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Why Does Asparagus Make Urine Smell?

06-Jul-2016

© Compound Interest

Why Does Asparagus Make Urine Smell? – The Chemistry of Asparagus

The latest food chemistry graphic looks at the chemistry of asparagus – specifically, why it causes the urine of some (but not all) people to smell. Over the past forty years several papers have been published on the subject, and several studies undertaken, to try and determine the chemical compounds responsible, and though there is still no definitive verdict as to the manner in which these compounds are formed, it has been suggested that they all form from asparagusic acid.

Topics
  • volatile compounds
  • methanethiol
  • dimethyl sulfoxide
  • dimethylsulfide
  • asparagusic acid
  • asparagus
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