Gomutra

Gomutra or gaumutra (Sanskrit: गोमूत्र gomūtra; cow urine) is urine from cows used for therapeutic purposes in traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda,[1] and also for purification in Vaastu Shastra.[2] Gomutra is also an important component of the mixture called Panchagavya, also used in Ayurveda.[1] Urine of a pregnant cow is considered special; it is claimed to contain special hormones and minerals.[2]

Cow urine is also used in folk medicine in Myanmar and Nigeria.

Claimed benefits and usage

In religious rituals

In Hinduism, cow urine has a special significance as a medicinal drink.[3][4] Sprinkling of cow urine is said to have a spiritual cleansing effect as well.[5][6] Cattle were a basic economic unit in ancient India, and cows are holy in Hinduism and their slaughter is restricted.

For pharmaceutical purposes

In Ayurveda, Gomutra is claimed to be helpful in the treatment of leprosy, abdominal colic pain, [7] bloating, and cancer. A mixture of gomutra, Triphala, and cow milk is used for the treatment of anaemia. It is also used in the treatment of fever by mixing it with black pepper, yoghurt, and ghee (ghrita). A mixture of gomutra, neem bark, vasaka bark, kurilo bark, kaner leaves is also used medicinally. A mixture of gomutra and dharuharidra is used for epilepsy.[1] A study from Mandsaur has claimed that it may also benefit cancer patients.[8]

According to the head of the Ayurvedic institute Dhanwanthari Vaidyasala of Thodupuzha, Satish Namboodiri, it is also used for peptic ulcer, certain type of cancer, liver ailments, and asthma.[9]

In 2002, a US patent was issued to a group of Indian scientists of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for an antibiotic and cow urine distillate mixture which was claimed to be serving as a bioenhancer, enhancing anti-microbial activity of antibiotic and antifungal agents.[10][11][12][13]

In 2010, the Go-vigyan Anusandhan Kendra in Deolapar funded by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute were granted a US patent for a gomutra-based drug which was claimed to prevent oxidative damage to DNA.[14][15]

Cow urine is also used in Myanmar and Nigeria as a folk medicine.[16][17] In Nigeria, a concoction of leaves of tobacco, garlic and lemon basil juice, rock salt and cow urine is used to treat convulsions in children.[17] This has resulted in the death of several children from respiratory depression.[18]

A recent movement advocates the regular drinking of gomutra for its alleged health benefits,[3] and it is marketed as a health drink. In 2009, Kanpur Gaushala Society in Kanpur released Goloka Pay, a cold drink containing 5% distilled cow urine, in two flavours, orange and lemon. It also contained herbs such as tulsi, shankhpushpi and brahmi.[19] Also in 2009, the Cow Protection Department of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Haridwar announced plans to release a similar product as an alternative to cola drinks.[4][20]

Cosmetic products like soaps and shampoos are also made from gomutra.[21][22]

As a floor cleaner

A floor-cleaning fluid called Gaunyle is marketed by an organisation called Holy Cow Foundation.[23] Maneka Gandhi, Women and Child Development Minister, has proposed that Gaunyle be used instead of Phenyl in government offices.[24] In May 2015, Rajendra Singh Rathore, Medical and Health Minister of Rajasthan, inaugurated a ₹40 million (US$560,000) cow-urine refinery in Jalore.[25][26] The refinery was set up by Parthvimeda Gau Pharma Pvt. Ltd. which produces a floor cleaner called Gocleaner.[26]

In organic farming

Jeevamrutha storage cans

Gomutra is used as a manure for production of rice.[27] Jeevamrutha is a fertilizer made from a mixture of cow urine, cow dung, jaggery, pulse flour and rhizosphere soil.[28] A mixture of gomutra, custard apple leaves and neem leaves after boiling is said to serve as a biopesticide.[27]

In 2012, the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Wayanad district began selling packaged gomutra and Panchagavya. The products were primarily directed towards organic farming with claims that it would reduce usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Gomutra is supposed to increase plant resistance and Panchagavya is supposed to increase growth of soil bacteria and improve fertility. The head of the institute, Joseph Mathew, said that quality was assured by collecting the first urine of the day from the cows, but that it was not usable for medicinal purposes.[9]

