Photo: Ron Lach

Does everyone's pee stink after asparagus?

That foul odor that wafts from urine after eating asparagus? It happens to everyone. But only two out of three people can smell it.

iuhealth.org - Urine Trouble If You Eat Asparagus - IU Health

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That foul odor that wafts from urine after eating asparagus? It happens to everyone. But only two out of three people can smell it. Michael Pruitt had just finished a nice dinner out and headed off to the restaurant’s bathroom. As he was standing in the restroom doing his business, a smell lofted from Pruitt, prompting a man five feet away to make a comment.

That is some odor, man.

“I was a little embarrassed,” says Capt. Pruitt, of the Wayne Township Fire Department.

Or, more accurately, he was embarrassparagused.

Pruitt was experiencing the smell that wafts from urine after a person eats asparagus. It’s a phenomenon that happens to everyone who eats the vegetable, man or woman, adult or child. But for one third of people, they never smell an asparagus urine odor, says Amy Krambeck, M.D., a urologist at IU Health Methodist Hospital, who specializes in the surgical and medical treatment of stone disease and benign prostatic hyperplasia. “Every person processes asparagus the same way,” says Dr. Krambeck. “But a small percentage of the population has a genetic mutation in their olfactory perception and are unable to perceive the odor.” For those who do? Well, those people have all sorts of ways to describe the aroma. “The smell is hard to describe,” says Anna Custer, of Broad Ripple. “It’s just asparagus pee. Maybe if you were to take the smell of cooked asparagus and mix it with the smell of day old leftover cooked broccoli?” Custer can sense the odor right away after she eats the vegetable that is packed with nutrients.

“And it lingers for the next few pees, too,” she says.

It’s like rotten eggs or garlic and onions, according to David Rodgers, of Greenfield, Ind.

Jason Strong calls it a “vinegar-ish” and “not pleasant” odor.

“Maybe the only scratch and sniff sticker not produced during my childhood,” says Sara Risley of Indianapolis. “And that’s OK. I was a huge collector.”

But why exactly does asparagus urine smell? Dr. Krambeck helped explain.

Asparagus contains sulfur-like compounds. And while asparagus itself doesn’t have an odor, when it is digested, the sulfur bonds -- between the amino acids in asparagusic acid -- are broken. The individual amino acids with the broken bond are absorbed into the blood system. Within 15 minutes, these sulfur-containing amino acids are excreted in the urine, she says. “The amino acids are volatile,” says Dr. Krambeck, “meaning they are a gas at room temperature and are therefore easily detected as an odor.” Drinking more fluids and, potentially, drinking cranberry juice can counteract the effects, but usually the odor goes away within 24 to 48 hours. Smelly urine, however, isn’t something to turn your nose at, says Dr. Krambeck. “Foul smelling urine could indicate other more serious conditions, such as a urinary tract infection or liver disease,” she says. “If the foul odor persists despite discontinuing the suspected food (aka asparagus) or if it is accompanied by other symptoms, seek medical advice.”

-- By Dana Benbow, Senior Journalist at IU Health.

Reach Benbow via email dbenbow@iuhealth.org or on Twitter @danabenbow.

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Why does urine smell like puffed wheat?

Well, the easy answer is; As your body processes a bowl of sugar puffs, your kidneys have a hard time breaking down the sugars so they pass on through into your wee, which gives it the sweet aroma.

cerealkillercafe.co.uk - The 'Sugar Puff wee' phenomena | Cereal Killer UK

Well, the easy answer is; As your body processes a bowl of sugar puffs, your kidneys have a hard time breaking down the sugars so they pass on through into your wee, which gives it the sweet aroma. The reason it happens with Sugar puffs but no other cereals is unknown because scientifically this has never been proven, but anecdotally we know it happens. If you like a bit of toilet talk, ask a few friends and you’ll find more people have experienced the sweet wee than haven’t. Here’s the worrying bit though, if you are experiencing the sugar puff pee without going anywhere near a box of cereal then you should head straight to your GP. A sweet-smelling pee is a sign of diabetes and needs to be checked out by a professional. This similar process happens with Asparagus, giving you an ammonia scented pee, definitely not as sweet and delicious as a sugar puff wee. You can also alter the smell of your pee with curry, cauliflower, alcohol, and coffee, or change the colour with Beetroots, Blackberries, Rhubarb, or Carrots. So why not play with some different scent and colour combos and impress your friends.

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