For centuries, Indian families living in small villages have relied on cows to help them survive. Cow milk provides nutrition, cow dung provides fuel for the fire and fertilizer for the crops, and some people use cow urine for a variety of things…
Is cow urine in Indian sweets? No. Cow urine is never put in food. It can be found in medicine and health products though under the name gomutra. It is used in some soap and disinfectants. It also an ingredient in organic fertilizer and pesticides. Others use it in some spiritual or religious rituals.
As a Westerner, it’s a bit shocking to read people might drink or use animal pee for anything, but studies have been done that show that cow urine has “remarkable antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria.”
Considering the relationship many people in India have with their cows and it’s value to the family, it makes sense why they would make use of this. India has over a billion people though, and in my research, it sounds like only a small percentage use this as medicine or in rituals.
In fact, many Indian people might be offended by the discussion or grossed out by the thought of drinking cow pee 🤭
I’m curious about understanding why some people might use it and questioning my own bias against it. If you are too, I did some research about its uses and practices, and here’s what I found…
Is Cow Urine in Indian Sweets and Food?
After hearing about this, I’ve been looking at ingredients on Indian sweets and foods, to see if I can find any cow urine (called gomutra, gaumutra, or godhan ark) in my candies.
I have never found any, so rest easy that if you like lollipops and chocolate, you can enjoy them urine-free 🥳
Seriously though, if I were to ask Indian restaurant owners, whether they ever added cow urine to their desserts or used it in their foods, they’d probably be as offended as you or I might.
In my research, it seems like most Indians would laugh at this in the same way a traveler might. It is used in some other ways though…
What is Gomutra?
It’s a 5% solution with the urine of a cow. Some people insist on using the urine of a pregnant cow. Others insist on the urine of a virgin female cow. Others think only urine from the Bos indicus cow will do (it’s the big oxen looking cow with the muscular hump behind its head, versus the typical milk cow which is Bos taurus).
You can find 500 ml bottles of it on Amazon and I see it in my local health food stores.
How is Cow Urine Used in India?
Cow urine is used for a number of purposes to consider…
A Natural Disinfectant
Consider that many Indians living in small villages don’t have a local Walmart to buy Clorox to clean their floors, it makes sense why cow urine would be used as a disinfectant.
Cow urine has carbolic acid (a blend of cresol and phenol) which is a disinfectant and can prevent the growth of micro-organisms.
Today, many people in the USA too, realize that cleaning with harsh chemicals like bleach is not healthy for you or your family.
Cow urine-based disinfectants are “green” (well, yellow 😉 and are a natural way to clean your home. This study found that when mixed with other ingredients like tulsi or neem, they can be an effective way to wash your floors or clean your bathroom.
An Organic Fertilizer
Panchagavya is a fertilizer used by some organic farms. It has 9 ingredients:
- Cow urine
- Cow dung
- Cow milk
- Curd or yogurt made from cow milk
- Ghee or clarified butter made from cow milk
- Jaggery or brown sugar
- Bananas
- Fresh coconuts
- Water
If you look at this list, it’s full of ingredients that you would have on-hand if you were living on a farm in rural India.
I think it’s pretty cool that they have such a natural fertilizer, considering the harsh chemicals that are sprayed on many of the fruits and vegetables we eat… I will admit the idea that cow poop and pee growing my food is a little off-putting, but when I think about it, that’s always what fertilizer has been… I’m just used to eating food from a grocery store and have been removed from the process of growing it.
On some off-the-grid farms today, organic farmers will even use human waste from composting toilets and turn it into eco-friendly fertilizer.
In Spiritual Rituals
The cow is a sacred animal in India. It’s calm and gentle nature is looked up to as an ideal to aspire to in our human interactions.
I’ve read that the cow’s energy has the ability to attract other deities to it, therefore by drinking the urine you are attracting the help and blessings of many gods.
Some orthodox Hindus will rub cow urine on a newborn baby’s belly.
An Ayurvedic Medicine
Ayurveda means the “science of life,” inspired by ancient Sanskrit texts and used for thousands of years. It is a holistic way of living and can be tailored to specific individuals.
