Smelling farts may be good for you: research

14 July 2014 - 15:48 By Times LIVE
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Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that smelling farts may actually help with a range of health issues.

Small doses of hydrogen sulfide, or that gas that you quietly pretend you didn't release into a crowded lift, may offer health benefits with regards to a range of issues, including diabetes, strokes, heart attacks and dementia according to a media release.

 “When cells become stressed by disease, they draw in enzymes to generate minute quantities of hydrogen sulfide. This keeps the mitochondria ticking over and allows cells to live,"  Said Professor Matt Whiteman, of the University of Exeter Medical School.

"If this doesn’t happen, the cells die and lose the ability to regulate survival and control inflammation. We have exploited this natural process by making a compound, called AP39, which slowly delivers very small amounts of this gas specifically to the mitochondria. Our results indicate that if stressed cells are treated with AP39, mitochondria are protected and cells stay alive,” Said Whiteman.

“Although hydrogen sulfide is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases,” Said Dr. Mark Wood of Biosciences, at the University of Exeter.

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