When I was a kid we always went asparagus hunting in the spring. I say hunting because asparagus could be found growing wild along the roadside in the country. Back then, it was a challenge among my siblings and I to find the most asparagus – not necessarily to eat the most asparagus! Back then, it was not on my favorite food list.
Now I consider asparagus a superfood. What makes asparagus so special?
4 Health Benefits of Asparagus
- It contains glutathione, a potent antioxidant, well known for itâs detoxifying properties.
- Is a good source of fiber, folate, iron, vitamins A, C, E and K.
- Is a natural diuretic â a beneficial food for those with high blood pressure and other heart-related conditions.
- It contains inulin – a prebiotic which helps support the beneficial bacteria in our gut.
Asparagus is also one of the foods on the List of 15 Foods You Donât Need to Buy Organic. Since it is relatively clean, nutrient dense, and low carb, there isn’t much bad to say about it! Four ounces of asparagus is only 22 calories, 2 grams net carbs, and 2.5 grams of fiber. Since it is a non-starchy vegetable, it is low on the Glycemic Load Index too!
The only bad thing (kind of) about asparagus, is that it makes your pee smell. According to Carolyn OâNeil on Web MD, âResearchers believe that, during digestion, the vegetable’s sulfurous amino acids break down into smelly chemical components in all people.â Within 15 minutes of eating asparagus, the odor can be present. So if your urine smells after consuming, rest assured, you are normal!
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However, scientists from the Monell Center used complex sensory testing in a study to show that about eight percent of the subjects tested did not have smelly urine, while six percent couldn’t smell the odor. One person did not produce the odor and was also unable to smell it.
The Monell Center found that “the inability to smell asparagus odor was linked to a genetic variation within a family of olfactory receptors.” The variation in gene is apparently the reason why about one-third of people can smell the sulphurous pee while the rest of the population can’t – are you one of the lucky ones that can’t?
It’s interesting that one of the benefits of asparagus, is that it offers kidney and bladder cleansing support. I’m not sure that the smell has anything to do with the kidney cleansing support, but it doesn’t really matter. Most anyone can use occasional kidney cleansing, especially those with lower back pain from a variety of conditions.
Want the cleansing support but don’t like asparagus, or the smell? Get the benefits without the smell! Try K-Drain by Transformation Enzyme for effective kidney support and to help remove metabolic waste. As mentioned earlir, asparagus also has diuretic properties so it is frequently found in diuretic supplements like Herbal Diuretic from Vinco.
Now, if you love asparagus and want to grow it in your garden, The Cooperative Extension of New Hampshire offers tips on where to plant, how to grow it, pest control, how to harvest and store these tasty spears.
Choosing asparagus is easy; spears can be thick or thin as that doesn’t necessarily mean they are tender or tough. Â In the store, choose firm bunches with the cut ends resting in water. In addition to green, you’ll find white or purple spears. Refrigerate and use within a couple days for the best taste and nutrition.
The key to preparing asparagus is starting at the opposite end of the spear, gently test the toughness of the spear with a paring knife. You’ll feel the give in the spear when you reach the tender part and that’s where you’ll trim the bottom off.
Trimming in this way will keep the tough part out of your delicious spears. Lightly steamed or oven-roasted asparagus are my preferred cooking methods.
To oven-roast it, preheat the oven to 450. Mix the trimmed asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes. Voila – enjoy!
I also love to throw in other veggies into the roasting pan and roast them all together. This is a great way to use up small portions of fresh veggies. Â A favorite veggie combination is asparagus, red pepper, portabella mushrooms, chunked onion and broccoli spears. After roasting, finish off with a smidge of balsamic vinegar sprinkled on top.
If you’ve got a fantastic recipe for asparagus, share it below! If we all eat more of this superfood and enjoy the health benefits of asparagus, there might be less disease in this world.
Still can’t eat asparagus even knowing all the benefits? You can still support your kidney function and help remove metabolic waste by buying a kidney support supplement.
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Thanks for the timely post! I ate asparagus last night and three nights ago. I did notice that my pee smells funny and I was a little worried. I wasn’t sure what to blame it on.
Not to worry Melinda – be thankful you have a good “smeller”!
Is it true that. eating asparagus helps expel toxins from the body ?
