Lewd Food

Previous legend || Lewd Food || Next legend

Documented: Asparagus makes some people's pee stink.

In Dispute: But the ability to smell it is inherited.

Some people notice that their urine is stinky after they eat asparagus, perhaps due to S-Methyl thioacrylate and S-methyl-3-(methylthio)thiopropionate (Science 1975 Sep 5;189(4205):810-11) or to methanethiol, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, bis-(methylthio)methane, dimethyl sulphoxide and dimethyl sulphone (Xenobiotica 1987 Nov;17(11):1363-71). This mysterious mutant ability is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Some groups say that everyone produces the odour, while only the subpopulation can smell it (Br Med J. 1980 Dec 20-27;281(6256):1676-8; Diastema. 1983;11:37-8), while others, probably the majority opinion, say that only subpopulations produce the odor (Xenobiotica 1987 Nov;17(11):1363-71; Experientia 1987 Apr 15;43(4):382-3)

References:

• http://tafkac.org/food/asparagus/