It’s used in conjunction with yoga and is becoming popular as more and more people strive to live healthier lives.
Cow urine is often labeled as an Ayurvedic medicine. As I was researching, I found claims that gomutra would heal a number of diseases and ailments:
- Fever
- Epilepsy
- Peptic ulcers
- Asthma
- Blood disorders
- Liver problems
- Stomach problems
- Leprosy
- Heart disease
- And even cancer
Others have put in a hair tonic, and say it can even cure baldness 🤗
Here’s another online review about a gomutra product:
I’m happy again!
My stomach was troubled for a few weeks, until I drank some gomutra. In one day, I felt completely different. My energy was restored. I felt light all over. There was no headached. I was feeling happy again all day long.
-One person’s review of a gomutra product on an online shopping site [I rewrote it for errors and clarity in English]
Here’s another positive review, that I just rewrote to be a touch more clear:
Unemployment solved!
-Another review from an online shopping site
I was unemployed. Till some days back. I was asked to drink gomutra and after searching online I found this drink. Then, some days later, I got a job. Thank you gomutra.
Although not everyone was convinced in the online review section:
What the heck? At least give reasons why a normal human should start drinking animal pee? What nutrients are present and how do these help? And urine can’t be fresh if you need to add preservatives which are not on the label. Stop scamming gullible religious people! Shame on you! What the heck is herbal gumutra anyways? Do you think there is synthetic cow pee?
-Another review from an online shopping site that I rewrote
I added those for a bit of fun, but let’s see if there is proof that gomutra is a legit medicine…
Does Cow Urine Actually Work as a Medicine?
I think there are stereotypes of people from India being these ultra-religious people who worship animals and do other non-scientific things… I think that’s one reason why some Indians might be offended to be asked this.
Plus, there are some studies that show that cow urine does fight bacteria.
This study found that:
Cow urine showed remarkable antibacterial activity against the pathogenic bacteria, for which it can be selected for further studies to isolate bioactive natural constituents…
-In vitro screening of antibacterial activity of cow urine against pathogenic human bacterial strains. International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Research (2011)
Therefore, it can kill bacteria and scientists should figure out what part of the urine does so they could make products from it.
Another study found that:
Urine is one of the products of a cow with many benefits and without toxicity. Various studies have found good antimicrobial activity of cow’s urine (CU) comparable with standard drugs such as ofloxacin, cefpodoxime, and gentamycin, against a vast number of pathogenic bacteria,
-Chemotherapeutic potential of cow urine. Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology (2015).
It looks like the ancient practices of drinking cow urine could have been helpful all along and may even prevent cancer…
What Are Some Good Indian Sweets (No Urine Added)?
Even if gomutra is medicinal for some uses, you probably don’t want it in your chocolate bar.
I went to stores in my town and looked at the ingredients of 25 candies and didn’t find any cow urine. I also talked to one store manager about this and here’s what I found:
- Jalebi – it’s like a sugar pretzel. No urine 🙂
- Gujiya
- Kalakand
- Soan Papdi
- Petha
- Halwa
- Modak
- Chocolate bars
- Peda
- Malpua
- Mysore pak
- Barfi
- Ladoo
- Kaju Katli
When I asked the store manager, he was confused and laughed. I felt embarrassed to ask… dumb tourist 🤓
Related Questions:
Is Cow Urine Safe to Drink?
It is safe if you drink it in a bottle from a store. If you drink it straight from the cow, there is a risk of contamination and is affected by the health of the cow. Urine is just water, minerals, salts and excreted substances that could not be digested.
Is Cow Urine Sprinkled on Indian Food?
Sprinkling cow urine is one form of ritual. However, it would be considered unhygienic in food production. This is the type of urban myth question that you might find in the USA, similar to, do Chinese restaurants serve dog meat?
Do Indian Restaurants Use Cow Urine?
No. Cow urine is used by some people as ayurvedic medicine, organic fertilizers, disinfectants, and in some spiritual rituals. If you asked an Indian restaurant owner this, you would probably offend them. It’s one of those questions that is similar to, does McDonald’s use earthworms in their hamburgers?