TheTwitter backlash was immediate after couple Bex Long and John Dixon did the unimaginable on UK television show ITV This Morning: they drank their own urine. Yes, you read that correctly. The couple believes that drinking their own urine has a myriad of health benefits, none of which have been scientifically proven. And they decided to prove what they say is true by downing a champagne flute of their own pee live on the air.

“I spoke to people where John works and heard stories about how they had got better [from doing it] and thought I would try it,” said Long, according to the Daily Mail. “For the first couple of months I felt happy and bouncy — it worked straight away.”

Long and Dixon, who have been together for two years, said that drinking their urine is like throwing back an energy drink. The couple believes the liquid waste cures depression, and also clears their skin, brightens their eyes, and aids in the healing of cuts and burns. While they admit it’s an acquired taste (actually, it tastes a lot like whatever food you’ve eaten throughout the day) they say that the perceived health benefits make it worth it. “It smells and tastes like [urine] — there's no getting around it. But it cleans you out,” said Dixon, according to the Daily Mail. “When you carry on doing it, you can taste what food you eat.”

Though there isn’t much scientific evidence to support the couple’s claim, some do swear by urine being a magic elixir. Urine therapy is considered by some to be an ancient, all-natural method that can sustain a person’s health. Urine is highly sterile, consisting of 95 percent water, 2.5 percent urea, and 2.5 percent a mixture of minerals, salts, hormones, and enzymes. But Dr. Ranj Singh told the Daily Mail that once urine leaves the body, it is no longer sterile and could harbor harmful bacteria. “Urine is one of the body's ways of getting rid of stuff — and it could contain toxic byproducts,” said Singh.

Watch video of the couple’s appearance (where they drink their own urine) on ITV This Morning below: