The odor can be detected as soon as 15 minutes after eating asparagus. Scientists haven't quite been able to nail down which compound it is that creates the smell, or if it's a combination of all of them, but methanethiol is a prime suspect because of its bad smell that's associated with fecal odor and even bad breath. For much of my life, I thought asparagus pee was an extremely rare and embarrassing inconvenience that affected an unlucky few.
But it turns out, between 20 and 50 percent of people experience it depending on the study you look at. There are two hypotheses as to why a person might not experience asparagus pee:. I've struggled to describe the smell of asparagus pee to those lucky enough never to have smelled it, but it's commonly referred to as a "rotten," smell.
More specifically, it's been described as smelling like rotten cabbage We've already established that asparagus can make your pee smell as soon as 15 minutes after consumption, but how long can these effects last?
There's nothing like being reminded that you ate asparagus hours later, or even the next day The good news is, it appears the effects subside with time. When asparagus is digested, asparagusic acid gets broken down into sulfur containing byproducts. Sulfur, in general, is not very pleasant to smell, notes Dr. When you pee, the sulfur byproducts evaporate almost immediately, causing you to smell that unpleasant scent. Other foods and drinks have been known to cause smelly urine. For example, some people report that drinking too much coffee causes their urine to smell like coffee.
Brussels sprouts, onions and garlic have also been linked to odd smelling pee in some people. Asparagus pee usually shows up between 15 and 30 minutes after eating the vegetable and can last for several hours. One study found that the smell could last for up to 14 hours! Asparagus urine odor has been observed for centuries.
Some people notice the rotten-like smell as early as 15—30 minutes after eating asparagus, and studies have determined that within 25 minutes, half of the asparagusic acid consumed has already been absorbed 7. The fast absorption rate suggests that the effect of asparagus on urine smell can appear quite quickly, and recent studies also agree that it can last for more than a few hours. One study in 87 people who ate 3—9 spears of asparagus found that the half-life of the asparagus smell was 4—5 hours 3.
The half-life of a substance tells you how long it takes for it to reduce to half of its initial amount. Therefore, if the half-life of the asparagus smell was estimated at 4—5 hours, it means that the total effect could last up to 8—10 hours. Yet, another study in people who also consumed 3—9 asparagus spears reported the half-life of the smell to be 7 hours, meaning that the effect could even last up to 14 hours 7. When your body metabolizes asparagusic acid, it produces numerous smelly, sulfur-based compounds that give your pee a rotten-like smell that can last 8—14 hours.
The effect of asparagus on urine scent is not universal, and a number of hypotheses try to explain this phenomenon. One hypothesis — called the production hypothesis — suggests that only some individuals are capable of producing the sulfurous compounds responsible for the smell, while others are non-producers.
This hypothesis asserts that non-producers lack a key enzyme that helps metabolize asparagusic acid and are thus unable to produce the smelly byproducts 4. The other hypothesis — called the perception hypothesis — states that everyone produces the smell, but some are unable to detect or perceive it 4. In this case, researchers found a genetic modification that alters one or more of the olfactory receptors that should respond to the asparagus smell, causing what is known as asparagus anosmia, or the inability to smell asparagus pee 8.
The asparagusic acid in asparagus produces many sulfurous byproducts that give your pee a rotten-like smell. The smell can be detected as early as 15 minutes after eating asparagus and may last up to 14 hours. Asparagus is low in calories yet rich in nutrients. The health benefits of asparagus include better digestive health, weight loss, healthy pregnancy….
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