There is now scientific evidence that sniffing your own farts is good for you, so there's no need to hold them in any longer.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have uncovered a bizarre but fascinating link between flatulence and brain health, per the New York Post.
Turns out, the very compound that gives farts their trademark rotten egg stench might also help protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
Rotten farts could be brain fuel
Hydrogen sulfide — the same gas responsible for the foul odor of farts — appears to play a vital role in supporting aging brain cells.
Researchers believe it could help fend off neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, which affects around half a million new people in the US each year.
“Our new data firmly link aging, neurodegeneration and cell signaling using hydrogen sulfide and other gaseous molecules within the cell,” explained Dr. Bindu Paul, associate professor at Johns Hopkins and co-author of the eye-opening study.
Their findings were recently published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
To test the theory, scientists used genetically modified mice that mimic human Alzheimer's symptoms. These mice were injected with a hydrogen sulfide-releasing compound called NaGYY, designed to slowly spread the gas throughout the body.
Alzheimer’s symptoms reversed in mice
After 12 weeks of treatment, researchers assessed the mice for changes in memory and physical activity. The results were staggering.
Cognitive and motor function improved by an incredible 50% compared to untreated mice. Those that received hydrogen sulfide performed better on memory tests and showed more physical energy.
“The results showed that the behavioral outcomes of Alzheimer’s disease could be reversed by introducing hydrogen sulfide,” the research team reported.
It might sound shocking, but the human body actually produces small amounts of hydrogen sulfide naturally to help with basic functions.
One key player in this process is an enzyme called glycogen synthase beta, which manages several important cellular tasks.
Age-related changes could make things worse
There’s one catch — hydrogen sulfide levels drop as we age. And when that happens, trouble starts brewing inside the brain.
Another study highlighted how the absence of glycogen synthase beta causes it to cling too closely to another protein called Tau.
When these two latch on too often, Tau begins to clump up inside neurons. Those clumps block signals between nerve cells, eventually leading to their death.
“This leads to the deterioration and eventual loss of cognition, memory and motor function,” researchers noted.
So yes, sniffing your own flatulence might actually offer more than just embarrassment — it could be doing you the world of good.