Nutrition & Wellness
From learning about the health benefits of turmeric to staying up-to-date with the latest superfood trends, discover the best diet tips to improve your health.
This simple Blue Zone habit can improve your longevity
How often do you find yourself sitting on the floor in your day-to-day life? It turns out, sitting on the floor, while it may not be the most comfortable, is a simple way to improve your longevity. According to Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner, cultures that tend to keep their furniture to a Read More...
Benin becomes the first West African country to legalize abortion
On October 20, after a long and grueling parliamentary session, Benin became the first West African country to legally provide access to safe abortion. Before, abortion was only permitted if the pregnancy endangered the life of the pregnant woman, was the result of rape, or was conceived in an Read More...
New online tool aims to improve early breast cancer detection for Black women
In America, Black women are more likely to have breast cancer and at early ages, but despite this increased risk, there is a critical gap in early detection rates between Black women and their white counterparts. To address this disparity, researchers from Boston University and Tufts University Read More...
Sleepy Hong Kong citizens can hop on this napping bus tour to dreamland
In 2020, the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Center for Communication and Public Opinion Survey made it very clear that stress-induced sleep deprivation was a widespread problem. Almost seven out of 10 respondents disclosed that they were experiencing insomnia, and of those, 60 percent of them Read More...
Five plant-based foods with more protein than meat
Our world is in a precarious environmental situation, and the way conventional livestock and agriculture industries function only exacerbate climate issues, which is why many people are switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet, or choosing to support farms that produce meat in a more sustainable Read More...
Jersey City program expands access to local vertical farms
Vertical farms have been praised for their adaptability in dense spaces as well as low resource use. Another advantage is that they offer locally-grown produce to consumers that live miles away from traditional farmlands. In Jersey City, an innovative scheme is combining these different benefits of Read More...
The science behind the pumpkin spice latte
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM It’s pumpkin spice latte season, and whether you love or hate this classic festive beverage, you can’t deny that there is a nostalgic power to its sweet brew. To explore why exactly we love pumpkin spice so much, a pair of perception researchers from John Read More...
Research yields surprising discovery about the benefits of green tea
Green tea has been shown to reduce the risks of chronic illness, and it is a common healthy staple in many cultures around the world. Researchers previously thought this tea’s benefits came from its antioxidants, which prevent oxidative stress by capturing free radicals, but a new study from ETH Read More...
5 Easy ways to up your daily water intake
Drinking water throughout the day is essential for our overall health and energy levels—however, many of us struggle with our H2O intake. According to nutritionist Lauren Slayton, when she presses clients about their water consumption, they often admit that they “don’t drink enough,” and Read More...
Yet another study confirms cognitive benefits of green space
If you’re a regular Optimist Daily reader, you know about the tremendous cognitive and mental health benefits of green space. Now, yet another study has confirmed the link between nature and brain development and finds that access to green space helps children meet critical development Read More...