The Great Asparagus Pee Caper...
Research can be confusing. A guy goes looking for a simple answer to a simple question and an onslaught of debates, differing facts, and downright ridiculous things appear.
My question:
Why does asparagus make my pee smell so nasty?
In short, the answer is sulfur. But these things are never easy.
So far what I have determined is that there are two kinds of people in the world; those who have smelly pee after eating asparagus, and those who don't. But wait. That statement in itself is up for debate as well. New research is showing something different entirely. While you may or may not notice a smell in your urine after chomping on this herbaceous perennial, that doesn't necessarily mean that your urine smells or doesn't smell.
The new research suggests that all post-asparagus pee is stinky, but there are only some people who can smell it. This has been proven to me in real life by people who claim that they don't have the smelly asparagus-pee issue. I've walked into the bathroom shortly after them and trust me...they've got it.
What it comes down to is this:
Everyone's pee smells putrid after eating asparagus. It takes someone with a more active sense of smell to perceive it...which proves I am at least slightly superhuman because I can smell nasty asparagus pee from a mile away.
So...are you a perceiver or a nonperceiver?
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P.S. - We had grilled asparagus with dinner last night and it was delicious.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus
http://www.chow.com/stories/10415
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070913074816AAPuHSl
27 waggish utterances thus far...:
I never even noticed the two until one night I was eating raw asparagus and you and Allison gave me a head's up. And that night, I yelled out to Jon, THEY WERE RIGHT!!! So I, like you, did a little research. My family was mocking me for spending research time on finding out the whys and hows of pee smellage post asparagus.
So, without you, I would never have such useless knowledge. I don't know whether to thank you or not...
Perceiver. Definitely.
This is why I try to hit your blog every day. I just never know what you are going to come up with next. And I love it. Thanks.
Yet another reason the have Febreeze in the bathroom I guess ... my nose doesn't pick that up, thankfully. I'll have to share this info w/ my husband...he'll be intrigued. Yes, he actually will.
I'm a perceiver, no doubt. But I love asparagus.
I am a perceiver, but we call it 'dog nose'.
And I also have 'dog ears', especially if my kids are talking about me.
I am a super smeller. My husband tells me I could smell a gnat flatulate in a wind storm. He (my husband) thinks it's my superpower. Can that be a spiritual gift?
As far as asparagus I don't know. The only stuff I ever eat is from a mix out of the frozen foods area and I doubt there is enough asparagus in that to do much damage.
I just love surveys.
Yes, I perceive.
BTW so far, this is the most engaging, news worthy bit I've come across today...
Interesting. This is something I've always wondered about but too lazy to research. (I can definitely smell it!)
The smeller's the feller! I don't know if that really applies here but I love sayin' it.
I can totally smell asparagus pee. (Never could have anticipated I'd ever type those words.) My sister swears she cannot and I kept calling her a liar. Guess I have an apology to make.
it's a true statement...the morning empty did not smell so good at all.
Perceiver, but wish I wasn't.
Try Asparagus with Balsamic Butter (google it). It's to die for.
You all should try eating Golden Crisp. Your pee smells like Golden Crisp. Its disturbing, I know.
i don't know what i am cause really, i've never thought about it before and honestly, no one's ever asked me that question.
we don't eat asparagus around these parts so i can't comment on that particular vegetable, but....(because there is always a but) something makes honey's pee stink to holy hell and back and when i figure out what THAT particular smell is, you can believe i won't be buyin' that junk anymore.
I am definitely a perceiver. While I don't normally eat asparagus I will tell you that Golden Crisps also makes your pee smell funny. No lie.
Interesting but scary. The only pee smell I ever notice is a coffee smell after a Starbucks. Weird but true!
I am a non perceiver, however, my loving husband has a an amzing sense of smell, this is gross, BUT, I sense you can take it. He can smell if a female is on her period from 10 feet away! crazy! He wishes he did not have this super human ability
I have drank so much coffee over the past few days my pee smells like a latte. I should have some asparagus soon and see what it smells like with the two combined
Perceiver, but it doesn't slow down my asparagus consumption. I love the stuff!
The onslaught of information that one finds on the internet when searching for very simple information is what oft times gives me what I term "Spaghetti head"...I avoid this kind of Googling when it comes to serious things like salvation issues! :)
Oh - and I don't know if I am a perceiver or not...I'll let you know next time I eat asparagus...I do know that B vitamins make my pee a very pretty bright yellow...
the golden crisp thing is true for me as well. and i smell the nasty of asparagus. yuckers. i actually had to steer clear of it when i was pregnant b/c i would totally turned off. yuck. recently had it again and i thought a skunk was walking by? (strong sense of smell and active imagination)
Perceiver. Funny enough, though, I have only been a perceiver for the past year or so.
I've been eating asparagus for about 8 years.
Why now?
Hmmmm...had to ponder whether to comment or not. Decided that those of you who I offend with this post will just get over it. I've ALWAYS smelled the asparagus smell, even when I was young (and my mother told me to "knock it off, already.") We had this discussion years ago at a party on the shores of Bear Lake, Utah, and one woman who was a tiny bit (?) inebriated and outspoken INSISTED that--not only does the sulphur come through in urine--but, wait, it also comes through in semen. (!!) Sorry, had to let y'all know this important piece of trivia. :)
I smell...dead people. They don't even know they stink.
No, seriously, I've always had smelly asparagus pee. My husband maintains that his pee NEVER SMELLED...until after I told him about asparagus pee.
This was a most unexpected post after scrolling down from your sleeping angels post :).
There's a fantastic little bakery in the small town where I live that makes the most incredible cream of asparagus soup....the first time I ate it was the first time I had ever eaten asparagus (I was already in my 30s!). Of course, I had to pee not long after and thought something was seriously wrong with me. I called my best friend (who had eaten lunch with me) and clued her in on my panic. When she pulled herself up off the floor and stopped laughing at me, she explained that asparagus was notorious for causing stinky pee.
I think there should be a warning label :)
can't believe it! we most definitely had this same debate over a ridiculously expensive steak dinner with friends from church recently. i'd never heard of it but our friends insisted it was true of everyone (after we ordered fried asparagus). i'm one of the people who have never noticed it. i'm not saying it's not true though....
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