# Asparagus makes for stinky urine?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429 "2002-04-08T04:24:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JoltSucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JoltSucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoltSucker)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429/1 "2002-04-08T04:24:29Z")

</div>

I kind of dread when I eat Asparagus. ☹

I mean I like it and everything, but immediately after I eat it, if I urinate, it stinks in a unique way. No other food creates that same stink, it reminds me of the stink in some seawater. Obviously there’s some unique chemical compound in Asparagus that’s doing this.

Does anybody know what it is? Does anybody else’s urine stink after Asparagus? Should I pee for science? :eek:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429/2 "2002-04-08T04:30:13Z")

</div>

Everyone produces the smell but as I remember it the ability to smell it is genetic and you either can or can’t.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429/3 "2002-04-08T04:30:37Z")

</div>

If you asked Cecil about this, [here’s what he would say](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_383.html).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JoltSucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JoltSucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoltSucker)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429/4 "2002-04-11T04:02:47Z")

</div>

Thanks, **heresiarch** , I guess I should search Cecil’s tomes of wisdom before asking these questions, but it’s so slow sometimes that I don’t have the patience. Thank you for persevering on my behalf! 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asparagus-makes-for-stinky-urine/102429/5 "2002-04-11T05:44:14Z")

</div>

slight hijack…

Cecils columns are not on the same server as the board. So the search is not near as slow.