Here’s The True Reason Consuming Asparagus Causes An Unusual Urine Odor

Asparagus is a nutritious vegetable but many people have reported that it makes their urine smell weird. Is there any truth to this? Keep reading to find out what scientists have to say about the unusual phenomenon.

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By Editorial Team

Asparagus makes a great side dish and is loved by many. Nearly everything about it is great for humans except one small part — how the human body reacts to it.

Indeed some people have noted that after eating asparagus, their pee usually smelled like a can of rotten cabbages. It may sound weird but it is true.

Why Asparagus Makes Your Pee Smell

Asparagus has the ability to turn your urine into an odiferous stream that makes some people avoid it like the plague.

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The smell is caused by the asparagusic acid. The compound is found exclusively in asparagus and when the body breaks down asparagus, the acid metabolizes into several sulfur byproducts.

When you use the restroom, the byproducts rapidly metabolize and release the scent of sulfur.

According to Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, medical toxicologist and co-medical director of the National Capital Poison Center in Washington D.C., "Food, drink, and our body's metabolism can affect the composition of our urine as well as its odor."

Johnson-Arbor added that "one of the most common causes of an abnormal urine odor is asparagus."

"The cause of this is unknown but may be related to the presence of [volatile organic compounds], including dimethyl sulfoxide, methanethiol, or carbon disulfide, which are present in the urine of people who eat asparagus," Johnson-Arbor also said.

How Long Can Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell?

The body starts absorbing and breaking down asparagusic acid within the first 15 minutes of your first bite.

How long the pee smell lasts is variable. According to one study, the smell's half-life is 4.7 hours which means the odor could last for about nine hours after consuming asparagus.

However another study has found the half-life is actually 7.2 hours, which means a smell could linger for up to 14 hours.

Can You Get Rid Of The Smell?

Unfortunately no. There is nothing you can do about how your body reacts to asparagusic acid but you can rest assured that it is a normal phenomenon that won't last over a day.