At 01:55 PM 10/23/97 GMT, you wrote:
>>curiosity) with a clarification of the term "coffee pee." The excretion in
>>question has the same *aroma* coming out as it did going in. Thus, I
>>suppose I could have asked what compounds give coffee it's characteristic
>>aroma, but that would have squeezed WAY to much levity out of the question.
>While wee're at it (pun intended) can the same be said about
>"asparagus pee", or does this particular aroma come from a metabolite?
>>With asparagus it must be a metabolite. I wouldn't eat the stuff if it
smelled like that!
And while we're on metabolism, plant products, and human waste, (geez, we
must be biologists to do this!) I have some evidence that betalains are not
broken down in our bodies (at least not in mine). I recall one time I tried
to expose my kids to beets. I bought a fresh bunch, cooked them up, and
everyone refused more than the requisite bite. My wife was no help
either....Anyways, I ate all of them in one sitting (yummy) and for the next
two days, ...well...everything was very pretty pink.
Willy, does that beat your coffee pee question for self-consciousness? I
sure hope my students don't read this stuff.
Doug
Douglas P. Jensen, Assistant Professor of Biology
PO Box 9615
Hollins College
Roanoke, Virginia 24020
(540)362-6549
djensen at hollins.edu
