/oss/taxonomy/term/2770/all en /oss/article/health-nutrition-you-asked/what-guarana <p>The Amazon is a dangerous place, with jaguars, anacondas and piranhas in constant search for their next meal, but you would not have anything to fear from guarana. It isn’t a predator, it’s a woody vine that climbs through the trees, growing up to 30 feet long. It produces bright red berries that split open when ripe, revealing a shiny black seed partially embedded in a thin white pulp. From a distance, the split berries look disturbingly like eyes staring down from the leafy canopy. The name “guarana” reflects this connection, deriving from the native words “guara” for “human,” and “na” fo</p> Thu, 30 Sep 2021 18:00:48 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8883 at /oss /oss/article/health/combining-caffeine-alcohol-can-be-problem <p>On March 1, 2018 the body of teenager Athena Gervais was discovered face down in a creek in the Montreal suburb of Laval. The coroner’s report of the case was just made public and concludes that she had stumbled into the creek after becoming intoxicated. Athena had purchased three “energy drinks” that contained 11.9% alcohol and consumed most of these within about 23 minutes resulting in a blood alcohol level of 192 mg/100 mL, way above the 80 mg/100mL which is the legal limit for driving in Quebec.</p> Wed, 27 Mar 2019 18:35:10 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7671 at /oss