Medical

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.

Shedding Light on Light Therapies

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:35:34 +0000

Without light there is no life. Literally. It was Dutch scientist Jan Ingenhousz who through a series of experiments in 1779 showed that light is required for photosynthesis, the process that makes life on earth possible by allowing plants to capture carbon dioxide from the air while simultaneously releasing the oxygen we need to breathe. Plants either directly or indirectly produce all the food we require to live.

Ayurveda Can Harm Your Liver

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

“I know where you live. I know your address. I know who you are. Trust me, they won’t even find your dead body.”

Who Is the Low-Histamine Diet Really For?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Do you have difficulty falling asleep? A bit of anxiety? Headaches? Any sort of digestive issue? A low-histamine diet may be for you!

Smells

Prithu Mukhopadhyay PhD — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

A lot, in fact. Whether it is cheese, wine, truffles, or durian, smells define them all. When we lose our sense of smell (olfaction), we could be in trouble. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the underrated sense of smell to the forefront. But there is more to the smell. Let’s dig into the science of it.

The Sour Side of Our Love of Sweets

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:36:46 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The What, Why and What to do about Hiccups

Ada McVean M.Sc. — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

We’re all familiar with the sensation- an uncontrollable jerk of our diaphragm and an involuntary noise, stifled or not, that gives the condition its name. Hiccups are ubiquitous amongst mammals of all ages, but it may surprise you to learn that even in 2024, our understanding of them is somewhat lacking.

All About the Tylenol-Autism Brouhaha

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

At an unhinged press conference last Monday, Donald Trump and his medical acolytes revealed an actionable cause of autism at long last: Tylenol. In what felt like a social media post come to life, Trump fumbled his way through the word “acetaminophen” and declared it “NOT GOOD.”

The History of Acetaminophen

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:46:07 +0000

President Trump’s unhinged, ill-informed and potentially dangerous attack on Tylenol has focussed attention on its active ingredient, acetaminophen. Many others have, and will dissect his harangue (see Jonathan Jarry's article), but I’ll take his vilification of Tylenol as an opportunity to discuss the history of this medication.