NEW DELHI: Prominent Indian YouTuber and activist Dhruv Rathee posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) on October 25, 2025, sending a strong cautionary message against the consumption of cow dung, citing serious public health risks. The video, which has quickly gone viral, aims to debunk long-standing, yet medically unsubstantiated, claims about the practice.
Rathee explicitly warned his large following about the dangers posed by pathogens like E. coli and various parasites, which are commonly found in animal waste. According to Rathee, consuming cow dung can lead to severe infections, including food poisoning and cryptosporidiosis.
Medical Consensus on Hazards
Medical experts have consistently confirmed these warnings. Cow manure is a known carrier of numerous pathogenic microorganisms, including strains of E. coli (which can cause severe diarrheal illness and kidney failure), Salmonella, and protozoa like Cryptosporidia and Giardia. While unproven claims promoting cow dung as a remedy to boost immunity gained traction, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals stress that ingestion poses a direct risk of fecal-oral transmission of disease.
Please do not eat Gobar ❌
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) October 25, 2025
It's harmful for your health pic.twitter.com/XkBMdMNFwm
The video, which garnered over 10,000 likes and thousands of reposts within hours, elicited a sharply polarized reaction on social media. Many users applauded Rathee for using his platform to promote science and debunk health myths, seeing it as a necessary intervention against misinformation.
However, the post also drew swift criticism from other quarters. Critics labeled the video as culturally insensitive, arguing that it disrespects Indian traditions and practices where cow products are revered and used in Ayurvedic medicine and religious rituals for their perceived purifying properties. The debate underscores the delicate balance between scientific advice and deep-seated cultural beliefs in India.
