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It’s hard to believe a study like this was even done. It’s weird but it’s true: your flatulence may be the key to preventing disease.
Well, not exactly. The scientific term is hydrogen sulfide gas, and it occurs when bacteria in your body breaks down food. It’s also the smell associated with rotten eggs.
A study published in the journal Medicinal Chemistry Communications, carried out by researchers from the University of Exeter, looked at hydrogen sulfide gas’s impact on cell’s mitochondria.
The gas is noxious in large doses, but in small ones, the compound may help strengthen mitochondria. This could help prevent strokes, arthritis, and heart disease.
This because when disease strikes, cells bring in enzymes to generate “minute quantities of hydrogen sulfide.” This protects mitochondria, allowing it to generate energy and prevent disease.
So the scientists developed a compound called AP39 which gives small amounts of gas to the mitochondria specifically. This ensured that the mitochondria were protected.
However, this is a lab study done on cells in a dish, not a human study done on people sniffing rotten eggs. The researchers from the University of Exeter assured that they are “working toward advancing the research to a stage where it can be tested in humans.”
Researchers are optimistic though. One researcher from the University of Exeter, Dr. Mark Wood, called hydrogen sulfide gas “a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases.”
But research is preliminary. Though it looks promising, there’s no reason to go pointedly smelling flatulence or sniffing rotten eggs.
