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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2009 12:55:05 GMT
Is it time to mention asparagus pee yet? I read a very interesting article last year about this which had two major revelations in it.
1. Asparagus pee is not asparagus pee at all, because the odor arrives in the urine long before any chemicals from the asparagus can get through the system. So the odor is actually some sort of chemical reaction in one's body which is set off by the act of consuming asparagus.
2. While some people have strong asparagus pee and other people claim that their pee does not change odor when they eat asparagus, scientists actually tested this on volunteer smellers who had to smell the pee of both sorts of people. It was discovered that EVERYBODY has asparagus pee when they eat asparagus, but some people just can't smell it.
Isn't everybody feeling more intelligent after reading that?
We can go back to discussing perfume and soap now...
(Although I do wonder about goat and mutton pee.)
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Post by imec on Oct 21, 2009 12:58:11 GMT
I can smell it even if it's just a couple of asparagus tips as a garnish. Too much coffee in the morning also makes my pee smell odd.
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Post by spindrift on Oct 21, 2009 13:23:26 GMT
Read all about Asparagus Pee Smell here:
(Some races do not have the same digestive enzymes as others; for instance Japanese and Chinese people do not produce pee smelling of 'asparagus'...that is, the breakdown of sulphur which in turn breaks down to the amino acid Methionine).
Quote:
Why does asparagus make your wee smell? More facts
I have a confession to make. If I eat asparagus, my wee will really smell for a good while afterwards; it has a sulphur-like odor a lot like rotting cabbage. Some research has revealed, much to my delight, that this is not actually all that odd. Stinky asparagus wee affects a large number of people but, interestingly, not everyone. So what is going on? Unfortunately, there isn't actually a completely satisfactory answer to this question. However, scientists have come up with a couple of theories which are discussed below.
Firstly, perhaps sulphur is the problem. Sulphur is one of the elements of the periodic table and is a building block encorporated into lots of chemicals. Lots of compounds containing sulphur have an unpleasant smell - for example, hydrogen sulfide gives off the aroma of rotten eggs and the stench associated with garlic and skunks is also due to sulphur-containing compounds. Sulphur is also essential for life as its found in two amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), known as cysteine and methionine. As it happens, asparagus contains both of these amino acids.
When not required by the body, cysteine and methionine are broken down into a number of products that can be excreted in urine. Could these be the stinky compounds we are smelling? Anecdotal evidence suggests that taking the amino acid methionine as a supplement can result in the same flavored wee wee as when asparagus is eaten, further supporting the hypothesis that it is sulphur containing amino acids that are responsible for the smell.
Another theory is that a breakdown product of another amino acid called asparagine (asparagine-amino-succinic-acid monoamide) in the urine is responsible for the foul smell of asparagus wee. Some people don't actually make the enzymes required to make this particular breakdown product and this could account for the fact that some people's wee just doesn't seem to stink, how ever much asparagus they eat. Asparagine was in fact first isolated from asparagus, where it is found in really high concentrations, and is now known to be one of the 20 common amino acids making up human proteins. It is known as a non-essential amino acid, meaning that we can synthesize it in the body and do not need to consume it. So if the smell bothers you too much you'll do just fine if you never eat asparagus again.
But not everyone agrees with this theory. It also happens that the emergence of asparagus cabbage wee coincided with the introduction of sulfur containing fertilizers for asparagus in the 17th century. Some believe that at least three major sulphur containing components are responsible for the pungent odor of asparagus wee. Two of these are S-methylthioacrylate and its methanethiol addition product, S-methyl-3-(methylthio)thiopropionate in case you're curious . (Methanethiol is the stuff that gives rotten eggs their distinctive bouquet by the way).
Research into this phenomenon has also revealed that a subset of the population cannot smell asparagus cabbage wee, even at its very worst. Lucky them, I say.
Unquote.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2009 13:34:17 GMT
But I kind of like the smell. It smells better than normal pee to me.
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Post by spindrift on Oct 21, 2009 13:39:07 GMT
More animal-like perhaps?
