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.
Statin doc backtracks on claim
A meta-analysis of statin drugs captured headlines in March with the tantalizing claim that the cholesterol-lowering drugs have no more side-effects than a placebo, or sugar pill. However, Dr. Ben Goldacre, one of the authors of the paper and a noted critic of so-called “bad Read More...
Herb of the month: Lavender
The Latin name for lavender is Lavandula angustifolia or officinalis. Lavender comes from the word lavare, which means to wash. Lavender is a hardy winter plant. It has lanceolate, grayish leaves. In the summer purple flowers will appear on the flower stalk. According to herbal books Cleopatra Read More...
Vitamin A reverses pre-cancerous breast condition
A form of vitamin A called retinoic acid can cause breast cells with the pre-cancerous condition DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) return to a normal state. These preliminary laboratory results suggest that retinoic acid might also help women with DCIS from progressing to full-blown breast cancer Read More...
Brain power
Marty Wuttke is conducting a 2–part online course with The Intelligent Optimist on May 5 and 19. Learn more and sign up here. Marty Wuttke became a pioneer in neurotherapy—the manipulation of brain waves to reduce stress, help repair damaged brains, enhance creativity and improve mental Read More...
8 uses for essential oils you didn’t know about
For more than 6000 years essential oils have been used for religious ceremonies, as perfumes, a main ingredient for cosmetics, and even a cure for burns and infections. Essential oils are made from concentrated liquids taken from roots, leaves, seeds, or plant blossoms. While you might not want to Read More...
How to solve your nutritional dilemma
Ashley Koff, registered dietician, is a world famous nutrition expert, health advocate, and best selling co–author of Mom Energy. Koff is regularly featured in health magazines like Nutritional Solutions and on the TV shows “Dr. OZ”, and “The Doctors”. Her expertise and insight into the Read More...
Green tea sharpens your memory
Scientists have published the first physical evidence of how green tea improves memory, paving the way for its therapeutic use among people with memory problems like dementia. In addition to its well-documented benefits for the body, like cancer protection, heart health and weight loss, a number of Read More...
Legume seeds lower cholesterol
Pulses might be the most important food you’ve never heard of—the dried seeds of plants in the legume family, which includes beans, lentils and chickpeas. They have long been considered an important part of any healthy diet—in fact they are a staple food for many indigenous diets Read More...
Watermelon extract lowers blood pressure
Beloved as a refreshing summer treat, watermelon may also have major benefits for heart health, new research has shown. Thirteen obese adults with high blood pressure were randomized to receive watermelon extracts of l-citrulline and l-arginine or a placebo for 6 weeks. Each day during the 6-week Read More...
Mind over molecules for arthritis pain management
If you expect something to hurt, it probably will. This simple premise has now shed new light on how we adapt to chronic pain and suggests that so-called “talking therapies” like psychotherapy and meditation could offer relief to millions of people suffering from arthritis and other Read More...