McGill Office for Science and Society (OSS)

03/09/2025

The Who’s Tommy wasn’t the most memorable Broadway musical 🎶 😬The band’s music never resonated much, but in 1993, the show caught attention for an unusual reason 👀

Back in the 1970s, a colleague and I had created The Magic of Chemistry, a show that blended demonstrations, stage magic, and music to highlight chemistry’s role in daily life 🧪 Always on the lookout for visuals, a 1967 album, The Who Sell Out, stood out. Its cover featured Pete Townshend applying an oversized tube of “Odorono” deodorant. Perfect for illustrating chemicals in everyday products. A slide of the cover became a staple in the show.

Even better, the album featured a song titled Odorono, with lyrics lamenting a failed deodorant. Ideal background music for discussing personal-care chemistry.

This memory resurfaced with the rise of “whole body deodorants.” No longer limited to armpits, these promise freshness even down there. Clever marketing—more surface area, more profit.

But is it necessary? Sweat regulates temperature, but its chemical composition varies depending on where it is being secreted. Eccrine glands across the body secrete mostly water and salt, while apocrine glands in armpits and groin release proteins, carbs, and fats—bacteria’s favorite meal. Bacteria metabolize these, producing trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid, a goat-like odor 🙊🐐

Deodorants slow bacterial growth and mask smells; antiperspirants block sweating by forming a plug in apocrine glands. The first odor-fighting product, Mum, appeared in the late 1800s with zinc oxide. Everdry followed in 1903, using aluminum chloride, but it dried too slowly. Then came Odorono—discovered when a surgeon’s daughter realized her dad’s sweaty hands solution worked on armpits too. Marketing genius James Young later convinced women they needed it to keep romance alive. Sales skyrocketed 💸

By the 2000s, the market stagnated. Enter “whole body deodorants.” If people weren’t worried before about odors from everywhere, they should be now.

These new products feature mandelic acid, an antimicrobial that prevents bacteria from feasting on apocrine secretions. Mandelic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, also exfoliates skin—commonly found in skincare products 🧴

Now you can see how looking into all-body deodorants took me on a journey from Odorono to reminiscing about that picture on the cover of The Who Sell Out. That album regrettably was among the ones I sold for a paltry sum when the digital music age made records obsolete 💿 Sigh.

https://mcgill.ca/x/i4J

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette. The Who’s Tommy is not one of the most memorable of the numerous musicals I’ve seen on Broadway. I was not a great fan of the group’s music, but nevertheless in 1993 the show called out to me for the strangest reason. Back in the 1970s,...

02/26/2025

Hermetic seals are airtight seals that prevent the passage of gases or liquids 💨💧 For example, the food industry relies on hermetically sealed packaging for excluding air that can lead to deterioration 🐟 Airtight foil packaging used for salmon is an example. Hermetic seals are used in electronic equipment to keep out moisture as well as for archiving significant historical items such as the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration Of Independence.

In some forms of the legend, Hermes Trismegistus was not a god but an ancient Egyptian alchemist who had taken his name from Hermes and was buried in an obscure chamber in the great Pyramid of Giza . Some of the powerful secrets of alchemy were supposedly found inscribed on an emerald tablet that was clutched in the hands of his mummy. This mysterious tablet was thought to be the key for transmuting base materials to precious metals and gems 💎 There is no record of the actual tablet existing, but it is widely described in the alchemical literature. 8th century alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan was convinced that yellow sulfur and silvery mercury would combine to form gold 🥇 under the right conditions. He carried out many such experiments and like other alchemists, recorded his results in elaborate codes to protect his intellectual property. In his attempts to make gold he mastered the techniques of sublimation and distillation and learned to prepare many simple chemicals 🧪

As far as the “Emerald Tablet” goes, an English translation was provided by Isaac Newton who was infatuated with alchemy and possibly even experienced mercury poisoning is his attempts to produce gold. Newton once commented “that which is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing and as all things have been and arose from one by the mediation of one, so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.” It isn’t hard to see why alchemical writings are regarded as gibberish 😳

https://mcgill.ca/x/i4S

According to Greek mythology, Hermes moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine and it was his job to conduct souls into the afterlife. He was quick and cunning, often outwitting other gods for his own satisfaction or for the sake of humankind. When the Greeks learned that the Egyp...