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Post by rikita on Oct 21, 2009 15:02:28 GMT
i like asparagus. never actually thought much about how my pee smells afterwards, never noticed anything i suppose.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 28, 2009 15:19:20 GMT
When I lived in the States, I used far more curry powder than I do now. (due to availability of good curry powders there) When I'd undress, I could always detect that warm whiff of curry spices on my skin -- very pleasant.
Normally, though, I guess I don't really have a scent, as I don't use perfumed soaps, shampoos, or lotions.
I have a problem with perfumes. Some of them totally lose their scent on me, and others develop until they're overpowering. That means avoiding any of those two groups even if I like them. My long-time favorite is Chanel #5. I also love vetiver if it's slightly sweetened with patchouli, and anything lemony.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2009 20:51:41 GMT
Each person has a different chemical reaction with perfumes. Some people "burn" perfumes in a few minutes while others can have the scent linger for 48 hours.
Considering the price of scents, the differences are extremely unfair.
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Post by rikita on Oct 29, 2009 16:03:22 GMT
so you think one should be able to say when buying perfume, what type one is, and then have to pay accordingly?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2009 18:29:44 GMT
Or be prevented from buying certain expensive scents that will only last 30 minutes.
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Post by rikita on Oct 29, 2009 22:16:56 GMT
but how should the salesperson know? maybe there should be perfume tests done for free, at specific perfume-testing-facilities?
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2009 1:42:20 GMT
I think all department stores have their cosmetics departments by one of the doors. Usually, if you walk in that door you have to ward off the salesladies who want to spritz you with samples. Then you can walk around the store and see how it develops.
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Post by rikita on Oct 30, 2009 15:53:15 GMT
but can one tell oneself? or should i ask random strangers to sniff me and tell me if i still smell of perfume?
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 30, 2009 18:19:48 GMT
Go with a friend.
I visited the perfumery in New Orleans that Casimira talks about above with her. They have little bits of paper which they dip into the scent for you to smell before trying. There was one I loved -- think it was lemon verbena -- which totally disappeared on me. I know it wasn't my sense of smell, though, because it still smelled good on her and she couldn't detect it on me.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2009 5:42:46 GMT
The Sephora stores in Paris have so many paper testers on the floor that it looks like there was a ticker tape parade.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2009 11:06:35 GMT
The Sephora stores in Paris have so many paper testers on the floor that it looks like there was a ticker tape parade. I wonder why they don't have a receptacle placed to throw them away without using the floor? One oddity that's happened more then once to me; I will fall in love with a scent while in the parfumer , purchase it and then, after arriving home and using it,it smells different. I bought some lovely perfume in Istanbul,adored it. When I came back home and went to use it,I nearly choked,it was so different. Same base for sure,but not the same as when I "tried it on". Very curious. I ended up giving it away to someone who really liked it.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2009 11:33:52 GMT
They do have receptacles at Sephora, but people are pigs.
I can confirm what imec said about even a tiny bit of asparagus tips. I had maybe 10 grams of tips yesterday, but my bladder produced something that would have made anybody think that I had eaten the entire field of asparagus myself.
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Post by bjd on Oct 31, 2009 13:42:56 GMT
Those little paper strips are not very useful for testing perfume, except as a general idea. Perfume smell different on skin, and keep on working differently because of our warmth.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 31, 2009 15:40:26 GMT
... after arriving home and using it,it smells different. Perfume smell different on skin, and keep on working differently because of our warmth. I think after trying a scent, you really need to hang around the store for at least a half hour before buying. I've read that you shouldn't go outside right away after applying scent, as it will change it. Also, it's not just the warmth that affects the smell, it's individual body chemistry. ... my bladder produced something that would have made anybody think that I had eaten the entire field of asparagus myself. What ~~ you couldn't take the time to pee on some of those little paper strips and send them to us so we'd know what you're talking about?  |
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Post by rikita on Nov 1, 2009 23:25:14 GMT
i think it might cause the mailman to ask funny questions.
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