Urine In Ayurveda – Functions, Importance, Pathology, Treatment

Article by – Renita D’Souza
Ayurveda considers Dosha, waste products and tissues as tripods of life which supports the body in its normal state. Urine is considered one among the waste products that as to expelled out timely in normal state.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Urine is the liquid waste product excreted from the body by process of urination, which is one among the natural urges that should neither be suppressed nor attended forcefully.

As per Ayurveda, urine should be produced in the kidney and stored in the bladder and excreted out of the body in specific amount of time.

Abnormal formation of waste products is caused by certain factors that alters its qualities, quantity, frequency of expulsion along with other associated symptoms that disturbs the normal functioning of body and mind.
Read related – Benefits And Usage of Water As per Ayurveda: Complete Compilation

Causes for vitiation of urinary system

Suppression of urge for urination
Intake of in food and drinks during the urge for micturition
Emaciation
Trauma
Excess traveling
Indulging in sex during urge of micturition
Unwholesome and incompatible food
Malnutrition
Fried, spicy contaminated food
Intake of more or less water
Infections
Mental factors – excess stress, grief, fear, anger etc which leads to vitiation of particular doshas
Late night sleep, night vigils
Dehydration
Excess physical and mental strain
Exposure to sun and cold wind
Smoking
Intake of alcohol
Certain medications
Read – Effects Of Constant Holding Urine: Ayurvedic Treatment

Normalcy of urine

Normal function of urine (Su 15/9)
Basti purana – fills the bladder
Vikledakrth – eliminates uncoustness

Normal quality of urine

Taste – pungent, salty
Potency – hot
Odour – aromatic
Action – penetrating (tikshna)
Light to digest
Color – pale yellow
Ph – 6
Specific gravity – 1.010 – 1.035

Synonyms of urine – Mutra, bastimala, meha, nrijala, strava and prastrava.
Read Importance of Stool (Faeces) in Ayurveda

Panchabhautika elements of urine
Jala – water
Agni – fire

Symptoms on supression

Symptoms of suppression of urine (Cha. Su 7/6)

Pain in urinary bladder and genitals
Pain during urination
Headache
Bending of body
Bloating

Treatment

Swedana – sudation therapy
Avaghaha – sitz bath
Abyangha – oil massage
Sarpishah Avapiidaka – nasal instillation with ghee
Trividha bastikarma – unctous enema, detective enema and urethral douches (uttara basti)

Urine formation

Formation of urine
As we all know urine is the waste liquid part of food, it is called so when it is filtered and reach urinary bladder. As the earthen pot immersed in water gets filled with it similarly, urine gets drained into bladder continuously by urinary ducts (mutra vaha nadis).
Urge for urination is caused by action of apana vata when the bladder is filled with urine.

Quantity of urine – 4 anjali. 1 anjali is the amount of liquid that can be help when the hands are made into bowl shape.
Average volume of urine excreted – 1500 ml/day
Average capacity of bladder – 700 – 800 ml

Urinary system (mutravaha strotas)(Cha. Vi 5/20, 8,)
These are the channels which carry urine. It includes urinary bladder, kidneys, ureter, urethra and groin region.
Read: Cow urine Therapy Benefits, Research

Roots of urinary channels
Basti – urinary bladder
Vankshana – kidneys (Cha. vi 5/8)

Effects of hampered system

Symptoms of vitiated urinary channels

Excessive urination
Absence of urination
Frequent scanty urination
Painful urination
Voiding large quantity of urine

Injury to the channels cause – (Su. sha 9/12)

Basti sthabda – stiffness of bladder
Mutra nirodha – obstruction for urination
Sthabdha medra – numbness in penis

Treatment –Treatment is same as in mutrakrichra

Increased urine

Symptoms of increased urine (Su. su 15/15)

Mutra vriddi – increase in quantity of urine
Muhurmuhu pravritti – frequent urination
Basti thodha – pain in urinary bladder
Aadhmana – Abdominal distention

Causes for increase in quantity of urine

Excess intake of liquid diet
Cold season

Decreased urine

Decreased urine symptoms (C. su 17/71, A.S su 19/6, S. su 15/11)

Mutra vaivarnya – discoloration of urine
Mutrakrichra – painful urination
Pipaasa – thirst
Mukha shosha – dryness of mouth
Basti nisthodha – pain in urinary bladder
Sa rudhira mutra – voiding urine mixed with blood
Alpa mutra – voiding less quantity of urine

Cause of decrease in quantity of urine

Less intake of liquid diet
High temperature
High blood pressure
Increase sweating
Excess exercise
Diarrhea
Read related – How Much Water Should You Actually Drink? Ayurveda Opinion

Urinary system diseases

Prameha – diabetes
Mutrakrichra – difficulty in urination – Dysuria
Mutraghata – Obstruction for urination
Ashmari – renal calculi
Urinary incontinence
Malignancy (cancer)
Urinary tract infections
Read My Take On Self Urine Therapy Based on Ayurveda

Research

In a research is conducted by Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing, human urine is analyzed for proteome and used as a tool to discover potential biomarkers (1)

Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka have conducted a research on human urine as a low cost nitrogen fertilizer for bean cultivation. They found this to be low cost and comparatively more effective than the regular chemicals and fertilizers used in bean production. (2)

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