/oss/taxonomy/term/427/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/fake-drugs-real-problems <p>We are drowning in fraud. Simply defined, fraud is intentional deception, usually for monetary gain. We have become used to robo-calls telling us that we have been subjected to a tax audit and had better call the given number to clear things up. We have learned to dismiss messages from some unfortunate soul supposedly stuck in a foreign country who is in in need of funds to get home. Such scams are annoying, but at least not life threatening. The same cannot be said for counterfeit medications, an immense problem with an estimated global annual worth in excess of $100 billion!</p><p> </p> Wed, 31 May 2023 20:00:08 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9527 at /oss /oss/article/history/sweet-story-conversation-heart <p>Everybody celebrates Valentine’s Day differently. Whether you plan to pick up a bouquet of roses or wear purple in protest of the gushy holiday, there’s no wrong way to spend February 14<sup>th</sup>. Personally, I picked up some “conversation hearts” to share a sweet treat (and message) with my friends.</p> Fri, 03 Feb 2023 22:00:30 +0000 Cat Wang, B.Sc. 9378 at /oss /oss/article/health/searching-passion <p>Humans are absolutely passionate when it comes to searching for passion. The variety of substances that have been tried over the years to provoke sexual desire is truly astounding. Bird’s nest soup and ginseng were ancient Chinese favourites, while the Kama Sutra, compiled between 100 and 300 AD, recommended an elixir made of honey, milk, liquorice and fennel juice. Pliny, the Roman philosopher, believed that consuming a lizard drowned in urine had an aphrodisiac effect on the person who donated the fluid. People who were adverse to lizard consumption could resort to dining on the right lob</p> Wed, 06 Feb 2019 21:03:54 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7575 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/happy-birthday-viagra <p>Twenty years ago last month, a medication called sildenafil was approved by the FDA. It is perhaps better known by its brand name of Viagra. Very few medications have enjoyed such widespread pop-culture attention. Sildenafil was mentioned in numerous TV shows, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1998/dec/12/business/fi-53139">was endorsed by actors and politicians like Bob Dole</a>, and was the subject of a huge marketing campaign. In the early 2000’s it was almost impossible to watch TV without seeing a Viagra ad.</p> Thu, 05 Apr 2018 19:30:30 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 6990 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/viagra-condom <p>Condoms are not used often enough, leading to more cases of STIs and unplanned pregnancies. But now a revolutionary new design may be able to encourage safer sex. A British biotechnology firm has developed an innovative product popularly known as the “Viagra Condom,” named after the drug with which it has no association. Known clinically as CSD500, the condom is lined with a vasodilating gel to increase blood flow and help maintain erections. The Viagra Condom isn’t meant for people with erectile dysfunction; its real purpose is to encourage men to use condoms more often.</p> Wed, 31 May 2017 14:34:41 +0000 OSS 2511 at /oss /oss/article/food-health/acai-aye-aye-aye <p>The city of Belem in northern Brazil has a population of about 2,000,000.  It would be very interesting to find out if its inhabitants have an unusually low incidence of illnesses such as cancer, arteriosclerosis or Alzheimer’s disease.  Why?  Because the city is dotted with some 3000 “acai points” where people line up to purchase a slurry made from the pulp of the fruit of the acai (a-sigh-yee) palm tree.  Over 200,000 liters of the thick purple sludge are consumed every day, which is more than the amount of milk that is drunk in the city.  And, at least if you listen to some of the North </p> Wed, 17 Jul 2013 02:56:19 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1985 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-drugs-health-news/goldenseal <p>During the Civil War northern forces blocked a number of Confederate ports. One of the consequences of the blockade was a dire shortage of cinchona bark imported from South America. The bark was in great demand, being the first substance ever found to be an effective treatment for malaria. Quinine, first isolated in 1820 was the active ingredient. Because of a lack of quinine, word went out from the surgeon general of the Confederate army asking that a search be launched for any native plants that might have fever reducing properties similar to cinchona.</p> Mon, 23 Jun 2014 14:20:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2157 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-history-news/would-osler-stand-his-famous-quote-today <div> <p style="text-align:justify"> </p> </div> Sat, 28 Jun 2014 14:04:02 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2162 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-food-health-news/apples-and-sex <p>Did Eve eat an apple to have a better sex life with Adam? One might come to that conclusion after reading a paper published in the Archives of Gynaecology and Obstetrics with the alluring title “Apple consumption is related to better sexual quality of life in young women.” Indeed one might come to that conclusion if one ignores the poor quality of the paper as well as the fact that the Bible never mentions an apple as being the fruit of the tree of knowledge.</p> Tue, 29 Jul 2014 12:38:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2174 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health/catching-some-rays-could-help-your-heart <p>Life comes down to a struggle between risk and benefit. Although not always consciously, we evaluate our diet, our cosmetics, our medications, household chemicals and activity levels on the basis of whether they are good or bad for us. Mention sun exposure, and the conflict comes down to the “bad,” namely skin cancer, and the “good,” usually ascribed to the enhanced production of vitamin D. Skin cancer is bad, but why is vitamin D good? For one, it is required for the proper absorption of calcium and a lack can lead to soft bones, in extreme cases to the characteristic bow legs of rickets.</p> Sat, 26 Sep 2015 10:23:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2287 at /oss /oss/article/food-health-news/watermelon-and-sex <p>“Watermelon has ingredients that deliver Viagra-like effects to the body’s blood vessels and may even increase libido.” When a major university, such as Texas A&M, puts out a press release with such a claim, it is guaranteed to get a great deal of media response.</p> Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:56:27 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1656 at /oss