In the latest instalment of WTF health research, scientist are claiming that sniffing farts could help to prevent cancer, among other diseases.
How? It’s all in the smelly Hydrogen Sulphide gas, produced by bacteria as it breaks down food in the gut.
Dr. Mark Wood, from the Biosciences department of the University of Exeter said:
Although hydrogen sulphide gas 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.
The gas smells gross and can be noxious in large doses, but scientists have found links to reducing incidents of cancer, strokes, heart attacks and dementia through way of preserving mitochondria, the ‘powerhouse’ of cells.
When cells become stressed by disease, they draw in enzymes to generate minute quantities of hydrogen sulphide.
The next step for the researchers is to manufacture a compound that will emulate the health benefits without the stinky smell. Professor Matt Whiteman, who worked on the Medicinal Chemistry Communications journal study said:
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.
Well, that’s certainly a lot more pleasant than fart therapy.