/oss/taxonomy/term/4927/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history/sweet-and-sticky-science-sugar <p>Sugar is sweet and sticky.  That’s a fact.  In fact, during the reign of Edward the Confessor in the early eleventh century, "ale tasters" were employed to check on the work of brewers.  They would test the ale by spilling some on a wooden seat and sitting on the spill in their leather breeches.  If they had difficulty getting up after a short time because their breeches stuck to the seat, they knew that the ale had been sugared.  Today we don't have to worry about such adulteration of our ale, and I think in any case we would have a hard time finding leather breeches.  But the stickiness o</p> Fri, 03 Dec 2021 23:31:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8944 at /oss /oss/article/health/stressing-about-stress-relief <p>As far as COVID-19 goes, there may be different opinions about masks, gatherings, and modes of transmission, but there is universal agreement that it causes stress. Although we all recognize it when we encounter it, defining stress is difficult. Here is my definition. Stress is the mind’s reaction to a situation one does not want to be in and results in some form of altered biochemical activity. You go to the doctor, she suspects you have a problem and immediately sends you for a test. Your heart begins to beat faster, you feel jittery and you may even sweat a little. What has happened?</p> Fri, 06 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8475 at /oss