Asparagus Syndrome

[steepholm]

I dreamed last night that a relative of mine was taken forcibly to hospital on account of his strange-smelling urine. I was running after the doctor, shouting "You don't understand! It's just that we ate asparagus for supper!"

The doctor turned and in my dream he looked at me with a dreadful blankness. And it came into my mind that he didn't know about the asparagus-and-urine thing.

My dream arose from eating it myself last night, of course, and also reading the asparagus Wiki page a few months ago, where I learned that the ability to detect the change in odour was not universal. Apparently it's a genetic thing, limited to about 22% of the population.

Which leads me, naturally, to ask:

[Poll #1830587]

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I'm told that there is a difference, but (a) I don't notice it, and (b) I'm not very clear why some people think this is a reason to avoid asparagus (at least one person has told me that he does so).

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I don't find it especially pleasant, but asparagus is well worth it.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Well, obviously I'm not best placed to judge, as I've never noticed anything, but unless one spends a lot of time sniffing urine why does it matter?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Quite. Sir Thomas Browne may have been preoccupied with "the fruitless importunity of uroscopy", but there's no reason we should feel obliged to join him.

[diceytillerman.livejournal.com]

Exactly: I dislike the side effect but would never turn down aspargus for that reason. I love asparagus and the side effect is quite short-lived.