ICAR- IVRI Study Says Fresh Cow Urine Is Harmful to Human Consumption

A study headed by Bhoj Raj Singh and his three Ph.D. scholars at the country’s reckoned animal research body located in Bareilly states that fresh cow urine contains infectious bacteria and is not suitable for human consumption.

They collected urine samples from healthy bulls and cows and after research, they found a minimum of 14 harmful bacteria including Escherichia coli which may cause stomach infections. The findings of the peer-reviewed research are also published on Researchgate. 

Bhoj Raj Singh who is the head of the Epidemiology Department at the institute says that the statistical analysis of 73 urine samples of human, cow and buffaloes suggest that the urine of buffalo was importantly more effective on bacteria like E Rhapontici and S Epidermidis.  

“We collected urine samples from different cow breeds – Tharparkar, Sahiwal, and Vindavani from local farms along with samples of humans and buffaloes. We carried out a study between June and November 2022 and found that urine samples from healthy individuals contain pathogenic bacteria,” he added to his statement.

However, some individuals, irrespective of breed and sex, may be inhibitory to bacteria, but it is a common belief that cow urine is antibacterial and cannot be simplified. He said that we are researching the statement that distilled urine does not have bacteria. 

Importantly, several sellers sell cow urine in large quantities on the Indian market without bearing the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) label.

According to RS Chauhan, a former director of IVRI, "I have been investigating cow urine for 25 years and found that distilled cow urine helps against cancer and Covid." The distilled urine samples that we advise consumers to ingest were not used in this particular study.