Asparagus and urine

black7

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This might be kind of a weird post today. Have you ever noticed that when you eat asparagus your urine smells awful?

The reason for the smell is a sulfer compound called mercaptan. This compound is also found in rotten eggs, onion, garlic, and the secretions of skunks. When you eat asparagus, your digestive tract breaks down the mercaptan and the resulting by-products cause the smell. It happens quickly, and you may even be able to notice the smell as early as 15 minutes after eating it! Mercaptan and the resulting odor is not harmful in any way.

What is fascinating, though, is that not everyone has the gene to break down the mercaptan, so some people have no idea what you are talking about when you say your pee smells funny after eating asparagus! The studies vary, but it seems that certain ethnic populations have it more than others. This has not been highly studied, but studies have been done on small groups of British, French, and Israeli Jews. It seems that all of the French had it and only about half of the Britains produced the odor. The Israeli Jews were also mixed, but some of them who did produce the odor could not smell it. Interesting?..
 
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Asparagus health benefits:
For your heart!
Its high content of folacin (60% of the daily requirement) makes the asparagus essential for the cardiovascular system health.
When folate levels are low, the Homocysteine which is one of the intermediary products of the methylation reaction (important reaction performed in your body every time) can't be converted into cysteine and its blood level rise.
High levels of Homocysteine promotes atherosclerosis by damaging the blood vessel walls, increases the risk of several heart diseases and interfere with the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue.

A good source of Folate
With 260 mcg of folate per cup, asparagus is a good source of folate, the B-vitamin essential necessary in cellular division and DNA synthesis. When a woman is pregnant it is very important to avoid folate deficiency. This deficiency is linked to spina bifida and other several birth defects in the fetus, and unluckily is a very commonvitamin deficiency.

Diuretic effect
If you are in need of a natural diuretic to maintain the balance in your body, then asparagus is the perfect food for you.
It has a very good potassium/sodium ratio (14.5/1) along with the active amino acid asparagine which makes it a natural diuretic that can help you with water retention problems.
Now, there is a well known fact about asparagus and urine. Have you ever be warned that you'll have asparagus urine odor or urine smell asparagus if you eat this vegetable?
Chances are that you will, as the majority of the people. But be assured that is is innocuous or harmless, and is due to different chemicals named thiols that are breakdown products of this vegetable.

Healthy intestinal tract
Asparagus promotes the growth rates and activity of the friendly bacteria that commonly populates our large intestine by providing them the carbohydrate inulin. This not only improves digestion, but also keeps at bay unfriendly bacteria.
 
another interesting fact.... the same odor causing enzyme in asparagus called Thiol is used to give natural gas odor, which is naturally odorless.
 
i heard 1 in 4 people have the receptors in there nose to smell the difference so not every1 could smell it i didnt know that not all people would produce the smell
 
lol, when I seen this thread the first thing I thought of was stink piss. Man is sensitive to Thiol more than any Oder, it can be detected in parts per billionth.
 
you know, now that I think about it Ive never eaten asparagus. Now I have a reason to. Im trying to remember what turns piss greenish.. since thats totally important
 
you know, now that I think about it Ive never eaten asparagus. Now I have a reason to. Im trying to remember what turns piss greenish.. since thats totally important

Dymatize aminos are blue but they give your piss a really nice green hue.
 
damn...asparagus does do that...I have even been told by my girl that even my sperm taste bad when eating it...
 
It's one of the few foods I refuse to eat.
Maybe that's why I don't like it, but I always said it was because it gets stuck between my teeth like dental floss.
 
it makes my urine smell as well.....call me crazy but I like the smell....
 

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