Do you know how and why asparagus makes your pee smell funny? Check out our new weekly series of fun facts that make you go vee! #STEMvee
Transcript: Do you like to eat asparagus? Do you notice when you pee, there’s a weird smell after eating asparagus? Well, this week’s fun fact is that asparagus contains a compound called asparagusic acid. When we eat asparagus, our digestive system will break down the compound into smaller sulfur containing compounds. Sulfur is responsible for that rotten egg smell. This breakdown happens very quickly, 15-30 minutes. When you pee, the sulfur compounds are released as gas which is why you smell it! Not only that, some people can’t smell it! But scientists are not sure if it is because some people don’t have the enzyme to digest asparagusic acid or if some people don’t have the ability to smell the gas. Vee!
