/oss/taxonomy/term/169/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-you-asked/no-need-avoid-dairy-when-youre-sick <hr /> <p> <em>This article was first published in</em> <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-fact-and-fiction-of-physiological-phenomena-volume-i/" target="_blank" title="‌"><em>The Skeptical Inquirer.</em></a></p> Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:00:52 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9601 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health/medical-error-not-third-leading-cause-death <p>In the first episode of the television show <i>The Resident</i>, a nurse tells the young protagonist that medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States after cancer and heart disease. “They don’t want us talking about that,” she adds.</p> Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:54:50 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8822 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myth <p>It is a common belief that you have to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. Almost everyone has heard this recommendation at some point although if you were to ask someone why you need to drink this much water every day, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. There is usually some vague idea that you need to drink water to flush toxins out of your system. Perhaps someone will suggest that drinking water is good for your kidneys since they filter the blood and regulate water balance.</p> Thu, 31 May 2018 18:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7115 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/can-your-joints-really-feel-changes-weather <p>We all know somebody who believes they can “feel” when the weather is going to change. Maybe it’s your co-worker calling for rain because an old sports injury has started to ache. Or your grandmother faithfully rubbing her knuckles in anticipation of an on-coming thunder storm. Many people seem to think that there is a relationship between joint pain and weather patterns. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7659442">Over two thirds</a><span> of people with rheumatic diseases (disorders affecting your joints) believe their pain precedes or is caused in part by the weather.</span></p> Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:50:13 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 6841 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/ostriches-do-not-really-stick-their-heads-sand <p>Despite popular misconception, ostriches do not stick their heads in the sand. This myth <a href="https://www.scienceworld.ca/blog/do-ostriches-really-bury-their-heads-sand">originated in ancient Rome</a> and is so pervasive that it’s used as a common metaphor for someone avoiding their problems. It’s thought that this belief began after observing ostriches nesting and being stalked by predators.</p> Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:07:39 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2604 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/goat-poop-your-hair <p>Unless you’re familiar with Moroccan traditions, or are in the habit of frequenting trendy hair salons, chances are that argan oil has escaped your attention. Argan is a tree that grows in only one specific region of Morocco and produces a fruit that resembles a large olive. Stripping away the fleshy outside layer exposes a nut that can be dried and cracked open to reveal several kernels. Traditionally these have been roasted, mashed and squeezed to yield an oil with a nutty flavor. The residue is rich in protein and is used as animal feed.</p> Mon, 07 Aug 2017 14:28:09 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2591 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/garlic-clovesin-rectum <p>“Is it true that putting a piece of garlic in the rectum at night can cleanse the body?”</p> <p>And with that single question posed by an audience member back in 1975, my chemical focus shifted to food and nutrition. The question came after one of my first public talks on chemistry at a local library, where I had described the role chemistry plays in our daily lives, mostly using dyes, drugs, plastics and cosmetics as examples.</p> <p>I was sort of taken aback by the question, but managed to stammer something like “where did you hear that?”</p> Fri, 03 Feb 2017 18:26:12 +0000 Dr. Joe Schwarcz 1428 at /oss