02/23/2025

Senator, I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule. The only thing I want is good science, and that’s it." RFK Jr. said this during his HHS confirmation hearing 🇺🇸 responding to Senator Elizabeth Warren who was questioning his stance on vaccines 💉

The claim hidden in his words—that there is no "good science" on vaccine safety—fuels anti-vaccine rhetoric. As misinformation spreads, it's crucial to remind people how we know vaccines are safe. They undergo rigorous studies before approval and continue to be monitored after.

Vaccines aren’t released without safety data. After animal testing, human trials start with 20–100 people, then expand to 100–300, then 1,000–3,000. Some trials, like Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, involved over 36,000 people. The FDA inspects manufacturing facilities, tests vaccine lots, and expert committees review all data before approval 🔎 And that’s just the beginning.

Even after approval, vaccines are continuously monitored. In Canada, CAEFISS tracks reports from the public and hospitals. A 2018–2019 report showed adverse events were rare: fewer than 11 per 100,000 doses. Over 90% were mild; serious cases, like seizures or anaphylaxis, were expected and not increasing.

In the U.S., VAERS collects reports, but just like CAEFISS, data must be analyzed in context. Reported events could be coincidences, so experts look for unusual patterns. Anti-vaccine activists misuse VAERS data in what I call the VAERS scare tactic.
There is so much data from post-market surveillance that a 2021 AHRQ report reviewing 189 studies found no new evidence of increased adverse events from routine vaccines since 2014.

The MMR vaccine, which contains parts of the measles, mumps, and rubella viruses 🦠 became controversial due to a manufactured scandal. Andrew Wakefield, later stripped of his medical license, committed fraud by faking data and taking money from a lawyer planning to sue vaccine makers. Concerns about a link to autism weren’t dismissed—they were thoroughly studied worldwide.

Concerns over ingredients like thimerosal, formaldehyde, and aluminum are misplaced. Formaldehyde is naturally in the body and even in apples (1–5 mg). Vaccines contain much less. Aluminum is abundant in food, including baby formula 🍼 It’s the dose that matters.
Some worry about long-term effects. Yet no evidence shows vaccines suddenly causing harm decades later. Waiting 50 years for "just in case" would mean millions of preventable deaths. Others claim vaccines aren’t tested against placebos—false. Many are, but ethical concerns prevent withholding lifesaving vaccines in some cases.

Conspiracy theories claim all researchers are paid off. But millions of scientists, many with families of their own, study vaccine safety. Accusing them all of hiding the truth is irrational.

Vaccines aren't 100% risk-free. They can cause mild side effects and, rarely, serious reactions. But diseases like measles (causing brain swelling) or polio (leading to paralysis) are far worse. The real risk is not vaccinating.

Despite overwhelming evidence, misinformation persists. The U.S. is now gutting its vaccine oversight agencies. If you wanted to make vaccines unsafe, firing those who ensure their safety would be the way to do it.

https://mcgill.ca/x/i44

“Senator, I support vaccines. I support the childhood schedule. The only thing I want is good science, and that’s it.” These words were spoken by Robert F. Kennedy Jr during his confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, addressed at Senator Elizabeth Warren who was qu...

02/22/2025

🇺🇸 RFK Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again campaign centers on mitochondrial dysfunction, a buzzword popularized by wellness influencers. Dr. Casey Means’ bestseller 📖 Good Energy claims modern diets and lifestyles “ravage” mitochondria, pointing to them as the root cause of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart issues—and their cure. This oversimplifies science, turning mitochondrial dysfunction into the latest health fad 📲

As we age, our body breaks down in various ways, and mitochondrial dysfunction is one hallmark of ageing. Researchers have tied a plethora of diseases to mitochondria malfunctioning, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and Parkinson’s disease.

It’s tempting to conclude that every noninfectious disease results from mitochondria malfunctioning, anything restoring their function will heal us, and everything that harms mitochondria should be avoided. Good Energy lists environmental factors accused of harming mitochondria: overeating, nutrient deficiencies, sedentary lifestyles—even medications and drugs. One paragraph seems to warn against antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, antiretrovirals, statins, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers, as they “hurt mitochondrial function.” And mitochondria are key, right?

But mitochondrial dysfunction, and how to treat it, is far more complicated than this health book suggests.

