Asparagus and, umm, Odor

12 years ago

Well: maybe not dinner conversation, but I believe I may have found out something of value. My urine always smells when I eat asparagus, but last night, for the first time, I drank tea after a fresh asparagus dinner and there was NO odor last night or this morning. Actually, this was unusual tea because it also had some spearmint in it (Bigelow Plantation Mint), so it could have been the mint.

I googled and see no mention of my 'discovery'. I did find that there is reasonable evidence that only a portion of the public generates the odor and only some others can smell it that leads to confusion about the issue in the first place. I will check further with regular tea the next time I consume asparagus. If the tea is disrupting the generation of the odor, it would be an easy way to solve a slight problem when out in public, or home for that matter.

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Comments (21)

strawchicago z5
12 years ago
Hi chas045: thank you for posting a great tip .... I have tons of mint in my garden, will experiment next time I eat asparagus ... like chewing fresh mint afterwards, to see that helps.

Sniffing & eating mint helps with weight loss, plus curbing testosterone (I first read that in Prevention Magazine years ago) Here's an excerpt from e-How:

"A 2,800 Calorie Difference

A study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia concluded that those exposed on a consistent basis to peppermint consumed about 2,800 fewer calories per week than those who were not. According to study creator Bryan Raudenbush, Ph.D., the scent or consumption of peppermint increases brain activity in the area that controls alertness. He found that avoiding this crash in attention and focus will curb the snacking that often takes place to jump-start energy.

Another study, conducted through the University of Cincinnati by Dr. William N. Dember, concluded that mental alertness and focus could be increased by 28 percent through the inhalation of peppermint oil.

Decreased Appetite

Dr. Raudenbush's study also found a decrease in hunger associated with inhaling peppermint oil. On a diet of 1,800 calories per day over seven days, those participating in the focus group consumed approximately 23 percent fewer calories from fat and sugar. The focus group also concluded that their overall hunger was diminished over this one-week period.

**** Another side-effect of mint is reduction in testosterone:
See link below:

"In the trial, 42 women with PCOS related hirsutism were assigned to drink spearmint tea or a placebo herbal tea twice daily for 30 days. Blood tests measuring hormone levels were taken at the beginning, the mid way point and at the end of the experiment. The results indicate that the women receiving the spearmint demonstrated significant reductions in free and total testosterone levels and increases in luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone concentrations. These alterations are consistent with an improvement in PCOS. (2) A reduction in hair distribution wasnÃ¢ÂÂt detected, but the researchers believe that the relatively short duration of the study was the reason why. Another shorter study from 2007 found almost identical results. (3)

It certainly appears that spearmint has a strong association with the hormones involved in PCOS. But itÃ¢ÂÂs also possible that some of the improvements are the result of specific antioxidant activity that may help reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics and perhaps in others with insulin irregularities. (4,5)

*** From Straw: I find mint/asparagus topic very interesting. My favorite class in college was biochemistry, after microbiology.

Here is a link that might be useful: Properties of mint
arkansas girl
12 years ago
It's not the black tea because I drink it all the time, a couple glasses of iced per day, and that has no effect on the smell of urine. I hate that nasty smell! I will definitely try the mint, it certainly makes sense!
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sushipup1
12 years ago
Is this really a problem for you? It's not permanent, goes away pretty quickly and I've experienced worse in public restrooms.
foodonastump
12 years ago
LOL, I almost posted something similar this morning. I always considered it a phenomenon, not a problem. Plenty of worse smells to be had in the water closet!
arkansas girl
12 years ago
Well if eating a few mint leaves would stop it, I'd be willing to give it a try anyway. It's not a big deal but it's a deal...HA! I eat a lot of asparagus.
nanny98
12 years ago
Amen. Not a big deal, but if one avoids a 'good for you' veggie... just because, then it is worth the knowledge. Thanks! (BTW, I don't know that anyone else notices it, but I do, and I don't like it (the smell) so I avoid it!)
Jasdip
12 years ago
We love roasted asparagus, and I have never noticed it. I'll be paying attention now! LOL
foodonastump
12 years ago
Does it work for coffee?
anoriginal
12 years ago
I know asparagus causes certain "odors"... but I DON'T CARE!! I LOVE it and nobody's in bathroom with me when odor occurs!!
Islay_Corbel
12 years ago
You lot are funny!
mitchdesj
12 years ago
The odor stays a while, even after you leave the WC, iykwim..... Its enough to make me avoid asparagus, white asparagus is less offensive but its also less frequently available.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
12 years ago
"----- The odor stays a while, even after you leave the WC,---"

