/oss/taxonomy/term/1368/all en /oss/article/covid-19-health-and-nutrition/antivirals-are-coming <p>I continue to be amazed by science. The ability to predict to the second when an eclipse will occur at a specific location in the world, the know-how to build a jetliner that requires the cohesive working of over four million parts and the production of computers with all their marvellous functions are astounding examples of human ingenuity. To say nothing about reaching into your pocket for the smartphone that in a fraction of a second will provide an answer to almost any question you may have. Mind-boggling.</p> Fri, 12 Nov 2021 21:02:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8921 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/how-do-they-make-chocolates-liquid-centre <p>The secret lies in the chemical behaviour of beta-fructofuranosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside. Don't worry, that's just the chemical name for sucrose, or ordinary table sugar. Sucrose is a "disaccharide," meaning it is composed of two smaller molecules, namely glucose and fructose, that are chemically bound together.</p> Fri, 25 Jan 2019 17:02:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7559 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-quackery/galantamine <p>Victims of Alzheimer’s disease experience a continuous degeneration of nerve cells. Most of the nerve cells affected are responsible for releasing acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter believed to be mainly responsible for memory and learning. In order to prevent the loss of acetylcholine, galantamine, a competitive and reversible cholinesterase inhibitor is used as a medication. Galantamine reduces the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase thus preventing the degradation of acetylcholine and maintaining an increased level of this neurotransmitter in the brain.</p> Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:29:17 +0000 OSS 2529 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery-supplements-weight-loss/konjac-con <p>I just watched acommercial on TV for "Lipozene." What a miracle product this is! Magical weight loss with no side effects. Whoa...time to reign in the claims.</p> <p>Just take the pills a few times a day and watch the pounds melt away. So goes the claim. Whoaaa. Time to reign in the galloping hyperboles.</p> Mon, 30 Dec 2013 00:10:22 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2054 at /oss /oss/article/drugs-environment-food-health-you-asked/you-asked-what-histaminosis <p>Mention “histamine” and the word “allergy” pops to mind. Rightly so, because during an allergic reaction certain white blood cells known as mast cells and basophils release an inordinate amount of histamine, a chemical that then travels through the bloodstream and fits into “receptors” in cells that make up our tissues much like a key fits into a lock. And when the “key” fits, it unlocks the typical symptoms such as the watery eyes, runny nose, hives, itching and breathing problems we associate with allergies.</p> Sun, 30 Mar 2014 12:59:05 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2121 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-general-science-you-asked/what-meat-glue <p>So what exactly is this “meat glue?” Rest assured that no horses were condemned to the glue factory to produce it. What we’re talking about is an enzyme called transglutaminase that allows a mouthful of shrimp to be served in the form of noodles that look, but certainly do not taste, like regular pasta. How does it do this? By facilitating a chemical reaction that forges links between structural protein molecules. Proteins of course are composed of chains of amino acids, and transglutaminase links the amino acid lysine in one chain to glutamine in an adjacent chain.</p> Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:13:42 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1686 at /oss /oss/article/health/grapefruit-growers-dont-know-whether-laugh-or-cry <p>As you might expect, the situation is more complicated than it first seems.</p> Wed, 15 Feb 2017 20:27:08 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1454 at /oss