There’s a slew of dietary supplements, medications, and experimental drugs proposed to help 💊 vitamins, coenzyme Q10, the diabetes drug metformin, and newer compounds like 6j and OPC-163493. Caloric restriction, often via intermittent fasting, is thought to help mitochondria behave, potentially allowing us to live longer. The problem is that just because these interventions make sense on paper doesn’t mean they will work.

Metabolism isn’t a one-way sign; it’s a subway map, and metabolic dysfunction (which, according to Calley and Casey Means, ails almost all Americans) is so broad, I’m not sure it’s all that useful as a self-diagnosis.

If you want to keep your mitochondria healthy, the best advice remains uns*xy: eat well 🥗 sleep enough 💤 and exercise 🏃Your mitochondria will thank you 😌

https://mcgill.ca/x/ikR

There is a shell game at the heart of Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s Make America Healthy Again campaign, and it has to do with the mitochondrion. I doubt, though, that RFK Jr, who has been confirmed as Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, even knows what a mitochondrion is. Wellness inf...

02/21/2025

I have always liked chocolate 🍫 I grew up on it. But then my chemical education got in the way of this simple pleasure. I discovered that there was fat galore in a chocolate bar! Fifty percent by weight! 😳 And lots of sugar to boot. So, I resigned myself to mostly talking about chocolate instead of eating it. Everyone, it seems, is captivated by the notion that chocolates contain a chemical, phenylethylamine, which helps us fall in love. Unfortunately, this just isn’t so. The only thing chocolate helps us fall in love with, is chocolate ❤️

Why is that? The consensus opinion is that chocolate is addictive because of its flavour. Not its taste. Flavour is more than just taste. Smell and texture also come into play. This can be very effectively demonstrated by sampling different flavoured jellybeans while holding one’s nose. They are indistinguishable! When the nose is pinched no air can flow from the mouth through to the nasal passage where our smell receptors are located and therefore the volatile compounds that play such a large role in flavour cannot be detected 👃🏻

Chocolate texture is also important. Cocoa fat has a melting point just around body temperature. So solid chocolate quickly turns into a smooth, luxurious liquid in the mouth. Some have argued that this is a sign from God that we should be eating chocolate. I don’t know about such divine intervention, but there have been signs from the scientific community that moderate chocolate consumption may be good for us 🥳 Back in 1996 Andrew Waterhouse at the University of California got the ball rolling with his finding that cocoa beans are an excellent source of a class of chemicals known as polyphenols. They act as “antioxidants,” neutralizing those nasty species in our bodies known as “free radicals” which unfortunately are a byproduct of breathing oxygen and which have been implicated in diseases ranging from heart disease to cancer.

Since the 1990s, we have had a flood of studies about chocolate. Dark chocolate improves cognition 🧠 Dark chocolate reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Frequent chocolate consumers have a lower BMI. Flavanols in chocolate reduce blood pressure. Immune cell activity is boosted by ingesting dark chocolate. While there is certainly some interesting science here, anointing chocolate as some sort of “health food” and adding it to the diet hoping for some benefit is not warranted by the evidence 🤨 But writing this has stirred some childhood memories. Time to make myself a cup of hot chocolate 😋

https://mcgill.ca/x/ikz

I have always liked chocolate. I grew up on it. Every morning my mother blended a heaping spoonful of cocoa powder with a little milk, some sugar and a touch of salt (to decrease the bitterness). She then stirred the mix into gently boiling milk. This was my breakfast beverage. I was told it was “...

02/20/2025

Want to lead a long life? Play pickleball and have s*x. Who says so? Dan Buettner, a guy who knows something about longevity. After all, he is responsible for popularizing the concept of “blue zones,” 🔵 regions of the world where people apparently have exceptionally long lives.

