It is perhaps the biggest taboo when in the company of others, certainly nigh unforgivable on an aircraft- but it turns out farting might not be as bad as we make it out to be.
A study carried out by researchers at Exeter University in England discovered that hydrogen sulphide, which is produced in the human body during break-up of food in the gut- actually has some benefits on the cellular level that might help in battling diseases.
The gas is harmful in large doses, but the small quantities found in farts can help in battling diseases, the study found. This is because it changes the way enzymes work, and can be used to help battle dementia, heart disease, cancer, etc.
Resarchers created a compound out of the gas , AP39, to test for efficacy. Early results look promising, but no word on when it would be available yet.
Professor Matt Whiteman from University of Exeter’s medical school said: “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. 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.”
So in the meantime, you can keep blasting others with farts, knowing that on some level, you might be helping them battle a condition.