Urophagia 1881547 225570718 2008-07-14T10:44:36Z SmackBot 433328 Date the maintenance tags or general fixes {{Nofootnotes|date=February 2008}} {{For|the sexual attraction to urine|Urolagnia}} '''Urophagia''' is the consumption of [[urine]]. ==Health issues== Urophagia is generally considered harmless, since the urine of healthy individuals is [[sterilization (microbiology)|sterile]]. However, a small risk exists if there is a disease present, or [[bacterial infection]] of the [[urethra]]. There may also be secondary effects, such as skin [[rash]]es in individuals sensitive to urine. <ref>[http://www.depression-guide.com/urolagnia.htm Urolagnia Sexual Disorders]</ref> The main dangers are the high [[salt]] and [[mineral]] content. The high salt content usually does not pose a problem if the urine is sufficiently diluted and not consumed in mass quantities. The effect of the high salt may be mitigated by drinking some water after consuming urine. The urine may be diluted if the person whose urine will be consumed drinks some water (or diet soda, see below) an hour or so before the act. Many people into [[BDSM]] drink beer before the act{{Fact|date=July 2008}} because it dilutes any unpleasant chemicals in the urine, and alcohol acts as a [[diuretic]], stimulating the body to excrete more urine than it normally would.<ref>[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=438648 STUDIES ON ALCOHOL DIURESIS. I. THE EFFECT OF ETHYL ALCOHOL INGESTION ON WATER, ELECTROLYTE AND ACID-BASE METABOLISM. Milton E. Rubini,3 Charles R. Kleeman, and Ezra Lamdi]</ref> Since [[artificial sweetener]]s are excreted in urine, consuming artificial sweetener before urine play can lend a sweet taste to the urine. Drinking diet soda, or other beverages containing artificial sweetener, before urine play will have the dual effect of diluting the urine and sweetening it. However, if the taste of [[sugar]] is detected in an individual's urine, and it is known that artificial sweetener has not been consumed, this may be a sign of [[diabetes]] and a doctor should be consulted. [[Asparagus]], on the other hand, gives urine an unpleasant smell with about 40–79% of people.<ref>[http://allergyadvisor.com/Educational/April03.htm| Allergy Advisor.com] provides the following citations (accessed [[3 July]] [[2006]]): * Mitchell SC. Asparagus and malodorous urine. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1989 May;27(5):641–2. * Richer C, Decker N, Belin J, Imbs JL, Montastruc JL, Giudicelli JF. Odorous urine in man after asparagus. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1989 May;27(5):640–641. * White RH. Occurrence of S-methyl thioesters in urines of humans after they have eaten asparagus. Science 1975 [[5 September]];189(4205):810–11. * Mitchell SC. Food idiosyncrasies: beetroot and asparagus. Drug Metab Dispos 2001;29:539–43. * Mitchell SC, Waring RH, Land D, Thorpe WV. Odorous urine following asparagus ingestion in man. Experientia 1987 [[15 April]];43(4):382–3. * http://www.webmd.com/content/article/43/1671_51089</ref> The participants should use caution or avoid drinking urine if one or both of them are taking [[vitamin]] or mineral supplements or medication, since elements of these can be excreted in urine.<ref>[http://www.depression-guide.com/urolagnia.htm Urolagnia Sexual Disorders]</ref> Urine of persons who are ill, or regularly take medication, should generally not be consumed. In special cases (e.g. chronic illness of the partner), a medical doctor should be consulted to clarify whether the urine of the chronically ill or medicated person may be consumed without endangering one's health, or not.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} If put through a house hold water filter, the urine will become odorless and taste much like water.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} ==Survival== It has been suggested that when a person is in desert survival or surrounded by salt water and devoid of drinking water that the person must resort to drinking his/her own urine if it is the only liquid available.<ref>http://www.discoverychannelasia.com/i_shouldnt_be_alive/tips/index.shtml</ref> As it tends to cause further dehydration due to the salts in it, drinking urine for survival is advised against by the US Army Field Manual<ref>[http://www.equipped.com/21-76/ch6.pdf acg7023.tmp<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, the head of the Texas Urological Society<ref>http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/07/08/0708consumer.html</ref>, and numerous survival instructors and guides<ref>[http://www.simplesurvival.net/water.htm water<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://trackertrail.com/publications/motherearthnews/72/index.html Tracker Trail - Mother Earth News - Issue #72<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.equipped.com/primer.htm EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE (tm) - A Survival Primer<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.adventuresportsonline.com/5basic.htm Five Basic Survival Skills in the Wilderness<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.hikepa.com/gear/reviews/survival_gear.htm Survival Gear<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.wilderness-survival.net/sea-1.php Wilderness Survival: Sea Survival - The Open Sea<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, while the Discovery Channel advises it.