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.
Italy's plan to destigmatize doggy bags and end food waste
Even in the fanciest pizza restaurant, you never feel weird if you ask for a box to take your leftovers home. In Italy, that will soon apply everywhere, with a new law that encourages restaurants to give people doggy bags, although in Italy it's called a "family bag." The new law is designed to Read More...
Yoga, acupuncture can help relieve some pain, studies find
Some "natural" techniques can help ease pain, including acupuncture, yoga, tai chi and massage, government researchers said Thursday. A review of high-quality studies shows these approaches rarely cause any harm and can help people with lower back pain, headaches and arthritic knees, the team at Read More...
The veggie burger has become a destination dish
The veggie burger has been a staple for vegetarians for years. For health and environmental reasons, not for good taste. But that is changing as leading chefs are turning their attention to perfecting this dish. They are using grains, fresh vegetables, quinoa and lentils to replace the texture of Read More...
Experimental drug slows memory loss and halts Alzheimer’s decline
Good news about the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is hard to find. However, new breakthrough research is hailed as the "best news" in dementia research for 25 years and a potential "game changer" for people with the disease. In a preliminary trial a bioengineered medication called aducanumab Read More...
Three grand challenges for brain science that can be solved in 10 years
Neuroscientists have formulated a list of the great outstanding problems in brain science that can be solved in the near future. by Emerging Technology from the arXiv August 31, 2016 One of the great scientific challenges is to understand the human brain. Research teams around the world are Read More...
Fitbit's charge and flex fitness trackers just got a lot better
Last Thursday, former volleyball star Gabby Reece worked out with a bunch of tech journalists on a rooftop in downtown San Francisco. I only made it through half of the 20-minute workout, which says something about my personal fitness level or the workout's difficulty, perhaps both. The event was Read More...
A chocolate pill? Scientists to test whether cocoa extract boosts health
You've likely heard that dark chocolate is good for you. Last year, researchers linked a regular chocolate habit to a reduced risk of heart disease. And, as we've reported, compounds found in cocoa known as flavanols or polyphenols have been shown to improve vascular health by increasing blood Read More...
See inside this vertical farm where 65,000 pounds of lettuce grow each year in shipping containers
Los Angeles-based Local Roots' three farms are no ordinary farms. They're not even outside — but inside three small shipping containers. The startup uses vertical hydroponic farming, a method where plants grow year-round with LEDs rather than natural sunlight. Read More...
Urban farming is revolutionizing our cities
Humans are fast becoming city dwellers. According to the United Nations, "The urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 746 million in 1950 to 3.9 billion in 2014." Sixty-six percent of us will likely live in urban environments by 2050. The number of mega-cities (more than 10 million Read More...
Acupuncture offers pain relief for kids with complex medical issues
Many young patients with long-term medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries and other brain and musculoskeletal conditions suffer from chronic pain. A new case study of nine patients has found that the practice of acupuncture may be a safe, effective alternative for pain Read More...