ippocrates (460-377 B.C.), namesake of the Hippocratic oath, was the first in the Western world to record and teach the practice of uropoty (the drinking of urine). The theory of urine therapy states: In the excreted urine all the body's experiences -- physical and psychological -- are collected. Reintroducing the urine to the body forces the body's immune system to confront the same experiences a second time, which gives it a second incentive to deal with the problem.

Urine functions as a nosode, a small impulse of disease that, when introduced to the body, triggers the healing powers of the immune system. From homeopathy the principle of "healing like with like" is well-known. Today's vaccinations work on the same principle: A small impulse of an illness is introduced to the body to trigger its massive defense mechanism. In the case of immunizations one can obtain protection lasting for decades; when using urine therapy a refreshment is recommended after one year, or sometimes after just half a year.

The Death of Prejudice

Fear about urine is conditioned and irrational. The following prejudices must be overcome:

1. Urine is full of germs.

In the first fifteen minutes after leaving the body, urine is absolutely sterile for the producer's own body. Only after this period do the germs begin their work. However, they are not dangerous at all, and can even be beneficial for external applications.

2. Urine smells.

After a while the uric acid in urine changes into ammonia, and only then does the urine start to smell. However, the smell will evaporate completely if the urine gets absorbed into the skin, or if, for example, it is used in the household on window glass and is thoroughly wiped off afterward.

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3. Urine is a waste product.

How can it make sense to reintroduce into the body a fluid that it just has expended considerable effort to eliminate? A short and simple explanation: Urine comprises the sum of all the experiences that the body has had (much as our individual personalities comprise the sum of our experience). Records of disturbances, infections, diseases, and allergies are stored within our urine. If we confront our immune system with this information for a second time, we stimulate the construction of a (finally) effective defense. Urine therefore teaches the immune system a lesson.

4. Urine develops an unpleasant odor on the skin.

This is not true. It is, however, necessary for the fluid to be completely absorbed. If, for example, you make compresses, I recommend an animal fiber like wool rather than cotton, since the urine will not develop an odor in animal fibers while it will smell in cotton (as we know from cotton diapers). Urine should certainly not be used with synthetic fibers.

5. Urine contains viruses and bacteria.

Our own urine doesn't contain any viruses or bacteria that really could harm us because those have already been filtered out by the liver. And the remaining ones are exactly the ones that the body should fight with the help of urine therapy.

6. Urine tastes bad.

Healthy urine, especially the first evacuation in the morning, always tastes salty and bitter. This taste, however, will not be conducted through the capillaries of the tongue, but solely through the nose. If you pinch your nose while drinking, you will not taste anything.

7. Urine is responsible for diaper rash.

This is absolute nonsense, on which the diaper industry gets rich. Urine does not harm a baby's buttocks. A sore bottom is caused solely by the infant's diet or by the diet of the nursing mother.

THE DRINKING OF YOUR OWN URINE

"Me? Drink Urine? Never!" Many patients have exclaimed these words when their therapist has suggested this form of treatment. However, the fact remains, everybody has done it before, namely in the mother's womb. The embryo has its own metabolism from the very beginning, which is connected to the mother's circulatory system. The baby gets rid of its urine just as any other human does. Therefore it also swallows its own urine constantly through the amniotic fluid. The history of humankind proves that it has not harmed anybody so far. Also, medicine has known for three thousand years that urine can be very beneficial to the small being. The Ebers Papyrus -- an Egyptian book on medicine written about 1000 B.C., with a total of fifty-five recipes for urine therapy -- proves this fact.

STILL SKEPTICAL? DO THE TEST!

Now it's time to take a risk and start. Forget all the thoughts that you have connected with urine since the beginning of your life. The next time you have to go to the bathroom, hold your index finger in the stream of urine. Let the liquid drip off a little and smell it. Don't be afraid: I promise you, you won't smell a thing!

Now, can you gather up even a little more courage? Then rub some of the urine on the back of your hand and wait as long as you can before you wash your hands again. You will discover that no odor will develop on your skin either. The moistened area, however, will feel softer and smoother.

Are you even more courageous? Then touch your urine-covered finger with your tongue -- just very quickly. Does it taste salty? That's normal. The morning urine is especially bitter. The more fluid you take in during the day, the more "mild" the taste of urine.

FOR THE REAL SKEPTICS

The most important prerequisite for urine therapy is this: The only people eligible for the internal use of the self-urine therapy are the ones whose bladder, kidneys, and genitals are absolutely healthy. In case of a bladder infection, a sexually transmitted disease, or the intake of certain medications (cortisone, strong pain relievers, psychopharmaceuticals, antibiotics, insulin), urine should only be used externally. Talk with your physician to see if such medications could be reduced or discontinued in favor of urine therapy.

