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.
Edible food containers will minimize packaging waste
Food packaging is a huge waste. Thankfully, David Edwards, Harvard University Professor and edible food packaging designer, has come up with an answer that would make the plastic bag redundant. His solution, called the WikiPearl, is an edible skin that can be wrapped around food to prevent Read More...
The benefits of human touch
Amazing things can happen with just a simple touch, like holding someone’s hand. Research has shown that the human touch can relive anxiety, reduce fear, and decrease the perception of physical pain. In times of stress, a touch can positively impact hormones in the brain’s hypothalamus, the Read More...
A healing touch
“You can’t imagine how much it helped me having you there to hold my hand when I was so scared.” Have you ever said this to someone in your life? Or has someone ever said it to you? Something remarkable happens through physical contact, something as powerful as a drug, something that Read More...
Scientists discover how lizards regrow their tails
For years scientists have been perplexed at how lizards regrow their tails, a great defense mechanism that could have huge implications for human amputees. Researchers at Arizona State University have uncovered the “genetic recipe” that lizards “turn on” to regrow their tails. Scientists Read More...
Urban farms give Singapore food stability
Buying food in Singapore can get expensive. The tiny island-nation relies on 35 countries to import 90 percent of its food. One of the main reasons for this is land scarcity—at only 280 square miles with a population of 5.3 million people, Singapore has just about ran out of space. Importing so Read More...
Dairy fats lower type 2 diabetes risk
A new study has uncovered intriguing connections between levels of different types of saturated fats in the blood and risk of developing type 2 diabetes—adding more data to the growing body of evidence that, contrary to what we’ve been led to believe, saturated fats from dairy products are Read More...
Natural proteins kill hospital superbugs
Superbugs are drug resistant bacteria that have the ability to survive exposure to antibiotics that would kill normal bacteria. Superbugs get much of their resistance from thick jelly like cell walls, called biofilm that has traditionally been difficult for antibacterial products to break through. Read More...
Pulses help you lose weight
Want to lose a few more pounds by the end of summer? Then you should add some beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils to your diet. New research from St. Michael’s Hospital in Canada have found that those who eat 160 grams of pulses a day feel 30% fuller than those who don’t eat them, and as a Read More...
Organic farming movement is growing in Spain
Spain’s economy was one of the hardest hit after the 2008 financial crisis. And while the unemployment rate lingers at 25%, ecological farming hasn’t been slowed by the collapse of the global financial system. Spain has the largest area of land devoted to organic food production in the European Read More...
Sun is good for you
We’ve been hearing about the dangers of sun exposure for decades. But a rising number of recent scientific studies show that the sun has a positive effect on our health. So positive, in fact, that some doctors increasingly recommend that we spend more time basking in it. The sun helps convert Read More...