Study ‘Says’ Sniffing Farts Is Good For You, But Something Doesn’t Smell Right

Forget “silent but deadly.” How about “rank but restorative”?

 

 

Media sites recently reported news that delighted flatulence lovers: Scientists had published a study that said smelling farts is good for you. The only problem was, reports on the study kinda … stunk.

Here’s what happened.

Researchers at the University of Exeter said the hydrogen sulfide that we emit when we cut the cheese protects mitochondria, which are the cell’s “power producers.” Dr. Mark Wood, a researcher at Exeter, explained that hydrogen sulfide is the stinky component of passing gas “and could in fact be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases.”

Somehow that was taken to mean that smelling farts could ward off harmful diseases.

But read the following before you start pounding down dried apricots and baked beans: The Guardian pointed out that the study never mentions that smelling your farts is healthy. And NBC News reinforced the skepticism.

Still, that won’t stop us from having some fun — and a little hope.

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