Former Model Drinks His Own Urine Daily, Here’s the Full Story

Troy Casey, a retired model, has been in the spotlight recently for his so-called health routine: daily urine consumption. Author of Ripped at 50: A Journey to Self Love, Casey has been doing urine therapy for decades, believing in its purported health benefits, the New York Post reports.

Casey attributes being introduced to urine therapy by a breathwork coach who engaged in ‘urine looping’, a technique in which only water and urine are ingested for a certain time. Casey inspired by this, took up the practice and has continued it for more than two decades.

“I believe it gives your insides a little more of an idea about yourself,” he said in the outlet. “Urine contains stem cells, amino acids, and antibodies. It’s the hair of the dog, a direct biofeedback loop. You know what’s wrong with you the second you drink your morning pee.”

Part of his daily process, Casey throws away the first and last parts of the morning urine and harvests the middle section in a cup or mason jar. He is convinced that this particular section is highest in stem cells. “The pee in the morning contains the most stem cells, and if you ferment it for three weeks, it contains hundreds of millions of stem cells,” he asserted.

Medical Experts Warn Against Risks

Even with Casey’s vigorous lobbying, medical experts strongly discourage the practice, citing possible health hazards. Dr. Michael Aziz, an internal medicine doctor and author of The Ageless Revolution, pointed out that urine is mostly water and salt, which would cause dehydration instead of providing health benefits.

“Urine is largely water and salt, and they dehydrate you. Your kidneys are attempting to eliminate the toxins, and when you drink urine, you’re reintroducing the toxins into the body,” he said.

Dr. Aziz also cautioned about the potential of infection, specifically from bacteria like E. coli, which is usually found in urine if one has a urinary tract infection (UTI). “When people have a UTI, the majority of the infection in the urine is E. coli. People can become seriously ill by drinking urine,” he stated.

For individuals on medication, drinking urine could lead to the reabsorption of discarded drug metabolites, which could pose additional risks. “You’re drinking the urea, and that’s going to cause problems; introducing it to the GI tract can cause poisoning,” Dr. Aziz cautioned.

Ancient Practice with Questionable Benefits

Urine therapy is no new thing. Ancient literature contains references to the practice. Such a reference is found in the Old Testament’s Book of Proverbs (5:15): “…drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.” Some scientists interpret this as meaning that urine drinking could have been done in ancient times.

Dr. Jonathan Jennings, an internist at Medical Offices of Manhattan, cited that ancient physicians used to diagnose diabetes with the use of urine by tasting it for sweetness. In Hindu cultures, the practice of ‘Shivambu: drinking urine’ has been referred to as a form of rejuvenation.

Ayurvedic practitioner Kate O’Donnell attributed this practice to Hindu mythology, saying, “There’s a toxic aspect to your urine; your body’s eliminating things it doesn’t want, but the thought is that by consuming it, you might produce antibodies.” She went on to say, “If one can overcome the strangeness of it, there are health benefits.”

Casey’s Extreme Practices

In addition to drinking urine, Casey has gone a step further and aged his urine and applied it as enemas, thinking this improves stem cell absorption and digestion. “You can put a washcloth over it with a rubber band or seal it in a mason jar and it will aerate,” he said, attributing his well-defined abs to urine enemas.

But Dr. Aziz rejected those assertions, claiming that urine is composed of small stem cells and there is no scientific evidence in support of its effectiveness in enemas. “There is no research or science to prove that it works,” he said. “There are other established ways to boost those cells, which include a good diet, eating dark chocolate, and drinking black tea.

In spite of the doubts cast by medical professionals, Casey remains a strong believer in his therapy. Though his assertions continue to raise controversy, experts point out that urine therapy is not backed by science and carries serious health risks.