【英语时差8,16】芦笋-下（在线收听）

But that’s what comes out after we eat asparagus, which is not necessarily the same was what went in. Our digestive systems do some pretty complex chemistry, you know. Plus, the act of cooking the asparagus probably changes the chemistry around a bit, too. That's very true. So the next step was for scientists to find out what the chemical predecessor for this pernicious aroma is. A number of different compounds have been tried, but the best results came from a molecule called asparagusic acid, which is thought to help the asparagus plant ward off predatory insects. Known excretors took this in pill form, and indeed the repugnant sulfur mixture came out the other end.