Friday, October 24, 2008

"The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure"

"A smelly rotten-egg gas in farts controls blood pressure in mice, a new study finds.

"The unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide (H2S), can be a little too familiar, as it is expelled by bacteria living in the human colon and eventually makes its way, well, out.

"The new research found that cells lining mice's blood vessels naturally make the gas and this action can help keep the rodents' blood pressure low by relaxing the blood vessels to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). This gas is 'no doubt' produced in cells lining human blood vessels too, the researchers said."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081023/sc_livescience/thestinkinfartscontrolsbloodpressure


I know that this may not be the most pleasant subject for posting, but I consider it part of my duty as a responsible blogger to keep everyone updated on advances in medical science.

I also wanted to show my ex-wife that I wasn't lying when I said that I had to pass gas or I would explode. Now I know why I developed high blood pressure after all those years of trying to stifle nature's release valve.
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19 comments:

  1. BeejayOctober 24, 2008 at 11:09 AM

    I could have lived my entire life without knowing that, Orbs. One of those bugs you swallowed must have affected you in not such a good way.

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  2. OrbsCorbsOctober 24, 2008 at 11:12 AM

    No, I'm always this way.....

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  3. BeejayOctober 24, 2008 at 1:24 PM

    Oh-oh.........

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  4. LizardmomOctober 24, 2008 at 1:53 PM

    hmmm, so is the passing gas or suffering with gas beneficial??

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  5. ToadOctober 24, 2008 at 2:59 PM

    I wonder if DOG FARTS help? They REALLY smell bad.

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  6. AnonymousOctober 24, 2008 at 3:14 PM

    And to think all this time I've been holding them in and I could have saved hundreds of buck rather than paying for those high blood pressure pills. THE HELL WITH THE MEDICATIONS! LET ER RIP!!!

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  7. kkditherOctober 24, 2008 at 4:11 PM

    It may lower your blood pressure once you release, but it just may raise mine having to deal with it.

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  8. BeejayOctober 24, 2008 at 4:30 PM

    I think dog farts raise the owner's bp....yep, I have this one as fact!

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  9. AnonymousOctober 24, 2008 at 7:10 PM

    Only a real classy guy would post this article.

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  10. LizardmomOctober 24, 2008 at 8:42 PM

    anon, you betcha! Orbs is one of a kind!
    We love Hale Bopp but others can post scientific stuff too, he won't mind :)

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  11. OrbsCorbsOctober 24, 2008 at 10:02 PM

    I think Anonymous cut the cheese.

    PU!

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  12. MinnesotaChickOctober 24, 2008 at 11:58 PM

    Good to know.......

    I think.

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  13. UnknownOctober 25, 2008 at 12:34 AM

    As a long time nurse, this isn't exactly a big surprise to me. I can't count the number of patients I've had pass out while straining with a bowel movement...Also fyi, for some particular persons, with a very rapid, irregular heartbeat, we would instruct the person on how to make their heart rate decrease by performing whats called a "valsalva maneuver", its the process of bearing down like having a bm or passing gas, you know like flexing your abdominal muscles....(it's forcibly exhaling against a closed airway)This process affects the nervous system and decreases the heart rate and blood pressure.


    This has nothing to do with the "stink" part here, but still an "interesting" fact I guess...

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  14. SEROctober 25, 2008 at 1:05 AM

    Did you know that “fart” is an offensive term meaning to release intestinal gases through the anus, usually with an accompanying sound?

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  15. AnonymousOctober 25, 2008 at 10:03 AM

    When we were kids, we'd get yelled at if we said "fart", but we could always use the Danish word for the same. Actually the Danes have 2 words. "Fimps" (sp) discribes a "cute little fart" (the kind you could have a chuckle over). "Feese" (sp) was the "knock the walls down, who cut the cheese, call the EPA" kind of fart. I don't know if this holds any water, but when you are young and impressionable, you take verbatum what your grandmother tells you.

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  16. ToadOctober 25, 2008 at 11:00 AM

    Logjam, That is why Danes are happier. I always ask "what the hell am I supposed to do with it" when chewed on for such action.

    Actually me and my son-in-law have had somewhat of a contest with such matters. You know what they say "Laughter is the best medicine"

    We had a fellow in the Racine Plant that would call us over to his machine, and when we got there we would darn near choke to death. He would laugh with real pride.

    I miss the old friends I had at the Racine Plant. We were a really fun group.

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  17. AnonymousOctober 25, 2008 at 2:31 PM

    And I'm waving it right on your food....EAT AWAY!!

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  18. kkditherOctober 25, 2008 at 4:05 PM

    I had always heard that the stink in flatulence was there to benefit the deaf?

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  19. hale-boppOctober 25, 2008 at 7:08 PM

    I wonder if this was funded by an earmark?

    Yes, I like science, but am happy for others to post as well...this one sounds like a potential Ig-Nobel prize contender to me!

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