Sniffing beer and wine could reduce the risk of cancer.
Sniffing wine could reduce someone's risk of cancer
Boffins have discovered that diacetyl - a natural chemical discovered in the alcoholic drinks - works in a similar way when inhaled to drugs used to treat the disease.
The chemical changed the DNA of human, mice and fly cells in a manner that could "delay neurodegeneration or memory deficits in diseases" without even touching them.
Professor Anandasankar Ray, of the University of California, Riverside, said: "We have shown for the first time that some of these odour molecules to which we are exposed are being absorbed into the cells of our skin, nose, lungs, even probably to the brain through the bloodstream are fundamentally altering gene expression."
The expert says that the team has only scratched the surface of the research field and there is "limitless" scope for more discovery.
He said: "Ours is the first report of common volatiles behaving in this way. It opens an entire field of inquiry. The possibilities are limitless."