As gross as it may sound, researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore say that the hydrogen sulphide found in farts may be used as a way to control blood pressure.

Studies done on mice showed that those with higher levels of the gas had lower blood pressure than rodents with less. Hydrogen sulphide, which is a toxic gas generated by bacteria living in the gut, also helps produce by an enzyme that relaxes blood vessels, which in turn lowers blood pressure.

Following the discovery, researchers at China's Southeast University in Nanjing are trying to work out whether this could be used to create a treatment for people suffering high blood pressure. They must first establish the effective dosage since the difference in size differs in humans and mice, or the gas could have negative effects on other parts of the body.

via Times of India