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.
Headless Hydras: Unlocking the secrets behind their immortality
What are hydras? Scientists often take inspiration from nature to tackle problems facing human kind. The latest case of this is a study looking at Hydra vulgaris, a marine animal that is considered immortal! The tube-shaped creatures are one to three centimeters long. They reside in freshwater, Read More...
Meet Ella Lambert, the 21-year-old student fighting period poverty
Ella Lambert, a 21-year-old student in the UK, knows what it’s like to be limited because of her period. “I’ve always struggled with period pain, like absolutely atrocious period pain which would mean that I’d have to miss out on school and cancel plans last minute,” she says. Her Read More...
These FDA-approved eyedrops offer an alternative to reading glasses
Glasses be gone! The first FDA-approved eye drops that clear up age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) have been introduced to the market in the US, which means that the estimated 128 million Americans affected by the common condition of presbyopia now have an alternative to reading Read More...
Dr. Nadine Hachach-Haram is making safe surgery more equitable
Dr. Nadine Hachach-Haram attributes her concern for medical inequity to her exposure to war-torn Lebanon as a child. There she saw how people suffered because they lived in inaccessible places, didn’t have the opportunity to connect with highly specialized medical professionals, or couldn’t Read More...
These 17 “super trees” make cities vastly more livable
Creating more green space in urban areas is a highly effective way to lower temperatures and improve health outcomes during heat waves, but when it comes to tree planting in cities, not all trees are created equal. Research from Rice University finds that 17 “super trees” are most powerful in Read More...
Why hand sanitizer dries out your skin (and what to do about it)
Hand sanitizer greets us at the entrance of gyms, convenience stores, offices, and has become the centerpiece of tables at restaurants. It’s become an essential accessory that everyone wants to have on hand (no pun intended) and is even more important as we head out in public more often. While Read More...
A chemical found in grape seed could promote more gentle aging
We all know the everyday signs of aging, but researchers are still trying to figure out exactly what is happening on a molecular level. Scientists hope that when the process is understood, it can be slowed down to improve the quality of life for older humans. A new paper, published in Nature Read More...
How to cancel plans last minute in the least offensive way possible
We all have those weeks where we jam pack our schedule with plans and responsibilities, only to come to the day realizing you don't have enough energy, time, or money to realistically follow through. If you can relate to this awkward situation and have struggled with how you should cancel plans Read More...
New mRNA flu vaccine shows success in clinical trials
When the common cold returns each year, so does the rise in flu cases. For younger, healthy people, all this means is the sniffles and a day in bed, but as we get older or develop other health conditions, these seasonal diseases can have a more dramatic, sometimes deadly impact on our Read More...
Kenyan LGBTQ community salutes singer Chimano for coming out
Back in 2019, LGBTQ+ rights campaigners challenged the Kenyan High Court to overturn a law that bans gay sex and makes it punishable by up to 14 years in prison. While they were unsuccessful, attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community have been softening within the country itself, especially among the Read More...