Health and Nutrition

Why Sunscreen Still Beats Steak

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:39:26 +0000

This story started like many modern tales of data distortion do, where the science isn’t denied outright, but bent just enough to fit a more convenient (and lucrative) narrative. Let me regretfully introduce you to Kashif Khan—a self-proclaimed “Truth Teller and Longevity Innovator”. It should be noted, however, that for a man who has built his career around dispensing health advice, his résumé appears to be entirely free of anything resembling a medical or scientific qualification. No degree, no training, not even a suspiciously vague wellness certification.

In my Inbox — Spinach, Blueberries, Hold the Baloney

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:25:28 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Let me tell you about my morning regimen.

Are Dolphins the Clue to Anti-Aging?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:11:23 +0000

No, we don’t have to eat dolphins, and neither are they eating yogurt. So, here we go. The latest product to enter the “anti-aging supplement sweepstakes” has the curious name “Fatty15.” That name certainly doesn’t conjure up an image of rejuvenation, but it is chemically descriptive. Fatty15 refers to a dietary supplement that contains “pentadecanoic acid,” a fatty acid with 15 carbon atoms linked in a chain without any double bonds, making it a saturated fat. That doesn’t sound particularly healthy since saturated fats are generally linked with increased blood cholesterol.

A Trip From Rocket Fuel to Amazon Hallucinogen

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:44:37 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

I intended to write about rocket fuel. So, how did I end up writing about “ayahuasca,” a hallucinogenic brew originating from Indigenous Amazon traditions? Well, here we go.

Just How Much Should You Worry About Eating That Burnt Toast?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:25:27 +0000

I was tempted to say, “why don’t you buy the book,” but that sounded a bit too self-serving. So, let me dig into the science which centers around a small molecule called acrylamide. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has placed acrylamide in its Category 2B reserved for “substances that are possibly carcinogenic to humans.” That raises eyebrows when we learn that this possible carcinogen can be found in many common foods. Think French fries, cereals, potato chips, toast and yikes…coffee.

Can You Warm Up Your Body with Your Mind?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:10:34 +0000

If you concentrate hard, can you raise the temperature of your little finger? The human body has a thermostat of sorts, a way of regulating its temperature and ensuring its heart keeps beating even when we’re freezing; but can we adjust it with the power of our mind?

The Leggings That Promise to Fix Your Knees

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:28:39 +0000

Back when I was a varsity athlete (before I became old and washed up), I spent my final season dealing with a particularly stubborn ankle injury. As it turns out, sprinting down a runway and launching yourself into a sandpit while transferring large amounts of force through a compromised joint is not exactly a recipe for orthopedic success. Who would’ve guessed.

Scary Videos Claim That You Are Risking Your Health by Reheating Leftovers. Are You Really?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:07:20 +0000

Bacteria are everywhere. Most are harmless but some are “pathogenic,” meaning they can cause disease. They can carry out their mischief in two ways. One possibility is that they can survive passage through the stomach, start multiplying in the intestine, and damage intestinal cells by invading them. This causes the body’s immune system to spring into action causing inflammation with its symptoms of pain and fever.

Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults: What’s Behind the Uptick?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:51:23 +0000

It was a shock to learn that actor Chadwick Boseman had died. The rising star who played Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was 43 when colorectal cancer took his life in August 2020. More recently, James Van Der Beek made headlines after he died from the same cancer at the age of 48.

Lessons in Going Slow: Vaccination Schedules, Tuberculosis, and What Happens When Faster Isn’t Always Better

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year, the United States dramatically scaled back its universal childhood immunisation schedule recommendations. Under an overhaul spearheaded by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the number of diseases for which vaccines are universally recommended dropped from 17 to 11. Vaccines for polio and measles remain on the list, but others—like hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and Covid-19—are now recommended based on risk or “shared clinical decision-making” between doctors and parents.

You Can’t Beat Beets!

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:36:31 +0000

It doesn’t matter how good a video or an article is if you can’t get people to watch or read it. That’s why a lot of thought goes into coming up with a catchy title that grabs attention. In this case, since I’m talking about the possible health benefits of beets, the root vegetable, a headline just about writes itself. “You can’t beat beets.”

A Simple Calculation to Determine the Quality of Your Diet

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:08:15 +0000

For about 300,000 years homo sapiens has been eating just about everything that seemed edible. Plants, grains, fruits as well as parts of any creature that walks, flies, swims or crawls has travelled down the esophagus. One would think that with all that experience we would have figured out what sort of diet is conducive to health. But here we are, 300,000 years later, talking about low carb diets, ketogenic diets, carnivore diets, low fat diets, vegan diets, flexitarian diets, intermittent fasting diets and a bevy of others.

Muscle Building is Not Routine, It's Triggered by Protein

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:07:59 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Protein, protein everywhere…with plenty of drops to drink! You can guzzle protein shakes, drink protein pop, or even protein water. Then there are the protein-fortified foods. Protein cereal, protein bread, protein Pop Tarts, protein popcorn, protein gummies and protein bars galore. The protein craze is off and running.

To get a grip on this race to down more and more protein, let’s go back to the starting blocks. Exactly what are proteins and why are they looking to step up to the top of the podium?

Is Your Sauna Session Sabotaging Your Swimmers?

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:01:58 +0000

Over the past few months, a not insignificant number of my male friends have asked me (unprompted) whether going to the sauna is ruining their sperm. Bold questions. Intimate questions. But fair ones. Sauna culture has exploded in North America, and with it, men now face an understandable worry: is the sauna accidentally slow roasting fertility?

You Are What You Eat

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:34:05 +0000

“You are what you eat” is a widely quoted aphorism, expressing the general truth that nutrition and health are intimately linked. It is generally said to derive from the phrase “tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are” found in French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin’s 1823 book “Physiology Du Gout.” However, Brillat-Savarin was not referring to nutrition, he was commenting on the differences between the foods available to different social classes. The rich could count on a large variety of foods, while the poor subsisted on a meager food supply.