Researchers Giovanni Pes and Michel Poulain marked centenarian homes with blue dots, coining the term “blue zones.” Journalist Dan Buettner expanded this concept after investigating longevity in Okinawa, Sardinia, and Loma Linda, California. His 2005 National Geographic article sparked interest, highlighting anecdotes like 101-year-old Marge Jetton’s active lifestyle and oatmeal breakfasts 🥣

Buettner partnered with experts to identify more zones, adding Nicoya, Costa Rica, and Ikaria, Greece. Common traits emerged: plant-based diets (beans 🫘, little meat 🥩), moderate alcohol 🍺( except Adventists), early dinners, physical activity through daily life, strong social ties, and caring for seniors at home. They also shared the “early to bed, early to rise” philosophy 😴

Buettner tested blue zone habits in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Changes included plant-based 🌱restaurant options, walking paths 🚶 and healthier school food policies. The results? Lower health-care costs, weight loss, and a three-year life expectancy bump 📈

Buettner’s lifestyle reflects his findings. He drinks coffee ☕, avoids processed foods, and eats beans daily. His exercise? Biking 🚴and pickleball 🎾, which he calls great for fitness and combating loneliness. He also claims regular s*x reduces mortality, though no evidence supports this.

While blue zones inspire longevity lessons, critics like Dr. Saul Newman question their validity, citing errors in birth records and pension fraud. Regardless, scientific evidence supports eating more plants, moving naturally, and fostering social connections for a longer, healthier life. As for the 104-year-old Costa Rican with a 40-year-old girlfriend? No pickleball. No oatmeal 🫣

https://mcgill.ca/x/ikL

*x

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette. Want to lead a long life? Play pickleball and have s*x. Who says so? Dan Buettner, a guy who knows something about longevity. After all, he is responsible for popularizing the concept of “blue zones,” regions of the world where people app...

02/19/2025

Exciting news — our office has been awarded the 2024 James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Award!

This award, totaling US$200,000, is given annually to people or organizations that encourage critical thinking and promote scientific literacy.

The late James Randi was a magician and legendary skeptic who has inspired generations of science communicators - including us at the OSS.

We thank the James Randi Educational Foundation for recognizing our office’s efforts.

📌 For the press release from McGill University: https://www.mcgill.ca/science/channels/news/mcgills-office-science-and-society-receives-2024-james-randi-educational-foundation-award-363578

📌 For the official announcement on the JREF website: https://web.randi.org/home/2024-jref-award

McGill’s Office for Science and Society (OSS) has been awarded the 2024 James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Award. This award, totaling US$200,000, is given annually to people or organizations that encourage critical thinking and provide unbiased, fact-based answers to questions. The JREF wa...

02/17/2025

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but some may still cling to myths about oysters and their supposed aphrodisiac powers. 🦪 The association dates back to Greek mythology, where Aphrodite emerged from the sea on an oyster shell. Casanova allegedly ate 50 oysters daily, crediting them for his romantic escapades. This is probably an exaggeration and even if taken at face value is nothing more than an anecdote.

Oysters are rich in zinc, with about 10 times as much as a comparably sized piece of beef. Zinc is vital for s***m production, leading to the assumption it boosts fertility and libido. But fertility and s*xual desire are not the same. Vi**ra, often mislabeled as an aphrodisiac, treats erectile dysfunction but does not enhance s*xual desire. Similarly, zinc’s role in libido is unsupported by science.

While zinc deficiencies can impair s***m production, taking excess zinc does not enhance fertility. A 2020 randomized controlled trial of 2,000 men showed no improvement in semen quality or live birth rates with zinc and folate supplementation. Male fertility supplements containing these ingredients are likely ineffective.

Zinc, though necessary for health, isn’t harmless in high doses. Excessive intake can cause nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal issues. Zinc in some cold remedies has even led to permanent loss of smell (anosmia). Despite minimal benefits, zinc continues to be marketed as a cold treatment.

Eating a few oysters won’t lead to zinc overdose but may pose another risk: food poisoning. Recent oyster recalls in Canada and the U.S. due to norovirus contamination highlight this danger. If an oyster’s shell is open, cracked, or smells off, discard it immediately. Otherwise, the aftermath could involve unpleasant gastrointestinal distress—hardly the romantic ending anyone wants. 💔

https://mcgill.ca/x/ikE

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette. As you are reading this you have just enough time left to make Valentine’s Day plans and salvage the looming disaster brought on by your forgetfulness. The premium you will pay on flowers purchased at this late date should be a learning exp...

