/oss/taxonomy/term/2233/all en /oss/article/did-you-know/aspirin-can-do-more-just-alleviate-pain <p>It is a common misconception that aspirin is a naturally occurring substance that was discovered in the bark of the willow tree. A related compound called salicin does indeed occur in white willow bark (not the “weeping willow,” thereby explaining the use of the bark as a medication since the time of Hippocrates. But salicin is very irritating to the stomach, a problem that prompted the Bayer company to look for an alternative. One of its chemists, Felix Hoffmann, synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in 1898 and found it to be a great improvement over salicin.</p> Thu, 08 Nov 2018 19:31:12 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7440 at /oss /oss/article/nutrition-general-science/intravenous-turmeric <p>Turmeric is generally used as a spice but it has garnered a reputation as a virtually magical substance when used as a dietary supplement. It is said to treat arthritis, heartburn, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea, intestinal gas, irritable bowel syndrome, bronchitis, Alzheimer’s disease, gum disease, high cholesterol and of course cancer. In general, the more claims made on behalf of a substance, the less likely that any are reliable.</p> Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:37:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2370 at /oss