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Asparagus is delicious and, thanks to valuable ingredients, also healthy. But as soon as you eat it, the delicious dish turns into a pungent smell in the toilet. Why is that?

The problem: Urine smells bad after eating asparagus

If only it weren’t for that unpleasant acrid smell when you go to the toilet, shortly after eating asparagus. However, fewer people are affected by this than is commonly thought.

The phenomenon of asparagus urine only occurs with every second person. The reasons can be very different. “Methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulphide compete in asparagus urine for the most unpleasant note,” says an article in the magazine Chemie in our time.
The foul-smelling substance trio is quite familiar to our nose: It also gives human biogases such as flatulence, mouth and athlete’s foot odor unpleasant notes.

Why does urine smell after eating asparagus?

Asparagus, whether white or green, contains asparagusic acid, which is initially odorless. However, if this is broken down, a sulphur-containing compound is formed which is excreted in the urine – with a corresponding odour.

However, this breakdown product only occurs if you have a certain enzyme – and not everyone does that. The genes decide who has this enzyme and who doesn’t. Only about 40 percent of people have such a gene that is able to produce the enzyme.

Still others can’t even smell the smell. The Apotheken Umschau writes that those affected then probably have a mutation in an odor receptor gene. But don’t worry, it’s neither bad nor dangerous.

Asparagus urine resembles skunk secretion

“The smell is harmless and not a sign of illness or poisoning,” reports Stefan Lorkowski, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Jena, to the Apotheken-Umschau. Stuffing when going to the toilet is still unpleasant. No wonder, since the substance is similar to the chemical compounds in the dreaded skunk secretion.

Only 15 minutes after enjoying an asparagus meal, it starts to smell. Nothing can be done about it. However, drinking plenty of water helps flush the breakdown products out of the body quickly.

Incidentally, the problem that the pee gives off a strange smell after eating asparagus is not new: reports of smelly asparagus urine have been around since the middle of the 17th century – a time when sulfur and sulfates were used as fertilizers for the first time.

For a long time, eggs were considered unhealthy: Harmful to the body, bad for blood lipid levels – but is that really true? A study has now shown that eggs are much better than their reputation. Here you can find out how healthy they are and what other myths you should know about.

Study from China: One egg a day reduces risk of stroke by a quarter

So far, eggs have had a reputation for promoting diseases such as heart attacks or strokes. They have been blamed for raising cholesterol levels in the body. The study by the researchers led by Liming Li contradicts this picture. Test persons who ate one egg a day had a 26 percent lower risk of suffering a stroke caused by a cerebral hemorrhage. The risk of cardiovascular disease fell by 18 percent in the experiment.

The researchers examined the data of 461,000 study participants. The result of the study contradicts earlier results and thus also the recommendations that the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), for example, adhered to for a long time.

For a long time, it was always advised to keep egg consumption low and eat a maximum of three eggs per week. This did not only mean the breakfast eggs, but any form of eggs, including processed ones, for example in pasta or mayonnaise.

Doubts about egg skepticism: “Currently no upper limit”

The study by the Chinese scientists is one of the more recent studies, all of which raise doubts about egg skepticism. While egg consumption alone has not been proven to reduce the risk of serious illnesses, such as heart attacks, the damage is unlikely to be as great as previously thought.

In the new rules for wholesome nutrition, which were updated in 2019, the DGE experts therefore deleted the egg warning. “Based on current scientific findings in connection with disease risks, no upper limit for egg consumption can currently be derived.

Eaten in moderation, eggs can complement the diet and be part of a wholesome diet,” explains the DGE on its website. If healthy people – for example at Easter – eat several eggs a day, this is probably not a health concern.

Egg Myths: Is Cholesterol Dangerous?

Some foods or their ingredients simply have a bad image – they are considered unhealthy or even harmful. One such substance is cholesterol – it is said to be dangerous. But is that actually true? Not per se, says Prof. Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen, head of the nutritional sciences department at the Medical Clinic for Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Cholesterol is a vital substance that is formed by the body itself. It is used for hormone and vitamin D formation. Cholesterol only becomes a problem when there is too much of it, explains Steinhagen-Thiessen. The recommendation for healthy people is: “No more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day” – that’s about the equivalent of a hen’s egg. The body needs cholesterol. Among other things, it smuggles messenger substances into the cell membrane. This is why the body produces its own cholesterol, especially in the liver.

It becomes problematic “if someone takes in between 600 and 800 milligrams a day”. Eggs, butter, meat or sausage contain a lot of cholesterol: depending on its size, an egg contains around 250 milligrams.

Is egg white made of proteins – and is the color of the yolk important?

Yes, but not exclusively. Because the thin egg white – also known colloquially as albumen – contains 90 percent water. The rest are vitamins, minerals and proteins, which are also often called proteins. However, the protein content in the yolk is even higher than in the egg white.

The color of the yolk ranges from bright yellow to deep orange, depending on what the hen is feeding. However, this does not change anything in terms of taste, freshness, nutritional value or quality. For a dark egg yolk, which is particularly appreciated by consumers, producers sometimes mix natural colorings – so-called carotenoids – into the green fodder.

Why do hens lay white or brown eggs?

This is genetic. Eggs can be white, brown, greenish or reddish – depending on which color pigments are embedded in the calcareous shell. These come from special glands in the chicken that are responsible for shell formation. Red pigments come from the blood, yellow ones from the bile. If they mix, the result is brown.

And no, there is no connection between plumage and egg color. In order to be able to deduce the color of the shell from the appearance of the chickens, you have to take a closer look. Namely on the flaps of skin under the ear, the earlobes.