Scientific studies

A 1975 study on mice found that cow urine causes death in high doses.[29] A similar 1976 study on dogs showed that repeated administration of cow urine concoction as used in Nigerian folk medicine, resulted in hypotension and tachypnea, and also death.[30] A 2001 study found prions in detectable amount in the urine of cows suffering from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.[31]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 T V Sairam (16 January 2008). The Penguin Dictionary of Alternative Medicine. Penguin Books Limited. p. 316. ISBN 978-93-5118-127-9. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 N. H. Sahasrabudhe; R. D. Mahatme (2000). Mystic Science of Vastu. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 978-81-207-2206-4. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Ben Burrows (13 January 2014). "Pictured: A very few Indian Hindu worshippers drink COW URINE to help prevent cancer". Mirror. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 Dean Nelson (11 February 2009). "India makes cola from cow urine". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Kamadhenu Sutra". Outlook India. 10 March 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Teachers "purify" students with cow urine". Reuters. 23 April 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  7. ↑ http://easyayurveda.com/2011/05/10/cow-urine-therapy-benefits-indication-and-contra-indications/
  8. ↑ N. K. Jain; V. B. Gupta; Rajesh Garg; N. Silawat (2010). "Efficacy of cow urine therapy on various cancer patients in Mandsaur District, India – A survey". International Journal of Green Pharmacy. 4 (1): 29–35. doi:10.4103/0973-8258.62163. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Cow urine aids treatment of cancer, asthma?". The Economic Times. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  10. ↑ US 6410059 "Pharmaceutical composition containing cow urine distillate and an antibiotic"
  11. ↑ "Indian patents cow urine for medicinal use". The Indian Express. 3 July 2002. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Cow urine therapy". The Hindu. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Abantika Ghosh (25 July 2015). "CSIR team testing cow urine for medical benefits, govt tells LS". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  14. ↑ "RSS-sponsored cow urine drug gets US, China patents". The Indian Express. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  15. ↑ US 7718360 "Composition (RUCD) for protecting and/or repairing DNA from oxidative damages and a method thereof"
  16. ↑ "An amazing cow's urine therapy practice in Myanmar". University of Toyama. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Effects of cow urine concoction and nicotine on the nerve-muscle preparation in common African toad Bufo regularis". Biomedical Research. 16 (16 (3)): 205–211. 2005.
  18. ↑ "Don't use cow urine to treat infant epilepsy, Kwara warns mothers". Premium Times. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Pure Cow-Ka Cola". Outlook India. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  20. ↑ "Coke has a rival: RSS's cow urine cola". The Indian Express. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  21. ↑ "Holy cow! Vishwa Hindu Parishad launches 'Gau mutra' cosmetics". Deccan Chronicle. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  22. ↑ "Soaps, shampoos from cow urine!". DNA India. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "Use cow urine to clean offices, says Maneka Gandhi". The Times of India. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Cow urine cleaner to replace phenyl in government offices". India Today. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  25. ↑ "Cow-urine refinery inaugurated at Jalore". Deccan Herald. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Cow urine to be used to clean Rajasthan government hospitals". India Today. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Farmer cultivates paddy with cow urine, dung". The Hindu. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  28. ↑ T. Satyanarayana; Bhavdish Narain Johri; Anil Prakash (2 January 2012). Microorganisms in Sustainable Agriculture and Biotechnology. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 63. ISBN 978-94-007-2214-9. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  29. ↑ DD Oyebola; RA Elegbe (1975). "Cow's urine poisoning in Nigeria. Experimental observations in mice". Tropical and geographical medicine. 27 (2): 194–202. PMID 1179485.
  30. ↑ R. A. Elegbe; D. D. O. Oyebola (1977). "Cow's urine poisoning in Nigeria: cardiorespiratory effects of cow's urine in dogs". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 71 (2): 127–132. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(77)90076-1. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  31. ↑ GM Shaked; Y Shaked; Z Kariv-Inbal; M Halimi (2001). "A protease-resistant prion protein isoform is present in urine of animals and humans affected with prion diseases". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 276 (34): 31479–31482. doi:10.1074/jbc.c100278200. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
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