SHOULD you be throwing away your urine? Believe it or not, clinical studies have shown urine — otherwise called fountain of youth or shivambu — to be a consistent source of a variety of antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and other natural chemicals that will regulate and control body functions and combat imbalances.

Thanks to science and technology, we are able to examine our urine and know that it consists of 95 per cent water, 2.5 per cent urea, and the remaining 2.5 per cent is a mixture of minerals, salt, hormones, and enzymes.

Now urine is being accepted as more than a toxic waste. It is becoming another commonplace medicine as it is used in the manufacture of hormones, diuretics, and cancer-fighting drugs by pharmaceutical companies. Because we do not read the labels we miss the fact that the urea in urine is used in many face and skin creams and is one of the best moisturisers available.

Dr Evangelos Danopouolos of Greece reported that urea, found in urine, has anti-cancerous properties. The urea seems to disrupt the ability of cancer cells to group together and kills them by upsetting some of their normal metabolic activities.

Urine therapy has been used to treat cancers of the skin, cervix, lungs, eyes, breast, and liver in many countries around the world.

Many Jamaican mothers can attest to the benefit of urine when cleaning bacteria from the tongue of newborn babies. Additionally whitlow or fungus in the nail has been cured with a 15-minute bath in one’s own urine.

I remember days by the seaside when we laughed at the sight of people being saved from the believed deadly effect of a sea animal’s sting by bathing in their own urine.

Undoubtedly, we could find may other stories related to the healing benefits of the more than 200 different chemicals present in urine that help to heal, like comfrey, aloe vera, sleeping pills, or sex-regulating drugs. Freely, we can test our own.

Getting use to urine medicine

Mid-stream morning urine is the most potent and should be consumed within 15 minutes of collection. If you are curious about trying urine for medicine, here are some simple ways:

1. Taste it and detect the salt, sugar, urea, or other medicinal properties of your own urine.

2. Try its vaccine-like effect on insect bites or its benefit on people suffering from HIV/AIDS and for ear or eye infections

3. Clean the tongue of newborn babies.

4. Diluted drops is healing to people with multiple sclerosis, colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis, hyperactivity, pancreatic insufficiency, psoriasis, eczema, diabetes, herpes, mononucleosis, adrenal failure, allergies, and many other ailments.

5. Dr John Armstrong, author of The Water of Life, emphasises the need to massage with urine. He insists that cures work faster and more effectively in those who are bathed, massaged, rubbed, and soaked in their own urine.

He highly recommends it for more serious illnesses, since urine is absorbed through the skin and the hormonal and protein-based contents are slowly reabsorbed into the system, bypassing digestive juices that otherwise may have neutralised their potency. In this way, it also works as an excellent cosmetic for moisturising and healing skin blemishes, burns and scar tissue.

However, for this usage, it is preferable to use urine that is four to eight days old. The smell of ammonia in the old urine is not toxic but actually beneficial if used topically only, and not taken internally.

Truly this is like rediscovering the medicinal benefits of coconut oil with prostate cancer or cholesterol problems and marijuana benefits to diabetics.

Maureen Minto is the chief naturopathic consultant at the Healthy Living Herbal Clinic and president of the Caribbean Natural Remedies Association. Contact her at 940-1197 or e-mail healthylivingjamaica@gmail.com