Why does asparagus make your urine smell?
Question
Sugar-puffs and asparagus – why do they change the colour of your urine?Claire, Richmond
Answer
** Definitive **Name: Elana, Northwood
Qualification: Pharmacology degree, where we were taught this!
Answer: Most people have a gene that breaks down a compound in asparagus to make a smelly compound that our bodies cannot break down. Therefore, we need to get rid of it from our bodies. But it doesn’t happen to everyone. Also, there is a gene which means people can smell this compound, so your urine may smell, but you can’t smell it, or vice versa. It happens as well with balsamic vinegar.