Does heartbreak hurt your body? PLUS: Coffee alternatives, a brain-eating amoeba is on the rise

In today’s newsletter, we deal with heartbreak, examine the two specific periods when aging accelerates, learn about cortisol and growing cases of UTIs and the mysterious POTS. Plus, kombucha vs. matcha.

The price of love

In platonic or romantic love, there’s no getting around the body’s need for human-to-human interaction. It’s as vital as fresh water, food, and exercise, and a body with its seven love hormones activated is in bloom.

But what happens when you lose all that positive flow from dopamine and oxytocin and experience a jump in stressors? If you know anyone going through heartbreak, it’s not pretty. Here’s what science says can help.

Do we even need mosquitos?

Triple E. West Nile. Dengue fever. Malaria. Zika. Mosquito-borne diseases kill 700,000 people a year. What if we could eliminate the mosquito entirely? Would there be unintended consequences?

Are these coffee alternatives worth the hype?

Beyond coffee: You don’t have to rely on drinking the usual joe to get an energy bump. Which of the following packs the most caffeine?

A. Guarana

B. Kombucha

C. Yaupon tea

D. Yerba mate

E. A and B

Read more top stories from Nat Geo

• This brain-eating amoeba is on the rise—thanks to climate change
• Your body ages rapidly in two 'bursts,' at 44 and 60. Here's how to prepare.
• What is cortisol—and should you actually be worried about it?
• UTIs are rising fast—and the cause could be in your refrigerator
• What is POTS? This strange disorder has doubled since the pandemic