Source: MT20
Bovine excreta
There is nothing strange about the consumption of bovine excreta and fecal matter. It is a common adaptation seen across pastoralists of different origins. We know our Indo-European strand of ancestry on the steppes did so; African cattle-breeding tribes do so; it will not be surprising if the Harappans & south Indian Ash mound tribes did something like that given that they were cattle rearers too.
Benefits if in close contact
Urine & fecal matter, each probably had their own adaptive significance. In the case of former some metabolites might have had useful physiological effect. Well collected mid-stream urine would not have much of health issues due to being mostly sterile.
The shit might have had value in normalizing the microbial flora between the bovid &the pastoralist providing a chance for better exploitation of bovid milk products and also developing resistance to bovine diseases that allowed more effective pastoralism. We have evidence that at least 1 of the past coronavirus jumped to us from a bovid & over time we reached an equlibrium with it. Thus, consumption of bovine waste might have generally helped develop resistance to disease from the bovid.
One could imagine other benefits, less certain though, like “microflora normalization”; antimicrobial properties of dung myxobacteria. By the former, I mean a proto-version of “fecal implant” and the latter might have more relevance in thatching with the shit.
Risks higher if not in close contact
All that said, the concerns of consuming these are valid for a modern because he’s typically not in close contact with bovids. Thus, consuming this without that regular exposure might not give him any benefit but potentially a disease. This is particularly relevant in places where bovids are reared in poor hygiene and thus carry a potentially risky pathogen/parasite load. Hence, observe caution.
The same in principle applies to consuming mAMsa in a yAga but the risk might be lowered depending on the level of cooking. Real soma poses minimal risks and has good benefits if judiciously consumed. With surA much more care is required both in terms of contamination & amount.