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.
Mind-controlled prosthetic leg displays mobility, functionality
Zac Vawter had his right leg amputated above the knee following a motorcycle accident in 2009. Vawter, a software engineer and native of the Pacific Northwest, was interested in mind-controlled prosthetics even before it was certain he would lose his leg. At the time of the accident, mind-control Read More...
Do the seasons really change our moods?
Photo: Matt Brittaine Rain and snow prevent us from participating in certain outdoor activities, but even though poor weather is attributed to an increase in depression, a new study suggests otherwise. Clinically diagnosed seasonal affective disorder, commonly known as SAD, is weather-related Read More...
Entwined in the Internet
Photo: flickr.com/photos/jacobfg/ An inability to control behavior, dishonesty, changes in sleeping patterns, and withdrawing from pleasurable activities. These may seem like symptoms of depression, but they’re actually also characteristics of Internet addiction. Once not believed to be a Read More...
Daydreaming makes you happier
One day, the British scientist Alexander Graham Bell was daydreaming. He imagined how electric currents could move in the same way the air does when sound is produced. Eventually, that daydream resulted in the world’s first telephone. And this is just a single example of what daydreaming can Read More...
What to believe about omega-3s?
A study conducted by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Ohio State University concluded that increased blood levels of the omega-3 fatty acids derived from fatty fish or fish oil raise the risk of prostate cancer, particularly the more aggressive form of the disease. One Read More...
Unknown nutrients
Honey is most often added to foods and drinks as a sweetener, but what about using honey as a skin moisturizer, cold symptom suppressant, or to treat ulcers. The benefits of honey extend beyond its edible properties and far into the realm of medicine and science. Below are 5 unique, and Read More...
Getting raw with the law
Selling milk can be a pretty shady business. In 25 states, selling raw milk for human consumption is illegal. But savvy farmers like Andy Walton, owner of Lake View Farm in Halsey, Oregon, have navigated the no-sale law by starting a “cowshare program.” This is how it works: Walton drafted a Read More...
Understanding memory loss
Alex is an ex-travelling salesman who for years called his wife every night from the road to express his love for her. In his old age Alex developed dementia and would act out nightly, making repetitive requests for “a line”. Health care professionals at Alex’s convalescent home didn’t Read More...
People, not patients
I know this has been hard on you.” It had been two years since Butch (not his real name) had said anything, which only made these words, among the last he uttered to his wife and daughter before he died, all the more poignant. Over the years, they had always thought they saw recognition in his Read More...
Positive psychology
Psychology can be seen as mental excavation. Psychologists dig and dig into our psyche, trying to find and expose abnormalities that might be causing dysfunction. But is this the best way of helping improve patients’ mental state? Some might say “yes,” but many are moving into a camp that is Read More...