Do you know which popular holiday spice can help soothe a toothache? Or why chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats?
By digging deep into the molecular chemistry of everyday foods and spices, Cambridge-based chemistry teacher Andy Brunning has the answers.
And you don't have to be a chemistry-expert to understand them.
Brunning heads the popular science website Compound Interest and recently published the book "Why Does Asparagus Make Your Wee Smell?: And 57 other curious food and drink questions."
Here are 15 of Brunning's amazing graphics about the chemistry of asparagus, cloves, coffee, nutmeg, and much more:
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When your doctor says don't eat grapefruit, she means it! Grapefruit contains compounds that can prevent your body from breaking down certain medications, including some statin drugs to lower cholesterol, like Lipitor, and some antihistamines, like Allegra.
Additional source: FDA
Clove oil is rich in a compound called eugenol, which has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that can ease dental pain.
Leaves from the coriander plant are a popular ingredient in Indian cuisine. But the leaves can sometimes taste soapy. That's because they contain similar aldehyde compounds found in many soaps and lotions.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider