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.
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...
Study: Pandemic lockdowns offered mental health relief for some teens
The isolation of the pandemic took a toll on global mental health, but for many of us, the mandatory break had some mental health benefits as well. It gave us an opportunity to hit ‘pause,’ spend more time focusing on self-care and enjoy some much-needed rest time. Researchers from the Read More...
Another reason to get good sleep? It affects the way we walk
When you don’t get enough sleep you might notice that you feel more fatigued, irritable, or anxious. Sleep impacts every aspect of our day-to-day lives and in fact, according to new research, it can even impact how we walk. Research from the University of São Paulo shows that sleep-deprived Read More...
US government funds psychedelic therapy research for the first time in 50 years
Fifty years after being classified as a Schedule I drug in the US, psychedelic therapy has officially received federal funding from the government in what researchers see as a huge shift in the medical and public perception of the benefits of psychedelics. Using psychedelics to help treat tobacco 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...
China rolls out new curriculum to ease burden on young stressed-out students
In recent years, school-aged students in China have been suffering from poor eyesight in growing numbers and at a younger age. According to Vice Education Minister Yuan Guiren, the worsening eyesight of students is due to the excessive amounts of schoolwork that are assigned to students, as well 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...