Medical

Let’s Rap About Rapamycin

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:54:52 +0000

Easter Island in the Pacific off the coast of Chile is famous for the giant stone statues that were erected by natives some 500-700 years ago. The thinking is that the statues were designed to honour eminent ancestors by providing a home for their spirits to inhabit. In the 1960s, Easter Island made it into headlines for a totally different reason. Soil samples were found to contain Streptomyces hygroscopicus, a bacterium that produces a chemical with antifungal activity.

AI Scribes in the Clinic: What Patients Should Know

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 22:16:13 +0000

The last time I went to the doctor, I was handed a form to sign. It was a consent form asking for my permission to allow the doctor to use an AI scribe during our appointment. I signed it without much hesitation, partly out of habit, partly out of an assumption that this is simply where healthcare is headed in the age of AI technology. Now, months later, after spending a semester conducting a health technology assessment on AI scribes for one of my courses, I realized that moment deserved more scrutiny.

Aspartame: Not the Devil Incarnate but Not A Godsend Either

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 28 May 2026 23:43:46 +0000

Long before “wellness influencers” honed the art of spreading misinformation on the internet, the public was at the mercy of being befuddled by hoaxes through chain emails. Way back in the 1990s, I was the recipient of one of these from “Dr.” Betty Martini in which she described a speech given by one Nancy Markle at the “World Environmental Conference” in which she claimed that the artificial sweetener aspartame was the cause of multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, seizures, brain tumours, lupus and Alzheimer’s disease.

Exaggerated Fears Over Cancer Biopsies Can Worsen Cancer

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:54:23 +0000

Fear of the needle is not reserved to the vaccine hesitant; it extends to biopsies as well. In corners of social media where misinformation accumulates, influencers with an axe to grind against doctors are warning people to stay away from biopsies that help diagnose a cancer. “NEVER do a prostate biopsy, NEVER do a breast biopsy,” you will read, as the biopsy is said to spread the very cancer it is sampling.

Our Bodies Are Full of Dark Proteins. Can We Use Them Against Disease?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 21 May 2026 21:53:35 +0000

These proteins were not supposed to exist. Yet, there they were. As we started to learn more about them, researchers wondered if we hadn’t stumbled upon new targets for treating diseases like cancer.

If wellness fads abided by their own horoscope, we could say 2025 was the Year of the Protein. The macronutrient was shoved everywhere: inside of cereals, milk cartons, even pasta. Everyone wanted more protein.

But proteins are simply the building blocks of the human body. They make up much of the infrastructure of our cells’ cityscape. They make life possible.

The Science Behind the Quest for a Non-Peptide Oral Weight Loss Drug

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 21 May 2026 20:02:24 +0000

Not only does it have a tongue-twisting name, “orforglipron” has a complex molecular structure that made its synthesis very challenging. A massive effort by chemists at the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company finally resulted in a viable synthesis, but why this massive effort? Because the payoff also promises to be massive! Orforglipron is the first “small molecule” to act as an oral “GLP-1 agonist". Its discovery takes us on a long and winding journey.

Intense Back Pain Led Me From Outer Space to the Inside of a Cell

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:03:44 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

My knowledge of anatomy is rather limited, so I wasn’t too surprised that I had never heard of the “multifidus” muscles that line the spinal column and have the task of supporting movement of the vertebrae. Neither had I heard of the “transversus abdominis” muscles in the abdomen that act as a natural corset, stabilizing the lumbar spine.

Health Monitoring Has Come a Long Way, From Rolled-Up Paper to AI

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 14 May 2026 21:14:04 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Remember Theranos, the company that promised to revolutionize longevity by making health data instantly available from blood collected from a finger prick, allowing for “alerts” to make lifestyle changes?

There Is a Hair-Raising Amount of Chemicals Around Us: Are We in Danger?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:01:00 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Until recently, I had not given any thought to hair extensions, although I was once in a salon where I was amazed at the variety of these products. They were to be found in every possible length, shade and style, made either of real hair or of various synthetic fibres.

RFK Jr. Has Visions of the Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics Dancing in His Head

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 05 May 2026 19:54:22 +0000

U.S Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is sticking his fingers into many pies. One of these contains psychedelics that are either synthetic or natural substances capable of producing changes in mood, cognitive processes and an altered perception of reality often accompanied by hallucinations. Kennedy believes that the U.S. government has hindered research into psychedelics which have been unjustifiably painted with a broad brush as being dangerous.

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.