Asparagus Pee?!?

[Alisa]

Does anyone know why eating asparagus makes your pee smell funny? No, really.

[Jewel]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! It's not just me? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif I thought I was finally going over the edge!

Since I've been on this eating program I've been eating asparagus 3 and 4 times per day if its available...and I noticed it the second day! I figured it had to be the asparagus! Since I've tapered off and added broccoli to the daily regimen for variety it hasn't been as bad, so that narrowed it down. Unfortunately, I have no answer for this little anomoly, but at least you know there's a sister out there somewhere with Asparagus Pee too!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[Alisa]

Thanks sister!

[lsdesign]

Yes, it is true, asparagus does make smelly pee. Some say it is due to the large amount of vitamin C found in this vegetable. I really don't know, all I know is that it is normal. Don't fret.

[shoyski]

Thank you for bringing this up! I keep telling my husband about this and he just laughs at me...thank goodness he happended to be reading beside me on the couch when I read this thread! He just mentioned that I should tell you that up until this topic he thought computers were a good thing. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[LSB]

The Washington Post actually did an article on this very thing a while ago - probably some time last Spring. They said that not everyone was affected by it, but, if I remember correctly, it is caused by some sort of acidic thing in the asparagus.

Anyway - you are not alone!

[Leanne]

Funny that you brought this up - just a couple of weeks ago I found this article for my DH.
http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970115/skinny1.html

[emilycat]

This is too funny! My sister and I always notice this, but my mom never does. Here's why: This is an excerpt from Liz Applegate's column in Runner's World.

The Deal with Asparagus
You can't do anything about it. And it has nothing to do with running. But so many people ask me the asparagus question that I had to include it.

Here's the deal on why eating asparagus sometimes makes your urine smell funny. If you can detect an odor in your urine after eating asparagus, as I can, consider yourself gifted--genetically, that is. Asparagus contains an amino acid called methionine, which your body breaks down into methyl mercaptan. When passed into your urine, it smells somewhat pungent. The catch: Not everyone has the ability to detect this odor. Only those who inherited the methyl mercaptan 'smelling' gene can.--L.A.

[Vanessa]

Yes it happens and it seems the asparagus goes through your system quite fast

[Wendy w]

Thank you for bringing this up, I mentioned this "fun fact" to my BF recently and he said that he hadn't noticed the odor.

Thanks Emilycat, it is nice to finally have an answer to a perplexing mystery.

[Beth]

I can't remember the name of the movie right now, but there is a line about this in a movie that came out a couple of years ago. I hadn't really noticed myself, but every cup of coffee for sure!

[erinyyc]

Well glad to hear I'm not alone, add another sister to the list!!
Angela...are sugar smacks the puffed wheat type cereal? My hubby loves plain puffed wheat cereal and always says it makes his pee smell funny.
This topic is just cracking me up!!LOL
Erin http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[emilycat]

Um, okay, since we're on the topic...

Maybe it's just me, but have you ever eaten a bunch of beets and then thought you were bleeding internally? Eek!

[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 04-27-2001).]

[SoCal]

This is just too funny. I read the topic and thought, poor Alisa, she forgot to add the 'l' to peel and now she can't edit the topic!! Sorry Alisa. I got a good laugh out of it though and learned something new! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[AD]

I mentioned it in a previous post, but this happens to me when I eat garlic.

[Angela]

Erin, yes, Sugar Smacks is puffed wheat with a sugar coating. Glad I'm not the only one with smelly-puffed-wheat-pee. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Hoosier65]

Where else but with your family or on the board can you talk about how your pee smells. What a topic! I get it when I eat Cherrios. But have never noticed it with asparagus, and I eat a lot of it. I willhave to start noticing. LOL

[ewatkins]

Emilycat -- Yes, my dad loves beets and he called the doctor ASAP the morning after he had two helpings of beets!

[breadmama]

Conversations among nursing moms who love asparagus have revealed that our babies' diapers have that characteristic smell, too! Good thing asparagus is so good and good for you...otherwise we might not bother! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[pipely]

This has got to be the most hilarious discussion I've read so far!

