/oss/taxonomy/term/224/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/why-did-denmark-ban-ashwagandha <p>Over the past couple of years, there’s been a lot of buzz about ashwagandha. This herb, estimated to have an annual market value of $42 million USD is available in health food stores and on Amazon, can be added to your smoothie, and is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/03/10/what-to-know-about-ashwagandha-the-herbal-supplement-blows-up-on-tiktok-without-much-medical-research-support/?sh=71c71d4638ad">trending on TikTok</a>.</p> Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Maya McKeown, B.Sc. 9531 at /oss /oss/article/history/learning-movies <p>Both groups struggled with the same problem. How to extract and purify a chemical that is part of a complex mixture? For researchers led by Dr. Frederick Banting at the University of Toronto in 1921 that chemical was insulin, while in the late 1930s at Oxford University for Drs. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain the target was penicillin. Both teams eventually solved the problem, but the paths leading to success were anything but smooth, as can be seen by anyone willing to delve into the extensive popular and scientific literature describing the discoveries.</p> Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:14:03 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9053 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-you-asked/spanish-fly-really-aphrodisiac <p>The extract contains cantharidin,  a substance that supposedly increases sexual desire. Not only does it not do that, it may eliminate all desire permanently. When ingested, cantharidin can kill. But when used in small doses topically, it can be an effective treatment for warts. </p> Fri, 03 Dec 2021 23:24:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8943 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/rats-people-and-bisphenol <p>Bisphenol A (BPA) first hit the headlines in 2008 when Canada banned polycarbonate baby bottles because of possible leaching of the chemical from the plastic into the contents. Concern had been raised because BPA was known to have hormone-like activity, placing it in the category of “endocrine disruptors.” Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers and are active in very small doses. Our pituitary gland, for example, produces only about 1 microgram of hormones a day, a very, very, small amount, yet it is critical to life.</p> Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:48:59 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8914 at /oss /oss/article/health/i-am-woman-why-am-i-always-so-cold <p>I am always cold. I’ve had this problem ever since I was a child, when I’d sneak into the living room in the winter and turn up the thermostat while my parents weren’t looking. When I still worked in an office (pre-pandemic), I noticed that often my female colleagues and I would be wearing sweaters in the dead of summer to keep warm in our over-air conditioned building. Yet my male colleagues seem impervious to the cold - often wearing short-sleeves.</p> <p>Which led me to wonder: Do women feel cold more than men and if so, can science explain this difference?</p> Mon, 08 Mar 2021 16:31:18 +0000 Gaia Remerowski, MS, Science Journalism 8647 at /oss /oss/article/health/bulk-hulk <p>Since the days of the ancient Greeks, muscularity of the human body has been depicted as a masterpiece, the fascination for its beauty often depicted in numerous paintings and sculptures. In the myths of the ancient civilizations came the gods and humans that possessed incredible size and strengths. Popular Renaissance artists transformed this idealism into powerful artworks like Michelangelo’s David, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnese_Hercules">Farnese Hercules</a>. Strength and figure was also often related to power and leadership in the ancient society.</p> Wed, 24 Apr 2019 13:00:00 +0000 Mark Seo, OSS Contributor 7714 at /oss /oss/article/technology/right-chemistry-evolution-plant-hormones <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-zicpww4zeci" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the evolution of plant hormones" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ziCPWW4zecI?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-zicpww4zeci&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the evolution of plant hormones" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the evolution of plant hormones</iframe> </div> </p> Mon, 01 Apr 2019 18:06:38 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7681 at /oss /oss/article/health-general-science/many-men-prescribed-testosterone-dont-need-it <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/christopher-labos-many-men-prescribed-testosterone-dont-need-it">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Fri, 22 Feb 2019 19:16:09 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 7604 at /oss /oss/article/health/searching-passion <p>Humans are absolutely passionate when it comes to searching for passion. The variety of substances that have been tried over the years to provoke sexual desire is truly astounding. Bird’s nest soup and ginseng were ancient Chinese favourites, while the Kama Sutra, compiled between 100 and 300 AD, recommended an elixir made of honey, milk, liquorice and fennel juice. Pliny, the Roman philosopher, believed that consuming a lizard drowned in urine had an aphrodisiac effect on the person who donated the fluid. People who were adverse to lizard consumption could resort to dining on the right lob</p> Wed, 06 Feb 2019 21:03:54 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7575 at /oss /oss/article/history/right-chemistry-discovery-testosterone <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-2"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-1bghchugao4" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz: The discovery of testosterone" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1bGHcHugao4?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-1bghchugao4&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz: The discovery of testosterone" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz: The discovery of testosterone</iframe> </div> </p> Wed, 09 May 2018 22:16:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7063 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/why-do-we-poop-more-our-periods <p>The menstrual cycle of humans is complicated. It consists of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luteal_phase" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">luteal</a><span> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follicular_phase" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">follicular</a><span> phase, follows a roughly 21-day cycle, and has many effects beyond the shedding of the uterine lining.</span></p> Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:04:24 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 6834 at /oss /oss/article/environment-food-health-news/chicken-requires-careful-handling <p>Estimates are that some 55 million people in Canada and the U.S become ill every year from eating tainted food with more deaths attributed poultry than any other food. That of course is partly due to poultry being the most popular meat, with consumption being about 83 pounds per capita per year. Tests by Consumers Union show that virtually all chicken is contaminated by bacteria. That by itself is no great surprise. Chickens’ guts, like those of humans, are filled with all sorts of bacteria and cause no harm to the bird.</p> Mon, 13 Jan 2014 19:28:01 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2067 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-news-quirky-science/what-kind-exercise-best <p style="text-align:justify">Let’s face it, running on a treadmill isn’t one of life’s most exciting activities, but it does provide time to contemplate life and think about what is likely to extend it. There’s plenty of evidence that exercise will, which is why one plods away on the treadmill in the first place.</p> Sun, 13 Jul 2014 05:12:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2167 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-household-products-news-quirky-science/marketing-appears-trump-science-antibacterials <p>Store shelves these days sag under the weight of antibacterial soaps, cosmetics, socks, toys and even garbage bags. There’s no question that “antibacterial” on a label increases sales, but there are plenty of questions about the wisdom of impregnating everything in sight with compounds that kill bacteria indiscriminately.</p> <p>Triclosan has been the hot antibacterial ingredient in household products for about four decades. But it is now itself feeling the heat, due to concern about endocrine disruption, the promotion of antibiotic resistance and effects on aquatic ecosystems.</p> Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:24:08 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2172 at /oss /oss/article/cancer-controversial-science-food-health-news/hormones-cattle <p>Those ads from A&W claiming that their beef is raised without hormones or steroids are popping up on TV with annoying frequency. The intent obviously is to suggest that this meat is somehow safer than competitors' brands. There is absolutely no evidence for this. The growth promoters used in cattle, usually released from capsules implanted in the ear, are regulated just like drugs intended for human use and residues are carefully monitored. The use of growth promoters results in better conversion of feed to muscle, meaning that meat can be produced more economically.</p> Fri, 30 Jan 2015 14:32:22 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2232 at /oss