| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Should You Drink Your Own Urine in a Survival Situation?
During emergencies many people have been forced to survive without any water for days at a time, leading them to take drastic measures. Among the most common is drinking your own urine, which to many people is basically a convenient last-ditch water source that you carry around with you on a daily basis. Everyone from Bear Grylls to trapped canyoneer Aron Ralston have used the technique, but is it really effective?
Disclaimer: I’m not a chemist, a nutritional scientist, or a medical professional of any kind. This information is my opinion only, and shouldn’t be mistaken for competent medical advice.
What’s in that yellow stuff?
The ideal amounts found in a healthy, hydrated individual.
As you can see, there is some value here but also some toxins present.
The best way to know if urine is healthy to drink is to see what’s in it, so let’s examine the composition. Generally speaking, aside from excess water urine contains electrolytes, salts, unabsorbed vitamins and minerals, as well as trace amounts of certain diseases and medications if they are in your system at the time. If you are completely healthy however, urine is generally understood to be sterile to the person who produced it.
With that knowledge in hand, you then need to determine what concentration each of these substances has in your urine. This is much more variable, since the concentration can vary depending on how much water you have consumed before urinating. A well-hydrated person, for example, has a high concentration of water (sometimes up to 85-90%) in their urine which can result in a very mild yellow or even clear liquid as opposed to the urine of a dehydrated person which has a low concentration of water and a dark yellow color. Since you really want the water and not the other toxins expelled with it, the urine of a thoroughly hydrated person is naturally preferable to the urine of someone who is dying of thirst.
So is it safe to drink at all?
This Army Manual Solar Still is designed for fouled water, but it works well for urine too.
Click here to read the full article on All Self Sustained
Share this article • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Reddit • LinkedIn • Google • Add to favorites • RSS Share on Facebook
Source: http://www.allselfsustained.com/should-you-drink-your-own-urine-in-a-survival-situation/
