Story:
According to a new British study, passing gas may help you live longer and, in a surprise twist, smelling fart gas might prevent dementia.
Researchers found that when you pass wind, you’re helping yourself out by lowering your risk of cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.
And the main ingredient in it is hydrogen sulfate. Researchers believe inhaling it actually causes your brain to grow stronger and protects your brain from dementia.
Other Versions
Smelling Fart gas may help prevent Dementia Heart disease and Cancer.
Fact Check:
Certain stories doing rounds online claim smelling fart gas may help you live longer and surprisingly, may help prevent certain illnesses like Dementia, Heart Disease and even Cancer. The claims are mixture of hoax and facts, explained here.
Origin of Story: Smelling Fart Gas Helps Prevent Dementia
In May 2016 a Facebook user Ask Dr. Nandi posted about an article about passing gas may help you live longer. It also mentioned a new British study supposedly showed smelling the fart gas might prevent Dementia. Passing wind, also known as farting or Flatulence is the passing out of gas from the digestive system. It is something natural and happens to everybody. For your information, there were some claims in past saying Indian spice Turmeric Prevents and Cures Alzheimer’s Disease and also Cancer.
Indian Spice Turmeric Prevents and Cures Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease – Facts Analysis
Coming back to the article in question, it rightly mentions if you do not let out the passing wind, it can cause uncomfortable bloating in your intestines. Such kind of habits can in fact hamper health condition of your body. The article on the study goes on to explain fart gas contains small amounts of Hydrogen Sulfate (Hydrogen Sulfide actually), a gas natural bodily processes produce. It gives flatulence its unpleasant odour, adding smelling it has surprising health benefits. This claim mostly comes from misleading headlines of the actual study few mainstream news outlets reported back in 2014. They in fact suggested smelling Fart gas may help prevent dementia and heart disease.
Actual Findings of British Study
The study appeared in early July 2014 with the title “Rotten egg gas holds key to healthcare therapies“. A new compound (AP39) designed and made at the University of Exeter in England was found to hold the key to future therapies, by targeting delivery of very small amounts of the substance to the right (or key) places inside cells. The researchers observed that when stressed cells are treated with very small amounts of AP39 gas, the Mitochondria (which are known as the “powerhouses” of cells) were protected and the cells stayed alive.
“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..,” said Professor Matt Whiteman of the University of Exeter Medical School.
“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,” added Dr. Mark Wood of Biosciences at the University of Exeter.
To Conclude
It is a fact preventing or reversing mitochondrial damage is a key strategy for treating variety of conditions. They include stroke, heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, dementia and ageing. The study nowhere mentioned smelling fart gas (hydrogen sulfide) may have health benefits like preventing Dementia, Cancer or Heart Disease. Nonetheless, few media outlets reported it with misleading headlines.
Many types of gases release in passing wind, including oxygen, nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. Moreover, after the misleading headlines about sniffing fart gas became popular, the authors of the study added a clarifying note. They also mentioned their research with the new compound called AP39 (releasing very small amounts of hydrogen sulfide) is an early stage drug development project, not trialed in humans.
Hoax or Fact:
Mixture of Hoax and Facts.
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