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.
What is the difference between poisonous and venomous snakes?
Snakes are often associated with danger due to their sharp fangs and potentially lethal bite. Often when somebody sees any snake at all they jump for fear that it could be lethal. However, there isn't always a need for fear, as many snakes are just venomous and not poisonous. What does poisonous Read More...
Your gut biome may be responsible for your food cravings
Scientists continue to discover more and more processes that the gut microbiome influences. This population of microbes - including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes - naturally live inside animal guts, interacting with the host body and each other to regulate processes. Researchers have Read More...
Why does spicy food make your nose run?
No matter what spice level you can handle, we’ve all eaten spicy food that’s a little too hot. Whether it’s from sprinkling a little too much hot sauce over your meal or ordering too ambitiously in an Indian restaurant, the sensation is not the most pleasant. Your mouth starts to burn, Read More...
Insects and lab-grown meat could reduce environmental impact by 80 percent
We at The Optimist Daily have written a lot before about the environmental benefits of lab-grown meat and insects as an alternative protein source, and the body of research for this cultural and scientific protein shift keeps growing. A new study published in Nature Food found that replacing Read More...
Is flossing actually important, and how often should we do it?
It’s probably safe to say that most are committed to brushing their teeth at least twice a day (though whether most people also reach the recommended two minutes is another story). However, when it comes to flossing, it’s way more common for people to drop the ball. The American Dental Read More...
Your questions about adaptogens answered
Health buzzwords are used all over the place - bio-organic, all-natural, pasture-raised - but do we know what they really mean? Well, today we are going to dive into one particular word being thrown around a lot at the moment: adaptogens. What are adaptogens? "Adaptogenic" means to regulate or Read More...
Here’s how to prepare for allergy season
Spring is well underway, bringing with it migrating birds and blossoming trees. For some, spring also marks the start of allergy season. According to the CDC, 19.2 million adults and 5.2 million children in the U.S. suffer from seasonal allergies or hay fever. Due to climate change, pollen Read More...
The formula of “flow”: how we get in the zone at work
We’ve all experienced the fulfilling experience of “flow.” This is the immersive and usually elating state of mind we reach when we are creatively moving from one sentence to another deep into a writing project, reacting thoughtlessly and rapidly in a basketball game, or even operating at Read More...
5 cities celebrating the earth by “plogging”
If case you haven’t heard, “plogging” combines physical exercise and cleaning up your town and environment. It started in Sweden — “plogging” being a portmanteau of the Swedish phrase “plocka upp,” meaning to “pick up,” and jogging — and the craze has caught on around the Read More...
The EU is going on a cleanse with the world’s biggest chemical ban
From what we now know, the fact that something is convenient doesn’t at all mean it’s safe. Chemical pollution from everyday products is considered responsible for a host of problems from the endangerment of marine life to declining human fertility rates and many other health Read More...