Medical

Bacteria are Fearsome, Especially When Weaponized

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:22:07 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

They used to call it “wool sorter’s disease” or “hide-porter’s disease” because the affliction struck workers who spun wool or carried animal skins. They would sometimes develop circular lesions on their skin with a coal black centre, hence the name of the disease “anthrax” from the Greek word for coal. In rare instances drummers developed anthrax as they beat animal-skin drums.

Facial Filler, Reversibility, and the Science We Don’t See

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:42:17 +0000

I talked about Botox a lot in 2025. Which, in the social circles of a 22-year-old woman, raises a fair question: why? We don’t have wrinkles yet. Our frontal lobes aren’t even finished developing. And yet, Botox and filler, procedures once reserved for red carpets and midlife crises, have become casual conversation, slipped between Pilates classes and oat-milk lattes.

A Virus Most of Us Have Causes Multiple Sclerosis

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 22:29:21 +0000

Multiple sclerosis is a big deal in Canada.

Gua Sha Is Exotic Wellness That Leaves a Mark

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

When sales go stale, embrace the romanticism of exoticism.

That is one of the tricks of the wellness industry: selling gadgets and procedures that come from ancient traditions far, far away. There is, after all, an endless supply of folk remedies that can be repackaged for a modern audience suspicious of medicine but desirous of all-natural lotions and potions.

Fishing for the Benefits of Fish Oil Supplements

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:29:29 +0000

It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 different dietary supplements on the market in North America. Some of these, like “detox” supplements are totally useless, others such as immune boosters and megadoses of antioxidants have insignificant evidence while multivitamins mostly amount to an expensive soothing of nutritional anxieties without any evidence of reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline or all-cause mortality in the general population. However, there are some supplements that are supported by clinical evidence in some situations.

The Crank Magnetism of Chiropractors

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 04:20:01 +0000

Did you know that a chiropractor can help you with menstrual pain and discomfort during pregnancy? I didn’t either, but some chiropractors in the city I live in seem to think they can do just about anything.

Is it Time to Cut Mouthwash from Your Oral Health Routine?

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

I find that I always go in and out of “mouthwash phases.” Sometimes I convince myself that it is an absolutely necessary component of my oral health routine, while in other moments in life I concede that a two-minute brush and a good flossing will suffice. However, I recently have been finding the mouthwash section of the pharmacy less appealing. I figure now is as good a time as ever to answer a reader’s query: What’s the scoop on using mouthwash? Will it deplete my nitrous oxide?

Of Mistletoe, Frankincense and Myrrh

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 06:46:53 +0000

Mistletoe has had a certain mystique about it since ancient times, probably on account of the curious way it grows. The plant is a “hemiparasite,” meaning that it can either grow in soil, or, more commonly, it can spring from the branch of a tree. Ladies probably stood under the branch in awe, admiring the pretty flowers, giving gentlemen an opportunity to take a little liberty with the fair sex.

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.

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.

Shedding Accurate Light on Light Therapies: What Photobiomodulation Does—and Doesn’t—Do

Daniel Barolet MD, FRCPC — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:34:29 +0000

Light is often described as the source of life—and in many ways, that’s true. It drives photosynthesis, regulates our sleep–wake rhythm, and influences mood. In recent years, though, light has also been promoted as a medical treatment. Some claims make biological sense; others, like so-called intravenous light detox, do not.

As someone who has spent more than two decades studying and applying photobiomodulation (PBM), I’ve seen both credible science and creative marketing. PBM can help, but only when the right wavelengths, doses, and treatment schedules are used.

How a Montreal-Made AI Device Is Helping Surgeons See the Invisible

Abhay Parmar BSc — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

When removing a brain tumour, the distinction between healthy tissue and cancer isn’t visible to the naked eye. Even advanced imaging can miss what hides between those boundaries. For years, this limitation meant surgeons could never be fully sure whether every cancer cell was gone. But a new Montreal-made device called SENTRY is changing that. Co-developed by the Montreal-based company Reveal Surgical, Dr.

Don’t Look for a Miracle in “Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS)”

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Desperate people will do desperate things. And parents of autistic children are desperate. Conditions with no cure, such as autism, are fertile ground for charlatans who aim to capitalize financially on the despair of parents willing to do anything to help their children. Some hucksters offer a simple treatment for autism that they claim is being swept under the carpet by an evil pharmaceutical industry in collusion with the government. Labelling themselves as “health freedom warriors,” they are ready to reveal the secret of curing autism.

How the Yew Tree Can Deliver Life … or Death

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:34:21 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The 17-year-old girl presented in the emergency room feeling nauseous and drowsy. She quickly went downhill, with her heart rate and blood pressure shooting up frighteningly and her heart’s rhythm becoming erratic. Then, cardiac arrest.

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.