The Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), a prestigious institution in India, has recently conducted a study revealing that fresh cow urine contains harmful bacteria, rendering it unsuitable for human consumption. The peer-reviewed research, based on urine samples obtained from cows and bulls, identified at least 14 types of harmful bacteria, including Escherichia coli, which is commonly associated with stomach infections in humans. Yes, the veterinary research body of India in it’s study have come to this conclusion – Cow Urine Unfit for Human Consumption due to harmful bacteria.
What Does the Study Conducted by IVRI on Cow Urine Reveal? Is Cow Urine Unfit for Human Consumption?
According to Bhoj Raj Singh, the leader of the study and head of the epidemiology department at IVRI, the statistical analysis of 73 urine samples from cows, buffaloes, and humans indicated that buffalo urine exhibited significantly superior antibacterial activity compared to cow urine against bacteria such as S. Epidermidis and E. Rhapontici. The head of the study also emphasized that a large proportion of urine samples from healthy cows and buffaloes, carried potentially pathogenic bacteria.
Bhoj Raj Singh also mentioned that there is a widespread belief that ‘distilled’ cow urine unlike fresh cow urine, lacks infectious bacteria, however, he said that research on the same is still going on, and it cannot be generalized that cow urine possesses antibacterial properties.
However, a former director of IVRI, R.S. Chauhan, questioned the research findings, citing his 25-year-long research on cow urine, which allegedly demonstrated that distilled cow urine enhances human immunity and helps fight against cancer and COVID-19. Chauhan argued that the research was not conducted on distilled urine samples, which he recommends for consumption.
The implications of this research are significant, as cow urine (known as “gau mutra” in India) is widely sold and promoted as a cure for various ailments, without any requirement for trademark approval from the FSSAI – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The sale and consumption of cow urine remain unregulated, and it gains legitimacy due to the religious reverence accorded to cows and their products in Hindu culture.
Also Read: Know the Most Common Diseases in Cows With Symptoms and Treatment
Are there other studies conducted on Cow Urine?
There is a lot of circulation on the Internet and social media regarding Cow urine being granted with US Patents for its medical properties. When we looked for the said Patents on Google Patent, we did find that Cow urine distillate has been awarded US Patents No. 6,896,907 and 6,410,059 (now expired!) for its potential medicinal properties, including its use as a bioenhancer, antibiotic, antifungal, and anticancer agent.
Besides, US Patent No. 6,410,059 have observed its ability to enhance the potency of “Taxol” (paclitaxel) against MCF-7, a human breast cancer cell line. These patents highlight the potential therapeutic applications of cow urine and its ability to enhance the efficacy of existing cancer treatments. However, it’s important to note that further research is needed to fully understand and validate these findings, and proper scientific evaluation and regulatory oversight are necessary before any medical claims or applications are made. Besides, now that the patent owners never really came out with a pharmaceutical composition and make cow urine to use where they claimed it to work, nobody could really know the efficiency.
So now that Bhoj Raj Singh, the leader of the study and head of the epidemiology department at IVRI said in its new findings that these old studies cannot be generalized that cow urine possesses antibacterial properties, and have given his research findings that Cow urine do possess harmful bacteria (Cow Urine Unfit for Human Consumption), it rather puts a question mark onto the studies done earlier.
Also Read: Health Benefits Of Cow Milk: Nutrition and Healthy Facts
