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Understand the reason behind the unpleasant smell of urine after eating asparagus

Understand the reason behind the unpleasant smell of urine after eating asparagus

Learn why eating asparagus can change the smell of urine.
© American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
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Transcript

SPEAKER: Meet asparagus. It's green, it's a vegetable, it grows all over the country. And Americans consume around 1.6 pounds of it per person annually. Asparagus is known for two things. It's great flavor, and that it makes your pee smell funny. Here's Shirley Corriher to explain why the asparagus is not entirely to blame for this unpleasant side effect.

SHIRLEY CORRIHER: It is not the pee-er, it is the smell-ee. Some people have an enzyme that permits them to detect metabolic byproducts from asparagus in the urine, and other people don't have the enzyme. So some people smell it, and some people don't.

SPEAKER: Not only can some people not smell the asparagus pee scent, but some people can't even produce it. So next time you eat asparagus and your pee smells funny, don't blame the asparagus, blame your mom and dad. It's your genes that allow your nose to smell it and for you to produce a scent in the first place. Sorry mom and dad, but this one's all on you.