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.
What Silicon Valley can learn from Buddha’s diet
As we walk, Dan Zigmond pulls on a black baseball cap. The sun is high, and the trees give little shade. It’s a big park—stretching across a good nine acres of grass, mulch, shrubs, and gravel paths—but from where we are, it looks much bigger. Beyond the nine acres, all we can see are more Read More...
This simple diet linked to higher IQ
The reason people with a higher IQ also tend to be healthier could be down to their diet. People with a higher IQ are more likely to be vegetarian, psychological research finds. In fact, vegetarians could be up to 10% more intelligent than red meat eaters, according to some studies. A higher IQ is Read More...
New study shows vitamin D increases lifespan
More and more studies show the vital importance of vitamin D. It help to prevent arthritis, diabetes, and cancer; and it reduces inflammation. A new study links vitamin D to aging. Adequate levels of vitamin D are linked to an extended lifespan. Make sure you get enough sun and/or take vitamin D Read More...
Is it still a placebo when it works and you know it's a placebo?
Placebos can't cure diseases, but research suggests that they seem to bring some people relief from subjective symptoms, such as pain, nausea, anxiety and fatigue. But there's a reason your doctor isn't giving you a sugar pill and telling you it's a new wonder drug. The thinking has been that you Read More...
Study: U.K. can save $4 billion in health care cost every year by giving up coal
There are many hidden costs to human health and the natural environment related to the use of fossil fuels. That’s why renewable energy advocates have long argued that fossil fuels are not cheaper than clean energy. Now that solar and wind energy are beginning to beat oil, gas, and coal, more Read More...
Inspired by nature: the thrilling new science that could transform medicine
In the summer of 2005, Jeffrey Karp, a bioengineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was working late one night when he spotted a journal article on a colleague’s desk. What caught his eye was not the text itself, but the full-page colour illustration of Spider-Man that Read More...
The best and worst cities in the U.S for vegetarians and vegans
If you’re a traveling vegetarian, you may want to check out this guide to veggie-friendly cities in the U.S. You could probably guess that cities like Portland, New York City and San Francisco stand near the top of the list of most veggie-friendly cities, but did you know Santa Fe, New Mexico had Read More...
How to use food as preventive medicine
By now, most of us know that October is a month to raise awareness about breast cancer. Since only 10 percent of breast cancer cases are genetic, a huge part of this conversation revolves around cancer prevention through environment and lifestyle adjustments. We can't control everything, but we can Read More...
The science of yoga
More than 11 million Americans currently practice yoga, according to the American Council on Exercise. Back in 2010, a comparative analysis study from researchers at the University of Maryland School of Nursing concluded that yoga may be as effective as, or even better than, exercise when it comes Read More...
Air pollution more deadly in Africa than malnutrition or dirty water, study warns
Africa’s air pollution is causing more premature deaths than unsafe water or childhood malnutrition, and could develop into a health and climate crisis reminiscent of those seen in China and India, a study by a global policy forum has found. The first major attempt to calculate both the human Read More...