Non-motoring > Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: sherlock47	Replies: 35

New Mon 14 Apr 14 11:25   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - sherlock47

In the past (including recent past),I have always been able to detect the characteristic smell of metabolised asparagus in urine within 20 minutes of consumption. Last nights meal had no effect on me, although the wife had a normal experience. So am I losing my sense of smell, suffering a changed metabolism, or is it just a result of a different genetic strain of local french asparagus? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 11:42   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Cliff Pope

Have you read, Watson, my short monograph on the subject of metabolised asparagus in urine? I think you would find it instructive with reference to the Smith murder case of 1899, when I was able to prove that Mr Smith was innocent of the death of his wife. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 12:30   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - CGNorwich

A small piece of resin from the Scots Pine tree ( from which turpentine is made) will give you a pleasant violet scented urine. Not a lot of people know that. :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 12:46   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - VxFan

>> So am I losing my sense of smell Have you tried smelling Er Indoors wee to see if you can still detect it? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 13:46   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - smokie

A little less cultured, I can always tell when I've had Sugar Puffs for breakfast by the same means. I don't have them very often though. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 13:52   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Mapmaker

>>Sugar Puffs Is this telling you that the sugar overload is indicating that you are diabetic? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 13:52   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - sherlock47

>>Sugar Puffs for breakfast<< is that an εὐφημία ? :) Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 14 Apr 14 14:06   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Mapmaker

>>A little **less** cultured So surely not... Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 13:52   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - NortonES2

How? And why? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 14:07   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - smokie

For me, it smells of sugar puffs. Also when I've O/D'd on coffee I can tell... And generally my sense of smell ain't that good!! I assumed we all could!! Got me worried now!! Last edited by: smokie on Mon 14 Apr 14 at 14:08 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 14:49   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Armel Coussine

The scent of asparagus in urine is nearly always present and obvious, but sometimes it is undetectable. Either an aberration of the nose or a combination of other food and drink that neutralises that particular pong. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 15:06   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Pat

So let me get this right, you all make point of smelling your wee? Have I been missing something all my life? Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 15:15   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Cliff Pope

The clever pop-up ads on this page have just popped up with advertisements for scents, and a picture of someone sniffing a scent bottle. How did it do that, and why not an advert for Armitage-Shanks online? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 15:16   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Armel Coussine

For those with a normally acute sense of smell, there's no need to 'make a point' of it: it's just obvious. I often think herself has a poor sense of smell (and I often think it's just as well!) but then she surprises me by noticing quite subtle scents. 'They haven't got no noses, The fallen sons of Eve...' Perhaps Chesterton should have written, and the dog Quoodle howled, 'daughters of Eve'. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 16:14   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - smokie

Also depends what the smell is... I notice the slightest whiff of gas (mains gas that is) whereas SWMBO (who generally has a far better sense of smell than I) never notices it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 17:51   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Manatee

Probably inured to it owing to spending so much more time with the cooker;) Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 14 Apr 14 17:59   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - CGNorwich

>> So let me get this right, you all make point of smelling your wee? >> >> Have I been missing something all my life? >> >> Pat >> I would say you have never had asparagus if you are unaware of this phenomenon, although they say there are some people who either do not generate the smell or are unable to smell the particular chemical for genetic reasons. Benjamin Franklin famously wrote: Certain it is also that we have the Power of changing by slight Means the Smell of another Discharge, that of our Water. A few Stems of Asparagus eaten, shall give our Urine a disagreable Odour; and a Pill of Turpentine no bigger than a Pea, shall bestow on it the pleasing Smell of Violets. And why should it be thought more impossible in Nature, to find Means of making a Perfume of our Wind than of our Water?” Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:08   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - sherlock47

>>>Means of making a Perfume of our Wind than of our Water<<< What a great marketing opportunity! Damnation - somebody has already done it tinyurl.com/pjbbszc Last edited by: sherlock47 on Mon 14 Apr 14 at 18:10 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:26   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Armel Coussine

I don't agree with Benjamin Franklin that the odour of asparagus in urine is unpleasant though. It's just the smell of asparagus, part-digested and a bit excremental. Most people don't mind their own unless they are ill. I don't want my pee to smell of violets. And hasn't turps been banned as toxic? One of my blood pressure pills, bendrofluazide, used to make it smell of pansies, not my favourite pong. There's a purple pot flower whose name I forget that smells even more like that, ghastly. Herself adores it though. Give and take. She isn't that keen on the smell of burning Castrol R but I have known her to tolerate it. Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Mon 14 Apr 14 at 18:28 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:28   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Pat

