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.
Small farmers can overcome climate change and feed the world
Like many small-scale farmers, Elizabeth Mpofu from drought-hit Zimbabwe has had to adapt her homestead to cope with a changing climate, which the United Nations says threatens to push millions globally into poverty and hunger. She has found ways of adapting such as collecting and storing rainfall Read More...
The right way to take melatonin supplements for sleep
Jet lag always seems to get the best of me when I travel. I’ve tried prescription sleeping pills, well-timed cups of coffee, and even gradually adjusting my sleep schedule in the days leading up to a trip. But I hadn’t used melatonin to help regulate my sleep cycle, so when Sundown Read More...
Green buildings benefit the environment and the people inside them
Green-certified buildings help to maximize efficiency, and we’re not just talking about sustainability. A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that workers in high-performing, green-certified buildings think and sleep better than those in similar buildings that were not Read More...
Can the sweet potato prevent malnourishment in Africa?
Vitamin A deficiency is a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, affecting as many as 43 million children across the continent. Children affected by it are more likely to become blind or contract diseases, but scientists say there may be a solution in the form of a special sweet potato. Read More...
Bacteria in our mouths may hold clues about why people get migraines
Caterina Cestarelli doesn't always know what will trigger an excruciating migraine. Sometimes it's skimping on sleep or missing a meal. Other times it's smelling a powerful perfume. Whatever the trigger, it usually leads to the same place: Her tiny New York City bedroom, with lights off and blinds Read More...
Can wild seeds save us from food apocalypse?
Around the world, botanists are battling to find rare wild seed strains before they die out – helping ensure food supplies that can survive the perils of climate change. Trapped by Hitler’s soldiers during the brutal winter of 1941-42, a band of Russian botanists faced a terrible Read More...
Study suggests gut bacteria can aid recovery from spinal cord injury
Researchers from The Ohio State University have discovered that spinal cord injury alters the type of bacteria living in the gut and that these changes can exacerbate the extent of neurological damage and impair recovery of function. The study, "Gut dysbiosis impairs recovery after spinal cord Read More...
Mediterranean diet cuts macular degeneration risk by more than a third
People who closely follow the Mediterranean diet -- especially by eating fruit -- may be more than a third less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, according to a study presented at AAO 2016, the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Read More...
10 smart food solutions for the future
Hunger and food waste are the defining characteristics of our global food system, both of which are exacerbated by a climate changing planet. By 2050 there will be more than nine billion people to feed, in a hotter and less predictable world. Rather than be daunted by the scale of the problem, and Read More...
Can environmentally focused activist shareholders transform animal-based agriculture?
When Tyson Foods invested this week in a company that makes veggie burgers, it shocked industry observers. After all, Tyson isn’t just a company that dabbles in meat — it’s America’s largest processor and seller of all things carnivorous. Indeed, there seemed to be Read More...