Along with many other delights, spring brings the beginning of the asparagus growing season. Whether you prefer the green, purple or white variety, asparagus is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, and consuming it as part of a healthy diet can reduce the risk of cancer It is diseases related to the cardiovascular system.
Despite the nutritional benefits of asparagus, many are opposed to eating the vegetable due to its pungent after-effects. As Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1781, “A few asparagus stalks eaten will give our urine an unpleasant odor.” This odor has become so well known that post-consumption urine is now often referred to as “asparagus pee.”
Scientists believe the odor in question is due to two chemicals: methanethiol and S-methyl thioester. When enzymes in the human digestive tract break down the asparagusic acid that is naturally present in the vegetable, these volatile compounds are created. When eliminated from the body, they turn into a foul-smelling gas that comes out of asparagus pee.
AND just because you don’t smell it Doesn’t mean you’re not succeeding. Two studies have shown that people who cannot smell their own urine also cannot detect it in the urine of known producers. Yes, the volunteers smelled other people’s asparagus pee samples. Although almost everyone probably produces the perfume to some extent, it seems not everyone realizes this.
In fact, a study my colleagues and I conducted in 2017 found that only 40 percent of those interviewed reported detecting the odor in their urine. A smaller proportion of women were able to detect the odor compared to men, despite if you think that women have The keener sense of smell.
We asked nearly 7,000 participants from two large cohort studies to answer the question “After eating asparagus, do you notice a strong distinctive odor in your urine.” By relating questionnaire data to genetic data, we were able to show that the ability to smell or not smell depends on a person’s genetic makeup. Hundreds of DNA sequence variants in multiple genes involved in the sense of smell are strongly associated with the ability to detect asparagus metabolites in urine.
Asparagus isn’t the only food that has controversial genetically linked smell or taste effects. Some people avoid eating cilantro because they say it has a “soapy” aftertaste. A study using data from nearly 30,000 23andMe users found genetic variants in olfactory receptors linked to people’s perception of this adverse taste.
Perhaps you can conduct your own research at the next family meal that includes a dish of asparagus – or soon after.
This article was republished from The conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization that brings you trusted facts and analysis to help you understand our complex world. It was written by: Sarah Coseo Market, Harvard University
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Sarah Coseo Markt receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.
