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Happy Saturday and you might want to relax...
You’re about to read a story about a very relaxing substance: kava, a root long cultivated on South Pacific islands, where the buzz it induces when brewed into a beverage has made it a highly valued social lubricant, anxiety remedy and sleep aid. You can get it these days in supplement form and at trendy kava bars cropping up in places like Brooklyn (not yet in Mass., it seems). If MIT researchers have their way, it will soon be possible to replicate kava’s beatific effects without needing to farm the sterile, hard-to-grow root. Time to break out more of those “Better Living Through Chemistry” T-shirts…
— Carey Goldberg, CommonHealth Editor
@commonhealth
newsletters@wbur.org
The Rundown
MIT Scientists Synthesize The Feel-Good Molecules In Kava, 'Nature's Xanax'
For thousands of years, Pacific islanders have made a calming drink out of kava, a root that's been called "Nature's Xanax" and "The Pacific Elixir."Now, MIT researchers are using cutting-edge science to synthesize the feel-good molecules in Kava.
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LGBT Cancer Survivors Face Disparities In Post-Cancer Care, BU Study Says
LGBT cancer survivors receive less access to follow-up care than heterosexual survivors, a study finds.
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House Set To Vote On Children's Health Bill
The bill addresses several areas of concern, including behavioral health, the pediatric health workforce and insurance coverage for young people aging out of foster care.
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Worth A Read
The New York Times reported this week that one of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's dreams was to seed the human race with his genes. It's a vision that's in line with Epstein's interest in eugenics, according to the report. In Boston, he hosted many events and dinners with the elite scientific community, and he often tried to steer conversations towards the topic. Read it here.
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