/oss/taxonomy/term/1814/all en /oss/article/history/under-microscope-rose-petals <p>Nowadays roses are mostly used for Bachelorette ceremonies and hipster lattes, but once upon a time roses, and their fruit, rose hips, were widely used as medicines.<br /> Diarrhodon is the name given to herbal treatments containing roses, and there are lots of them, said to treat everything from liver problems to heart problems to digestion issues. Traditional Chinese medicine made use of the China rose for regulating menstruation, pain relief, thyroid problems and diarrhea.<br /></p> Mon, 06 May 2019 17:58:23 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7746 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-quackery/cissus-quadrangularis-fever-fighting-pain-preventing-diabetes-defeating-supplement <p><em>Cissus quadrangularis</em> is a plant which belongs in the grape family, has red berries, and green or yellow flowers. <em>Cissus quadrangularis</em> is also the name slapped across a lot of supplements that claim to support ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JE0NVOY?psc=1">optimal joint health</a>’, ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00COPTQVI?psc=1">promote healthy bone structure</a>’, and support ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SG7MZ0?psc=1">healthy weight management</a>’.</p> Mon, 14 Aug 2017 14:21:57 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2597 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/hyaluronic-acid-all-hype <p><span>A quick search of Amazon for hyaluronic acid turns up thousands of products, from liquid serums to pills to creams that make a variety of claims. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paulas-Choice-Repairing-Hyaluronic-Sensitive/dp/B018WRJNLE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498278019&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=hyaluronic+acid&psc=1&smid=AFDRC8T2FYEHK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Balms and serums</a><span> seem to focus on hyaluronic acid’s ability to ease skin redness and reduce wrinkles while </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/HA-Joint-Formula-Hyaluronic-Pro</body></html>"></a></p> Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:45:03 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2560 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-diets-environment-food-health-history-news-supplements-toxicity/fenugreek-and-sotalone <p>If you have eaten curry, you have probably tasted fenugreek. The seeds of this plant as well as its fresh leaves are commonly used as ingredients in curries. They are added for taste but they also impart a smell that is due to sotalone, a compound that at low concentrations has a distinct maple syrup-like odour. Since sotalone passes through the body unchanged, it can impart a scent both to the urine and sweat. The compound is actually used as one of the flavor components in artificial maple syrup and can be isolated from fenugreek seeds.</p> Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:36:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2182 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-news-quackery/bacopa-monnieri <p>Herbal medicine is the oldest form of medicine. When our early ancestors foraged for plants to eat, they encountered some that had benefits other than curbing hunger. Maybe it was pain relief from the mandrake root, or ginseng to boost energy, or cannabis to offer delight. By 1500 BC the Egyptians had amassed a wealth of information about medicinal herbs as documented in the famous Ebers Papyrus.</p> Wed, 24 Sep 2014 03:18:13 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2195 at /oss /oss/article/news-quackery-you-asked/you-asked-what-are-bach-flower-remedies <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bach_flower_remedies#Use">Bach flower remedies</a> have been around for close to a hundred years and were the brainchild of Edward Bach a British physician. Actually, there doesn’t seem to have been much “brain” involved in the development of this curious alternative healing method. Bach was a traditionally trained physician who became disenchanted with the way medicine was being practiced and began a search for novel healing methods.</p> Tue, 23 Dec 2014 06:16:13 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2223 at /oss /oss/article/health-history-you-asked/what-role-iodine-thyroid-function <p>“Take a dose of seaweed or burnt sea sponge twice a year!” That was the ancient Chinese remedy for goiter. Almost four thousand years ago Chinese medical writings described the troublesome swelling of the neck we know as goiter and noted the remedy which had somehow been arrived at through trial and error. Of course Chinese physicians had no idea why it worked, but work it did. Later Hippocrates and Galen gave the same recommendation and by the 12th century the treatment was taught in the School of Salerno, one of the first formal medical schools.</p> Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:38:39 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1779 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/homeopathy-controversy-ensues <p><em>Homeopathy is a controversial “alternative” practice. In 2012, Dr. Joe expressed his views in a series of columns in The Montreal Gazette - Homeopathy: Delusion through Dilution - which triggered a lengthy response from Ginette Beaulieu, President of the Syndicat professionnel des homeopathes du Quebec to which he, in turn, responded:</em></p> Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:46:38 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1708 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/vibe-vitamin-mineral-supplement-miracle-people-claim-it-be <p>Unfortunately there are no dietary miracles. What Vibe, produced by the Eniva Corporation, does have is a lot of hype. The scientific adviser to the company (which he actually founded) is Dr. Benjamin Baechler, who graduated with an MD from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2005. So he is pretty young and inexperienced, hardly someone who has the background to create nutritional marvels, such as those promoted and sold by Eniva. “Vibe” is nothing more than a vitamin-mineral supplement with a few extra seductive ingredients thrown in.</p> Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:34:55 +0000 OSS 1734 at /oss