/oss/taxonomy/term/631/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history/can-vitamin-c-cure-common-cold-hold <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-can-vitamin-c-cure-the-common-cold-hold-on">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>There is no question that Linus Pauling was an eminent chemist, given that “eminence” is defined as fame or recognized superiority within a particular sphere or profession. In this case, chemistry.</p> Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:35:10 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9879 at /oss /oss/article/history-general-science/brown-isnt-always-dull <p>When an apple is cut in half, the exposed surface quickly turns brown. Do the same thing to an orange, and nothing happens. The noted Hungarian biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was intrigued by this observation because the brown colour seemed to him to be very similar to the skin pigmentation often noted in patients suffering from Addison's disease. He was studying the disease which had been described by Thomas Addison in 1855 and knew that it was characterized by an underactive adrenal gland.</p> Wed, 07 Jul 2021 18:50:43 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8779 at /oss /oss/article/health/seeking-clarity-vision-loss-and-vitamins <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-some-clarity-about-vision-loss">The Montreal Gazette<span>.</span></a></p> Fri, 13 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8481 at /oss /oss/article/technology-history/man-who-photocopied-dna-and-also-saw-talking-fluorescent-raccoon <p>It may be surprising to learn that the credited inventor of the most important workhorse in molecular biology—the polymerase chain reaction or PCR—once claimed he had seen<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/11/03/nobel-chemist-kary-mullis-making-waves-as-a-mind-surfer/31e7e720-44e4-49ff-8458-a9822cdcb47e/"> a talking fluorescent raccoon</a> near his cabin, which may or may not have been an alien.</p> Thu, 15 Aug 2019 17:30:49 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 7873 at /oss /oss/article/nutrition/right-chemistry-lemon-lime-scurvy-and-vitamin-c <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-2"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-1xynvwh-o2e" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on lemon, lime, scurvy and vitamin C" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1XYNVWH_o2E?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-1xynvwh-o2e&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on lemon, lime, scurvy and vitamin C" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on lemon, lime, scurvy and vitamin C</iframe> </div> </p> Wed, 09 May 2018 22:13:34 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7062 at /oss /oss/article/drugs-health-history-you-asked/niacin-possible-successful-treatment-schizophrenia <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=5671"><img alt="niacin" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/08/niacin-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>Schizophrenia is a devastating disease. Characterized by hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thought, it destroys lives. While the condition can be controlled with appropriate medication, a cure remains elusive. But just what constitutes “appropriate medication” is controversial. “Antipsychotic drugs that block dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain have been the mainstay of therapy, but the involuntary muscle movements, restlessness and tremors they can cause are troublesome. An alternative school of thought maintains that mental illness can be addressed with nutritional therapies, particularly with the use of certain vitamins in the right dose. This idea was first formulated by Dr. Abram Hoffer, a Canadian psychiatrist whose pursuit of science began with a degree in agricultural chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan, followed by a PhD in biochemistry, and finally a medical degree from the University of Alberta. During his graduate studies young Hoffer worked at a wheat products laboratory in Winnipeg where he was charged with developing an assay for vitamin B-3, commonly known as niacin. This triggered a life-long interest in the vitamin and its biochemistry, with Hoffer eventually concluding that it had a significant role to play in the treatment of schizophrenia. As a practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Hoffer came up with the ‘adrenochrome hypothesis’ which he believed explained the symptoms of schizophrenia and offered a hope for treatment with vitamins.</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/08/06/is-niacin-a-possible-successful-treatment-for-schizophrenia">Read more</a></p> Tue, 06 Aug 2013 23:51:20 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 1995 at /oss /oss/article/environment-food-health-news-toxicity/listeria-outbreak-reinforces-need-care-food-production <div> <p style="text-align:justify"> </p> </div> Mon, 03 Feb 2014 03:30:51 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2087 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health-news-supplements/ebola-scams-are-sickening <p>We’ve seen it before. A medical crisis emerges and the scam artists crawl out of the woodwork. Fearful citizens pop open their wallets and fork out hard-earned money for nonsensical “cures.” When it comes to a disease for which science cannot offer an effective treatment, quacks quickly rush in to fill the vacuum. This is just what is happening with Ebola.</p> Fri, 24 Oct 2014 23:57:59 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2207 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/there-difference-between-synthetic-and-natural-vitamin-c <p>The properties of a substance are determined by the structure of its component molecules. Vitamin C that is synthesized in the laboratory has exactly the same atoms joined together in exactly the same fashion as vitamin C that is made in an orange or a rose hip bush. As far as biological activity goes, the source of vitamin C is irrelevant. The cheapest version is as effective as the most expensive. Perhaps a more appropriate question is whether we should be taking vitamin C supplements.</p> Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:38:24 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1732 at /oss