Cow urine, gomutra or gōmēz is a liquid by-product of metabolism in cows. It has a sacred role in Zoroastrianism and some forms of Hinduism.

Cow urine is used as medicine in some places of India, Myanmar, and Nigeria. While cow urine and cow dung have benefits as fertilizers, the proponents' claims about its curing diseases and cancer have no scientific backing.[1][2][3][4][5]

Usage

Cow's urine historically used as a treatment in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. A sick man is held over a cow's hindquarters so that the cow's urine streams onto his face.

Folk medicine

Cow urine

Some Hindus claim that cow urine has a special significance as a medicinal drink.[6][1] The sprinkling of cow urine is said to have a spiritual cleansing effect as well.[7][8]

Cow urine is used for attempted therapeutic purposes in ancient Ayurvedic medicine.[9][10] Urine of a pregnant cow is considered special; it is claimed to contain special hormones and minerals.[9] According to ayurvedas, Gomutra (cow urine) can cure leprosy, fevers, peptic ulcers, liver ailments, kidney disorders, asthma, certain allergies, psoriasis, anaemia and even cancer.[10][11] One of India's largest Ayurvedic companies, Patanjali Ayurved, sells urine-based products.[12]

The purported medicinal benefits of cow urine lack scientific substantiation and rigorous empirical evidence. Claims suggesting that cow urine can cure various ailments or possess unique therapeutic properties are not supported by robust clinical trials or research.[1][2][3][4][5]

Cow urine is also used in Myanmar and Nigeria as a folk medicine.[13][14] In Nigeria, a concoction of leaves of tobacco, garlic and lemon basil juice, rock salt and cow urine is used in an attempt to treat convulsions in children.[14] This has resulted in the death of several children from respiratory depression.[15]

As a floor cleaner

A floor-cleaning fluid called Gaunyle is marketed by an organisation called Holy Cow Foundation.[16] Maneka Gandhi, Women and Child Development Minister, has proposed that Gaunyle be used instead of Phenyl in government offices.[17] In May 2015, Rajendra Singh Rathore, Medical and Health Minister of Rajasthan, inaugurated a ₹40 million (US$500,000) cow-urine refinery in Jalore.[18][19] The refinery was set up by Parthvimeda Gau Pharma Pvt. Ltd. which produces a floor cleaner called Gocleaner.[19]

In organic farming

Jeevamrutha storage cans

Gomutra is used as a manure for production of rice.[20] Jeevamrutha is a fertilizer made from a mixture of cow urine, cow dung, jaggery, pulse flour and rhizosphere soil.[21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dean Nelson (11 February 2009). "India makes cola from cow urine". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Andrew Buncombe (21 July 2010). "A cure for cancer – or just a very political animal?". The Independent. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  3. 1 2 Paliwal, Ankur (3 March 2018). "From cure in cow urine to 'superior child', pseudoscience inviting research". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019 – via Business Standard.
  4. 1 2 RAMACHANDRAN, R. (17 August 2016). "Of 'cowpathy' & its miracles". Frontline.
  5. 1 2 Prabhala, Achal; Krishnaswamy, Sudhir (16 June 2016). "Mr. Modi, Don't Patent Cow Urine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  6. ↑ Ben Burrows (13 January 2014). "Pictured: A very few Indian Hindu worshippers drink COW URINE to help prevent cancer". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Kamadhenu Sutra". Outlook India. 10 March 2003. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Teachers "purify" students with cow urine". Reuters. 23 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  9. 1 2 N. H. Sahasrabudhe; R. D. Mahatme (2000). Mystic Science of Vastu. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 978-81-207-2206-4. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  10. 1 2 T V Sairam (16 January 2008). The Penguin Dictionary of Alternative Medicine. Penguin Books Limited. p. 311. ISBN 978-93-5118-127-9. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  11. ↑ "Cow urine aids treatment of cancer, asthma?". The Economic Times. 12 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Huizhong Wu (15 February 2017). "Why India's investigating cow urine". CNN. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "An amazing cow's urine therapy practice in Myanmar". University of Toyama. hdl:10110/1993.
  14. 1 2 "Effects of cow urine concoction and nicotine on the nerve-muscle preparation in common African toad Bufo regularis". Biomedical Research. 16 (3): 205–211. 2005.
  15. ↑ "Don't use cow urine to treat infant epilepsy, Kwara warns mothers". Premium Times. 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  16. ↑ "Use cow urine to clean offices, says Maneka Gandhi". The Times of India. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  17. ↑ "Cow urine cleaner to replace phenyl in government offices". India Today. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Cow-urine refinery inaugurated at Jalore". Deccan Herald. 3 May 2015. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  19. 1 2 "Cow urine to be used to clean Rajasthan government hospitals". India Today. 5 May 2015. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  20. ↑ "Farmer cultivates paddy with cow urine, dung". The Hindu. 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  21. ↑ T. Satyanarayana; Bhavdish Narain Johri; Anil Prakash (2 January 2012). Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture and Biotechnology. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 63. ISBN 978-94-007-2214-9. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
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