Cow urine: Difference between revisions

'''Cow urine''' is a liquid by-product of metabolism in cows. Cow urine is also used in medicine in [[India]], [[Myanmar]], and [[Nigeria]]. While cow urine and [[Panchagavya|cow dung]] have benefits as fertilizers, the proponents' claims about its curing diseases and cancer have no scientific backing.<ref name=Nelson/><ref>{{cite news |title= A cure for cancer – or just a very political animal? |author= Andrew Buncombe |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/a-cure-for-cancer-ndash-or-just-a-very-political-animal-2031253.html |newspaper= The Independent |date = 21 July 2010 |access-date=21 March 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/from-cure-in-cow-urine-to-superior-child-pseudoscience-inviting-research-118030200581_1.html |title = From cure in cow urine to 'superior child', pseudoscience inviting research |first=Ankur|last=Paliwal|date=3 March 2018|via=Business Standard|newspaper=Business Standard India|access-date=8 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008202044/https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/from-cure-in-cow-urine-to-superior-child-pseudoscience-inviting-research-118030200581_1.html |archive-date=8 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/cover-story/of-cowpathy-amp-its-miracles/article8994408.ece |title = Of 'cowpathy' & its miracles|first=R. |last=RAMACHANDRAN |website=Frontline}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/17/opinion/mr-modi-dont-patent-cow-urine.html |title=Mr. Modi, Don't Patent Cow Urine|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=2016-06-16|last1=Prabhala|first1=Achal|last2=Krishnaswamy|first2=Sudhir|access-date=9 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008202044/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/17/opinion/mr-modi-dont-patent-cow-urine.html|archive-date=8 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

==benefits and usage ==

[[File:Cow's urine used as a medical treatment in India Wellcome V0041323.jpg|thumb|260px|Cow's urine historically used as a treatment in India. A sick man is held over a cow's hindquarters so that the cow's urine streams onto his face.]]

According to [[Ayurveda]], Gomutra (cow urine) can cure [[leprosy]], fever, peptic ulcer, liver ailments, kidney disorders, [[Asthma]], certain allergies, skin problems like [[Psoriasis]], anaemia and even [[cancer]].<ref name="Sairam2008" /><ref name="Asthma">{{cite news|title=Cow urine aids treatment of cancer, asthma?|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-07-12/news/32648877_1_cow-urine-organic-farming-panchagavya|access-date=6 January 2015|work=[[The Economic Times]]|date=12 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106112102/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-07-12/news/32648877_1_cow-urine-organic-farming-panchagavya|archive-date=6 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> One of India's largest Ayurvedic companies, [[Patanjali Ayurved]], sells urine-based products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/15/asia/india-cow-urine-research/index.html|title=Why India's investigating cow urine|author=Huizhong Wu|website=CNN|access-date=2020-04-27}}</ref>

On 14 March 2020, a Hindu group ([[Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha]]) hosted a cow urine drinking party with over 200 people in attendance to ward off [[COVID-19]]. This urine drinking party was held weeks after a leader from India's North Eastern state of [[Assam]] told state lawmakers during an assembly that "cow urine and cow dung can be used to treat the [[coronavirus]]. Leaders from Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]]'s party had previously called for the use of cow urine as medicine and a cure for cancer.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite web|last1=Danish|first1=Siddiqui|title=Hindu group offers cow urine in a bid to ward off coronavirus|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-cow-urine-pa/hindu-group-offers-cow-urine-in-a-bid-to-ward-off-coronavirus-idUSKBN2110D5|website=Reuters|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=7 May 2020}}</ref>

 

In May 2021, two men in [[Manipur|Manipur, India]] were jailed for stating cow dung and urine and manure were not the cures for COVID-19. They had criticized the BJP on Facebook for recommending cow dung and urine and were arrested under India's [[National Security Act (India)|National Security Act]]. They were jailed for 45 days.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Two Men Have Been in Jail for 45 Days for Saying Cow Poop and Piss Can’t Cure COVID|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/dyv4vq/arrest-cow-poop-piss-covid-hindu-nationalism-modi-india|access-date=2021-07-06|website=www.vice.com|language=en}}</ref>

Cow urine is also used in [[Myanmar]] and [[Nigeria]] as a folk medicine.<ref name=Myanmar>{{cite news|title=An amazing cow's urine therapy practice in Myanmar|publisher=[[University of Toyama]]|hdl=10110/1993}}</ref><ref name=CowUrineonToad>{{cite journal|title=Effects of cow urine concoction and nicotine on the nerve-muscle preparation in common African toad Bufo regularis|journal=Biomedical Research|date=2005|volume=16|issue=3|pages=205–211}}</ref> 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 [[convulsion]]s in children.<ref name=CowUrineonToad/> This has resulted in the death of several children from respiratory depression.<ref name=KwaraWarns>{{cite news|title=Don't use cow urine to treat infant epilepsy, Kwara warns mothers|url=http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nnorth-east/118417-dont-use-cow-urine-to-treat-infant-epilepsy-kwara-warns-mothers.html|access-date=29 March 2015|work=Premium Times|date=2 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402140903/http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nnorth-east/118417-dont-use-cow-urine-to-treat-infant-epilepsy-kwara-warns-mothers.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Gomutra is used as a [[manure]] for production of rice.<ref name=Paddy>{{cite news|title=Farmer cultivates paddy with cow urine, dung |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/farmer-cultivates-paddy-with-cow-urine-dung/article4193671.ece |access-date=6 January 2015 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227052550/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/farmer-cultivates-paddy-with-cow-urine-dung/article4193671.ece|archive-date=27 December 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jeevamrutha]] is a fertilizer made from a mixture of cow urine, [[cow dung]], [[jaggery]], [[Pulse (legume)|pulse flour]] and [[rhizosphere]] soil.<ref name="SatyanarayanaJohri2012">{{cite book|author1=T. Satyanarayana|author2=Bhavdish Narain Johri|author3=Anil Prakash|title=Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture and Biotechnology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nMlHHCXVP0EC&pg=PA63|access-date=6 January 2015|date=2 January 2012|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-94-007-2214-9|page=63}}</ref>

The cow-urine (gomutra) has also been used in various researches for the preparation of gomutra emulsified diesel for C.I. engine application. The results found with such a newly synthesized emulsion were quite satisfactory for diesel exhaust emissions and engine efficiency.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=jhalani |first1=amit |last2=Sharma |first2=Dilip |last3=Soni |first3=Shyamlal |last4=Sharma |first4=Pushpendra Kumar |last5=Singh |first5=Digambar |title=Feasibility assessment of a newly prepared cow-urine emulsified diesel fuel for CI engine application |journal=Fuel |year=2021 |volume=288 |page=119713 |doi=10.1016/j.fuel.2020.119713 }}</ref>