News for Now Update: Week ending December 31, 2022

London Mixologists Getting Back to Nature
In London, mixologists such as Mr Lyan are stepping away from mass-produced, artificial ingredients and crafting natural cocktail components from scratch. The benefits are many, including expanding the flavors and complexity of the drinks, improving sustainability and eco-friendliness through local sourcing from small farms, reducing waste by using whole ingredients, and retaining more health-promoting benefits from naturally fermented products. Read more at the Guardian.

California Reevaluating Plant-Based Psychedelics
For millennia, Indigenous cultures have traditionally consumed natural hallucinogenic substances, including psilocybin (from certain mushrooms) and ayahuasca. As research develops showing their potential therapeutic benefits and as views shift regarding the “war on drugs,” California legislators are now proposing a bill to decriminalize their use and possession (while still prohibiting synthetic versions such as LSD and MDMA). Read more at the LA Times.

3M to Stop Making “Forever Chemicals” By End of 2025
Chemicals sometimes referred to as PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are found in many common household products (like food packaging and nonstick cookware). Concerns over them have been raised since the 1970s because they don’t break down under normal environmental conditions. One major producer, manufacturing giant 3M, has pledged to phase them out by the end of 2025. Read more at the BBC.

Ivory Coast Pushes Back on Unfair Cocoa Prices
Ivory Coast, the country that supplies nearly half the world’s cocoa beans, is determined to fight back against chocolate companies’ unfair prices that leave farmers in poverty. Teaming up with Ghana and seeking to enlist Nigeria and Cameroon (collectively representing a total of 75% of the world’s cocoa production), they hope to tighten the market and demand fair rates for their products. Read more at Al Jazeera.

Does Social Practice Alter Man’s Nutrition? by Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., MD
In this 1965 article, Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., MD, identifies many factors that may prevent individuals from accessing adequate, healthful nutrition. Potential environmental detractors he mentions include synthetic chemicals, hormones, pesticides, and pollutants; he also contends that personal choices, such as shifting intake away from fats toward carbohydrates and using caloric restriction to reduce weight, may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Read more in our Pioneer Archives Post.