In the quest for survival, some people have been forced to drink their own urine. However, does this pose any danger to one's health?

In 2003, Aron Ralston drank his urine to stay hydrated after a horrendous disaster in Utah canyon. There are other similar stories about people drinking their urine to keep from dying because of dehydration.

Medically speaking, urine is sterile, thus making it safe to drink to some extent. Urine is 95 percent water, and it does replenish lost water in the body. However, the smell and the very idea of it being urine could be a put-off.

Nonetheless, urine is not overall safe to drink as the remaining five percent is composed of waste products in the body, namely nitrogen, potassium, and calcium. The body excretes these waste products because too much of them can cause problems. So, whenever you drink your urine, these waste products go back to your kidneys all over again - and a continuous cycle can result in kidney failure.

Therefore, drinking urine for an extended cycle can kill a person. Also, urine will not suffice with the body's need for rehydration. However, in many cases, drinking urine has been able to extend a person's survival for a day or two.

Still, medical experts do not suggest that a person drinks his/her pee. In the Army Field Manual, urine, along with seawater and blood, is included on the DO NOT DRINK list. Also, survivors of injuries should not resort to drinking urine as much as possible. This is because muscle damage can result in an increased volume of potassium and phosphorous in the bloodstream.