If you were stranded alone on a deserted island would it be safer to drink sea water or your own urine?

satguru

No doubt about this one. Drinking healthy urine is used in many places as a cure, has no germs and shouldn't do you any harm. It won't be so good on its own as will be too strong compared to normal water but I don't know how long you'll manage on it. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/urine.htm Sea water, however, is pretty well undrinkable and better to avoid totally. Aug 16 05, 5:07 PM

hotpinky

Correct satguru! Although I have never enjoyed a good strong cup of my own pee, as your site seems to recomend, I do know that all the salt in sea water serves only to make a person even thirstier if drunk. Aug 16 05, 8:12 PM

monketteyax

Actually, you wouldn't be much better off drinking your urine. The reason you're not supposed to drink salt water is because of its high solute concentrations, especially salt. Your body "wants" to get rid of the extra salt that you have just put in it, so it does that through your urine. This is a problem, though, because due to osmotic pulls (osmosis = movement of water, ie from areas of low solute conentration to high solute concentration), water "wants" to move into the extremely solute concentrated area, ie your pee. So you end up loosing more water than you actually gain, and end up dying of dehydration because your body cells have lost so much water. Drinking urine might be better, but you still face the above problem, although probably not to the same degree as sea water. Another problem you might face is the microbes (ie, bacteria, viruses, fungi) that you might end up ingesting from sea water, and probably from your own pee. I might take my chances with the pee over the sea water, mind you. And there you have it! Your best solution is probably to find a source of fresh water, or collect rain...it's the "healthiest" choice in this situation, if you don't want to die of self-induced dehydration. Glad that degree in Biology was good for something....:) Feb 01 07, 10:48 AM

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