How Fasting May Supercharge Your Immune System

Also: Could asking about Eastern European Jewish ancestry help catch cancer early? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( August 24, 2019 New newsletter alert: [Sign up]( for our soon-to-launch politics newsletter by Kimberly Atkins. Happy Saturday, Maybe you've heard of the 16/8 method (fast for 16 hours, eat during eight) or the 5:2 diet (eat normally for five days, fast for two.) The "why" of such intermittent fasting regimes is that they seem to be good for health. Reporter Angus Chen takes a look at "how" they are thought to work, particularly their effects on the immune system -- including one researcher's description of a "magic soup" in the bone marrow. — Carey Goldberg, CommonHealth Editor newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown url[Cancer Patient Says Question Could Save Lives: 'Do You Have Eastern European Jewish Ancestry?']( Her advanced ovarian cancer could almost certainly have been prevented if she'd gotten a DNA test in time and had surgery, says the leader of a nonprofit focused on risks of BRCA mutations, especially for Ashkenazi Jews.   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    ['Magic Soup': How Intermittent Fasting May Enhance The Immune System]( Why did patients with rheumatoid arthritis feel better during Ramadan? Why did fasting improve multiple sclerosis symptoms in mice? New research digs into the health effects of skipping meals.  [Opioid Overdose Deaths In Mass. Are Down 11% So Far This Year]( Preliminary data from the state show a trend that started in 2016, despite a continued increase in the presence of fentanyl in fatalities. It's now in 92% of overdose deaths. Public health experts say increased distribution of naloxone is helping more drug users survive an overdose.  Support the news [A Franklin County Jail Can Now Dispense Methadone To Treat Inmates]( About 90% of the 225 people in the jail have a substance-use disorder, and almost 50% of them say they primarily use opioids.  [Birth Control Pill Of The Future May Only Need To Be Taken Once A Month]( It’s new technology with a unique mechanism that the founders of Lyndra Therapeutics hope will ease the burden of current oral contraceptives, which are supposed to be taken at the same time every day. Worth A Read It's just a Q&A, and it's just one more story about a local biotech company testing a drug, but it's still a grabber to learn that a serious anti-aging drug could be coming soon. [Technology Review]( quotes the leader of resTORbio predicting we'll get word next year on a drug that aims to counteract the effects of aging on the immune system. “ He didn't know that he carries this. So he didn't know that I had a 50% chance of inheriting it from him. — Lauren Corduck, ["Cancer Patient Says Question Could Save Lives: 'Do You Have Eastern European Jewish Ancestry?'"]( Also on WBUR [Here & Now: Mother Whose Son Died In A Hot Car Advocates For Better Vehicle Safety Technology]( At least 35 children in the U.S. have died this year after being left in hot cars, according to the nonprofit Kids and Cars.      😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [WBUR]  [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](. Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2019 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You've signed up to get WBUR Today, a daily morning news briefing from WBUR. We hope you enjoy! Our mailing address is: WBUR-FM 890 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02215-1205 [Add us to your address book](