Golden Crisp scented piss.

August 18, 2006 6:40 AM

When I eat Golden Crisp cereal in the morning, my urine smells for the rest of the day.

Smells like Golden Crisp, that is. Can anyone explain this to me? Has anyone had similar experiences? Also, I'm not looking to eliminate this smell, simply to understand it.

I drink the milk, if that helps.

posted by dead_ to health & fitness (21 answers total)

Try eating asparagus and see what happens.
posted by caddis at 6:48 AM on August 18, 2006

I think what is happening is that the cereal itself kind of smells like urine, so you're picking up on that subconciously as you eat it. I've always maintained that Cheerios, for instance, while delicious, have a distinctively uriney aura about them in odor.
posted by glenwood at 6:51 AM on August 18, 2006

caddis said: Try eating asparagus and see what happens. Ah, the smell of asparagus pee in the morning. This only affects about 4 out of 10 people and I am proud to say I am one of the 4. The smell is unforgettable!

This at Discovery.comIn 1975 a chemist from California claimed in Science that gas chromatography had fingered a different culprit: S-Methyl Thioesters, to be precise. No methanethiol, so maybe golden Crisp does the same thing ?

It is said that in a venerable British men's club there is a sign reading "DURING THE ASPARAGUS SEASON MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES IN THE HATSTAND."
posted by 543DoublePlay at 6:58 AM on August 18, 2006

What do you need explained? Everything that goes in affects the smell (and, ahem, taste) of everything that comes out. Not much of a mystery.
posted by dobbs at 7:04 AM on August 18, 2006

Then how come my urine never smells like chocolate chip cookies? I eat those all the time.
posted by dead_ at 7:09 AM on August 18, 2006

Honeynut Cheerios does the same thing for me.
posted by eas98 at 7:12 AM on August 18, 2006

dead_, probably because you eat them all the time... along with all the other things you eat all the time, and you're used to the smell of your own urine.

However, if you've ever taken meds (or lived with someone who did) or were vegetarian for a significant amount of time, or went thru any other sudden diet change, you'd notice the difference in the smells (and colors) of your urine, sweat, ejaculate, etc.

You are what you eat.
posted by dobbs at 7:16 AM on August 18, 2006

it is most likely caused by the B vitamins

golden crisp cereal is high in B6 and B12, riboflavin, and thiamin

the B vitamins affect the smell of urine
posted by subatomiczoo at 7:30 AM on August 18, 2006

Doesn't really answer your question, but I find this happens frequently if I drink a lot of coffee. My pee smells like coffee. Everyone I've ever mentioned it to thinks I'm crazy. :-)
posted by MarkLark at 7:30 AM on August 18, 2006

MarkLark, you aren't alone. My pee smells like coffee after drinking it too (coffee, not my pee).
Everyone says I'm crazy too.
posted by zerokey at 7:36 AM on August 18, 2006

In the UK you can experience the same phenomenon with Sugar Puffs.
posted by kenchie at 7:46 AM on August 18, 2006

To add on, I eat several different cereals, I also notice the same thing when I eat generic Sugar Puffs.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 8:04 AM on August 18, 2006

I sometimes get that with coffee. I think in the case of cereal, it's probably the flavorings - whatever artificial stuff is added to make the taste and smell is probably getting peed right back out.
With coffee, I think that passes right through, too, and binds with whatever's in urine.
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 8:36 AM on August 18, 2006

supposedly the asparagus thing happens to everyone, but only some people can smell it.

"sure hope you like asparagus."

also i thought the coffee thing was universal but i guess only some people can smell that? weird.
posted by joeblough at 8:41 AM on August 18, 2006

Yeah, I ate a bowl of them this morning, and two hours later my pee did smell too. How can it move through your system that fast?
posted by JonnyRotten at 8:58 AM on August 18, 2006

I, too, can confirm this pehenomenon. I love Golden Crisp and whenever I eat a bowl or two before going to bed sure enough, Golden Crisp Pee!
posted by punkrockrat at 10:27 AM on August 18, 2006

Yes, it is totally specific (for me) to the Golden Crisp/Sugar Smacks. To me it smells a lot like coffee - the cereal smells a little like coffee, and then your pee smells like the cereal. I figured it was one of the insane chemicals in those particular cereals.
posted by peep at 11:43 AM on August 18, 2006

When I eat Total, my pee turns brown.

I tell myself that this can't be good, so therefore, I shall eat Cookie Crisp.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 2:36 PM on August 18, 2006

Aaahhhhhh, Post Super Sugar Crisp pee smell!! I've pondered this exact question since I was a tiny brat, and have never seen a detailed scientific explanation, a la the asparagus/S-Methyl thioesters reason. Where are the PhD biochemefites?!
posted by fuzzy_wuzzy at 11:12 PM on August 18, 2006

They used to say only a certain percentage of people excrete asparagus in their urine, then they did the experiment. It turns out everyone does, but only a certain percentage can smell it. (On the way out the door, so no, I can't cite a source.)

I thought everyone did the coffee/pee thing, too.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 5:54 AM on August 21, 2006

Certain beer alters the smell of my pee, but not all beer.
posted by phearlez at 1:25 PM on August 21, 2006