/oss/taxonomy/term/276/all en /oss/article/nutrition-did-you-know/cashews-and-almonds-arent-technically-nuts-so-what-are-they <p>You may have already heard that peanuts are not nuts. They are actually legumes and are members of the pea family. But did you know that cashews, almonds, and several other common “culinary nuts” are not true nuts either? To help us understand why this is, it is important to know what the definition of a true "nut" is. Botanically, a nut is a dry fruit that consists of a hard shell covering a single seed.  Some examples of true nuts include acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts. </p> Wed, 08 Jul 2020 12:37:29 +0000 Caitlin Bard, OSS Intern 8330 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/nut-allergies-and-shampoo <p><span>Nut allergies affect about</span><a href="http://allergen-nce.ca/wp-content/uploads/Canadian-food-allergy-prevalence-Jul-2017.pdf"> 2% of the Canadian population</a> and can be broken down into tree nut allergies (like almonds or cashews) and<a href="/oss/article/health-and-nutrition/peanut-allergies"> peanut allergies</a> (peanuts aren’t actually nuts but legumes). These allergies are caused by ingesting or inhaling certain<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5548240/"> allergenic nut proteins</a>, not all of which have been identified yet.</p> Thu, 05 Apr 2018 19:30:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 6988 at /oss /oss/article/news-science-science-everywhere-you-asked/many-substinence-farmers-africa-grow-peanuts-why-are-they-being-encouraged-store-these-sacks-made <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=4304"><img alt="" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/03/peanuts-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>In North America we hear a great deal about chemicals such as plasticizers leaching out of plastic. In this case, though, the problem is not what the plastic releases but what it retains, namely, moisture. One of the main concerns about storing peanuts is contamination by the Aspergillus fungus which produces aflatoxins, a class of very nasty compounds. They are not destroyed by cooking and impair growth and immune function in children. But of even greater concern is their carcinogenicity. Aflatoxins cause liver cancer, a cancer which accounts for one fifth of all cancers in West African men. Most disturbing is that nearly all West Africans show evidence of aflatoxin exposure in their blood. The Aspergillus fungus occurs commonly in soil and can contaminate peanuts when they are spread out in the sun to dry. <a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/03/05/many-substinence-farmers-in-africa-grow-peanuts-why-are-they-being-encouraged-to-store-these-in-sacks-made-of-natural-fibers-instead-of-plastic/">Read more</a></p> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:30:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1882 at /oss /oss/article/uncategorized/pycnogenol <p>When you eat fresh peanuts, you crack the shell and strip the nuts of the thin reddish inner skin that surrounds them. Who would have ever thought that examining the chemistry of this skin would lead to a popular dietary supplement? In 1947 Jacques Masquelier in France, as part of a PhD thesis, investigated the possible toxicity of the peanut membrane and found no chemicals of concern. He did, however find a mixture of compounds with the foreboding name of oligomeric proanthocyanidins which had an interesting biological effect. In the laboratory these compounds made blood vessels suppler.</p> Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:01:37 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1552 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/peanut-allergies <p style="text-align:justify">Peanut allergies in the western world are increasing. There is no doubt about that. But there is plenty of doubt about why this is happening. Is it because children are more likely to be exposed to peanuts early in life than they used to be? Many foods and cosmetic products are formulated with peanut protein or peanut oil. Or is the opposite the case? Are peanut allergies increasing because parents have been so careful to keep infants away from peanuts that their immune system doesn’t learn how to deal with this allergen at an early stage?</p> Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:11:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1573 at /oss