/oss/taxonomy/term/152/all en /oss/article/medical-history/can-we-get-smarter-popping-pill <p>We live in a world where people attempt to settle differences with insane wars and acts of terror. We foul our nest with an array of pollutants. We succumb to preventable diseases. We struggle to feed a growing global population. We clearly need to be smarter! If only there were a pill to boost our brainpower! A pill to allow us to learn things more quickly and actually remember what we learned. A pill to allow us to focus on whatever task is at hand without permitting our mind to drift. A pill for a better functioning brain. A “smart drug.” A “nootropic.”</p> Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:19:34 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9882 at /oss /oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-you-asked/vitamin-d-puzzle <p>Walk into any pharmacy or health food store and you will see shelves filled with vitamin D supplements. Then stroll over to a bookstore and you will find all sort of books touting the wonders of the vitamin. Next, search PubMed for articles about vitamin D. There will be thousands, with different conclusions about what constitutes adequate blood levels and how these are to be achieved. Where will that leave you? Confused, I suspect. </p> Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:27:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9815 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health-and-nutrition/antivirals-are-coming <p>I continue to be amazed by science. The ability to predict to the second when an eclipse will occur at a specific location in the world, the know-how to build a jetliner that requires the cohesive working of over four million parts and the production of computers with all their marvellous functions are astounding examples of human ingenuity. To say nothing about reaching into your pocket for the smartphone that in a fraction of a second will provide an answer to almost any question you may have. Mind-boggling.</p> Fri, 12 Nov 2021 21:02:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8921 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-history-household-products-toxicity/antimony <p>Picture this. You swallow a little pill, wait until it irritates your intestines enough to expel its contents and then hunt through the expelled excrement to retrieve the pill. Why? So you can use it next time to get rid of the bad humours in your body that are making you sick. How can a pill survive passage through the digestive tract? It can, if it is made of metal, in this case, antimony. Now, don’t go asking the pharmacist for antimony pills.</p> Mon, 18 Apr 2016 19:27:19 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2333 at /oss