I am passionate about creating a thoroughly nourished life. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts. Certain foods and vitamins, as well as certain medications, can cause them. But people assigned female at birth who took vitamin C supplements actually saw their overactive bladder symptoms worsen. Many things can alter the look and smell of your urine. There have been different theories put forward over the years explaining why only some people notice a smell in their urine after eating asparagus. Ever heard that eating a lot of carrots can tint your skin orange? Effects of Asparagus Officinalis Extracts on Liver Cell Toxicity and Ethanol Metabolism. When the plant breaks through the ground, exposure to sunlight turns it green, and some varieties contain anthocyanin, a pigment-containing compound that creates a purple hue. Because the body breaks down the veggie, methyl mercaptan is produced, which makes your urine smell less salty. There are two main reasons. Once your body metabolizes asparagusic acid, it produces several sulfurous byproducts that are highly volatile meaning that they vaporize easily (3). True: alcohol is not really a vegetable. When you use asparagus, for example, you have a distinctive smell because it has a high concentration of asparagusic acid. Additionally, high-fiber diets have been associated with weight loss among people who are cutting calories, according to a study published the, Probably the best-known side effect of eating asparagus is that, for some people, it causes funky-smelling pee. If this doesnt work, soak the clothing with water and a cup of baking soda or a bit of apple cider vinegar. You can check the color of your urine to confirm whether you're. For example, coffee isnt usually thought of as something that strongly effects urine but a recent study has shown that drinking two cups can be enough to lead to the presence of compounds such as vanillin which are often associated with a vanilla-like sweet smell. However, if your urine has a sweet smell . These come from the same plant, but in the case of white asparagus, the plant lacks pigment because it's grown entirely underground, so color-producing chlorophyll never develops. Urine odor Causes - Mayo Clinic This compound is released onto your skin, and can create a fishy smell that repulses a lot of people. It stinks of fishy discharge. The doctor may advise you to take antibiotics as needed. Certain foods have the ability to temporarily increase the odor of urine. Vegetables are a very important food group on a low-carb diet. When choosing your green asparagus at the grocery store or farmers market, look for spears with compact tips and smooth stalks that are a rich green color for most of their length. You can rely on them to conduct a variety of tests to determine the source of the odor and get it resolved as quickly as possible. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight lossfrom exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. They did however, find that the ability to detect the smell was linked to a specific DNA sequence that varied between different people. The smell can be detected as early as 15 minutes after eating asparagus and may last up to 14 hours. Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell? - Cleveland Clinic If the garlic sweat is strong, apply white or cider vinegar to keep you odor free throughout the day. Have you eaten asparagus and noticed that it can alter how your urine smells? Urine that contains a lot of water and few waste products has little to no odor. Dairy products can cause body odor when lipids that come from digesting milk, yogurt etc. Making dietary changes may help prevent foul-smelling stools. It can definitely be alarming to see red- or pink-tinged urine in the toilet bowl until you remember that you recently ate beets. The effect of asparagus on urine scent is not universal, and a number of hypotheses try to explain this phenomenon. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Stranger Things fans blown away by really smart The Clash theory, A demonic ghost trapped me in a coffin and made me think I killed my husband in a car crash it ruined my life, Ekin-Su Culculoglu bringing cursed yellow beanbag everywhere with her after Davide Sanclimentibreak-up, Bluey breaks viewing record to become the biggest show ever with staggering number, Karlie Kloss welcomes second child with husband Joshua Kushner, Suspect with drugs up his backside didnt go to toilet for nine days, Woman divorces husband because he wouldnt build a toilet in their home, Do not sell or share my personal information. To avoid the asparagus stench, try an alternative, such as roasted or grilled bell peppers. 