Drinking your own pee for survival: does the science bear it out?
June 30 07:16:06, 2025
If you've ever spent any time online, you’ve probably come across the infamous Bear Grylls "drink your own pee" meme. But long before that moment made its way into internet culture, the idea of drinking urine had already been part of survivalist lore for decades. It was seen as a last-resort act of desperation—something only done when all other options were gone.
Interestingly, it’s not just survivalists who have dabbled in this practice. Ancient Ayurvedic texts mention urine therapy, and even modern athletes have experimented with it for supposed health benefits. But why would anyone want to drink their own waste? Well, curiosity is a big part of it. Humans are naturally inquisitive, and we often try strange things out of hope or habit. Even if something doesn’t actually help (like drinking pee), it can stick around if it doesn’t cause immediate harm.
That said, most people who drink urine aren’t in a life-or-death situation—they’re just trying something weird. In real survival scenarios, though, it's a different story. Drinking your own urine isn't a solution; it's more like a false sense of action. It feels like you're doing something, but in reality, it doesn't help much.
Historically, urine had some uses, like teeth whitening due to its ammonia content. There were even guides on how to do it safely—advising people to avoid the "head" and "tail" of the stream because they contain more impurities. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe or effective.
So what’s the truth about drinking urine? Let’s break it down:
- **No health benefits**: Scientific research has found no real health advantages to consuming your own urine.
- **Composition**: Urine is mostly water, urea, and salt, with trace amounts of other substances.
- **Not helpful in survival**: In a true survival situation, drinking urine won’t hydrate you effectively—it might even make things worse.
- **Dangerous when dehydrated**: The more dehydrated you are, the more concentrated your urine becomes, making it riskier to consume.
- **Need proper filtration**: To make urine safe, you’d need reverse osmosis or distillation, which most people don’t have access to in the wild.
In a life-or-death scenario, some sources suggest that drinking urine could be a temporary option, especially if it's the only liquid available. However, it's not a long-term solution. As Dr. Jutta M. Loeffler explains, urine is sterile inside the body but becomes contaminated once expelled. While it's not toxic, it's definitely not clean—and it's not meant to be consumed.
Even in extreme situations, experts warn against it. Mountain Safety Research says drinking urine can actually worsen dehydration because it contains salts and toxins that your body needs to eliminate. The same goes for seawater: it may seem like a source of hydration, but it’s actually harmful.
So, unless you have access to advanced filtration systems like reverse osmosis or distillation, drinking your own urine is not a viable solution. And even then, it's usually better to find another water source.
In short, drinking your own urine is a myth that has stuck around, but it’s not a reliable or safe survival tactic. It might feel like you're taking action, but in reality, it’s unlikely to save you—and could even put you at greater risk.