Health
Finding good health news amidst a pandemic can be quite daunting. That’s not the case with The Optimist Daily, where positive news is in high supply. Our Health section covers the latest good news from the health sector, featuring solutions ranging from mental and physical health to immunity, nutrition, and cutting edge medical research.
Four signs your body needs more vitamin D
Did you know that 42 percent of Americans meet the criteria for clinical vitamin D insufficiency? Research shows that we need at least 3,000 IU vitamin D3 each day, but how do we know if we’re getting enough? Here are four signs you may be vitamin D deficient. Bone health Vitamin D facilitates Read More...
The scientific case for magic mushrooms in space
During the health crisis, most of the residents on planet Earth have finally had a taste of what it’s like to be an astronaut in space. No, not because we’ve all had the chance to launch ourselves into “the last frontier,” but because we’ve grappled with loneliness, isolation, and Read More...
London’s black cabbies help navigate research into Alzheimer’s disease
What do squirrels and London’s licensed black cabbies have in common? An extraordinarily large hippocampus—the area of the brain that deals with spatial navigation. London’s licensed black cabbies don’t need the modern convenience of GPS devices. Instead, they rely on “the Read More...
WHO recognizes Henrietta Lacks for her life-changing contributions to medicine
When Henrietta Lacks sought treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in the 1950s, her cancer cells were harvested without her consent. These “HeLa cells” became the first sample of human cells to divide indefinitely in a lab, providing the basis for life-changing Read More...
This device can save people from opioid overdoses
The strain of health care systems around the world caused by the pandemic means many other services have been cut. This includes those tackling the opioid epidemic, which accounted for 70 percent of overdoses in 2019, according to the CDC. While many government policies look at this issue from a Read More...
3 Covid-19 medical advancements that will endure post-pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic stalled a lot of progress, but true to form, The Optimist Daily would like to point out a few ways in which the pandemic actually provided the perfect circumstances for technological advancement. Genetic vaccines. After thirty years of lab research and development, the Read More...
Doctors complete first successful pig to human kidney transplant
For the first time ever, doctors at NYU Langone Health in New York City have successfully transplanted a pig kidney into a human. The primary function of this organ is to filter waste products and excess fluid from the blood, which is subsequently turned into urine. When this process breaks down, a Read More...
Could genetically modified mosquitoes mean the end of malaria?
Managing mosquito populations is a key component to reducing malaria rates, but as anyone who has spent a summer evening outdoors knows, these pesky insects can be tough to work against. However, a landmark study has found that genetically modified mosquitoes can be introduced to keep insect Read More...
Scientists use algae proteins to partially restore vision of blind man
Retinitis pigmentosa — a disease that progressively destroys light-sensing cells on the surface of the retina — is one of the most common causes of blindness in young people, affecting about one in 4,000 people worldwide. Though there’s no cure for this genetic disorder, scientists are Read More...
To fight child obesity, family and friends need to accept kids as they are
Despite the launch of many programs and initiatives designed to get kids in the US to eat healthier, like the elimination of junk food from school vending machines, child obesity rates keep rising and increased more rapidly during the pandemic. So, the question remains: what are these schemes Read More...