Health - Wellness
Should We Be Smelling Our Own Farts? Science Weighs In
By JENNIFER ANANDANAYAGAM
Farts have a bad rep, mainly because of their smell, but researchers at the University of Exeter say smelling your own or someone else's gas could be healthy for you.
The Cleveland Clinic says we fart primarily because of two reasons: food digestion and its resulting gases and when we let out excess air that we've swallowed.
Per Healthline, the gas hydrogen sulfide, which gives farts their smelliness, might be able to combat heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, dementia, and aging.
When we have health conditions that cause damage to cells in our arteries or veins, something called mitochondria produces hydrogen sulfide to protect the cells from dying.
It's still being studied how much hydrogen sulfide is required for cell stimulation, but so far, it seems there is not enough to warrant inhaling someone's farts.
However, the smell of your farts can help you stay in good health as it can hint at intolerances or underlying conditions like infections, bowel disease, and cancer.