Still Monotonic After All These Years

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
For just about everything we ingest in our daily lives, from aspirin to alcoholic beverages, small doses may be just fine for us. But too much of a good thing may be harmful. That common sense principle was first described by a Swiss physician named Paracelsus in the 16th century and is commonly stated today as “the dose makes the poison.”
 
Tags:
SAFETY

Bisphenol F – From Mother Nature To You

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Conventional wisdom tells us that substances naturally present in our diet must be safe, if not actually beneficial to our health. From vitamins to minerals, and protein to carbohydrates, a healthy diet includes a wide range of nutrients that we cannot live without.
 
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SAFETY

Listening to the Science in Taiwan

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Monday, May 6, 2019
The safety of any substance is dependent on the amount to which we are exposed.  Just about any substance could be harmful at high exposure levels, including things we commonly accept as safe.  For example, your doctor may tell you to “take two aspirin and call me in the morning” if you’re feeling under the weather, but a whole bottle of aspirin could act as a poison and kill you.
 
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SAFETY

The Results Of This New Study Might Jar You…

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Scientists know that an essential component of our perception of flavor is the aroma released from the foods that we eat.  Although you may never have taken a chemistry class, you might know that those aromas consist of a long list of volatile compounds that is reminiscent of an organic chemistry textbook…including aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, quinones, terpenes, thiols, sulfides and amines.

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SAFETY

Holiday Gifts That Keep On Giving

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Although you may not know it, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting some BPA in your holiday gifts this year.  That’s a good thing because BPA helps your gifts keep on giving long after the holidays are over.
 
If you’re a skier or snowboarder, someone who cares about your safety might give you a polycarbonate helmet to protect your head if you fall.  Polycarbonate is lightweight and highly shatter-resistant, making it an ideal material for safety helmets of all types.
 
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SAFETY

More Fake News on BPA – Should You Care?

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Thursday, September 13, 2018

The title of a recent press release on a new study sounds ominously important: “BPA replacements in plastics cause reproductive problems in lab mice.” Reading further, the press release refers to “the array of alternative bisphenols now used to replace BPA,” and the new study states that “[r]eplacement bisphenols have rapidly emerged in consumer products.”

Tags:
BPA

An Explanation on BPA in Plastic Water Bottles

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Monday, August 20, 2018
There always seems to be a new article on the Internet telling you not to drink from plastic water bottles, listing 2, 5 or even more reasons why. The suggestion only makes sense if the reasons are credible, and this is where the articles come up short. 
 
The three simple reasons below are how you can ignore the however many reasons online and continue to drink out of plastic water bottles as much as you want. 
 
1. Plastic water (and soda) bottles do not contain BPA
 
Tags:
SAFETY

BPA Safety and Confusion

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
As far as I know there are no studies reporting about BPA safety and confusion.  But it is certainly true that BPA safety is a confusing subject, and you’re forgiven if you’ve been confused by what you’ve read about BPA over recent years.
 
Tags:
SAFETY

Seoul Listens to the Science on BPA

Steven Hentges, Ph.D
Monday, July 30, 2018
Next time you walk down the canned food aisle of the grocery store, take a close look at the labels on the cans.  You’re likely to see some with logos indicating that the product is BPA-Free.  Since the labels provide no information to explain what that really means, you probably assume it must be a good thing.  If it isn’t, why would they put it on the label?
 
Tags:
SAFETY

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