bjones
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People stranded on a desert island have some difficult choices to make. These choices are matters of life and death. I imagine, deep down, you already know the answer to the question and are just looking for verification or explanation, so I will explain why it is better to drink your own urine.
Before you are reduced to the choice of seawater or urine, you should look for alternatives. Coconuts and other plants usually have enough water in them to keep us alive. If you are unsure about a plant, rub a piece on your arm or leg and wait several hours. If there is no reaction, it’s probably safe. You can also try and wait for rain. Rain water is fresh and pure. Try to fashion a container. If you don’t have a container, stretch out pieces of clothing to capture the water. You can then wring out the clothing.
When reduced to the choice of seawater or urine, urine always wins out. Some cultures through history have traditionally drunk their own urine for spiritual or medical reasons. In most cases, urine is 100% safe. Healthy urine is a sterile liquid. It is only unsafe or contaminated if you have a bladder or urinary tract infection. That said, urine should not be cycled through your body more than three or four times. Urine contains minerals that become concentrated the more of it you drink without water. These minerals can clog up the kidneys and form kidney stones.
Seawater, on the other hand, can be deadly. The salts and minerals in seawater are so concentrated that one large gulp is enough to send the body into crises mode. Cells begin to purge themselves of what water they have to carry out the excess salts, leaving you more dehydrated than before. Drinking seawater is a sure way to a quicker death.
 Posted 5147 day ago
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