Health and Nutrition

Searching for the Elusive Fountain of Youth

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:46:23 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Best Before but Not Bad After

Cat Wang MScPH — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:13:00 +0000

From grocery stores to our medicine cabinets, dates stamped on products carry a subtle authority. These "best before" or "expiration" dates guide our consumption, influence our purchasing decisions, and, in some cases, shape the ingredients list on our favourite food products. But what do these dates really mean? Who decides them, and how are they determined?

Are Levitating Trains a Health Hazard?

Haleh Cohn BSc — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

For anyone who flies into Shanghai Pudong International Airport, it’s a rite-of-passage to take the Maglev -- short for magnetic levitation -- train into the city. The railway is as much a tourist attraction as it is a transportation system.

I was on board the train this summer, gleefully watching the speed climb to over 300 km/hour, when I overheard the woman beside me ask if the magnetic field emissions posed a health risk.

Deceitful AI Videos Mislead Seniors on Important Health Issues

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

I had never received an email in Vietnamese before. My request for an interview had been written in English, and the channel I had reached out to made English-language videos, but the reply I received was a simple question written in Vietnamese: “What can we help each other develop?”

The man in the videos was white, but of course, he was never real in the first place.

Antsy About Getting Old? How about Some Ant-Yogurt?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:58:26 +0000

I do get some interesting questions. How about this one? “Why in Central Europe did we as kids put a straw on an anthill, wait for the ants to crawl over it and then suck it for its sour taste? My mother did it and lived to 93!”

The Bonk Stops Here

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Walk any marathon finish line and you’ll see them: hundreds of sad, sticky rectangles decorating the asphalt like fallen soldiers of fructose. Energy gels, those gooey, neon-packet shots of “rocket fuel”, are both the saviour and the punchline of endurance sport. They’re a large part of the reason half the field finishes upright, while the other half spends mile 22 negotiating with their intestines.

Salmon Sperm and Penis Facials

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 04:35:16 +0000

Influencers really do influence. When Kim Kardashian, who is famous for being famous, revealed that she had tried a “salmon sperm facial,” dermatologists and wellness clinics offering the procedure saw an increase in business. The same thing happened when actresses Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchet sang the praises of the “penis facial” they received at a high-end skincare clinic in New York City run by celebrity facialist Georgia Louise.

Milk History Does a Body Good

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 21:15:23 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The history of humans drinking cow’s milk is fascinating and not devoid of controversy.

The 'Nappuccino': Myth or Midday Miracle?

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I never quite outgrew the afternoon nap phase we all went through as kids. Among my friends, napping was (and still is) considered to be my “thing." From my friends creating a photo album of me dozing in the library to getting me a pajama set for my birthday, it’s been a hard reputation to shake. As someone who consistently gets slammed with the strong yearn to catch some post-lunch Zzz’s, the caffeine nap strategy is one I find fascinating.

Hydrogen-Rich Gary Brecka Is Floating on Air

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:22:16 +0000

The penthouse at the top of the glass tower is vast, airy, and very angular.

The Strange Story of Nicotine Patches to Treat Long COVID

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Long COVID can feel like being adrift at sea, tiringly kicking those legs to stay above water. Social media provides lifebuoys but many turn out to be tricks of the light.

Shedding Light on Light Therapies

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:35:34 +0000

Without light there is no life. Literally. It was Dutch scientist Jan Ingenhousz who through a series of experiments in 1779 showed that light is required for photosynthesis, the process that makes life on earth possible by allowing plants to capture carbon dioxide from the air while simultaneously releasing the oxygen we need to breathe. Plants either directly or indirectly produce all the food we require to live.

No, Drinking Milk Will Not Increase Your Chances of Winning a Nobel Prize

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

“The countries that drink MILK WIN more NOBEL PRIZES.”

Imagine my surprise when I opened the fridge for some milk to add to my coffee and was greeted by this statement. Puzzled, I couldn’t help but scoff as I poured the milk into my cup. Before returning it to the fridge, I of course snapped a picture to send to my friends.

Ayurveda Can Harm Your Liver

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

“I know where you live. I know your address. I know who you are. Trust me, they won’t even find your dead body.”

The ancient Greek poet Homer characterized it as “liquid gold.” We are talking about olive oil.

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Homer was the supposed author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two classics of Greek literature. “Supposed” because there is no real historical record of when he lived, or indeed, if he ever did live. Some historians believe that the Iliad and Odyssey were really compilations of stories passed down by many people over the years. In any case, if Homer did live, he certainly could have referred to olive oil as “liquid gold,” since this was the oil used to flavor food in antiquity.