If these are white in purebred chickens, these are usually their eggs too. If they have red earlobes, the shell is usually brown.

Are brown eggs healthier – and are organic eggs mostly brown?

The variants do not differ in the composition of the nutrients. The fact that there are mainly brown organic eggs is mainly due to consumer habits: they still mostly associate white shells with cage farming.

This assumption is used by the poultry industry, in that mostly brown eggs are sold, while white eggs are more likely to be found in bakeries, canteen kitchens and food processing companies. In general, there are fewer white specimens in Germany anyway – according to the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry, seven out of ten eggs are brown.
It is different in many Scandinavian countries, for example: According to the association, buyers there prefer white eggs.

Good news for egg lovers: hormones make you feel full

One advantage of eggs cannot be denied: They keep you full for longer because the body releases a satiety hormone when you eat eggs.

Eating healthy can be easier than you think. Even doing without a few products can give you a more positive body feeling. We show you 5 foods that you should avoid in the future.

Eat healthier: These 5 foods should disappear from the kitchen

This lowers the risk of diabetes and tooth decay. And it also gives you a good feeling overall: homemade is best after all. This applies to ketchup, ready-to-eat salads and “sweet” muesli in the morning.

But there is also a solution in areas where it is difficult to produce your own food – meat, for example – organic and from the region. The closer you are to the producer, the healthier the meat. In many cases, cheap meat comes from fattening farms that administer antibiotics and other harmful substances to their animals. It’s not healthy for us humans either.

Ketchup
ready-made salads
Sugary breakfast cereal
soft drinks
cheap meat

This is certainly not new. But often it’s the simplest things that you don’t think of – and that make so much difference. It’s worth trying.

Over time, unpleasant odors settle in every trash can that can no longer be removed by simply washing out. In this case, a solution with soda is simply a remedy.

Clean the trash can with a solution of 1 part baking soda, 1 part dish soap, and 10 parts warm water.

Put the solution in the trash can and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Then clean the bin with a brush and warm water and the bad smells will be a thing of the past.

Here’s a little tip: Add a few drops of scented oil to the cleaning solution to create a great scent. Depending on how intense the fragrance may be according to your personal preferences.

Many natural home remedies for bad breath help to get rid of the bad odor coming from your mouth. Avoid and drive away bad breath with useful tips.

Simple home remedies for bad breath

Good oral hygiene is fundamental. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth thoroughly twice a day and also cleaning the spaces between your teeth. In addition to gargling with mouthwash, a tongue scraper is useful, since odors are often caused by the coating on the tongue.

If you are out and about and notice bad breath, you should always have dental care chewing gum or candies with eucalyptus, fennel, or anise on hand. In this way, one is equipped with a “first aid kit” against this unpleasant problem. But what home remedies are there for prevention?

1) Fight bad breath with apple cider vinegar

You can find naturally cloudy apple cider vinegar in any well-stocked supermarket. Now put a teaspoonful in a glass of lukewarm water, gargle with a sip, spit it out and drink the rest.

2) Mouthwashes with sage tea

The anti-inflammatory effects of sage tea are well known. To prevent bad breath, add a teaspoon of sage tea to a quarter-liter of water and let it steep for 8 – 10 minutes. Then rinse your mouth thoroughly with the lukewarm tea.

3) Combat bad breath with myrrh

Myrrh tincture has a beneficial effect on the oral mucosa, prevents inflammation, and is a traditional household remedy. If you put five drops in a glass of water and gargle with this solution several times a day, you are definitely doing yourself a favor.

4) Propolis cure to prevent bad breath

Propolis protects bees from diseases in the hive. This putty resin is antibacterial and inhibits inflammation. To prevent bad breath, several drops are added to a glass of water. Rinse and gargle your mouth with it.

5) Tea tree oil for gargling

Using the home remedy tea tree oil has a similar effect to the remedies mentioned above. Here, too, you put two to three drops in a glass of water and gargle with it.

6) Oil pulling for oral flora

Oil pulling is a traditional method to rid the mouth of bacteria and thus bad breath. You start by cleaning your tongue. Then you take about a tablespoonful of organic sunflower, sesame, or coconut oil into your mouth and move it back and forth for about 20 minutes. You shouldn’t be gargling. When the time is up, it is best to spit the oil into a paper towel and then throw it in the bin so that the toxins contained in it do not get into the water. Finally, brush your teeth thoroughly.

7) Healing earth binds toxins and helps against bad breath

You can also use the miracle cure healing earth to rinse your mouth. To do this, stir a teaspoon of healing earth thoroughly in a glass of water and rinse your mouth with it. To remove the remains of the healing clay, which can be unpleasant in the mouth, you should rinse with water several times.

8) Salt brine relieves many ailments, including bad breath

First, you have to prepare the brine. That takes a day. To do this, but one or more chunks of Himalayan salt in a glass jar with a lid and then fill it up with good spring water. This is left to stand for a day and you get a 26% brine solution, which is alkaline and thus counteracts the formation of acid in the mouth. Now put a teaspoon in a glass of water and gargle with it.

9) Fight bad breath with herbs

If you have a garden, growing a few herbs in it is a nice addition to the kitchen in general. Chewing the following fresh plants also helps against the problem of bad breath: thyme, parsley, dill, aniseed, marjoram, or fennel. If you have an apple tree, eating a grated apple will also help against this annoying problem.

10) Clean coated tongue

You should also regularly clean your coated tongue if you have bad breath. This is because a film builds up over time which can cause bad breath. For this, you need a tongue scraper from the drugstore or the Internet. Then you can use this to remove the coating from your tongue every evening.