metabolites that the body was clearing. The kidney’s filtration process removes trace environmental toxins that have been absorbed or produced internally. Ingesting urine effectively defeats the purpose of the body’s waste-removal process.
The Counterproductive Effect on Hydration
Drinking urine is counterproductive because of its high concentration of solutes. The concentration of dissolved substances makes urine hypertonic relative to the body’s blood and tissues. This high concentration creates an osmotic pressure gradient.
When a hypertonic fluid is ingested, the kidneys must work to excrete the newly introduced solutes to maintain internal balance. To process and flush out this excess salt and urea, the kidneys require water, which is drawn from the body’s existing fluid reserves. This process is known as osmotic diuresis.
The water gained from drinking the urine is less than the water required to excrete its high salt and urea load. This loss accelerates dehydration and can lead to hypernatremia, a high concentration of sodium in the blood. Severe hypernatremia can cause neurological symptoms and acute kidney injury.
Addressing the Survival Myth
The idea that drinking urine is a survival tactic is a myth, often fueled by media portrayals. This notion is rejected by survival experts and medical professionals due to the health risks. The potential for bacterial contamination and accelerated dehydration make it a poor choice.
In a true survival scenario, a person’s urine would already be highly concentrated, having a high salt and waste content. Ingesting this highly hypertonic fluid would rapidly deplete the body’s remaining water stores. Survival guides consistently advise that the body’s limited water should be conserved by minimizing exertion and seeking alternative, potable water sources, rather than recycling waste.