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.
Nanotechnology sunscreen filters out dangers
Current commercial sunscreens use compounds to filter out damaging ultraviolet (UV) light, but these agents can have adverse effects as they penetrate past the surface skin into the bloodstream. The agents have been found in human breast tissue and urine and are known to disrupt the normal function Read More...
6 strategies for better sleep
There are many myths about sleep, which end up disrupting our slumber. For starters, people think that having sleep problems is normal. Or they think that sleep medication is their only hope. However, there are well-researched strategies, which don’t involve taking pills and can have lasting Read More...
Coffee vs. tea: Pros, cons and how to drink them best
A colleague recently came to me asking what’s better: coffee or tea? She told me that she (a coffee drinker) and her boyfriend (more of a tea guy) were debating which beverage is healthier, each believing their own personal preference was the more virtuous option. It seems like every day Read More...
Pocket-sized sensors help safeguard against food contamination
Food in the U.S. is often mislabeled, coming with an assortment of hazards such as carcinogens and pesticides, not to mention the threat of food poisoning. When you take this all into account, the cost of cheap and bountiful food in the U.S. is far more expensive than what we pay at the counter, Read More...
“Resurrection plants” offer hope as climate change threatens crops
As climate change continues to turn what were once fertile lands into dusty, arid fields, scientists and farmers alike are searching for ways to adapt. One answer may lie in a unique group of flora called “resurrection plants,” which can go dormant and appear dead for years, only to return when Read More...
Latinos live longer, despite poverty. Here's their secret.
Celia Aguilar visits with her mother and grandmother in El Paso, Texas. Aguilar’s mother practiced the tradition of cuarentena for her five children. This form of mother care provides 40 days of rest and bonding while relatives or friends cook and run the household. Aguilar plans to do the Read More...
A healthier and more sustainable shrimp—made of algae, not shrimp
Faux burgers, chicken, eggs and all kinds of animal products are being made to satisfy the market of people who don’t want to eat food that comes from animals, and now there is vegetarian shrimp available made without the use of actual sea creatures. Located in California's Bay Area, New Wave Read More...
Molecule clears Alzheimer's plaques in mice
A molecule can clear Alzheimer's plaques from the brains of mice and improve learning and memory, Korean scientists have found in early tests. Exactly how it gets rid of the abnormal build-up is not understood. The small Nature Communications study hints at a way to tackle the disease even once its Read More...
US to ban soaps and other products containing microbeads
The US is set to ban personal care products that contain microbeads after the House of Representatives approved a bill that would phase out the environmentally-harmful items. The bill, which had been backed by a bipartisan committee, will now go to the Senate for approval. The Microbead Free Waters Read More...
Share of life in good health 'rising'
The proportion of life spent in good health is increasing in England, even as life expectancy continues to rise, a study suggests. The research compared two identical surveys, 20 years apart, that measured the health of people aged 65 or older in Cambridge, Newcastle and Nottingham. The data, Read More...