Cow urine is now being proposed to be sold as a health drink in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The proposal came from one of the state's pharmacies to collect, process, and sell packaged bottles of cow urine.
Cow urine is already being used as a disinfectant.
Cow Urine As A Daily Drink
While the title may sound like something out of "Beerfest," it is something that is actually being considered. The government's ayurvedic pharmacy at Pilibhit, one of two ayurvedic pharmacies located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is leading the proposal.
Ayurveda is a system of alternative medicine that began in India.
Ayurvedic medicines are already prepared at the pharmacy, supplying government centers in 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
"Drinking 10 ml to 20 ml cow urine daily will act as a preventive against seasonal diseases, like fever, cough and stomach-related ailments," said Dr. Prakash Chandra Saxena, superintendent of Government Ayurveda College and Hospital.
"Daily consumption of cow urine will also help increase people's immunity. Our aim is to make cow urine easily available to common public," he added.
Dr. Saxena states that they are prepared to discuss the plan to promote cow urine with the other ayurvedic pharmacy in Uttar Pradesh which is located in Lucknow, even going as far as describing it as a "health-giving drink."
There still aren't any details on how the cow urine will be collected from the animals. So far, Saxena explains that dairies and cow shelters will be contacted, and part of those discussions will be the details on how the collection will be hashed out.
Meanwhile, herbal medicines with cow urine will also be prepared in the pharmacy for treatment of diseases such as fever, jaundice, hemorrhoids, and stomach and liver-related diseases.
Dr. Naresh Chandra Gangwar, head of the government's ayurvedic pharmacy at Pilibhit, claims that researchers have shown that cow urine is beneficial for health. He goes on to claim that ayurvedic medicines have no side effects.
Gomutra
Gomutra or cow urine plays a large role in ayurvedic medicine. It has been used for centuries in India to treat various forms of diseases. Cow urine has been claimed to be useful for treating leprosy, bloating, and cancer.
Before the cow urine can be safely drunk, it has to be first distilled to remove microbes. There are methods of preparation, and even precise doses that could be taken. There are also warnings that it isn't something that could be taken all the time. If the cow is infected, that infection may be passed along in its urine.
