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.
Lonely hearts are bad for your health
Your spouse might be a pain in the neck, but they’re good for your heart. Researchers have confirmed in women what has already been established in men: married people and those with long-term partners are less likely to die of heart disease. The latest numbers, by researchers at Oxford Read More...
Protein-rich diet makes brain age better
The optimal level of protein in our diet has been a subject of great controversy in recent medical literature, and two studies out this month exemplify the controversy and the complexity of the situation. But in spite of their differences, both add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that a Read More...
Omega-3s linked to improved sleep
Researchers at Oxford University are proposing that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may be important for healthy sleep patterns, after children in their recent study who took DHA supplements for 16 weeks began waking up fewer times and sleeping for almost an hour longer each Read More...
Five-second rule confirmed
New findings out this week give messy eaters cause to celebrate. Researchers have confirmed the common lore that food dropped on the floor is less likely to pick up bacteria if it’s picked up quickly, giving credence to the “5-second rule.” In a survey conducted alongside the experiments, Read More...
Ancient virus unearthed
At about the size of small bacteria, the Pithovirus is the largest virus ever discovered, and represents a new family of “giant” viruses. Pithovirus poses no direct threat to humans; it only infects amoebas. But this big virus still has big implications for public health. Writing in the Read More...
Painkillers prescribed to pregnant women despite risks
Around one in seven pregnant women in the United States is prescribed a narcotic painkiller with documented risks of causing birth defects. According to the CDC, opioid painkillers including codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone are linked to birth defects including incomplete development of the Read More...
4 reasons you should eat more uncooked vegetables
Living raw is more than what you eat— it’s an entire lifestyle. “You have to be a little crazy to go on a 100% raw food diet, because you will have to say goodbye to your life as you were used to living it,” says Matt Monarch, a raw food expert and someone who’s been living the raw Read More...
Blood pressure medication linked to increased risk of falls
The algebra of risk vs. reward may not pay off for people over the age of 70 who take antihypertensive drugs to lower their blood pressure. While these drugs reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, this benefit is balanced out by an increased risk of serious injury from Read More...
Cancer-fighting compound in figs and celery targets aggressive breast tumors
It is rare for a natural molecule to garner the attention of medical researchers for two completely different cancer-fighting properties, but the compound psoralen has done just that. Found in figs, celery and other fruits and vegetables, psoralen is already used to treat lymphoma—as well as skin Read More...
Vitamin C really can fight cancer
First popularized by the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling, vitamin C has long been used by alternative health practitioners to support cancer patients. But the practice has been met with skepticism by the medical establishment. Two previous clinical trials of vitamin C failed to find any Read More...