/oss/taxonomy/term/1350/all en /oss/article/health-nutrition/health-supplements-good-bad-and-ugly <p>It is always a challenge to find a catchy headline for an article. For this one, a connection to the classic 1966 “spaghetti western” that propelled Clint Eastwood to fame seems fitting. The film is about three gunslingers who battle each other as they look for a stash of gold. “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly,” is a great title that I hereby propose to swipe because I think it also captures the essence of the “health supplement” industry. Some supplements are potentially useful, some are useless, and some are outright ugly.</p> Fri, 07 May 2021 21:34:03 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8723 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-pseudoscience/baby-carrots-and-carrot-blush <p>Baby carrots are everywhere. Children and adults alike can be found munching on them. Even sports fans have found them to be a good dipping tool. As they should! Because carrots have no fat, they don’t need to be salted, and they’re loaded with beta carotene, a Vitamin A precursor.</p> Wed, 29 Jan 2020 20:18:19 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8093 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-nutrition/real-connection-between-carrots-and-vision <p>During World War II, the British Royal Air Force started a rumour that carrots gave their fighter pilots sharp vision and accuracy. This was not true. Radar was responsible for their success against the Luftwaffe. But the British wanted to keep this a secret from their enemies. So naturally, they planted a false trail. Yes, it’s true that carrots are excellent source of beta-carotene, the body’s precursor for vitamin A, but studies have shown vision benefits will only be seen when there is a deficiency of vitamin A.</p> Fri, 29 Nov 2019 17:10:52 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8013 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-diets-health-supplements-you-asked/you-asked-whats-scoop-supposed-uselessness-multivitamin-supplements <p>There is a lot of buzz around a set of scientific papers that calls into question the effectiveness of multivitamin supplements. Let me add a few notes to the buzz as the vitamin supplement industry licks its wounds and scrambles to protect the goose that lays its golden egg. And it’s a valuable egg. Consumers in North America fork out close to fifteen billion dollars a year on vitamin and mineral supplements. Why? Some have heard that our soil is depleted in nutrients and that our food supply no longer provides adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. Not so.</p> Sat, 21 Dec 2013 18:19:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2049 at /oss