It is normal for urine to be clear or light yellow in color and have a mild odor. However, urine can have a foul odor due to various reasons. And sometimes, certain foods or drinks can be the cause. What are some foods that make urine smell awful? This was introduced in the British daily Daily Mail.
First of all, asparagus is a representative food that makes urine smell terrible. When asparagusic acid in asparagus is decomposed, sulfur-containing compounds such as methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl sulfone are produced. Sulfur is a component found in skunk farts. Think of it like the foul smell of rotten eggs. Because our bodies cannot break down these compounds, they are excreted in urine and produce a unique odor.
It’s not just asparagus. “Food that converts to sulfur compounds in the body can cause your urine to smell rancid,” said Dr. Hana Patel, a general practitioner in London, England. These include garlic, onions, Brussels sprouts, coffee, nuts and fennel, curries and curry spices. Dr. Duane Mellor, a nutritionist at Aston University in the UK, also explained that if you eat a lot of foods containing sulfur compounds, your urine may have a faint odor as they are broken down and digested. To make your urine smell less after eating these foods, you can drink a lot of water.
The same goes for foods that cause dehydration. Urine is composed of water and chemical byproducts from the body. This is because in a dehydrated state, these chemicals and water become more concentrated, making urine smell stronger. By the same logic, drinking too much alcohol or coffee, which have diuretic properties, or eating too many salty foods can also make urine smell worse. This is because it can cause dehydration.
In some cases, unusual urine odor can be a sign of illness or infection. “Alcohol can acidify the urine and irritate the lining of the bladder,” Dr. Patel said. “This can worsen UTI symptoms and cause the urine to smell like ammonia.” If you experience other symptoms such as pain when urinating, urinating more frequently than usual, or your urine appears cloudy, you may suspect a urinary tract infection and are recommended to see a hospital. Meanwhile, if your urine smells sweet, it can be a sign of diabetes, and if your urine smells fishy, it can be a sign of infection.
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