02/16/2025

Want to keep your lovely cut Valentine’s Day flowers looking fresh? 💐 Here’s how!👇

Read the full article here: https://mcgill.ca/x/iku

02/13/2025

I recently spoke with an anti-vaxxer—though, of course, he didn’t call himself that. He was “just asking questions” about vaccine safety. He even defended the idea of RFK Jr. leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that he just wanted studies on vaccine safety 💉 Was I against that? Shouldn’t we ensure vaccines are safe?

I recognized on the spot that this was a very bad argument—either born of ignorance or slyness—and came up with a name for it: the square one fallacy.

🇺🇸 RFK Jr. himself has invoked this argument when he has testified to his desire to move money away from research into infectious diseases and into chronic diseases, as if scientists had never thought to look into diabetes and heart disease.

The square one fallacy is arguing that we have no data to illuminate a particular question, that we’re starting from scratch, when there is an actual body of evidence that we are ignoring, either deliberately or cluelessly. It’s contending that we need to study something that has already been studied 🔎 sometimes to death.

The square one fallacy is closely related to “just asking questions” (JAQing off), when someone pretends to want to know more but ignores the answers to keep on badgering an expert with the same question, over and over 🤷 A person “just asking questions” doesn’t want to be pinned down to a specific position; they’re simply playing Devil’s advocate ad nauseum without contending with the answers provided.

We’re about to see an awful lot of this square one fallacy, as disingenuous actors and their ignorant followers argue that we have never studied things that have a large scientific literature behind them. When used deceptively, it’s often because they don’t like what the scientific evidence has to say on this topic. It’s a way to sound reasonable and unbiased when what they really want are studies that agree with them.

Vaccine safety has been extensively researched. Psi phenomena, including telepathy, have also been studied, and poor research methods—not scientific bias—explain why trickery often skews results.

We’re not starting from square one.

https://mcgill.ca/x/wve

I recently had the chance to speak to an anti-vaxxer in person. Of course, he did not identify as such: they never do. He didn’t want to be pinned down and was just asking questions about vaccine safety. He told me that he wasn’t opposed to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being confirmed as secretary of t...

02/12/2025

The ad is confrontational: “The Plants That Will Disappear First in a Crisis.” It claims the Medicinal Garden Kit will help people grow their own backyard pharmacy for emergencies 🪴 But like many alternative health products, it prioritizes marketing over evidence.

The kit contains seeds for chamomile, calendula, chicory, marshmallow, California poppy, evening primrose, yarrow, lavender, echinacea, and feverfew. Apelian describes chicory as a non-addictive painkiller due to its chicoric acid content, but research is lacking. A PubMed search reveals one human trial 🧍(on a plant extract mix for coughs) and a mouse study 🐁 on its analgesic properties.

Many of the kit’s plants are claimed cure-alls. Marshmallow is said to treat Crohn’s, coughs, and bacteria. Yarrow supposedly helps menstrual cramps, digestive issues, burns, and even repels mosquitoes 🦟 When something is claimed to heal everything, it usually heals very little 😬 While natural compounds inspire many drugs, they require lab modifications to improve efficacy and safety. Folk medicine can start the drug discovery process, but it shouldn’t be the final step.

Like many alternative health influencers, Apelian has an origin story. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, she claims to have transformed her health through lifestyle changes and herbal supplements. She lists 19 daily herbs and supplements for managing her disease and preventing flare-ups, citing research that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. MS itself is highly variable, with long remission periods, making personal anecdotes unreliable.

There are red flags 🚩 The FTC warned Apelian in 2020 for promoting unproven natural antivirals against COVID-19 🦠 Her website recommends naturopathy, which includes unscientific practices like homeopathy. Given the weak scientific backing, her Medicinal Garden Kit is unlikely to be useful in an emergency. Yet pseudoscience always finds an audience by adapting and evolving.

https://mcgill.ca/x/wvh

The ad is quite confrontational. “The Plants That Will Disappear First in a Crisis.” Given the disaster that is unfolding in the United States right now, it caught my attention. In a crisis, the ad continues, people will turn to plants to nourish and heal themselves, as their ancestors used to d...

02/11/2025

Valentine’s Day is near 💝 and with it comes the flood of chocolate articles 🍫 Many will claim chocolate boosts love by increasing dopamine via phenylethylamine. Don’t buy it! Phenylethylamine is metabolized before reaching the brain.

