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.
High doses of vitamin C help cancer treatments work better
According to a new study, giving cancer patients high doses of vitamin C during their treatment may weaken cancer cells and make them more vulnerable to the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. 93 percent of the people in the study receiving vitamin C infusions responded to chemotherapy and Read More...
Is neuroscience rediscovering the soul?
The idea that neuroscience is rediscovering the soul is, to most scientists and philosophers, nothing short of outrageous. Of course it is not. But the widespread, adverse, knee-jerk attitude presupposes the old-fashioned definition of the soul — the ethereal, immaterial entity that somehow Read More...
Research: Deep sleep may act as fountain of youth in old age
As we grow old, our nights are frequently plagued by bouts of wakefulness, bathroom trips and other nuisances as we lose our ability to generate the deep, restorative slumber we enjoyed in youth. But that does not mean the elderly need less sleep, according to Read More...
Replacing hospital noise with soothing sounds that promote peace and healing
Hospitals are home to a cacophony of noisy alarms. In fact, the average hospital racks up 135 alarms per patient per day. These alarms can create a sense of nervousness and anxiety in a setting meant for healing, which is why an ambient musician has set out to replace the buzzing and beeping of Read More...
Man moves paralyzed legs using device that stimulates spinal cord
A new study reports researchers have successfully used electrical stimulation on the spinal cord of a paralyzed patient to allow him to stand, move his legs and make stepping motions. Source: Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic researchers used electrical stimulation on the spinal cord and intense physical Read More...
A new treatment could bring some relief for Alzheimer's very soon
If trials conclude successfully later this year, a new drug will provide some relief for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. It would be the first new treatment for the disease available in over a decade. The drug works by increasing the release of a chemical in the brain that plays an Read More...
I'm harnessing the power of gardening to help autistic people
If someone had said to me ten years ago that autism and the therapeutic benefits of gardening will become your life, I wouldn’t have believed them. Yes, I enjoyed growing some of my own food in my back yard in Brighton, but it wasn’t until my son Arthur’s autism diagnosis a few Read More...
Walk, stretch or dance? Dancing may be best for the brain
So for the new study, which was published this month in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Illinois in Urbana and other schools decided to look at the effects of several different types of exercise on the wiring and the function of older people’s brain. They began Read More...
Experimental technology allows paralyzed man to regain control of his arm
For the first time ever, a paralyzed man has regained the ability to use his arms thanks to an experimental technology. The man had electrical implants placed in the motor cortex of his brain and sensors inserted in his forearm, which allows the muscles of his arm and hand to be stimulated in Read More...
How neuroscience might help the San Francisco Giants win the World Series
The next time a San Francisco Giant hits a game-winning home run or turns a great double play to end a rival’s rally, you may be able to thank neuroscience. Today, Halo Neuroscience, a San Francisco startup that’s developed a device aimed at boosting the performance of athletes, Read More...