/oss/taxonomy/term/395/all en /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/osteopathy-needs-science-lend-hand <p>Every year, I’m an invited lecturer at the University of Ottawa to talk to future science communicators about pseudoscience. I use a number of increasingly muddied examples to show these students that there is no clear demarcation between science and pseudoscience; rather, it’s a spectrum, and figuring out where something lies can be tricky.</p> Fri, 14 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9262 at /oss /oss/article/technology-pseudoscience/moral-panic-over-smartphones-takes-satanic-overtones <p>It began life as “prominent exostosis” and, at the peak of media coverage, British tabloid <i>The Sun </i>was scaring us with <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9341200/millennials-horns-skulls-smartphones/">“HELL PHONES”</a> and many people got the impression that our children were growing actual devil horns because of their smartphone use. It turns out that researchers were initially referring to tiny bone protrusions at the base of our skull.</p> Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:16:45 +0000 Jonathan Jarry, MSc 7812 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/feeding-dogs-theyre-human-raw-grain-free-and-vegan-diets-dogs <p>Given the breadth of commercially available dog foods it can be tricky for dog owners to make informed decisions on how to feed their pets. Add into the mix the wealth of websites and books advocating for specialized dog diets and feeding your dog well can seem like a monumental task.</p> <p>In <a href="/oss/article/nutrition/what-should-i-be">a previous article</a> I addressed what owners are able to know about a type of food, and what they aren’t, based on the package.</p> Wed, 20 Mar 2019 18:19:25 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7657 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/diet-and-bone-health <p style="text-align:justify">As if we needed another reason to eat more fruits and vegetables. Well, here is one anyway. Fruits and vegetables can strengthen bones. Whoa...you say. Calcium and vitamin D are what we need to prevent osteoporosis. Yes, we certainly need those nutrients but bone health has more determinants than just calcium and vitamin D intake. It is the overall content of the diet that matters. Hip fractures, for example, are higher in milk consuming countries. That may come as a surprise given that dairy products are an excellent source of calcium.</p> Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:02:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1603 at /oss /oss/article/general/food-trumps-pills-when-it-comes-calcium-bones <p>One of the main things that postmenopausal women have to watch out for is osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones that can fracture easily. Contrary to common belief, bones are not static. They are constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Osteoblasts are cells that form new bone tissues and deposit calcium into bones; whereas osteoclasts break down old bone tissues and deport calcium away from bones, a process called bone resorption. These cells are controlled by several hormones, one of them being estrogen.</p> Sat, 09 Jun 2007 07:05:03 +0000 Melody Ko, MD 1559 at /oss