/oss/taxonomy/term/562/all en /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition/coffee-brain <p>Most nutritional studies are observational meaning that researchers observe what happens in a given population as a result of consuming a food or beverage without any sort of intervention on their part. Such studies usually depend on participants filling out questionnaires about the amounts of specific foods consumed as well as the frequency of consumption. This is problematic because of faulty recall, inability to estimate amounts, and a tendency to report what the subject thinks should have been eaten as opposed to what was actually consumed.</p> Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:25:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10019 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/coffee-doesnt-stunt-your-growth <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/facts-and-fiction-of-physiological-phenomena-food-for-thought/">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></em></p> Fri, 15 Mar 2024 10:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9858 at /oss /oss/article/technology-general-science/potential-caffeine-free-coffee-crisprcas9-or-crossbreeding <p>Our current methods for decaffeinating coffee are far from ideal. There are a few different methods, all with their own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toQOkKkxnTQ">nuanced details</a>, but they all shake out to using some kind of solvent to dissolve and remove caffeine from green coffee beans before roasting. This extra processing means costs to produce decaf are higher, profit margins lower, and production times longer.</p> Fri, 02 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9304 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-health-and-nutrition/caffeine-consumption-hidden-cause-impulsive-shopping <p>There may yet be a method to help you better manage your budget, and it has to do with the timing of your caffeine consumption.</p> <p>Caffeine is a mild stimulant that increases dopamine release in the brain and is widely consumed to boost alertness and energy levels. It is naturally present in tea, coffee, chocolate, kola, guarana, and yerba mate and can be added to beverages and supplements. The recommended maximum caffeine intake is 400 mg per day, which would be equivalent to three 8-oz cups (237 mL) of brewed coffee, according to Health Canada.</p> Fri, 09 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000 K. Coco Zhang, Student Contributor 9214 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history/coffee-drink-or-not-drink-question <p>Coffee first appeared in Canadian cups about two hundred years ago, some three hundred years after people in Africa and the Middle East were regularly consuming the beverage. The most popular legend about the origin of coffee consumption takes us back to Ethiopia in the ninth century. Kaldi, a young shepherd noted that his goats became particularly frisky after nibbling on the red berries of a certain bush. Intrigued, he tried the berries himself but found the taste very bitter. But there was something else. He felt full of energy and had trouble sleeping!</p> Wed, 07 Sep 2022 18:05:06 +0000 Joe Schwarcz Phd 9226 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-you-asked/how-many-yerbas-does-it-take-overdose-caffeine <p>For many students, picking up a coffee from the dining hall before pulling a late nighter at the library is all too familiar. I will admit, I’m an energy drink fiend. My friends have commented on the frequency and quantity of caffeine that I consume during the academic year. “How are you still alive?” is a question I have been asked many times, so I decided to take a look at the science. Which being still alive, I am able to do.</p> Fri, 26 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000 Cat Wang 9205 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/benzene-jitters <p>At one time it was used as an aftershave because of its sweet smell.  It was even used to decaffeinate coffee.  Oh my, how times change!  Today we worry about a few parts per billion of benzene in our drinking water, in our soft drinks, in our antiperspirants or sun protection products.  Why?  Because benzene is an established carcinogen and should be avoided.  But benzene also happens to be one of the building blocks of our society.  Traces of it are everywhere.  Given that eliminating benzene from the environment is impossible, what we need is a reasonable risk analysis.  That’s quite a c</p> Thu, 20 Jan 2022 01:26:48 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8995 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition-you-asked/what-guarana <p>The Amazon is a dangerous place, with jaguars, anacondas and piranhas in constant search for their next meal, but you would not have anything to fear from guarana. It isn’t a predator, it’s a woody vine that climbs through the trees, growing up to 30 feet long. It produces bright red berries that split open when ripe, revealing a shiny black seed partially embedded in a thin white pulp. From a distance, the split berries look disturbingly like eyes staring down from the leafy canopy. The name “guarana” reflects this connection, deriving from the native words “guara” for “human,” and “na” fo</p> Thu, 30 Sep 2021 18:00:48 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8883 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/why-does-coffee-make-you-poop <p>If you're anything like me, you can't start your day without a cup of coffee. However, if you're anything like me, about 20 minutes after that first cup has been drained, you can be found sitting on a porcelain throne, taking your first poop of the day.</p> Fri, 26 Jun 2020 18:00:07 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8314 at /oss /oss/article/infographics/2019-year-review <p>Scroll to the bottom for links to the articles.</p> <p><img height="4448" width="1200" style="width: 600px; height: 2224px;" class="file-original " src="/oss/files/oss/2019_year_in_review-recovered_0.jpg" alt="" /></p> Tue, 31 Dec 2019 16:29:54 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8059 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health/filtered-coffee-healthier-french-press-or-espresso-0 <p>Filtered coffee may be better for you than French press coffee or the espresso version. This is due to cafestol, one of the chemicals present in coffee which is known to raise levels of LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol. Cafestol is found in oily part of coffee, which gets soaked up in a filter and doesn’t end up in your drink. Compare this to espresso machines and French press coffee that don’t have any filter, allowing the oily part of the coffee to make its way into your mug. Moral of the story: if you are monitoring your cholesterol, stick to filter or instant coffee.</p> Thu, 05 Dec 2019 18:24:45 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8040 at /oss /oss/article/can-coffee-inhibit-absorption-iron <p>Iron is an essential dietary nutrient needed for the formation of hemoglobin, the complex protein that transports oxygen through the bloodstream and delivers it to cells where the oxygen is needed for the production of energy. It is a positively charged ion of iron (ferrous iron) embedded in hemoglobin ("heme iron") that actually binds oxygen. Iron is found in a variety of foods, especially meat since animals also rely on hemoglobin for oxygen transport.</p> Fri, 10 May 2019 19:29:28 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7753 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/should-i-be-adding-collagen-my-diet <p>I was slightly taken aback the other day when a friend looked over and casually remarked that perhaps I should start adding collagen to my morning smoothie. Immediately my antennae went up. I work for Joe Schwarcz and this sounded hoaxy. So I decided to do some research and found out why people may think there is some benefit in adding collagen to beverages and foods. Also found out that my “friend” may have been trying to tell me something. #subtlenotsosubtle</p> Tue, 12 Mar 2019 21:02:46 +0000 Emily Shore, B.A, Dipl. PR Management 7646 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/key-cleaning-your-teapot-chemistry <p>Do you ever try to wash a mug only to be confronted by tea stains that just won’t budge? A little bit of chemistry may be just what you need to get your mugs back to white.</p> <p>Brewed tea, green or black, contains many compounds, including many polyphenols. These are compounds found naturally in tea leaves that have antioxidant properties and contribute to the taste of tea. However, they are also responsible for the stains left in your mugs and teapots.</p> Mon, 18 Feb 2019 19:51:50 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7597 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/can-coffee-really-explode-microwave <p>This is due to a phenomenon known as superheating. First, we have to understand what boiling is all about. At the surface of a liquid molecules are always evaporating. If we leave a glass of water out, it will eventually disappear. If we heat the liquid, its molecules move faster, become more energetic and more molecules go into the vapour phase. As a consequence, the liquid disappears more quickly. At the boiling point, molecules all over the liquid, not only at the surface are energetic enough to go into the vapour phase.</p> Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:00:50 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7478 at /oss