[Jen]

This is too funny! I work in a lab, and one of the microbiologists who used to work in a hospital diagnostic lab said that in her old hospital, they actually used to serve asparagus to the patients. They finally had to stop, because the next morning when they took all the urine samples the lab would stink to high heaven! I'd never noticed the smell before but once I paid attention - hooey! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif And emilycat, I have a funny story about the beets too - when my husband and I first got married, he had NEVER eaten beets (his parents only eat frozen/pre-prepared/gross food and had never made them). The first Sunday dinner that my mom made beets, he honestly thought that he was dying when he went to the bathroom the next day - I don't think I've ever seen him so scared! I shouldn't laugh, but it was so cute.

[JJ40]

It's funny, I was talking to a friend of mine about this yesterday, and she sent me some info on it:

"Asparagus urine" is the result of a simple chemical reaction. Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan. (It's also
found in rotten eggs, onions, garlic, and in the secretions of skunks.) When your
digestive tract breaks down this substance, by-products are released that cause the funny scent. The process is so quick that your urine can develop the distinctive smell within 15 to 30 minutes of eating asparagus.

But not everyone has this experience.
Your genetic makeup may determine whether your urine has the odor -- or whether you can
actually smell it. Only some people appear to have the gene for the enzyme that breaks down mercaptan into its more pungent parts. A study published in the May 1989 British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that 46% of 115 people tested produced the odor in one group of British citizens, while 100% of 103 people produced it in a group of French citizens. The ability to smell the by-products may also be genetic.

Another study published in the same journal
found that 10% of a group of 300 Israeli Jews could not detect the odor. In other words, a person's urine could smell, but he or she might not know it.

While eating asparagus may make your
urine smell strange, it won't harm you. Actually, asparagus -- a member of the lily family along with garlic, onions, and leeks -- is a powerhouse of nutrients. It's an excellent source of folic acid, a
significant source of vitamin C and a
good source of vitamin A (an antioxidant). Not to mention that asparagus contains 3 grams of fiber per 3.5-ounce serving and a host of health-enhancing plant chemicals, or
phytonutrients, that may protect against disease.

More than you ever wanted to know about asparagus!

Julie http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Angela]

My mom and I have talked about this topic in the past. Nice to know Alisa was 'brave' enough to bring up the topic.

Another food item that makes pee smell funny (mine at least) is Kellogg's Sugar Smacks. I love the things, but don't purchased them very frequently because of this. Anyone else notice this?

[SusanL]

This really is really too funny- I thought her asparagus was the one urinating when I read the topic of this thread!!
And, I also went to the doctor because I thought I had a bladder infection after eating too many red beets from my garden. The doctor never asked me about red beets but insisted I had to have pain in my abdominal region! I took the medicine and hadn't roasted any red beets for a few days, but when I harvested more, my "bladder infection" came back sans the pain...

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by SusanL:
I thought her asparagus was the one urinating when I read the topic of this thread!!...

Thanks for a good giggle!!!

[Alisa]

Thanks for all of the information and laughter!

[Vanessa]

You what guys I was reading that it happens with asparagus and actually with coffee and other types of food....My DH said he read about the asparagus in the cartoon section a few weeks ago (guess cartoons are entertainment and also knowledge after all http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)

[Julie O]

Once I was at a fancy luncheon at a professional chemistry meeting. (ten pieces of silver per person, fine china, everyone dressed up in their Sunday best). Shirley Corriher, author of Cookwise & food chemist, was the speaker. She was telling all of us very interesting stories about food chemistry, like how to keep veggies from turning funny colors while cooking, etc. Anyway, somehow she started talking about asparagus pee!! She was so funny, she had us laughing so hard. Some people nearly fell out of their seats! And, it was especially funny given the formality of the event! You didn't want to laugh, because you thought everyone else would look at you funny, but eventually we couldn't hold it anymore & everyone burst out laughing at the same time!!

[MrsReber]

Whew- I knew there was something weird about that! I never ate asparagus until a few years ago. I never liked it before. Now when I buy it, I kid about with with dh. We get a good laugh, too, if we eat dinner at someone's house and they serve asparagus. How funny!

Does anyone know why you should avoid asparagus if you have gout? We've heard this about asparagus and artichokes, but we don't know the reason behind it.

[SandyM]

I ate my first asparagus of the season last night - and apparently I don't have the pee gene..........

[BarbaraL]

I used to work in a research lab. I remember some of the techs who'd worked in clinical labs used to talk about the "asparagus pee" phenomenon. Sometimes they'd eat asparagus on purpose when they'd be giving a urine sample, just to annoy the techs who'd have to process the sample.