3 Healthy Foods With Funny Side Effects

A light snack could make your mouth taste like a penny tray, and a trip to the bathroom could turn your night out into a nightmare. Some healthy foods we eat every day can come with a few surprises. Have you ever experienced these?
1. Beets (of DOOM)
I’m dying! Or so you might think in the bathroom after a beet buffet. Don’t be too alarmed if your toilet bowl looks like a crime scene. The red color that occurs in some peoples urine and feces is caused by a chemical, betanin, in beets. If your genes allow you to break down betanin, you most likely won’t be seeing tie-dye the next time you eat beets. Aside from their bold pigment, beets have outstanding health benefits, too. Beets are a natural aphrodisiac, and they lower your blood pressure which helps prevent heart disease.
2. Asparagus brings back da’funk
Pee-eww! Ever get funky smelling pee after eating asparagus? Don’t worry, your pee isn’t abnormal; you just have a good nose. The odor is caused by a sulfur compound released when you digest asparagus – but not everyone can smell it. Again, genetics is the key to the pee. Some people don’t notice the odor when they go to the bathroom, even if the odor is present. Asparagus is the vitamin shop of the plant world: it’s packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, antioxidants, and amino acids.
3. Pine Nuts: Reason #199 to eat local
Have you ever noticed a dry, metallic taste after eating pine nuts? I love pine nuts. They’re one of the main ingredients in pesto, are the key to pignoli cookies, and they add earthy deliciousness to sandwiches. But, studies associate pine nuts from one variety of tree (the Chinese pinus armandii) with a metallic taste that can last in your mouth from two days to two weeks (it’s called “pine nut mouth”). Like most nuts, pine nuts are rich in iron which helps blood carry oxygen around the body, and they contain a number of B vitamins. The combo will give you energy and stamina.
Don’t let these side effects scare you off of these healthy snacks! They won’t harm you – they just add a little… variety to your day.