4. Alcohol can have two significant but separate influences on your personal fragrance. The vegetables bright, somewhat grassy flavor is only one reason to love it. And turns out, some food dyes can turn your pee green, per the Mayo Clinic. A study published in the, Why do some people experience this phenomenon and others dont? Surprising factors influence urine color and odor including food and medication. Asparagus, Considered a Delicacy Since Ancient Times. Consumer's Guides: Understand Your Treatments, U of A Division of Agriculture Research and Extension, Harvard T.H. When your body breaks down the veggie during digestion, it produces methyl. A kidney infection can lead to irreversible damage if not treated. Read on to find out. Urine isn't exactly a sweet-smelling substance in the first place. Either way, you can expect your pee to smell for quite a while. Urine Smells Like Coffee: What Does it Mean? - Healthy and Natural World A cloudy or bloody urine sample may also indicate other symptoms. Blame the sulfur compound mercaptan in asparagus for making your pee smell funny. Before you eat asparagus spears, youll want to trim off the white, woody ends, usually by at least inch. If youre wondering what a particular food smells like, its likely youre not the only one. You can change the way your pee smells if you have certain medications, specifically sulfa drugs. Changes in urine odor can also be caused by diet, vitamins or medication. These 21 Foods Are Making You Smell Bad Slideshow - The Daily Meal 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Eating large amounts of rhubarb can also turn your pee pink or red likely a result of the anthocyanins in rhubarb, which are the compounds that give rhubarb its vibrant pink hue. There is no such thing as perfect urine, but it can still smell strong in the morning or when youre dehydrated. What 7 Urine Smells Mean, According to a Urologist | livestrong Try using non-dairy alternatives, such as almond or coconut milk. However, most changes arent usually noticeable even if they are associated with colour or smell changes. The gas has to leave your body somewhere, right? And finally, a research hassuggested that asparagus extract. Furthermore, eating a lot of these types of foods can irritate the body in some way. When you eat broccoli, your body breaks down the sulfur compounds in the vegetable and these compounds are excreted in your urine. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Possible health benefits of asparagus include fighting some cancers, preventing reproductive issues, and strengthening bones . Rhubarb can also turn urine dark brown or tea-colored. Asparagus tends to grow in temperate climates in soils that are somewhat basic. I bet you never thought youd see gum on the list of foods that make you smell, but chewing gum increases the amount of air you swallow, causing a buildup of gas in your stomach. Some people love the smell of asparagus, while others find it to be quite unpleasant. What to Know About Unusual Smell of Urine - WebMD It was first thought that some people broke down the vegetable in a way that released a smelly chemical in the urine. Dont wash the spears until youre about to eat or cook them. If you have UTI symptoms, you should take the following precautions to help prevent further symptoms. But as with so many things in life, the answer lies in moderation. Coffee might seem harmless, but caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, which activates your sweat glands. Maturitas: "You are what you eat: the impact of diet on overactive bladder and lower urinary tract symptoms", Pharmacogenetics: "Beeturia and the biological fate of beetroot pigments", URMC.Rochester.edu: "Healthy Encyclopedia, Riboflavin", Medical News Today: "Why Is My Urine Bright Yellow? 3. You could also ask for the hot sauce to be served on the side, or for the dish to be prepped without the spicy ingredient. White asparagus has a milder, more delicate flavor and is grown in large quantities in France, which is why its commonly found in Europe. Urine odor that is unusual can indicate a medical condition or disease, such as cysticitis (bladder inflammation) or dehydration. Some people say it smells like sulfur, which is commonly described as smelling like rotten eggs. If this doesn't work, soak the clothing with water and a cup of baking soda or a bit of . Dehydration can occur as a result of illness or injury, posing a life-threatening risk to your loved one. Vitamin C. "Some foods but mostly higher-dose supplements that contain vitamin C change your urine bright yellow or orange," Wallace says. An enzyme cleaner can be used in this process as well. When you eat cruciferous vegetables, your urine may smell strongly. Nearly six and a half cups that's how much urine the average person produces a day, usually in four to eight trips to the toilet. The fruit is high in carbohydrates, protein, fat, and sulfurous compounds, all of which combine to create a smell like rotting flesh. Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. "Some foods but mostly higher-dose supplements that contain vitamin C change your urine bright yellow or orange," Wallace says. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Compounds in asparagus do have a slight diuretic effect, but there is no evidence that asparagus has any special detoxification properties. This new smell is a result of the sulphur compounds in the asparagus and is totally normal. This allows doctors to use urine to assess a persons dietary intake by analysing the different chemicals it contains. Some sulpha drugs, also known as sulphonamides, have been linked to odorous urine. One study found that the smell could last for up to 14 hours! Lucky you. In fact, coffee is just one of many food and drink products that can cause your pee to smell funny. When to Call a Provider Treatment If you look into the toilet and see green pee, you might understandably be concerned. While a change in the color of your urine is usually harmless, it can sometimes be an indicator that something else is going on with your health.