Food and drink that make your wee stink
Nine ingredients for pungent urine
MOST of us have suffered the sudden unpleasant stench of our wee at one time or another.
Asparagus is probably the foodstuff that’s best known to give urine a stinky scent – but there are several other ingredients for pungent pee that you may not be aware of.
If you want to keep the toilet air fresh at a dinner party, you’d be well advised to avoid these nine things...
Asparagus
One of the many chemical compounds in the tasty vegetable is asparagusic acid – which, as you may have already guessed, is unique to asparagus.
Once in our digestive system, the acid breaks down into sulphur compounds – the same ones that give skunk spray its unbearable stench – and enter a stinky gaseous state when they hit the air via urine.
Curry
Certain spices maintain their pungency even after passing through your bodily system – not least curry ingredients cumin and coriander.
The spices pass their odour-causing chemicals through the kidneys – hence producing a very smelly stream of wee.
Salmon
Despite medical pros hailing the health benefits of vitamin B-6 – found in freshwater fish like salmon – it does have its smelly downside.
The vitamin often makes urine appear brighter and gives it a medicinal scent because B-6 is soluble and passes through the kidneys and into the wee.
Chilli peppers
For those who love fiery food, chilli peppers can cause an unpleasant urine odour to develop if eaten too much.
Capsicum in the flesh of the hot veg refuses to be broken down in the human body – meaning it comes out as potent as it did when it went in.
Alcohol
Anyone who’s overindulged will know all about the repugnant smell of morning-after urine.
Weirdly, it’s not caused by anything from your tipple of choice that passes through your system – instead it’s because of a higher concentration of uric acid that gives pee its darker, stinkier colouring.
Sugar Puffs
Remember when you were a kid and you went for a pee after a bowl of Sugar Puffs? Smelt pretty bad, didn’t it?
Puffed wheat creates a strong malty odour in urine – and, unlike most of the other foods listed here, gives wee a similar smell to the original food.
Coffee
Not only does caffeine have a diuretic effect that strengthens the stench of urine, it also contains a chemical ingredient adding to the punch.
Caffeol is the insoluble oil that is released by coffee beans after they’re roasted, lending a distinctly coffee fragrance to your pee a few hours after you drink a cup.
Brussels sprouts
Many restrict their sprout consumption to Christmas Day, which is probably just as well for anyone who follows you in the lavatory.
The vegetable is high in a chemical called methyl mercaptan, which combines with organic sulphur compounds to create a bitter, unpleasant smell.
Garlic
Aside from Brussels sprouts, garlic is also packed full of methyl mercaptan.
Lovers of Italian food often develop stinky wee due to the prevalence of the strong ingredient in pasts dishes.
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