A bit of an oddball, auto-urine therapy (AUT) is gaining popularity to combat a host of illnesses and to maintain good health. It is considered effective in treating a wide array of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, psoriasis, eczema, diabetes and herpes.

According to Xinhua news agency more than three million Chinese drink their own urine believing that it is good for their health. AUT is an ancient practice as it finds mention in many old texts of India such as Shivambhu Kalpa Vidhi and Damar Tantra. Shivambhu literally means water of Lord Shiva, a Hindu God. Urine therapists often speak of drinking Shivambhu, which means drinking the water of auspiciousness.

Former Prime Minister of India Morarji Desai, who lived up to the age of 99, has been the most well known proponent of this therapy. He claimed that India would have been better off if more people used this extremely inexpensive and effective way of treatment. He also attributed to AUT the credit for his longevity. Here is a sample of miracles wrought by AUT recently:

· 40-year-old Sabeer (name changed) had asthma since childhood. After being recommended AUT by an allopathic doctor, he was completely healed in 10 months.

· Salome Roy Kapoor had bleeding in her nipples, which got cured by urine therapy and turned Salome into a crusader for the cause.

· Mrs Mohini successfully cured her persisting problem of pigmentation through the application of AUT.

· For Sudarshan Dheer, it was the miraculous cure to an incurable hearing problem and piles.

What is urine therapy?
Urine therapy entails using your own urine externally or internally as a way to promote or maintain good health. Sometimes when all else fails, AUT will turn a patient around. The first question that probably comes to mind is whether urine is a toxic substance and how a waste product already excreted from the body can be of any benefit for your health. Urine is NOT a toxic waste product, claim AUT practitioners. They cite that 95 per cent of urine is water, 2.5 per cent consists of urea and the remaining 2.5 per cent is a mixture of minerals, salt, hormones and enzymes.

Toxic substances are being removed from the body through the liver, intestines, skin and through exhalation. The main function of the kidneys is to keep the composition of the blood in optimal balance. Hence the primary component of urine is not toxic at all. Only urea can be poisonous when present in very large amounts in the blood. However, this is irrelevant in the practice of drinking urine, as urine is not immediately put back in the blood stream. When urea gets back into the body in small amounts, it is purifying, clears up excess mucus and has a number of other useful effects.

Moreover, it has a wonderful healing and toning effect when applied to the skin. Urine is sterile after secretion and has an antiseptic effect. This holds true for those people who follow a reasonably healthy diet, do not use chemical drugs or allopathic medicines. "In my quest for alternative therapies, I came across urine therapy and found it to be very appealing. Something within me said that this was the right therapy for me," says Salome Roy Kapoor, choreographer, dance and grooming teacher in Mumbai, who is now a full-fledged proponent of the therapy. Although many are hesitant to practise AUT initially, Salome was optimistic. "There was no resistance for me-I had a strong belief that this would make a difference," she says.

Dr C.P. Mittal in his book, Miracles of Urine Therapy, speaks about certain doctors in India who believe in AUT but are aware that their patients would not drink it. So when the patient comes for a visit, the doctor would ask for a urine sample. He would take it into the back room, where it is repackaged as medicine, with taste and smell disguised.

Is it scientific?
Dr B.V. Khare, an allopathic doctor and Mumbai-based follower of AUT, says: "The Italian surgeon Stanislau R. Burzynski, now settled in America, separated anti-neoplastin from human urine and showed remarkable results in the treatment of cancer. Another substance found in large quantities in the urine is called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). It is a hormone related to testosterone. This, as research showed, has anti-cancer, anti-obesity and anti-aging properties. It has also been found that urea when recycled by ingesting, is converted into essential amino acids."

Medical researchers have discovered that many of the elements of the blood that are found in urine have enormous medicinal value, and when reintroduced into the body, boost the body's immune system and stimulate healing in a unique way. The therapy can be applied in many ways. The most common is to consume your morning urine (not the first few drops) completely and without dilution. Gargling, massage and sniffing have also been found to be useful.

When asked whether it should be practised only during an ailment, Dr Khare replied: "Why do you want to stop at all? I am not suffering from any disease, yet I take three glasses of my own urine every day and massage my body with urine every morning and take bath after one hour. Just like brushing your teeth or going to the toilet every morning, this has to be incorporated in our daily routine. I know a family of four who have not gone to a physician for any ailment for more than a year after being initiated into AUT."

Benefits and experiences
A lot of people have benefited from urine therapy and want to take it further. "Urine therapy makes you feel vital and energized. It has helped me boost my immunity levels. It also helps me to stay slim," says Salome. "I had developed chronic, degenerative disorders that couldn't be helped by conventional medicine and which threatened to permanently destroy my ability to work, function and simply enjoy life," says Martha Christy. "AUT has helped me in several complications, including menstrual problems, pelvic inflammation, ulcerative colitis, Chron's disease (colon inflammation), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), thyroid disorders and mononucleosis."

Commenting on the unusualness of an allopathic doctor promoting this therapy, Dr Khare says: "You will be surprised to know that I treated many doctors with AUT and they were cured of their ailments. However, they do not acknowledge the fact for obvious reasons." Another condition in which AUT provides great relief is chronic amoebic dysentery, which is common in India. Chronic constipation, a problem of old age, is also treated by this method. Two World Urine Conferences have already been held the first in India in February 1996 and the last in Germany in May 1999. For a generation that's obsessed with the aerated drinks, we could definitely benefit much more from the 'Morarji cola'.

Contact: Dr.B.V.Khare; (022) 4145774