James, Asparagus helps with detoxification as it contains glutathione and glutathione supports phase II liver detoxification. Phase II is where certain chemicals/toxins are broken down so they can be eliminated. Asparagus also contains Vitamin C which helps neutralize free radicals.!
Hope that helps ~ thanks for reading!
hello does eating asparagus help fight baldness, is it ok to have asparagus white eating pasta. Also how many times a week is it okay to eat asparagus.
Yosef, I haven’t seen any research to say that aspaaragus would help fight baldness. You certainly could eat asparagus with pasta; saute some in along with peppers, tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, white wine and shaved parmesan cheese for a quick easy meal. You could probably eat asparagus every day though every thing in moderation usually works best. Eat up!
I thought something was wrong with me. That’s urine Smell is horrible. How long does the smell last. I urinated about three times since last night and I still smell it.
Amazing isn’t it?!?! Drinking more water will flush it thru faster but generally the smell will be gone within a day. Best!
I have some kidney problem with high urea, creatnine and uric acid. can I eat asparagus.
I put vinegar on my asparagus. It makes it very tasty.
A bit of squeezed lemon and balsamic vinegar on grilled asparagus. yummy
Sounds great! Thanks Chris ; )
Eat asparagus for hangover relief. Removes toxins from the liver. Of course if you are not a huge fan of asparagus, it’s probably the last thing you wanna eat when hung over.
Yes! Finally someone writes about blood in stool after constipation.
Thank you it really helped with a question I had.
I’m told that Asparagus is high in fructose and that it’s not a healthy vegetable. I love it and eat it twice a week along with broccoli onions some garlic and simmer it in balsamic and olive oil
In a pan I sliced 3 asparagus spears in half, minced garlic, cup of mushrooms, onion, couple of fresh green beans, 3 oz. small shrimp, and 2 cups of spinach. Seasoned those bad-boys with coriander, wee bit more garlic powder (vampires would keep a 20 mile radius from me due to the amount of garlic I consume daily), pinch of onion powder, black pepper, and paprika. Had half a cup of whole grain penne pasta boiling with an Italian-blend spice. When it was all finished it sure was delish to mix together with a side salad!! The asparagus gave such a wonderful flavor and took in that yummy garlicy bit. I see myself repeating this in the future.
sounds like a lot of work. take a multivitamin.
are asparagus just as beneficial in a can, like Green Giant?
I eat asparagus fresh / uncooked as a snack several times a day. 3/8 inch of water in the pitcher cut end down in the fridge.
I puree canned Asparagus in my Ninja and drink some every day!!! Sometimes I put it in my V8 drink. Yummy!
How often do you eat it
Will asparagus help me lose weight. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and a thyroid disease….i need to lose 100 lbs and definitely detox.
Asparagus is part of a healthy diet. Check out the current Health.gov Dietary Guidelines to find out how many fruit and vegetables you should eat each day to help maintain a healthy weight here: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/. And good luck on your health journey!
Grilled asparagus, with olive oil, a light sprinkle of salt and a sprinkle of chicken fajita seasoning.
Cream of Aspargus Soup —
Start with 3 bunches of Asparagus.
Put about 1 – 2″ water in a medium size pot. Bring water to boil.
Meanwhile, cut asparagus in thirds after cutting off bottom dried portion.
Blanch bottom 2/3s separately from top stem part. Just a couple of minutes till soft and tender.
In another small pot, melt 4 Tablespoons butter. Add well diced 1/2 small onion. Cook over low heat to soften onions.
Add first round of blanched asparagus, melted butter and onions to Nutribullit and blend well. Pour back into small pot on low heat. Add 1 Knorr vegetable bullion cube.
Finish blending blanched asparagus and putting in small pot.
On consistency … add about 1 cup Cream or Half & Half to small pot. The water that remains from blanching can be added to the soup pot to attain your desired consistency of soup. This last step is where you will get it your way so you may wish to experiment a bit on how much cream and water to mix. It will also depend on how juicy that Aspargus was to start. I usually make enough to last a few days. Enjoy!
I just recently had white asparagus for the first time, and there was NO ODOUR in my urine. But there is tonight again after eating the usual green variety. Anyone know why? I’m curious ??
And my boyfriend made asparagus lasagna with a cream sauce base – AHMAZING!
I enjoyed this lovely article! Thanks for sharing this benefits. I knew something new.
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Nice Post.