/oss/taxonomy/term/359/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking/goat-milk-my-soap-yes-thats-soap-not-soup <p>I have never spent twenty bucks on a bar of soap before. But I just purchased “Dr. Squatch Deep Sea Goat’s Milk” soap. Not because I think there is anything special about it, but because I enjoy cleverness, and the Dr. Squatch promotional videos are indeed clever and funny. I was immediately snared when the video opened with a guy in front of shower curtain decorated with ducks and another one wearing a ducky showercap. </p><p></p> Wed, 30 Nov 2022 20:33:24 +0000 Joe Schwarcz Phd 9309 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/oh-my-there-cyanide-b12-supplements-really <p>There are many things in life to worry about but cyanide in vitamin B12 supplements is not one of them. Why do I bring this up? Because of a video that has been circulating about “the toxic ingredient in your child’s vitamins.” In the video, a man drones on about how he finds it “hard to believe that we are allowed to make vitamins out of hydrogen cyanide in this country, but we are.” That man turns out to be Gary Brecka, who labels himself a “human biologist,”  whatever that may mean, on the basis of having a BS in Human Biology from National College of Chiropractic. Not exactly Harvard.</p> Fri, 19 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9203 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health/beware-trojan-horse-integrative-medicine <p>The story of the Trojan horse is well known: the Greeks allegedly delivered to the city of Troy a massive wooden horse, which the Trojans mistook for a gift and pulled inside their city. At night, this hollow horse released a band of Greek men who had been hiding inside of it, and they opened the city gates so that their army could strike the final blow in the Trojan War.</p> Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:47:15 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8464 at /oss /oss/article/health-pseudoscience/do-you-know-whats-inside-your-herbal-medicine <p>Can we find 15,000 taxonomists willing to work around the clock? I write this because there are a lot of species out there that need to be properly identified, but apparently a taxonomist (a person who names and identifies living things)<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691236/"> can only critically identify about 0.01% of all species on this planet</a>. So we would need tens of thousands of them to know exactly what’s what when it comes to living things.</p> Thu, 05 Dec 2019 17:55:52 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8039 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/whats-deal-apple-cider-vinegar <p>There are plenty of books, pamphlets and ads promoting apple cider vinegar as a “nutritional power house” that fights cancer, curbs arthritis, reduces blood pressure, dissolves fat, cleans out “bad” cholesterol, reduces fatigue, treats ulcers and even improves memory. Sometimes, though, regulatory authorities get fed up with the unsubstantiated blather.</p> Fri, 29 Nov 2019 16:40:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8011 at /oss /oss/article/videos/natural-trick-can-cure-your-cancer <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-3-a181xkla4" width="640" height="390" title="This NATURAL TRICK can CURE YOUR CANCER" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3_a181Xkla4?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-3-a181xkla4&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="This NATURAL TRICK can CURE YOUR CANCER" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="">Video of This NATURAL TRICK can CURE YOUR CANCER</iframe> </div> Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:29:32 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 7160 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/can-bitter-melon-treat-type-2-diabetes <p><span><span>What on Earth is bitter melon?</span></span></p> <p><span>Good question. I certainly didn’t know before researching this article. Let’s start with some basics.</span></p> Thu, 21 Jun 2018 17:00:30 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7147 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/profiting-nature <p>When you walk through the gates of the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, you enter a living pharmacy.  But instead of finding shelves with bottles, you’ll find beds of plants with intriguing signs like “Cardiology,” “Parasitology” or “Anesthesiology.”  Inscriptions identify the species from which medications such as digitalis (heart disease), quinine (malaria) or colchicine (gout) are derived.  This amazing garden was founded in 1673 with the purpose of training apothecary apprentices in identifying plants.  Indeed, back then, botanicals were the main source of drugs, and an apothecary had t</p> Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:52:11 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7126 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/pharmacies-blur-line-between-sense-and-nonsense-0 <p>I was technically on vacation but when I saw the words “integrative pharmacy”, I knew I had to take a look.</p> <p><span>I was in Vancouver for a science communication conference and decided to spend two extra days exploring the city. What this means for a skeptical science communicator like me is to stay away from anything that might trigger an idea, any bit of pseudoscience that would turn my vacation into a work day. No dice. I was eating lunch, turned my head and, outside the window, I could see the sign.</span></p> <p><span>“Pure Integrative Pharmacy.”</span></p> Thu, 26 Apr 2018 19:00:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 7043 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/food-babe-has-no-idea-how-physiology-works <p><span>Our good friend the Food Babe has published an interesting piece of pseudoscience writing entitled ‘</span><a href="https://foodbabe.com/natural-flavors-really-bad-must-watch/">Are Natural Flavors Really That Bad? (MUST WATCH)</a><span>’. If you’re looking for the quick answer to this superfluous, click-bait title, let me tell you that it’s no: natural flavours are perfectly safe and healthy. But if you’re looking for an explanation of how taste actually works (and why her claims about natural flavours are utter nonsense), then please read on!</span></p> Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:42:03 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 6927 at /oss /oss/article/general-science-you-asked/can-baking-soda-really-absorb-odors-fridge <p><span>Smells of course are caused by volatile compounds which stimulate receptors in our nose. There is a large variety of such compounds with a great diversity of molecular structures. But many of the smells encountered in the fridge are due to volatile fatty acids. For example, when butter goes rancid, it releases butyric acid, a particularly foul smell. As everyone knows, acids can be neutralized by bases. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a base. It reacts with butyric acid to form sodium butyrate which has no smell because it is not volatile.</span></p> Mon, 30 Oct 2017 16:55:40 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 6802 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/100-success-rate-cure-asthma-sounds-bit-fishy <p>Asthma is a terrible affliction, often triggered by allergies. Sufferers will do almost anything to avoid the suffocating feeling it causes. Even swallowing fish! Yet, that is exactly what almost fifty thousand people did earlier this month, and have done for the last 100 years, during “Mrigasira Karthi”, an annual event that takes place in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad put on by the Bathini Goud family in preparation for allergy season.</p> Thu, 22 Jun 2017 01:10:59 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 2555 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/liquorice-natural-not-always-harmless <p>The 51-year-old man presented in hospital complaining of abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. On initial investigation he was found to have very high blood pressure and low blood levels of potassium. At first the doctors could not figure out what was happening but on questioning the patient revealed that he had recently started eating about fifty licorice flavoured jelly beans a day, a practice he continued even in the hospital. Suddenly the mystery was solved! Licorice is well known to raise blood pressure and to lower potassium.</p> Wed, 05 Apr 2017 14:50:10 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2389 at /oss /oss/article/food-health-news-toxicity/crafty-kraft <p>Kraft processed cheese singles, at least the full fat version, is not the same anymore. You won’t notice any change in taste though because the only difference will be a substitution of one preservative for another. Sorbic acid is out, natamycin is in. Why? Not because it is a more effective preservative. Both inhibit the growth of moulds, yeast and fungi. But since it is isolated from a soil bacterium, natamycin can be promoted as a “natural” preservative. And that sells!</p> Wed, 12 Feb 2014 05:47:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2096 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health/dr-sens-perfect-vision-system <p>I’m accustomed to being forwarded all sorts of videos about miraculous cures that are being suppressed by the establishment. There’s usually some “maverick doctor” who has made an astounding, shocking discovery about curing every disease known to mankind with some revolutionary herbal treatment, exotic juice or dietary supplement. There are testimonials, “rock solid” money back guarantees, and warnings about the need to click on the “buy now” button right away because of the uncertainty of keeping the video on the web. Why?</p> Wed, 23 Jul 2014 22:05:01 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2171 at /oss