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.
Did you know that volunteering is good for your health?
Volunteering is a great way to have a positive impact while connecting to your community, but did you know that volunteering is actually good for you? Today we share four ways in which giving back to your community also gives back to your health and wellbeing. Physical and mental health Read More...
Empowering ways to compliment girls that go beyond their looks
We recently published articles on how gender biases in children’s toys can limit kids by preventing them from developing a variety of skills through play, and how toymakers, like Lego, are working to eradicate these harmful biases in play. Gender biases are not limited to toys but are embedded Read More...
New study confirms brain benefits of regular socialization
Earlier this year, we discussed how socialization can help prevent cognitive decline. Now, additional research from Penn State’s Center for Healthy Aging has further solidified this correlation with evidence that social interactions can immediately impact cognitive health. Study leader Read More...
Why hiking is good for your brain
Hiking has gained popularity during the pandemic as a safe way to get outside and stay active. Hiking lets you take in the beauty of nature in your community and it has many health benefits, especially for your brain. Today we share a few of them to encourage you to get outside and get Read More...
Pandemic spurs surge in African medical tech
Tech innovations have helped improve food resilience in countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia, but a new study indicates that health tech is also expanding rapidly across Africa, spurred by the pandemic. More than 60 new and existing private firms now offer health products to consumers and medical Read More...
Four signs your body needs more vitamin D
Did you know that 42 percent of Americans meet the criteria for clinical vitamin D insufficiency? Research shows that we need at least 3,000 IU vitamin D3 each day, but how do we know if we’re getting enough? Here are four signs you may be vitamin D deficient. Bone health Vitamin D facilitates Read More...
London’s black cabbies help navigate research into Alzheimer’s disease
What do squirrels and London’s licensed black cabbies have in common? An extraordinarily large hippocampus—the area of the brain that deals with spatial navigation. London’s licensed black cabbies don’t need the modern convenience of GPS devices. Instead, they rely on “the Read More...
The scientific case for magic mushrooms in space
During the health crisis, most of the residents on planet Earth have finally had a taste of what it’s like to be an astronaut in space. No, not because we’ve all had the chance to launch ourselves into “the last frontier,” but because we’ve grappled with loneliness, isolation, and Read More...
WHO recognizes Henrietta Lacks for her life-changing contributions to medicine
When Henrietta Lacks sought treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in the 1950s, her cancer cells were harvested without her consent. These “HeLa cells” became the first sample of human cells to divide indefinitely in a lab, providing the basis for life-changing Read More...
This device can save people from opioid overdoses
The strain of health care systems around the world caused by the pandemic means many other services have been cut. This includes those tackling the opioid epidemic, which accounted for 70 percent of overdoses in 2019, according to the CDC. While many government policies look at this issue from a Read More...