You’re sitting on a couch with your friend playing some video games. Suddenly you hear it. Perhaps it was a simple hiss or maybe a loud blart, but you recognize it. That was definitely a fart. You might walk away or open the window to wait for the scent to retreat, yet it turns out that smelling farts do have some secret health benefits.

It all has to do with hydrogen sulfide, the specific gas emitted when you break wind. According to the University of Exeter the gas that makes a fart stinky can also reduce the risk of heart attacks, aging, strokes, and cancer.

“Although hydrogen sulfide is well known as a pungent, foul-smelling gas in rotten eggs and flatulence, it is naturally produced in the body and could, in fact, be a healthcare hero with significant implications for future therapies for a variety of diseases,” said Dr. Mark Wood of Bioscience at the University of Exeter.

Before you get too excited and use this article to encourage carpet bombing in your surroundings, hydrogen sulfide can be deadly in big doses. Yet without this ‘gas,’ cells start to die and lose their ability to fight disease. 

To identify how the body produces the perfect amount of Hydrogen sulfide, researchers created a recipe of their own.

“We have exploited this natural process by making a compound, called AP39, which slowly delivers very small amounts of this gas specifically to the mitochondria. Our results indicate that if stressed cells are treated with AP39, mitochondria are protected and cells stay alive,” said Professor Matt Whiteman.

So, the next time your friend is about to let it rip, maybe you could take a little sniff or two before you leave the room. Who knows, maybe those potent fumes could go a long way in extending your life.