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.
Lowering your blood sugar with the next superfood: Lentils
Spikes in blood sugar levels are increasingly linked to inflammation as the root cause of many degenerative diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s. So, it’s great news that a new study shows that eating lentils can lower blood glucose by up to 35 Read More...
A bloodless malaria test by Ugandan inventor won Africa’s top engineering prize
The $33,000 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation has been awarded to a 24-year old Ugandan engineer for his invention of a bloodless malaria test. Before now, small blood samples taken from suspected patients in hospitals or pharmacies were used to test for malaria but with Matibabu, the device Read More...
This app will make sure you get enough vitamin D from sunlight
To get enough sunlight for your body to produce vitamin D, the conditions need to be just right: the sun needs to be shining somewhat directly down on you. If you live near the equator, that includes the middle of every day. For the rest of us, we get our best vitamin D time in the middle of the Read More...
Why plant protein is better for you than animal protein
It’d be great if a burger-a-day diet was healthy. Don’t get me wrong—it’s not the worst. You’ve got protein in there and hopefully some veggies on top (and on the side), and even some fiber from the roll (you used whole grain, Read More...
Researchers: disrupting gut-brain communication may affect learning and memory
The connection between food and memory is one of those fundamentally human experiences we can all relate to. A compelling new study from the University of Southern California has revealed an intriguing explanation behind this phenomenon, and it illustrates how strongly the "second brain" in our gut Read More...
Your phone is dirty. Here’s how often you should clean it
You and everything you come into contact with are carpeted with bacteria. Your phone is no different. In fact, your phone is one of the most bacteria-laden things you own. Here’s how often you should clean your phone, and how to do so without damaging Read More...
Psychedelic drugs may help the brain repair itself, study finds
In recent years, psychedelic party drugs such as LSD and MDMA have been studied by scientists for their potential ability to treat mental health problems like depression and anxiety—often in microdoses much smaller than what a person would take to trip. But while the research into these drugs Read More...
Get more sleep, starting tonight
It’s no secret that most of us don’t get enough sleep — or that sleep deprivation can hurt our logical reasoning, focus, and mood. But do you know how to get the seven to nine hours you need? To start, you should go to bed when you’re just starting to feel Read More...
Could virtual reality become an alternative form of pain management?
Researchers in France are testing whether virtual reality can be used as an alternative form of pain relief management. Thus far, researchers have found that using VR during treatment can help patients relax and increases pain tolerance without painkillers. The VR program being tested is Read More...
Converting bad fat to good fat could be effective for treating obesity
Most fat in the body is unhealthy “white” tissue deposited around the waist, hips and thighs. But smaller amounts of energy-hungry “brown” fat are also found around the neck and shoulders. With this in mind, scientists have developed a radical approach to treating obesity in which Read More...