That's why it is a good idea to flash, and use the exhaust fan.

dcarch [ heheee :-) ]
sally2_gw
12 years ago
Dcarch, please don't flash. You might get arrested.

Sally
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
12 years ago
"Dcarch, please don't flash. You might get arrested.
Sally"

LOL!

It's such a good thing, "Type Ahead" Spell Checker!

dcarch
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
We eat a lot of asparagus and we also eat a lot of mint and sometimes both as in minted asparagus soup but I never noticed any correlation between the two.

I am one of those who gets rather intensively scented bathroom visits after eating asparagus but it doesn't bother me; just a reminder of a delicious dinner.

Next time, I'll try some mint tea and report back if there's any difference.
Lars
12 years ago
I've never noticed an odor with asparagus, but that reminds me that I have some in the fridge that I need to cook. Maybe I will make crepes and stuff them with asparagus and mushrooms. I would add chicken, but I used the last of that when I made tamales.

I did some research and read that only about 25% of people have the gene that allows them to smell the odor that asparagus produces in urine. Supposedly everyone produces the odor, but only certain people can detect it. I guess I am lucky not to be able to smell it, but I otherwise have a very sensitive nose and can smell many more things than Kevin can - especially delicately scented flowers. I have pink cymbidiums blooming right now that I think have a heavenly fragrance, but Kevin cannot smell them at all.

Lars
annie1992
12 years ago
I eat lots of asparagus when it's in season here, I live right next door to Oceana County, the self proclaimed "Asparagus Capital". The top three producers of asparagus in the U.S. are California, Michigan and Washington, so I eat it until I'm satiated then freeze a bunch.

The smell? Yeah, I smell it, but I don't care enough to cut back on the amount I consume. Right now it's on sale here for $1.29 a pound. I'll eat it roasted, boiled, in soup, raw (if it's young and tender), sauced or not. I never peel it, which is a whole 'nother thread.

I drink coffee with dinner sometimes and don't notice that it makes a difference and I've had iced tea with a dinner including asparagus and not noticed a difference then either. Maybe it IS the mint. I do like mint tea but other than that, I don't care for fresh mint in anything.

Annie
seagrass_gw Cape Cod
12 years ago
My husband travelled to Germany quite frequently on business and learned the term "spargelpiss" from a colleague lol.

This post was edited by seagrass on Sun, Mar 2, 14 at 0:26
annie1992
12 years ago
LOL, Seagrass, now I'll have to remember that. Asparagus season is upon us. I think. I dunno, it was -27 here last night, so it seems a bit of time away. (grin)

So, I'm assuming the associate was German?

Annie (in the frozen north)
foodonastump
12 years ago
ROFLMAO @ Spargelpiss! We speak a German equivalent of Spanglish at my parents' house... I can't wait until the next opportunity to expand our vocabulary! Should be soon, she always serves Spargel!
sally2_gw
12 years ago
Like others, I can smell it, and the after effects of other foods such as coffee and onions, even cereal. Doesn't bother me in the least. It seems perfectly natural for the things we eat to work their way through our bodies. I guess I'd be concerned if I couldn't smell anything.

Sally

Asparagus and, umm, Odor

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strawchicago z5

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