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This week: The science behind fasting; why you might want to rethink low-cal sweeteners; promising news about pain killers that could replace opioids; the real science behind pop culture zombies; and what having red hair means for your health.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASPER DOEST

Can fasting really help you live longer? Here's what the science says.

About 10 percent of Americans say they fast intermittently—but the meaning of "intermittent fasting" varies widely, from 12 hours a day, 16 hours, alternate days, or one day a week. It might be easy to chalk it up as a passing fad, but research has shown that intermittent fasting has real health benefits. Here’s how it really works—and how a new diet that tricks your body into thinking it’s fasting may have similar benefits.

HOW FASTING WORKS

WHEN SHOULD YOU EAT? It's just as important as what you eat. +

PHOTOGRAPH BY TRISTAN SPINSKI

Low-calories sweeteners might not be as good for us as we thought

Some artificial sweeteners disrupt the microbes in our gut—in ways that might actually increase the risk of weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.

LINK TO OBESITY

PHOTOGRAPH BY IMYSKIN, GETTY IMAGES

What to know about Ozempic, TikTok's favorite weight loss drug

Scientists caution that for weight loss, the diabetes medication's long-term safety and efficacy aren't settled. That hasn't stopped influencers.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN D. LILES, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

Could this be the solution to chronic pain—and the opioid crisis?

Monoclonal antibodies were used to protect the vulnerable from COVID-19. Now, early research suggests these lab-made proteins may provide non-addictive, long-lasting relief from a variety of chronic pain conditions, including low back pain, neuropathic pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer.

THE FUTURE OF PAIN RELIEF

PAIN RELIEF FROM CANNABIS: Is it real, or is it the placebo effect? +

Read more about the opioid crisis:

•

We're learning more about what causes addiction—and how to fight it. >

•

Fentanyl is killing more teens than ever. A 'miracle drug' could save their lives. >

THE FUNGI THAT WE SHOULD FEAR

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX HYDE, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

Could a parasitic fungus evolve to control humans? The zombie-creating fungus in the video game and television show The Last of Us is very real—but there are many other fungi to fear. Of the 5 million fungal species in the world, a few hundred are dangerous to people.

REAL ZOMBIE SCIENCE

More on nature's threats:

•

The next pandemic may be caused by a drug-resistant fungus. We are not prepared. >

HOW RED HAIR AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPH BY KIKE CALVO, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

There's more research on the variations in human hair color than you might expect, and the science makes it clear that crimson locks are not becoming increasingly rare. But why do redheads exist in the first place—and what else does the gene influence?

WHAT CAUSES RED HAIR?

HEALTH NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

NG STAFF

Highly transmissible subvariant XBB.1.5 continues to circulate

This Omicron descendant now accounts for 43 percent of the genetically sequenced samples collected in the country.

TRACKING COVID-19 IN THE U.S.

How 'everywhere chemicals' help uterine fibroids grow >

Why the new Alzheimer's drug is eliciting both optimism and caution >

Sperm counts worldwide are plummeting faster than we thought >

Fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they used to be >

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