/oss/taxonomy/term/3912/all en /oss/article/history-general-science/brown-isnt-always-dull <p>When an apple is cut in half, the exposed surface quickly turns brown. Do the same thing to an orange, and nothing happens. The noted Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was intrigued by this observation because the brown colour seemed to him to be very similar to the skin pigmentation often noted in patients suffering from Addison's disease. He was studying the disease which had been described by Thomas Addison in 1855 and knew that it was characterized by an underactive adrenal gland.</p> Wed, 07 Jul 2021 18:50:43 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8779 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health/why-does-orange-taste-so-horrible-after-brushing-my-teeth <p>If you have ever taken a good look at the back of a tube of toothpaste during those long two minutes of recommended brushing time, you may have noticed sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) listed as ingredients. Both of these are usually listed as a duo and are responsible for that bitter yucky taste that comes about when biting an orange after tooth brushing. Oranges contain a fair bit of citric acid, which has both a bitter and sour taste. For some reason, these compounds enhance the bitter taste and leaves the sour taste unaffected.</p> Thu, 06 Jun 2019 16:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7788 at /oss