/oss/taxonomy/term/264/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/sea-moss-chili-peppers-and-broccoli-soup <p>Some of the nutritional advice that flashes across my computer screen every day is outright nonsense, much of it is speckled with smidgens of science that have no practical relevance, and in a few rare instances, there may be some points of interest that merit a further look. Let me illustrate with a few examples that cropped up on a single morning.</p> Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:19:35 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10007 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/how-do-scientists-study-effects-diets <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/the-right-chemistry-how-do-scientists-study-the-effects-of-diets">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 19 Jul 2024 17:13:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10006 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/diet-and-exercise-post-ozempic-world <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-role-of-diet-and-exercise-in-a-post-ozempic-world">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 24 May 2024 19:50:46 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9957 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/best-diet-you-here-it <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-the-best-diet-for-you-here-it-is">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9929 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/intermittent-fasting-and-perils-fast-facts <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-intermittent-fasting-and-the-perils-of-fast-facts">The Montreal Gazette</a>.</em></p> <hr /> <p>Recent headlines proclaimed that <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-intermittent-fasting-versus-other-calorie-counting-diets">intermittent fasting</a> can double your chances of dying from a heart attack. It’s not true though. Understanding why forces us to examine a fundamental feature of statistical randomness.</p> Fri, 29 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9883 at /oss /oss/article/medical-contributors/leptin-hormone-regulate-appetite <p>The implementation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based drugs for the treatment of obesity has been an incredible advance in the field, enabling up to 25% decreases in body weight in many patients. However, GLP-1 is only one of many factors in the body that regulate appetite. So why are some of these other hormones not also being used to treat overweight and obesity? The answers are sometimes surprising, as exemplified by the focus today on leptin.</p> Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:11:35 +0000 Patricia Brubaker, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. 9859 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/titanium-dioxide-food-europe-says-no-way-canada-disagrees <p>It is in paint, paper, sunscreen, cosmetics, toothpaste and food. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists it in its Group 2B, “possibly carcinogenic in humans.” In Europe it is not allowed as a food additive, but in Canada you’ll find it in candies, chewing gum, pastries, cake decorations and coffee creamers. Should you worry about consuming titanium dioxide, TiO<sub>2</sub>?</p> Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9839 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-you-asked/vitamin-d-puzzle <p>Walk into any pharmacy or health food store and you will see shelves filled with vitamin D supplements. Then stroll over to a bookstore and you will find all sort of books touting the wonders of the vitamin. Next, search PubMed for articles about vitamin D. There will be thousands, with different conclusions about what constitutes adequate blood levels and how these are to be achieved. Where will that leave you? Confused, I suspect. </p> Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:27:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9815 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors/you-are-when-you-eat <p>Our bodies have a built-in clock known as the “suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).” The SCN is a structure within the hypothalamus that contains a collection of neurons that synchronize our internal biological processes with external light cues. This results in biological changes that run on 24-hour cycles known as circadian rhythms. Examples of circadian rhythms include body temperature regulation, sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, alertness, and metabolism.</p> Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:03:14 +0000 Daniela Padres 9729 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/false-reassurance-dietary-supplement-regulation <p>If you are Canadian, you may have seen the letters “NPN” followed by a series of numbers on the packaging of a health product you picked up at the pharmacy, things like vitamin supplements, echinacea, and probiotics. You may even know that this number is given by our regulatory agency, Health Canada, and you may feel relief that these products are being licensed only after their safety and effectiveness have been evaluated.</p> <p>If you are American, you may prefer the borderline unrestricted market you have, where dietary supplements are barely regulated at all.</p> Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:37:06 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9681 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/scam-or-not <p>Is this product a scam? I often get emails that start off with that query. The reference is usually to some dietary supplement the questioner encountered on the Internet that promises to miraculously solve some health problem. This week the question was about EMMA, “the first and only Doctor Endorsed Formula that targets bacterial overgrowth, parasites and pathogens while strengthening the microbiome.”</p> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:09:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9633 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/sour-grapes <p>Fruits and vegetables are deemed to be “healthy". A vast number of studies have indeed demonstrated lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer in populations consuming more fruits and vegetables. Is this because these plant products contain chemicals that inhibit body processes that cause disease, or is it because people who eat more fruits and vegetables eat less meat which causes disease? Most likely both factors are at play. Meat is high in saturated fats that are implicated in heart disease and when cooked at high temperatures, meat forms a number of carcinogens.</p> Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:46:09 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9596 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/want-live-longer-and-healthier-and-no-not-clickbait <hr /> <p><a href="/oss/my-total-score-mepa-questionnaire">Submit your Score for the MEPA Questionnaire here.</a></p> Thu, 03 Aug 2023 22:04:13 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9592 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/tale-two-twins-meets-tale-two-cities <p>Let’s start with the twins. Aimee and Nancy are identical twins who agreed to take part in an experiment organized by Panorama, an excellent British television documentary that often deals with scientific issues. In this case, the focus was on the impact of ultra-processed foods on health. For two weeks, Aimee consumed only ultra-processed food, while Nancy followed a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables and home-cooked meals. The meals were matched for calories, fat, sugar and fiber so that the only difference was processing.   </p> Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:34:08 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9570 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/tightening-belt-around-corner-people-struggling-weight-here-come-orfoglipron-and-retatrutide <p>They sound like names of creatures that Harry Potter could have encountered in the Forbidden Forest. But no, these are the names of two new drugs that may force the current golden boy of the weight control world, Ozempic, onto the back burner. Given the widespread incidence of obesity and its serious health consequences, it is easy to understand why scientists have a large appetite for drugs that control appetite and why they get excited when studies emerge with impressive results. And that is exactly the case for orforglipron and retatrutide. </p> Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:00:19 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9558 at /oss