The next time someone at your office lets out a "silent but deadly" emission, maybe you should thank them. A*new study*at the University of Exeter suggests that smelling farts could prevent disease and even cancer.
The study, published in the*Medicinal Chemistry Communicationsjournal, found that flatulence could be a key factor in treating diseases.
"Although hydrogen sulfide 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," Dr. Mark Wood, a professor at the University of Exeter, said in a*statement.
While hydrogen sulfide gas is harmful in large doses, smelling it in small amounts could reduce the risk of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, arthritis, and dementia by preserving the body's mitochondria. Dr. Matt Whiteman, a University of Exeter professor who worked on the study, said in a statement that researchers are even replicating the natural gas to reap its health benefits.
*-*-*Meghan*DeMaria
