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Sulfur Odor in Urine

On average, a person voids 6 1/2 cups of urine a day. The only time most people notice the odor of urine is when there is a surprising change in it, like when it takes on a sulfur odor after you eat asparagus.

  1. Urine Odor

    • Urine is made up of the waste products your kidneys remove from your blood and excess water that you have consumed. Its odor and color can be changed by food you eat, according to Harvard University HealthBeat.

    Asparagus

    • After you've eaten asparagus, your urine might take on a greenish tint. It could also smell odd, like bad cabbage, or like sulfur.

    Causes

    • Proteins in asparagus contain sulfur. When your body breaks down the sulfur compounds and you excrete them in your urine, it could smell like sulfur.

    Exceptions

    • While many people excrete sulfur in their urine, some people do not. This means that their urine does not take on a sulfur odor after eating asparagus.

    Considerations

    • Excreting sulfur compounds is not harmful to your health. The sulfur odor will disappear when the compounds are gone from your system.

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