Do 'gomutra', or cow urine, actually have medicinal properties? The long-running debate resurfaced in Indian Parliament this week following an exchange between Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi.The controversy began on July 28, when Priyanka Gandhi criticised the newly constituted Examination Reforms Task Force. Referring to IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, a member of the panel, she described him as a "gomutra expert" while attacking his appointment.Kamakoti had, during a public address in January 2025, claimed that cow urine possesses medicinal properties and could cure fever within 15 minutes.Responding to Priyanka Gandhi's remarks, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi defended Kamakoti and claimed that cow urine had received patents in both the United States and the United Kingdom. He also argued that those influenced by what he described as the "dung of Macaulay and Marx" would fail to understand the antibacterial and antifungal properties of cow urine.
1. A patent is not proof of medical efficacyA patent does not certify that a product works as a medicine. It is a form of intellectual property protection granted for an invention that meets legal requirements such as novelty and inventiveness. Patent offices do not evaluate whether a treatment is clinically effective.2. The patents relate to cow urine distillate, not use of raw cow urineThe patents cited by Trivedi relate to cow urine distillate, a processed extract, rather than raw cow urine. They describe its potential use as a bio-enhancer—a substance that may improve the effectiveness of certain drugs. They do not establish that drinking raw cow urine can prevent or cure diseases.3. Scientific evidence remains limitedSome laboratory studies have reported antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties in compounds derived from cow urine. However, these findings are largely based on in vitro (laboratory) or animal studies.There is no high-quality clinical evidence from human trials demonstrating that drinking or using cow urine is an effective treatment for diseases or conditions such as fever. Major public health authorities do not recommend cow urine as a proven medical therapy.
Sudhanshu Trivedi referred to patent numbers US 6,410,059B2 and US 6,896,907.A review of these patents shows that they relate to cow urine distillate and describe its potential role as a bio-enhancer that may increase the effectiveness of certain pharmaceutical compounds. The patents do not claim that raw cow urine can cure diseases or should be consumed as a medicine.
Claim: Cow urine has medicinal properties because it has received patents in the US and UK.Verdict: Misleading.The claim overstates what the evidence shows. While research has explored certain properties of compounds derived from cow urine, there is no conclusive clinical evidence that raw cow urine is an effective medical treatment.