We’re not sure if it’s Brussels sprouts we can’t get excited about or if it’s veggies in general because, well, meh. On the nasty nuggets and others in the brassica family, researchers reckon they’ve worked out why they can have a bad reputation. They contain sulfur compounds which, when mixed with some people’s saliva and broken down by enzymes, produce a very smelly gas in the mouth, according to a new study. “Basically this gas is associated with the smells of farts and the smells of decomposing animals,” said Sydney Uni’s Dr Damian Frank. Charming, and unsurprisingly, that smell may not inspire a hunger for more. The health-friendly news is researchers say you can learn to like them with repeated exposure or, if not, a good culinary trick.