Expect more claims about chocolate’s health benefits—lowering blood pressure, fighting free radicals, and preventing memory decline. But many studies are industry-funded, packed with “may” and “could,” and end with “more research is needed.” 🧠

This isn’t unique to chocolate. Every day, studies link foods or supplements to health. Media then exaggerate the findings.

Take a recent British Medical Journal study titled “Chocolate intake and risk of Type 2 diabetes.” It led to headlines like “Dark chocolate reduces diabetes risk.” Some softened claims with “may,” but “may not” applies just as well.

🔎 The study mined data from three large cohort studies with 111,654 participants, 18,862 of whom developed diabetes. After analyzing data, researchers claimed five or more servings of dark chocolate weekly lowered diabetes risk by 21%.

Sounds great, right? Not so fast. Food frequency questionnaires are unreliable. Can anyone accurately recall a year’s chocolate intake? What about chocolate in cake, M&Ms, or hot cocoa?

Dark chocolate varies too. Cocoa content ranges from 60-100%, affecting chemical composition. Beans differ by region, fermentation changes their structure, and polyphenol content varies. A 90% cocoa bar from Ghana isn’t the same as a 60% bar from Brazil.

The 21% reduction also needs context. Here, if 1,000 non-chocolate eaters added five servings weekly for a year, one case of diabetes might be prevented. Plus, only 132 of the 4,771 diabetics in the study ate five servings of dark chocolate weekly—a tiny sample size.

Lifestyle factors matter too. Did chocolate replace ice cream? 🍦 Was it diet 🥗 or exercise? 🏃 Researchers tried to account for these but correcting for lifestyle is tricky.

Bottom line: This study offers academic interest, not practical advice. Eating dark chocolate in moderation is fine, but don’t count on it to prevent diabetes. Maybe if it replaces dessert. Or maybe not. 🍫

https://mcgill.ca/x/wvm

Valentine’s Day is rolling around and we can expect a flood of articles about chocolate. Some will trot out the tired old trope about phenylethylamine in chocolate stimulating amorous adventures by enhancing the release of dopamine, the “feel good chemical” in the brain. Don’t bank on it! Wh...

02/10/2025

Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love ❤️ and passion, aphrodisiacs are meant to specifically stimulate the libido 😉

At one time, it was widely believed that a substance would serve as an aphrodisiac if its shape resembled the human body, or part of the body. The rhinoceros horn 🦏, probably because of its ph***ic appearance, is still revered in parts of the world as a "magic" stimulant, but chemical analysis reveals that it is made of keratin, the same protein that makes up hair and fingernails 💅🏻 Consuming rhinoceros horn has about the same effect on the s*x drive as chewing on one’s fingernails 😅

The roots of the ginseng plant often have a human-like appearance. There is limited evidence from a few double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of an effect on erectile dysfunction by triggering the release of the neurotransmitter nitric oxide. This is the same mechanism by which Vi**ra functions. Even if this is further substantiated, neither ginseng, or indeed Vi**ra, can be classified as aphrodisiacs. They may only provide some “mechanical” assistance.

Just about every food that has ever been consumed has at some time been associated with aphrodisiac properties. Avocados 🥑 onions 🧅 garlic 🧄 eels, honey 🍯 eggs 🥚 mushrooms 🍄‍🟫 bananas 🍌 and even spinach 🥬 have been reputed to be aphrodisiacs.

Perhaps the most celebrated aphrodisiac is “Spanish Fly,” derived from cantharide beetles, supposedly favored by Casanova. The beetles 🪲 produce cantharidin, a potentially dangerous compound that can lead to inflammation of the urogenital tract and, in large enough doses, to kidney failure. These candies can be found online today yet have no relation to “spanish fly” other than the name plastered on the wrapper.

Finally, the Aztec emperor Montezuma was said to have indulged in chocolate to bolster his virility. The supposed effect has been ascribed to phenylethylamine in chocolate 🍫 but there is zero evidence that this has an aphrodisiac effect. In any case, there is far more phenylethylamine in sauerkraut than in chocolate. But it isn’t very romantic to show up on your loved one’s doorstep with a jar of fermented cabbage 💐😘

https://mcgill.ca/x/wv8

Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and passion, these substances are meant to specifically stimulate the libido and represent the Holy Grail for people who in some way feel unfulfilled. At one time, it was widely believed that a substance, be it of animal or plant origin, would serve a...