A calorie is a calorie? Not quite

This week: The link between eating late at night and weight gain; what you need to know about carbs, fats, and protein; hope for long COVID patients; potential dangers in your potting soil; the six key indicators of good health.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN ST. JOHN, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Does eating close to bedtime make you gain weight? It depends.

Plenty of research has found that late-night eating is linked to weight gain or obesity—but that doesn’t explain why eating later might have anything to do with putting on pounds. A recent study sought to address the question by controlling the calories participants ate, how much they slept, and how much physical activity they got. Here’s what they found.

HOW YOUR BODY RESPONDS TO A CALORIE AT NIGHT

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

NATALIE KEYSSAR, NG IMAGE COLLECTION

Here’s what you need to know about carbs, fats, and protein

Simply cutting out carbs isn’t a guarantee for losing weight. Here’s what you need to know about these three macronutrients—and how they’re broken down and used in the body.

THE KEYS TO WEIGHT LOSS

ANIKO HOBEL/GETTY IMAGES

‘Brain food’ is real. Here’s what to eat to keep it healthy and strong.

Milk for your bones, carrots for your eyes—but what about your brain? These are the foods (and nutrients) that experts say are key for growth and development.

SEE THE LIST

More on health and nutrition:

•

How certain foods lower your risk of inflammation and disease

•

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

•

Losing weight leads to better health? Not necessarily

PHOTOGRAPH BY IRA BLOCK, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

When exercise makes you feel worse

Many of them used to run marathons, yet now they can barely walk. There are about 16 million adults with long COVID in the U.S., and about 80 percent of them say they are limited in their day-to-day function. But for these patients with post-exertional malaise, or PEM—one of the most mysterious and debilitating symptoms of long COVID—hope may be on the horizon.

THE RIGHT TYPE OF EXERCISE

HAD COVID MORE THAN ONCE? Here’s how multiple infections can harm your body. +

THE PROBLEM WITH POTTING SOIL

PHOTOGRAPH BY NIVAL ANNE-SOPHIE, HANS LUCAS/REDUX

The soil used to grow potted plants and fill raised beds seems perfect. But it hides some disturbing problems for the environment and our health. Here are the top three most problematic ingredients in potting soil—and how they can harm your health.

POTTING SOIL’S DIRTY SECRET

Your house, your health:

•

Is tap water safe to drink? Here’s what you really need to know.

•

The scientific case against gas stoves

6 INDICATORS OF GOOD HEALTH

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID PLUNKERT

In the United States, about 40 percent of premature deaths—defined as occurring before age 75—are related to behaviors we can change. By making healthy lifestyle choices, you can self-engineer genetic alterations to prevent disease and boost longevity.

FOCUS ON THESE 6 THINGS

HEALTH NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

It’s not all in your head, but researchers have found that how you think about pain can make it worse. Now, a promising new approach to treatment may offer relief to many sufferers of chronic pain.

A PROMISING TREATMENT

Allergy season is going to get much worse

These 7 hormones influence how much—or little—you eat. Can we influence them?

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a puzzle. Your gut microbiome may have the key.

STDs are at a shocking high. How do we reverse the trend?

Is it possible to cure hot flashes? We may be getting closer.

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A calorie is a calorie? Not quite

A calorie is a calorie? Not quite

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