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 woman made Denmark cut food waste by 25 percent in 5 years
Denmark leads the battle against food waste in Europe. That success started with one woman (who was not even born in the country, she came from Russia as an immigrant!). She introduced goody bags for people to take food home from restaurants (Europeans don’t have that tradition). She cut banana Read More...
How a third pillar of physical fitness may exist beyond diet and exercise
An anthropologist poses a theory suggesting that along with diet and exercise, our bodies might need environmental stress—like exposure to cold and hot temperatures—if we’re to reach our full potential. The logic behind this idea is similar to explanations for why we need to eat healthy food Read More...
Republicans and Democrats agree: The U.S. needs more organic farmers
As an organic farmer in northeast Iowa, Wendy Johnson often feels like she and her family are living on an island. The small acreage she rents from her family’s farm to grow corn, soybeans, and small grains and raise chickens, hogs, and sheep is surrounded by large swaths of conventional corn and Read More...
'Largest' microbiome study weighs in on our gut health
The first results of the largest study to have ever investigated the human microbiome are in. They have important implications for our dietary practices, resistance to antibiotics, and our mental Read More...
Study: A diet full of organic food drastically reduces your risk of cancer
Eating organic food is the simplest way to dramatically cut your risk of cancer. That’s the main finding from a new study that looked at the diets of nearly 70,000 French adults. Of those adults, the ones who ate the most organic food were 25 percent less likely to develop cancer. Specifically, Read More...
Adults enjoy coloring too, mental health benefits similar to mindfulness
Children are not the only ones who enjoy coloring books. A study finds that adult coloring books provide mental health benefits, such as decreasing symptoms of depression and Read More...
How the psychedelics can help those with mental health conditions
Ok, ok - yes the benefits of psychedelics have been a hot topic lately, and we know there is resistance. Aren't these the bad drugs of the hippies? It turns out, that while they may have a less than healthy history in some cases, they have taught us tremendous things about the brain and the way we Read More...
Mindfulness meditation could be a promising alternative treatment for insomnia
Meditation shows promise as a treatment for chronic insomnia, according to a new study that appears in the journal Mindfulness. “We have been studying the effects of mindfulness meditation on sleep and our previous research has found evidence that it can effectively reduce sleep disturbances,” Read More...
Ultrasound waves will soon be used to treat Alzheimer’s in humans
Researchers uncovered a remarkable treatment technique to reverse dementia with the help of ultrasound. By using high-frequency sound waves, scientists managed to clear toxic protein clumps from the brain without any additional therapeutic drugs. This is a major breakthrough that could make way for Read More...
Spirulina: 11 health benefits and nutrition
Spirulina has a high protein and vitamin content, which makes it an excellent dietary supplement for people on vegetarian or vegan diets. Research suggests that spirulina has antioxidant and inflammation-fighting properties, as well as the ability to help regulate the immune Read More...