/oss/taxonomy/term/337/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history-did-you-know/peanut-butters-history-goes-back-incas <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article561786.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Slap a tariff on peanuts!</p> <p>That was the decision arrived at by the U.S. Congress in 1921 after hearing testimony about how American peanut farmers were being undercut by imported peanuts from China. The witness was George Washington Carver, who also expounded on all the uses to which peanuts could be put.</p> Fri, 20 Dec 2024 21:04:02 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10209 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/why-its-been-so-difficult-address-inflammations-role-heart-disease <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article618459.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 20 Dec 2024 18:45:57 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 10208 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-reviews/christmas-desserts-will-make-you-live-longer-says-satirical-study <p>Here is your permission to indulge in delicious Christmas treats this holiday season: a study shows—nay, <i>proves!</i>—that yuletide desserts often use ingredients that have been scientifically demonstrated to lower your risk of disease and death. You will still die, as we all do eventually, but not quite as early if you devour a Christmas log.</p> <p>Before you start baking, though, I need to point out that this study should be taken with a grain of salt, as it was written with tongue firmly planted in cheek.</p> Fri, 20 Dec 2024 18:21:18 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10207 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-health-and-nutrition-environment/date-food-label-dates <p>I do my best to engage in conscious shopping practices. By shopping for fewer items and going for second-hand, I reduce waste, save money, and engage more with local businesses. A motivation for these shopping habits is reducing food waste, especially considering that according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations the food that wasted globally could feed 1.26 billion people each year.</p> Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:46:44 +0000 Paige Boklaschuk BSc 10196 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/are-black-plastic-spatulas-and-serving-spoons-safe-use <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-are-black-plastic-spatulas-and-serving-spoons-safe-to-use">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>There is probably no quote more often cited in discussions of toxicity than that of 16th-century Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus, namely that “only the dose makes the poison.”</p> Fri, 06 Dec 2024 18:28:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10192 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-contributors-did-you-know/story-sushi <p>What is more romantic than an evening of sushi for two? Although this traditional Japanese dish has only become popular in the West relatively recently, the history of this culinary art with its unique zests and colourful presentation dates back to around 700 AD. It all started with a way to preserve fish! Raw, cleaned and salted fish was placed on a layer of hand-pressed rice that was allowed to ferment, meaning that naturally occurring microbes in the rice proceeded to convert some of the carbohydrates in the rice into lactic acid, an effective preservative.</p> Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:51:01 +0000 Melody Ko MD 10190 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/reincarnation-dr-oz-show-and-other-miracles <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-the-reincarnation-of-the-dr-oz-show-and-other-miracles">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>“Eat broccoli and exercise.”</p> <p>Those were the words that first acquainted me with Dr. Mehmet Oz sometime in 2004 when I caught a segment of the Oprah Winfrey Show.</p> Fri, 29 Nov 2024 22:27:28 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10184 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/acne-and-diet-ambiguous-association <p>You have probably heard that drinking milk and eating chocolate causes acne or, at the very least, that they make it worse. Diet is often blamed for a teenager’s pimply skin, but is there good evidence behind this accusation?</p> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:14:36 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10174 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/kennedys-coalition-quacks-wants-feed-america-diet-lies <p>When America sneezes, the world catches a cold. Donald Trump’s renewed tenancy in the White House, with anti-vaxxer-in-chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr whispering in his ear, promises more than just sneezes. It heralds the return of vaccine-preventable illnesses, which do not stop at the border.</p> Fri, 15 Nov 2024 06:40:39 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10162 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-contributors/fecal-matter-deserves-better <p>It may be an indelicate subject to bring up at the dinner table, but colon cancer screening based on fecal matter merits discussion. The first-generation kit ColoGuard rolled out in August 2014, and now an advanced version, ColoGuard Plus, received FDA approval in October 2024. What’s new? </p> Mon, 18 Nov 2024 21:13:11 +0000 Nancy Liu-Sullivan, PhD 10167 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/linoleic-acid-neither-villain-nor-superhero <p>Are you familiar with linoleic acid? If you’ve heard about it from Dr.</p> Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:23:16 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10153 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors-health-and-nutrition/nutrafol-holy-grail-hair-loss-or-overpriced-supplement <p>Hair loss is a normal component of the natural hair growth cycle. Hair growth occurs in three stages: the growth phase where the hair grows for around 2-7 years, the transition phase where the follicle starts to shrink and hair growth slows for around 2-3 weeks, and the resting phase where the hair falls out at the end of this phase at around 3- 4 months. The falling out of the hair strand is necessary so that a new strand can take its place, and the cycle can begin again.</p> Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:56:16 +0000 Daniela Padres 10152 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/are-fums-essential-oils-safe-inhale <p>“It’s like some… like a wooden cigarette that gives you flavours, but it’s not even a cigarette, you don’t even light it.”</p> Fri, 01 Nov 2024 06:09:08 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10138 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-student-contributors-health-and-nutrition/instant-coffee-and-acrylamide-should-you-be-worried <p>Coffee is a staple beverage for millions of people worldwide, consumed in endless scenarios: catching up with a friend, powering through an intense study session, or simply kickstarting the day.</p> <p>From the classic drip coffee and trendy cold brew to the precision of the French press and the intensity of espresso, there are countless ways to make the perfect cup of joe. The key difference between each brewing method is how the water interacts with the coffee grounds and the time it takes to brew.</p> Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:24:27 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10126 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/processing-information-about-processed-meat <p>The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization lists processed meats in its “Category 1,” reserved for substances known to cause cancer in humans. There is really nothing all that noteworthy here except for the official classification. Unofficial advice about minimizing processed meat has been dispensed by nutritional scientists for a long time. And for good reason.</p> Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:06:53 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10104 at /oss