/oss/taxonomy/term/417/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/scam-or-not <p>Is this product a scam? I often get emails that start off with that query. The reference is usually to some dietary supplement the questioner encountered on the Internet that promises to miraculously solve some health problem. This week the question was about EMMA, “the first and only Doctor Endorsed Formula that targets bacterial overgrowth, parasites and pathogens while strengthening the microbiome.”</p> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:09:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9633 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/take-biotin-most-better-save-your-money <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-take-biotin-for-most-better-to-save-your-money">Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 24 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9415 at /oss /oss/article/medical/myths-about-vitamins-are-hard-dislodge <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-myths-about-vitamins-are-hard-to-dislodge">Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Many people see vitamins as an inexpensive and risk-free way to prevent disease. But just as the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire, vitamins are neither inexpensive nor risk free, and they do not actually prevent disease. In fact, they may make things worse.</p> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 18:57:36 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9152 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-videos/right-chemistry-science-selenium <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-hf1z436aapg" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the science of selenium" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Hf1z436AApg?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-hf1z436aapg&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the science of selenium" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the science of selenium</iframe> </div> </p> Mon, 22 Jul 2019 18:26:06 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7837 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/you-asked-hard-water-dangerous-drink <p><b>What is Hard Water? </b></p> Fri, 11 Jan 2019 17:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7530 at /oss /oss/article/environment/can-science-explain-new-star-wars-planet <p>Science fiction movies are usually a little more fiction than science, but you never know where you might catch a glimmer of the real world. For instance, take the bona fide space classic: <em>Star Wars</em>. Of course, “using the force” to make things happen is just about as scientifically credible as using <a href="/oss/article/controversial-science-health-news/healing-code">“energy medicine”</a> to cure diseases. However, while watching the final scene of the film’s most recent instalment, <em>The Last Jedi, </em>I noticed something very interesting.</p> Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:18:29 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 6913 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/there-lead-my-lipstick <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=4872"><img alt="Red lipstick" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/04/Lipstick-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>Had a question about lead in lipstick. You won't see lead listed on the label but doesn’t mean that there is no lead in the product. Certainly there is no lead added on purpose, but the presence of trace amounts is very difficult to avoid. That’s because lead compounds are widely present in minerals and ores from which a number of chemicals used as ingredients in cosmetics are produced. Certain colorants used in lipstick do contain tiny amounts of lead because it is virtually impossible to eliminate all contaminants. Amounts, however, are carefully regulated. In the U.S., all colorants used in cosmetics, unlike other ingredients, require FDA approval and cannot contain lead over a certain amount. For example, in the case of FD&C Red #6, commonly used in cosmetics, lead content cannot exceed 20 parts per million. The final cosmetic product of course will have a much lower level. In Canada, we follow the FDA’s lead.</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/04/15/is-there-lead-in-my-lipstick/">Read more</a></p> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:59:54 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1911 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/supplement-purity <p>When it comes to taking multivitamin supplements several questions arise. First, are they necessary for everyone? And if so, what are the appropriate amounts? And finally, are there significant differences in terms of purity and active ingredient delivery among products? Unfortunately the first two questions cannot be answered in a simple fashion. There is no compelling evidence that a healthy person with a diverse diet benefits from a supplement, and in fact a few disturbing studies have suggested that supplements could actually increase the risk of illness.</p> Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:12:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1616 at /oss