<ref>http://www.discoverychannelasia.com/i_shouldnt_be_alive/tips/index.shtml</ref> [[Aron Ralston]] claims to have used the technique when trapped for several days with his arm under a boulder.<ref>[http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200409/aron_ralston_9.html Aron Ralston | Outside Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Bear Grylls]] of the Discovery Channel's [[Man vs. Wild]] drank his own urine while he was in the Outback of Australia.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038932/ "Man vs. Wild" Kimberley, Australia (2007)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Alternatively [[Les Stroud]] on [[Survivorman]] drank water evaporated from urine that he produced using a [[solar still]] but advised against drinking pure urine. As a human being can only survive without water for about three days, drinking urine probably would extend life for only one to two extra days. However, these two extra days might mean death or life under extreme conditions. Several people saved themselves by drinking their own urine during Sichuan Earthquake in China (2008).{{Fact|date=June 2008}} ==Alternative medicine/Practices== :<div class="noprint">''Main article{{#if:{{{2|}}}|s}}&#58; [[Urine therapy|{{{l1|Urine therapy}}}]]{{#if:{{{2| }}} |{{#if:{{{3|}}}|,&#32;|&#32;and&#32;}}[[{{{2}}}|{{{l2|{{{2}}}}}}]]}}{{#if:{{{3|}}} |{{#if:{{{4|}}}|,&#32;|,&#32;and&#32;}}[[{{{3}}}|{{{l3|{{{3}}}}}}]]}}{{#if:{{{4|}}} |{{#if:{{{5|}}}|,&#32;|,&#32;and&#32;}}[[{{{4}}}|{{{l4|{{{4}}}}}}]]}}{{#if:{{{5|}}} |, and [[{{{5}}}|{{{l5|{{{5}}}}}}]]}}''{{#if:{{{6| }}}|&#32; (too many parameters in &#123;&#123;[[Template:main|main]]&#125;&#125;)}}</div> In countries such as [[India]] and [[China]], it is considered normal by some groups to drink your own urine for health and cosmetic purposes. This health branch of drinking urine is considered to be labeled as [[Urine therapy]]. Also, an old method of teeth-whitening during the [[Renaissance]] involved the consumption of urine, though it needn't be, and wasn't always necessarily, that of the user.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} ===Teeth whitening=== In Roman times, there was a tradition among the Gauls to use urine to whiten teeth. A famous poem by the Roman poet [[Catullus]], criticizing a Gaul named Egnatius, reads: <blockquote> Egnatius, because he has snow-white teeth, smiles all the time. If you’re a defendant in court, when the counsel draws tears, he smiles: if you’re in grief at the pyre of pious sons, the lone lorn mother weeping, he smiles. Whatever it is, wherever it is, whatever he’s doing, he smiles: he’s got a disease, neither polite, I would say, nor charming. So a reminder to you, from me, good Egnatius. If you were a Sabine or Tiburtine or a fat Umbrian, or plump Etruscan, or dark toothy Lanuvian, or from north of the Po, and I’ll mention my own Veronese too, or whoever else clean their teeth religiously, I’d still not want you to smile all the time: there’s nothing more foolish than foolishly smiling. Now you’re Spanish: in the country of Spain what each man pisses, he’s used to brushing his teeth and red gums with, every morning, so the fact that your teeth are so polished just shows you’re the more full of piss. <ref>http://www.adkline.freeuk.com/Catullus.htm#_Toc531846764</ref><ref>[http://www.classics.und.ac.za/reviews/0226nap.htm 02-26nap<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref></blockquote> ==Ceremonial== {{Expand-section|date=May 2008}} The [[Koryaks|Koryak]] people of [[Siberia]] drink urine in conjunction with their ceremonial use of the [[psychoactive]] ''[[Amanita muscaria]]'' (commonly known as ''fly agaric'') mushroom. The active [[alkaloid]]s are unchanged as they pass through the human body, allowing the urine to retain the [[intoxicate|intoxicating]] effects of the mushroom.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Refbegin}} *[http://www.freedomdomain.com/health/Not-Uns.html NOTHING UNSCIENTIFIC ABOUT URINE THERAPY By Dr. B. V. Khare (Surgeon, Urologiest)] *"Rakshank" written by Dr Rakshak Mal Lodha. Email:- rakshakmal@yahoo.com {{Refend}} ==See also== *[[Urine]] ''Urine'' *[[Urea]] ''Ingredient in Urine'' *[[Urine therapy]] *[[Urolagnia]] ''Sexual attraction to Urine'' *[http://groups.google.com/group/The_Urineist_Society The Urineist Society]: THE URINEIST SOCIETY: Practitioners of urotherapy, urophagia & urolagnia. (A Google Group) [[Category:Survival skills]] [[Category:Pica (disorder)]] [[Category:Urine]] [[de:Uropotie]] [[ja:飲尿]] [[ru:Урофагия]]