Whenever I eat asparagus, my urine has a terrible smell. Should I stop eating it?
Asparagus contain compounds which are broken down by enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract during the digestion process. The breakdown products are responsible for the somewhat putrid smell.
Alan Wein, M.D., is chief of the division of urology at Penn Medicine and co-director of the urologic oncology and incontinence programs at Penn Medicine.
No, not if you like it. Asparagus contain compounds that are broken down by enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract during the digestion process. The breakdown products are responsible for the somewhat putrid smell.
Some feel that the problem occurs only in people who have the specific gene or genes responsible for the enzyme, which break down these compounds. So, those who lack the gene do not have this problem.
Others feel that it is common to break down these compounds during digestion and only certain people have the genes that enable them to detect the bad odor. Those without the gene would not appreciate the smell.
People who have the gene for breakdown may not have the ones that enable them to "appreciate" what they have produced. People who have the genetic makeup that enables them to smell the odor are not necessarily those who have the makeup that enables them to produce it. In any case, it doesn't mean anything is terribly wrong.
To check out more Check Up items go to www.philly.com/checkup