/oss/taxonomy/term/1159/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/dancing-gummy-bears <p>No, Oprah Winfrey and Dolly Parton do not endorse CBD Gummies. Neither does David Suzuki. That may come as a surprise to customers who purchased the gummies thinking that they must deliver the goods given that such high-profile celebrities believe in them. And what are the goods those gummies supposedly deliver? They are said to reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and help with muscle pain and inflammation. They also energize, help with weight loss, boost immunity and normalize heart rate. Who says so? Certainly not Oprah, Dolly or David.</p> Wed, 15 Mar 2023 17:00:52 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9433 at /oss /oss/article/medical/candy-cannabis-edibles-danger-children <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-candy-like-cannabis-edibles-a-danger-to-children">Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Regardless of whether you favour or oppose legalization of marijuana, one hopes that we can all agree that we don’t want children to accidentally overdose on cannabis products. And yet the issue is becoming an increasingly common one.</p> Fri, 02 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9308 at /oss /oss/article/holiday-treat-marshmallows-and-hot-chocolate <p>Believe it or not, the tasty marshmallows we know are inspired by a plant, a perennial that grows up to about four feet high. Its root has a soft and spongy texture and looks like lung tissue, which led to its use in the treatment of lung conditions. Usually, the root was extracted with hot water, sweetened, aerated, and allowed to cool to form the spongy mass. Crystallization was inhibited because the root contains a high percentage of mucilage, carbohydrates which interfere with crystal formation. Today, some people still use marshmallow tea to soothe inflammation.</p> Thu, 10 Dec 2020 01:54:37 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8524 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health/you-dont-need-bleach-x-ray-or-inspect-your-kids-candy-halloween-you-do-need-wear-mask <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/you-dont-need-to-bleach-x-ray-or-inspect-your-kids-candy-this-halloween-but-you-do-need-to-wear-a-mask/">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></p> Thu, 10 Dec 2020 02:07:13 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8525 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-videos/right-chemistry-sugar-numbers-matter-0 <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-tajc7d-6w-0" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on sugar: the numbers matter" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/TAJc7D-6W_0?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-tajc7d-6w-0&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on sugar: the numbers matter" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on sugar: the numbers matter</iframe> </div> </p> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 16:30:55 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7358 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/why-are-people-popping-laundry-pods <p>Dousing oneself with a bucket full of ice water isn’t much fun, but at least that craze was cool. It had a point: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge">raise money for ALS research</a>. Biting into a laundry pod has no point, other than to demonstrate the mental shortcomings of the biter. For some bizarre reason people have been posting videos of their grimacing faces as they chomp down on a laundry pod. If they get away with just a grimace, they are lucky. They could just as well end up in hospital with chemical burns to their mouth.</p> Thu, 25 Jan 2018 16:42:45 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 6904 at /oss /oss/article/health/licking-liquorice-habit <p>An astute physician immediately asked about the woman's dietary habits and discovered that she was virtually addicted to liquorice candies, eating up to half a pound a day! Right then and there the problem was solved. The most prevalent compound in liquorice, and the most studied, is glycyrrhizin, also known as glycyrrhizic acid. This has hormonal effects resembling those of aldosterone, an adrenal gland hormone that is responsible for maintaining mineral balance in the blood by helping the body retain sodium and excrete potassium. Too much aldosterone, or compounds that behave like it, wil</p> Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:06:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2412 at /oss /oss/article/food-health-history-you-asked/you-asked-it-true-some-candies-are-coloured-insect-extract <p>Yes some candies and other foods can be coloured with cochineal extract which is an approved food additive. Hernan Cortez was the first European to learn about this colourant when he became intrigued by the beautifully colored Aztec fabrics. He learned that the source of the dye was what appeared to be seeds on a cactus plant. But closer scrutiny revealed that they were not seeds at all, they were little bugs. Today we know them simply as “cochineal” and the dye they yield as “carmine.”.</p> Sun, 22 Dec 2013 01:37:48 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2050 at /oss /oss/article/health-science-science-everywhere-you-asked/why-were-red-mms-eliminated-should-i-be-concerned <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=4365"><img alt="" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/03/MMs-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a> Much to the public’s dismay, the Mars and Murray Company stopped production of red M&Ms because of a health scare concerning Red Dye Number 2, which at the time was the most common red food dye in use. This dye was never used in M&Ms but the company decided to withdraw the red candies “to avoid consumer confusion and concern.” It isn’t clear exactly what confusion Mars and Murray was worried about since the Food and Drug Administration banned Red Dye Number 2 in January of 1976. So if red M&Ms had stayed on the market, it would have clearly meant that the suspect dye was not used. Perhaps the Company was concerned that people might think it was using an illegal dye. The story becomes even more bizarre when the evidence upon which Red Dye Number 2 was banned is examined. In the early 1970s there were a couple of small, poorly carried out Soviet studies that suggested the dye caused thyroid tumours in male rats and stillbirths and deformities in females. <a href="/oss/why-were-red-mms-eliminated-should-i-be-concerned/">Read more</a></p> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:09:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1887 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-quackery/chemistry-lesson-food-babe-and-everyone-else-12-cream-tartars-many-uses <p>In chemical terms, it is potassium hydrogen tartrate which is basically partially neutralized tartaric acid. Pasteur became interested in the chemistry of winemaking and launched into a study of tartaric acid and its various salts. He found that sodium ammonium tartrate which he prepared from natural tartaric acid was not exactly the same as the version made from tartaric acid that had been synthesized in the laboratory.</p> Wed, 15 Feb 2017 22:07:01 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1464 at /oss