Medical

Nailing Down the Risk of Nail Polishes and Gels

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:42:54 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

I subscribe to numerous science and health-oriented newsletters that flood my email inbox every day along with a bevy of unsolicited press releases and blog posts. Broadly speaking, the information provided either warns about some risk in our lives or suggests ways to improve our prospects for longevity. Let me address a typical scare that recently popped up.

Mozart, Mice and Microbes

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 21:51:19 +0000

I must admit that my interest in Mozart has mostly focused on the various theories of his demise in the prime of his youth. The composer had always been sickly, and it is well known that he had often been treated with antimony compounds by his physicians. He even dosed himself when he didn’t feel well. Antimony compounds can indeed be lethal if the dose is high enough. Recently, though, my curiosity about Mozart has taken a different turn. I’ve become interested in his music. Not because I’ve suddenly developed an appreciation for his sonatas.

Scrambler Therapy: Rewiring Pain, or Just Static?

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:09:46 +0000

Our bodies are wired to avoid pain—and yet, for millions, it’s a daily, unwelcome companion. One minute you’re climbing stairs, opening a jar, or just existing, and the next you're googling “is this what nerve damage feels like?” If you’ve ever lived with chronic pain, or loved someone who has, you know it’s not just about hurting. It’s about how the hurting takes over everything.

Lithium For Alzheimer’s Disease?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 01:47:06 +0000

Mention lithium and you likely conjure up an image of lithium batteries or a medication to treat bipolar disease. But researchers are now looking at another aspect of lithium. The possibility that lithium in the diet may play a role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This is not the first time that intake of lithium has been linked with medicinal effects.

Virtually Virtuous: Are Video Games the Future of Medicine?

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:28:26 +0000

One day in 2014, I came home from school only to see my uncle fiddling with a small cardboard box on the couch. This wasn’t any old cardboard box, but one that looked like the world’s chunkiest pair of binoculars. He called me over and told me to hold the strange apparatus up to my eyes. Suddenly, I was transported from my living room to the great outdoors. Despite making me quite dizzy, I was able to look around and even move within this unfamiliar place.

Flowing Under the Radar: Why Period Products Deserve Better Oversight

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever paused to consider the ingredients in your lunch but never questioned what chemicals lay in your menstrual products— congratulations, you’re not alone. But here’s the inconvenient truth: the humble tampon may be carrying more than just your monthly misery.

Cracking the Case on Seeds, Nuts, and Bowel Issues

Christopher Labos MD, MSc — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

If you have diverticulosis, you were probably told to avoid eating nuts and seeds. The worry was that tiny food particles could get stuck in the small cervices of the bowel wall and get infected. It was inherently logical and made a lot of sense to many physicians. But it may not be true.

Med Beds: Not Today, Maybe Tomorrow?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

“Oh dear, I can just see, when I take the dogs out tonight, I’m gonna have all of these people standing around that only I can see because, you know, they’re very directional like that.”

Don’t Play Yo-Yo with Your Weight: The ‘Post-Ozempic’ Rebound

Patricia Brubaker, Ph.D., F.R.S.C. — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Body weight is determined by a complex regulatory system that is necessary to ensure survival of the species – too little food reduces body weight but, extreme caloric restriction also decreases fertility and, ultimately, can result in death. Preservation of body weight is, therefore, an imperative of species survival. However, excess body weight contributes to chronic diseases, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes, as well as fatty liver and cardiovascular diseases.

Ultrasound During Pregnancy: Sound Advice or Sound the Alarm?

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Let’s be honest—pregnancy is basically a nine-month exercise in overthinking. Is that sushi safe? Should I be sleeping on my left side? And what, exactly, is in prenatal vitamins anyway? Somewhere on that ever-expanding list sits the ultrasound: a routine, widely used tool that some corners of the internet have started side-eyeing with suspicion.

Shedding a light on shedding: The Science of Telogen Effluvium

Ana Sophia Rashid-Cocker BSc — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

It started with a few extra hairs: in my brush, on my bathroom floor, strewn across my pillow. Odd, but nothing too alarming, women shed hair all the time. But then there were more. They were dispersed across my computer at work and would fall into my hands at the slightest tug. I began to spiral: could others see them too? I swore I could feel each strand of hair popping off my scalp and drifting down my back.

Ozempic-Induced Blindness? A Measured Response

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In certain corners of the Internet, the discourse over Ozempic is terrifying. “But the FDA says that [sic] inject Gila Monster venom weekly into yourself is healthy,” one commentator sarcastically declares. “Are they lying?”

What Wild Animals Can Teach Us About Cancer

Lysanne Desharnais PhD — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In a lab in Rochester, New York, a group of scientists were trying to grow cells taken from a naked mole rat. Instead, they ended up with a petri dish full of goo. The cells had secreted a thick, viscous substance, unlike anything typically seen in standard lab cultures. The scientists discovered that the goo contained hyaluronan, a molecule that helps keep the mole rat’s skin elastic as it navigates its cramped underground tunnels. But it may also do something far more remarkable: prevent tumours from forming.

Next Time it Rains, You May Want to Pack More Than Just Your Umbrella

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever felt sluggish or achy on a rainy day? You’re not alone. While you could see a rainy day as an excuse to cozy up with freshly brewed tea and a movie, your rain-induced back pain may be out of your control.

Shedding Light on UV Blood Irradiation

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Would you allow someone to draw your blood out, expose it to ultraviolet light, and pump it back into your body, even if I told you it wouldn’t turn you into the Incredible Hulk?