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.
How a tech industry trick could save the humble banana
The humble banana is a key staple in most fruit bowls and everyone’s go-to cure for cramps, but the Cavendish banana variety we find in most stores today was not always the world’s top variety. In the 1950s, Gros Michell was the banana variety of choice for production across the entire Read More...
Soil erosion is a huge problem for small-scale farmers. Here's a brilliant fix
Soil erosion is a vicious cycle, one that is being exacerbated by climate changes as long periods of drought followed by brief, torrential rainfall mean that fertile topsoil and seeds are flushed away before they get a chance to germinate. This leads to a lack of vegetation, which in turn makes it Read More...
New guidelines suggest exercise is crucial for treating cancer
Decades ago, the idea of getting a patient out of bed and moving after a heart attack would be criticized. Today, the benefits of exercise to heart health and recovery are well known. Just like the perception of the ties between exercise and heart health has changed, it seems the same is happening Read More...
Scientists develop AI system that predicts seizures one hour before they happen
For the roughly 50 million people worldwide with epilepsy, the exchange of electrical signals between cells in their brain can sometimes go haywire and cause a seizure—often with little to no warning. Fortunately, technology has come a long way to helping those living with the condition. At the Read More...
New treatment could help prevent food allergies
Food allergies are quite prevalent - about 32 million Americans suffer from some kind of food allergy. Our current approach at reducing the effects of allergies is through a slow exposure of the allergen in a process called oral immunotherapy. During this procedure, patients are given their Read More...
UN to make insulin more affordable for diabetics worldwide
Despite promises by pharmaceutical companies to limit insulin price hikes, the life-saving drug remains out of reach for many patients with diabetes. As part of World Diabetes Day, the U.N. World Health Organization on Thursday announced a new initiative to sponsor the production of insulin Read More...
The world finally has a vaccine for Ebola
Ebola is a deadly virus, one that has been plaguing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this past year. The virus has killed some 2,000 people since it broke out last year and threatens to kill many more if the outbreak isn’t quelled. The good news is that for the first time ever, a Read More...
Lining hospital beds with copper could save thousands of lives each year
Hospital beds are among the most contaminated surfaces in medical settings. Every year, nearly 2 million Americans get sick because of that, while around 100,000 lose their lives, making hospital beds the eighth leading cause of death in the US. Researchers have spent years looking for ways to Read More...
A group of US hospitals is set to invest $700 million into affordable housing
Health problems have a deeper root than just genetic defects or contact with germs and viruses. Often enough, they have to do with the greater problems that affect communities, such as low-access to healthy food or lack of affordable housing, which can exacerbate stress as people work longer hours Read More...
Planned Parenthood’s new tool helps women navigate complex abortion laws
State courts have overturned complete abortion bans in states like Alabama and Mississippi, but unfortunately, abortion service access points in many states are few and far between. This week, Planned Parenthood launched a new tool to help women navigate the complexities of abortion access and Read More...