/oss/taxonomy/term/2295/all en /oss/article/nutrition-you-asked/why-cant-you-use-low-fat-margarine-frying <p>Margarine is fat. It’s just a different kind of fat from butter. Whereas butter contains mostly saturated fats, margarine’s fats are unsaturated. This just refers to a slight variation in the molecular structure which does have consequences in terms of blood cholesterol levels. Essentially saturated fats increase cholesterol, while unsaturated ones in moderation do not. So if margarine is just fat, how can there be a “low fat” version? Easy. Just mix the fat with water.</p> Fri, 06 Aug 2021 20:40:54 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8800 at /oss /oss/article/health-history/celebrating-hanukkah-candles-latkes-and-bit-history <p>Why are potato latkes a traditional food to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah? Frankly, it isn’t clear. But first, a quick recap of what Hanukkah is all about...</p> Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:21:42 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8529 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/mothballs-and-steaks <p>One wouldn’t expect that frying a steak exposes the cook to the same chemical that is used in mothballs, but it does. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology were interested in exploring the potential risk of exposure to cooking fumes because previous work had established that heating meat to high temperatures results in the formation of compounds capable of causing cancer in test animals, and possibly in humans. For example, Taiwanese women experience a high rate of lung cancer even though only ten percent of them smoke.</p> Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:42:28 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1622 at /oss