I beg to differ, I absolutely love asparagus and probably eat far too much of it now I live in the Fen and it's available at almost every farm gate at a ridiculously cheap price. My problem with this is I wee in the loo and flush it, so what is there to smell? Could it be a female positioning thing? Could it be we manage to hit a 2' gap centrally and without splashing everywhere? I've yet to find a man who can! Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:30   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Pat

>>She isn't that keen on the smell of burning Castrol R << AC, you can tell Mrs AC she has no taste. Far better than all the expensive perfumes perhaps with the exception of Patchouli oil:) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:37   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Armel Coussine

>> the exception of Patchouli oil:) You old hippie you! The smell of patchouli is very similar to that of good-quality Lebanese hash. There was method in the madness of those hippie chicks. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:32   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Armel Coussine

>> Could it be we manage to hit a 2' gap centrally and without splashing everywhere? So, Pat, you pee in the sink or the bath do you? You're in good company. I've known a couple of people who did that, couldn't be bothered to waddle to the khazi or didn't have one perhaps. Very bohemian of you. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 18:38   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Pat

AC you and I would have a great night out together:) :) We talk the same language! Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 19:10   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - CGNorwich

>> >> Could it be we manage to hit a 2' gap centrally and without splashing everywhere? >> >> I've yet to find a man who can. I' m afraid it's more to do with your olfactory receptors than your peeing prowess. :-) "In 2010, the company 23andMe published a genome-wide association study on whether participants have "ever noticed a peculiar odor when you pee after eating asparagus?"[44] This study pinpointed a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a cluster of olfactory genes associated with the ability to detect the odor. While this SNP did not explain all of the difference in detection between people, it provides support for the theory that there are genetic differences in olfactory receptors that lead people to be unable to smell these odorous compounds." Last edited by: CGNorwich on Mon 14 Apr 14 at 19:11 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 19:15   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - CGNorwich

PS The best asparagus does of course come from Norfolk. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 19:20   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Runfer D'Hills

This has just awoken a childhood memory. Tinned asparagus. Wasn't majorly keen but at least it was better than butter beans. I've managed to avoid both now for several decades. Fresh asparagus is indeed a pleasure and I'd agree, the best I've had was in Norwich somewhere. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 21:04   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Kevin

>Wasn't majorly keen but at least it was better than butter beans. Have you never tried "Chef's giant beans" as a starter in Greek tavernas Humph? Butter beans slow cooked in tomato puree, oilve oil, herbs and a touch of garlic. Beautiful with real greek bread. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 21:40   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Runfer D'Hills

Sounds like it would be great without the beans ! Anyway I can't often go past the kalimari. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 19:21   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Crankcase

I avoided asparagus for years. Well, it's green innit. But my mother-in-law has always been a big fan. Last year she finally persuaded me to try it. You know what? It tasted of absolutely nothing. I don't get it at all. I imagine, since she obviously enjoyed her portion it wasn't just a duff sprig. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 19:37   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - NortonES2

German asparagus seems to be enormous in diameter than the UK sparrowgrass. I only mention this because when in Berlin in May a while ago there seems a glut of spargel suppe available. Not so tasty but has the same olfactory result shortly after. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 19:44   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - CGNorwich

Unlike in the UK on the continent they usually eat white asparagus, which is the same vegetable as the green but is earthed up as it grows to blanche it. Lacks the bitterness of the green. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 20:42   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Kevin

>German asparagus seems to be enormous in diameter.. And Germans go nuts for asparagus. Every 200m on rural roads in Germany there are handpainted "Spargel" signs in May and June. Can't stand the stuff myself. I do however have one recommendation: The best cream of mushroom soup I've ever tasted was in a restaurant in Swakopmund. I eventually managed to wheedle out of the chef how he made it. He added a bit of asparagus (I use asparagus soup powder). It enhances the mushroom taste beautifully. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 21:37   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Roger.

>> I avoided asparagus for years. Well, it's green innit. But my mother-in-law has always been >> a big fan. >> >> Last year she finally persuaded me to try it. You know what? It tasted of >> absolutely nothing. I don't get it at all. I imagine, since she obviously enjoyed her >> portion it wasn't just a duff sprig. Asparagus should merely be the vehicle to transfer copious amounts of sea-salted butter to one's mouth. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 22:37   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Bromptonaut

>> Asparagus should merely be the vehicle to transfer copious amounts of sea-salted butter to one's >> mouth. Asparagus tastes disgusting and butter should be unsalted. Discuss. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Apr 14 22:48   Metabolism changes? Chemist/Botanist required? - Runfer D'Hills

Yes but you are from Yorkshire ( or somewhere northern like that anyway ) aren't you? If one is brought up on a diet of stewed ferret or whippet or whatever such people eat when they are not attending to their duties at a steel works or something, then we can hardly expect them to have any useful views on asparagus can we? ;-)) Reply to this message | Report message       1