THE FIRST STEP

Do you have by any chance a small injury anywhere on your body, a rash, a blister, or something similar? While urinating, rub some fresh urine on it several times a day. Within a short time this spot will heal. Maybe this experience will help you gain some trust in your own juice.

THE SECOND STEP

Now that you have gotten over your initial disgust, can you expect even more from yourself?

Take a very clean glass. In the morning, right after getting up, try to urinate in three steps. That may sound somewhat silly, but it is meant quite seriously. The first urine to pass through the urethra cleans the passageway thoroughly. You should not collect these expelled substances. Pause briefly, position the glass, and let the urine pour in. When the glass is full, pause again. Set the glass aside and empty your bladder completely. This remaining urine does not contain many useful substances, and therefore you needn't collect it. It only would increase the amount of fluid you drink. What you have collected is the so-called morning midstream urine. This is the purest and richest urine of the day.

THE THIRD STEP

All right then. The urine is collected and you have fifteen minutes remaining to do something with it. Therefore, there is no need to rush. Why don't you get your favorite drink from the kitchen? No alcohol in the morning, of course, but if you expect the worst scenario (to vomit), maybe a very small and strongly spiced stomach bitter would not be inappropriate (no more than a thimbleful).

You should not push yourself now. Although you have a whole glass in front of you, a single sip that you don't spit out immediately is worth more than the entire glass that will soon end up in the toilet. Put down the glass and immediately swallow your favorite drink. Then, take a deep breath. You've done it! There, was that so terrible? I don't think so.

THE FOURTH STEP

It is obvious: You have to work on increasing your daily dose until you are able to empty the whole glass. But please, don't "sweeten" your urine with a small sip of alcohol every morning. Otherwise, you are in danger of developing secondary damages, sooner or later, like dependency.

IF YOU FAIL THE FIRST TIME

You succeeded with collecting the midstream urine, but could not go on afterward. It would be good if you could make yourself do at least the finger test, to show yourself again that urine is not disgusting. Afterward, pour the contents of the glass into the toilet. You can simply make a new attempt the next morning, and don't call yourself a "coward". Rather, be proud of how many inhibitions you have overcome already.

MAKE IT A HABIT

When you reach the point where you drink your urine every morning, you are faced with an alternative:

You can do a two-week to three-month treatment course to treat a certain illness, determined by a holistic physician or by a naturopath. Or you can fight allergies or a similar chronic ailment with a continuous urine therapy (daily). In this way you provide your immune system with permanent support and achieve a lasting improvement in your general well being. If you are afraid that those around you cannot understand why you drink urine, it is better to be silent about it for now. If, however, your present complaints improve or even disappear during the treatment -- and I am convinced they will -- you would do our common cause a favor by talking about it. Relating your personal experiences by word of mouth would be more convincing than any book.

This was confirmed for me through the story of one of my readers:

Dale E, 54, secretary: "For years my sun allergy had ruined my vacations. My family relaxed in the sun but I had to sit in the shade under two sun umbrellas. Nevertheless, just by going swimming I broke out in fluid-filled, itching blisters. None of the sunscreen lotions helped. At a friend's I found a book on urine therapy and read that the drinking of urine would help such skin conditions. I pushed the thought aside, though, because it felt uncomfortable. During my next vacation my beach neighbor told me that her sun allergy had vanished since she started urine therapy. I started with it and today I can sit with my family next to the water."

Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Healing Arts Press,

a division of Inner Traditions International. www.innertraditions.com

This article was excerpted from the book:

Urine Therapy: Nature's Elixir for Good Health

by Flora Pescheck-Bohmer, Ph.D., and Gisela Schreiber.

Urine Therapy includes many case histories of people who have successfully treated their ailments with urine, along with cogent explanations of why urine does what it does, how to ensure that the wastes flushed out with your urine aren't taken back in, and why urine may be the best tonic available for your immune system. In addition to protocols for using urine to treat a wide array of diseases, the book offers a program that teaches you step-by-step to overcome any initial aversion to urine therapy. Still playing an important role in the medical systems of countries as diverse as Germany, Japan, and India, this surprising health treatment has been gaining popularity in the United States.

Click here for more info or to purchase this book.

About the Authors

Flora Peschek-Bohmer, Ph.D., manages a naturopathic healing center in Hamburg, Germany. Gisela Schreiber, a medical journalist, also lives in Germany.