dani21496
Cathlete
The last few nights I have been eating asparagus for dinner. I noticed my urine smelling like ammonia or something! It was so strong!! I had to look up on the internet what could cause this strange funny smell and found a ton of info on eating asparagus.
It happens within 15 or 30 minutes after eating the asparagus.
The smell stops after the asparagus has passed through your system and only happens in certain people. They say that it could be happening to everyone but either only certain people have the ability to smell the chemical, or that only certain people break down the chemical that causes the odor.
Has anyone else ever experienced this? Oh, and I was eating fresh asparagus, not the kind from the can. (don't know if that makes a difference)
Danielle :7 :+
Here's an article:
http://www.boston.com/globe/search/stories/health/how_and_why/060694.htm
Here's another piece of info I got from the this website:
http://www.elizabethsomer.com/qa25.html
Q. My urine smells funny after I eat asparagus. Why?
- Elena from Detroit
A. Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan, which has a strong odor. (It’s the sulfur in rotten eggs, onions, garlic, skunks, and bad breath that give off the stinky odor.) Mercaptan is in a stable form in uneaten asparagus, so there is no odor until the body breaks down the vegetable during digestion and absorption. The process is so quick that your urine begins to take on the distinctive smell within 15 to 30 minutes.
The commonly held belief is that some people have an enzyme that breaks down mercaptan to its smelly form, sometimes called methyl mercaptan or methanethiol, (estimates are as low as 22% of the population) and other people don’t, which explains why only some people developed stinky urine after a meal containing asparagus. The trait is genetic, so there is no way to get around the smell. However, another theory is that the phenomena might be a matter of smell, since some people’s noses can’t detect the smell of mercaptan. So, their urine could be just as stinky, but their noses don’t sniff it out.
While mercaptan might make your urine stinky, it is not harmful. In fact, asparagus is a powerhouse of nutrients, including folic acid (a B vitamin that helps protect against birth defects, heart disease, and cancer), vitamin C (an antioxidant that protects tissues against damage), and beta carotene (which can be converted to vitamin A and also is an antioxidant), not to mention fiber and a host of health-enhancing phytochemicals that protect against disease. This is one vegetable worth including in the diet.
It happens within 15 or 30 minutes after eating the asparagus.
The smell stops after the asparagus has passed through your system and only happens in certain people. They say that it could be happening to everyone but either only certain people have the ability to smell the chemical, or that only certain people break down the chemical that causes the odor.
Has anyone else ever experienced this? Oh, and I was eating fresh asparagus, not the kind from the can. (don't know if that makes a difference)
Danielle :7 :+
Here's an article:
http://www.boston.com/globe/search/stories/health/how_and_why/060694.htm
Here's another piece of info I got from the this website:
http://www.elizabethsomer.com/qa25.html
Q. My urine smells funny after I eat asparagus. Why?
- Elena from Detroit
A. Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan, which has a strong odor. (It’s the sulfur in rotten eggs, onions, garlic, skunks, and bad breath that give off the stinky odor.) Mercaptan is in a stable form in uneaten asparagus, so there is no odor until the body breaks down the vegetable during digestion and absorption. The process is so quick that your urine begins to take on the distinctive smell within 15 to 30 minutes.
The commonly held belief is that some people have an enzyme that breaks down mercaptan to its smelly form, sometimes called methyl mercaptan or methanethiol, (estimates are as low as 22% of the population) and other people don’t, which explains why only some people developed stinky urine after a meal containing asparagus. The trait is genetic, so there is no way to get around the smell. However, another theory is that the phenomena might be a matter of smell, since some people’s noses can’t detect the smell of mercaptan. So, their urine could be just as stinky, but their noses don’t sniff it out.
While mercaptan might make your urine stinky, it is not harmful. In fact, asparagus is a powerhouse of nutrients, including folic acid (a B vitamin that helps protect against birth defects, heart disease, and cancer), vitamin C (an antioxidant that protects tissues against damage), and beta carotene (which can be converted to vitamin A and also is an antioxidant), not to mention fiber and a host of health-enhancing phytochemicals that protect against disease. This is one vegetable worth including in the diet.
