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.
Whenever I eat asparagus, my urine has a terrible smell. Should I stop eating it?
Alan Wein
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.
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Who cares. How prissy is our society? That we care what our urine smells like after we eat healthy food. Who's going to smell your urine? Try eating a lot of beets, and see what happens.— road515
Ha, I'm not falling for that one.— CCRichards- Maybe you should stop smelling your pee.— DavidJUrban
- That's a verbose way of saying, "The smell is normal. Don't worry." Dr. Wein must be paid by the letter.— everydayguy
- ....and the beets go on....— jcpaul
Comment removed.- I, too, have had this problem and checked on other websites for possible answers as to why this happens. Like Dr Wein says, it is not a problem and there is nothing to be feared. However, I marvel that everyone seems to have a funny reply every time the issue is discussed. In fact, one medical report indicated that the enzymes that create that smell is similar to the one used by skunks to create their bad smell. Who would have thought that some of us could be so atavistic!— Jefferson1
