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.
Depression: the radical theory linking it to inflammation
Depression affects one in four people at some time in their lives. It is often difficult to treat, in part because its causes are still debated. Psychiatrist Edward Bullmore is an ardent proponent of a radical theory now gaining traction: that inflammation in the brain may underlie some instances. Read More...
Cutting booze and bacon from your diet will help you avoid cancer
If you love booze and bacon, we have some bad news for you. A new study from the World Cancer Research Fund has found that eliminating processed meats and alcohol from your diet can reduce your risk of developing cancer. The study recommends that significantly or totally cutting back on processed Read More...
What is CBD? The 'miracle' cannabis compound that doesn't get you high
The cannabis-derived chemical is non-psychoactive, and – while federally illegal – has been hailed as a cure for Read More...
The secret to happiness is regularly eating meals with others
A new study found that regularly eating meals in isolation is more strongly associated with unhappiness than any other factor apart from having a mental illness. This research is far from the first to suggest a link between eating with others and happiness. Researchers at the University of Oxford Read More...
Sleeping in on the weekends will help you live longer
If you sleep in on the weekends, you’re not lazy. You’re simply doing your body a favor. According to a recent study, researchers found that people under the age of 65 who slept for five hours or less every night, all week, did not live as long as those who consistently slept seven hours a Read More...
You don’t need to consume as much protein as you think
Many of us consciously eat a high-protein diet, filling our grocery carts with products like protein bars and shakes. Considering that the global protein supplements market is valued at $12.4bn, it’s clear we’re buying into the idea that we need as much protein as possible. But do we really Read More...
How using your legs keeps your brain healthy
New research suggests that moving one's legs is crucial for brain health. In fact, exercising leg muscles helps the brain to produce new neurons, the study suggests. The findings help researchers to better understand the progression of neurological and motor neuron Read More...
Eggs can lower risk of stroke and heart attack, new study finds
An egg a day keeps the doctor away, according to a new study out of China. Researchers at Peking University Health Science Center found that the simple and cheap food, once thought to raise unhealthy cholesterol levels, dramatically protects the Read More...
Medical diagnostics tests can be assembled like Legos with this kit
Diagnostic tests for diseases like Zika or Ebola are often very specific in what they measure and don’t always work for local populations. That’s why researchers have designed a Lego-like kit designed to make it possible for technicians anywhere to make, and tweak, diagnostics themselves. The Read More...
Coffee waste is now fetching a 480 percent premium over coffee itself
Aida Batlle grows coffee on her family’s farm in the hills surrounding El Salvador’s Santa Ana Volcano. Like generations before her, she had little use for the skin that encases the beans, so she’d turn it into cheap fertilizer or, more frequently, trash it. Then one day, walking past some Read More...