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.
A new product is swimming into the world of plant based meat alternatives
Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat introduced the world to alt meat that tastes, feels, and even bleeds like the real deal. Now, a new product is swimming into the alternative meat market: plant-based shrimp. Created by the San Francisco based company, New Wave, the product mirrors the flavors and Read More...
Feeding the future: Are insects the world’s next great protein source?
Would you consider eating some crickets today as your afternoon snack? How about a handful of honey ants or a skewer of grubs? If not, you may want to consider expanding your palate because a study in England has found that 37% of people think we will be eating more insects within the next Read More...
Science tells us laughter can help us lead a healthier life
In 1976, Norman Cousins, the revered editor of the Saturday Review, wrote a piece that signaled the arrival of laughter in the precincts of science. The piece, which was called “Anatomy of an Illness (as Perceived by the Patient)”, follows Cousins as he checks himself out of a hospital and Read More...
Scientists just 3D-printed a mini human heart using a patient’s cardiac cells
Since there aren’t nearly enough human hearts available for transplant for patients that need them, scientists have been searching for ways to create an artificial heart that is viable for transplant. This week, science took a big step toward making this a reality after Chicago-based biotech Read More...
A pioneering treatment just restored the eyesight of an acid attack victim
20 years ago, James O’Brien endured something horrible: a corrosive acid substance was thrown in his face, leaving him permanently blind in one eye. Or at least, so he thought. For the past 18 months, O’Brien has been undergoing pioneering treatment at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital. Read More...
These elderly Japanese men are still playing the game they love: rugby
Rugby isn't a sport you would typically suggest as a way for the elderly to keep fit. But at Fuwaku Rugby Club in Tokyo, men in their 80s are still getting their boots dirty and their bodies bruised in anticipation for first-ever Rugby World Cup to be held on Japanese soil. From mauls to scrums and Read More...
Revolutionary medical device worms its way into the field of stroke treatment
Strokes affect 795,000 Americans each year and treating them during the “golden hour” before death or permanent disability occurs can be a challenge. Fortunately, scientists are developing a magnet-lead device to treat stroke patients less invasively. The device would “worm” its way through Read More...
Meet the new (green) power couple: Solar Panels + Arid Farms
Renewable energy and sustainable food production are both in high demand as we move into a future of changing climate and growing population. But how do we allocate space for solar energy production and farmland when they both demand similar geographic conditions? Agrivoltaics, the process of Read More...
Is aging reversible? A new study says maybe it is.
Aging can be measured by more than just the candles on our birthday cake. It can also be measured through chemical changes in our DNA - what scientists call “biomarkers”. But what happens if we alter this process at a cellular level? Can we stop aging in its tracks? In a Benjamin Read More...
KitKat’s new wrapper quits single use plastic… and challenges your origami skills
Getting corporations to join the fight against single-use plastics often takes more than a desire to help the environment. It also takes economic and marketing incentives. Food and drink giant Nestlé seems to have found a strategy for reducing plastic use and increase sales: paper packaging that Read More...