Other vegetables have a unique effect on our sense of smell. The asparagus plant produces a compound called asparagus acid and, when the body digests it, it also releases sulfur compounds. Are these chemicalssuch as methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide, which make sweat and urine smell a certain way. Sulfur compounds are very volatile, so they disperse easily in the air. That’s why it’s so easy to smell them in the toilet bowl. This smell usually lasts more than five hours.
Not everyone produces this smell, although studies on the matter continue to show different results. In the 1950s, research seemed to suggest that less than 50% of people produced the telltale asparagus urine smell, while in 2010, researchers found that more than 90% of test participants did. So it’s not clear. And not everyone can perceive the stench: the ability to smell the pungent odor Urine that smells like asparagus appears to be due to genetics also.
However, when it comes to fruits and vegetables in general, eating more of them can lead to a more appealing aroma. A 2017 study in Australia found that men who had consumed more fruits and vegetables were significantly associated with smelling better: more fruity, floral and sweet.
The study also interestingly points out that when people have to rate people’s faces, slightly yellower skin rich in carotenoid (a molecule from carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes and papayas, among others) is also more attractive. But the same study suggests that people who ate diets with a little fat, meat, egg and tofu were also associated with more pleasant-smelling sweat. Diets rich in carbohydrates produced the least attractive aromas.
meat and fish
Meat and fish can also produce a distinctive body odor, as the body breaks down animal proteins into amino acids and fats, which are then excreted through sweat, where they interact with bacteria on the skin.
