'Hate for cow urine is dumb': Neurologist joins Zoho CEO in backing IIT Madras director, says gomutra is sterile

Neurologist Anand Venkatraman on Wednesday joined the ongoing debate over the medicinal properties of cow urine (gomutra), defending its benefits and dismissing criticism as baseless. In a tweet, Venkatraman asserted, "The hate for cow urine is dumb and irrational. Cow milk is far dirtier, has more pus cells, bacteria, skin, and hair than cow urine. Raw cow milk can give you Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. Urine from healthy cows is sterile and contains antibacterial compounds."  

Venkatraman's remarks come amid a heated discourse sparked by IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti, who recently praised the medicinal properties of cow urine. Speaking at an event on January 15, Kamakoti claimed that gomutra has "anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and digestive properties" and can be an effective treatment for conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). However, his comments drew sharp criticism, with detractors labeling them pseudoscientific.  

Zoho Corporation CEO Sridhar Vembu backed Kamakoti, saying those mocking cow urine fail to understand evolving scientific perspectives. Vembu drew parallels to modern medical advancements, stating that practices like fecal transplants, which were once considered unconventional, are now widely recognized for their efficacy.  

"The people who are mocking cow urine don't know how fecal transplants and fecal pills (yes!) from very healthy individuals (preferably from pre-industrial societies, not exposed to modern diets) are seeing growing scientific interest due to their role in restoring beneficial gut bacteria," the Zoho CEO said, adding that gut bacteria are the most vital component of our immune system and they play a vital role in our physical and mental health.

“So, 'cow urine and cow dung have beneficial properties' is not some superstitious quackery. Modern science is converging there,” Vembu tweeted. He criticised online backlash as "closed-minded fanaticism" and urged skeptics to consider evolving scientific perspectives.  

However, critics like liver specialist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, known as 'The Liver Doctor' on social media, strongly opposed Vembu's stance. Philips labeled the debate as regressive, accusing proponents of cow urine's benefits of spreading misinformation. He wrote on X, “As a man of influence, spread valuable information on how as a community we can progress through science and the scientific method, instead of promoting ancient nonsense and primal therapies.”