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.
New study measures food waste not in dollars or tons, but in ‘lost’ health
Americans waste 38 million tons of food with a value of $165 billion each year. Reducing food waste is a major contribution to fighting global warming as agriculture is a leading source of carbon emissions. A new report looks at food waste from the perspective of “lost” health. If all that lost Read More...
Zinc lozenges can help you get rid of your cold 3 times faster
If you need to get rid of the common cold quickly, zinc lozenges may be the answer. In meta-analysis of three studies, researchers found that zinc lozenges, which can be commonly found at any drug store, may triple the rate of recovery from the cold. Although the researchers do warn that the doses Read More...
Could plant chemicals provide a healthier contraceptive for women?
Women who struggle with side effects of the contraceptive pill may soon have a new option, thanks to the discovery of a non-hormonal method of contraception. Scientists uncovered that two compounds normally found in wild plants have the ability to stop fertilization by preventing sperm from Read More...
This is why some parents are raising their children as vegan
"You’re vegan? How aren’t you dead?” It’s a question that Elizabeth Tighe’s 12-year-old son is asked more often than she’d like. But as a vegan raising her children to follow a plant-based lifestyle, it’s not one that particularly suprises her. In the past Read More...
Bloomberg tackles air pollution and obesity with $5m grants to 40 cities
Michael Bloomberg has long fought for public health. As a mayor of New York, he banned smoking in bars and restaurants and even launched a campaign against the sale of large-sized sugary drinks. Now as the World Health Organization’s global ambassador for non-communicable diseases—meaning Read More...
Implanting insulin-producing pancreatic cells could cure type 1 diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is a disease where your body stops producing insulin, which can lead to a lifetime of dependence on injected or pumped insulin as well as a host of health complications. New clinical trials, however, show some promising results in “curing” the disease by implanting Read More...
New research suggests gut microbiome plays a role in bipolar disorder
Scientists are taking a closer look at how microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal system impact mental health. A new study suggests that bacteria in the gut microbiome is linked to bipolar disorder. The research, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, suggests that the microbial Read More...
Heal: The science-backed documentary that reveals how the body can heal itself
The latest science reveals that we are not victims of unchangeable genes, nor should we buy into a scary prognosis. The fact is we have more control over our health and life than we have been taught to believe, and there’s a new documentary coming out to prove it. The documentary, Heal, is an Read More...
Scientists want you to give them money to study psychedelics
No three strung-together letters in the English language are more loaded than L-S-D. Say them out loud to elicit images of strung out hippies waving their hands around and making things out of flowers, or of an innocent youth’s mind snapping under the weight of acid. Or just really bad art. Read More...
Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation reduces stress and changes your brain
Meditation, in its most basic sense, is clearing your mind of all thought—or at least, trying to. The practice is used in cultures around the globe for both religious and secular purposes. While it may be best known for its spiritual uses, it is this latter purpose that has recently ignited a Read More...