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.
Molecule clears Alzheimer's plaques in mice
A molecule can clear Alzheimer's plaques from the brains of mice and improve learning and memory, Korean scientists have found in early tests. Exactly how it gets rid of the abnormal build-up is not understood. The small Nature Communications study hints at a way to tackle the disease even once its Read More...
US to ban soaps and other products containing microbeads
The US is set to ban personal care products that contain microbeads after the House of Representatives approved a bill that would phase out the environmentally-harmful items. The bill, which had been backed by a bipartisan committee, will now go to the Senate for approval. The Microbead Free Waters Read More...
Share of life in good health 'rising'
The proportion of life spent in good health is increasing in England, even as life expectancy continues to rise, a study suggests. The research compared two identical surveys, 20 years apart, that measured the health of people aged 65 or older in Cambridge, Newcastle and Nottingham. The data, Read More...
Kind Bars to U.S. government: Redefine ‘healthy’
You’ve probably never bought almonds that said “healthy” on the package. If you did, they were probably illegal almonds. Because despite the fact that almonds are among the foods most clearly proven to be elements of health-promoting diets, almonds contain too much fat to qualify Read More...
Glowing bandages can reduce the chances of antibiotic-resistant bugs
Bacteria that can shrug off antibiotics is a medical problem that still needs answering, but this prototype could help reduce how much antibiotics are used on patients, and decrease the chances for bugs to become resistant. The experimental bandage from researchers at the University of Bath glows Read More...
Pay attention to that under-the-weather feeling
Seemingly healthy people who say they don't feel so hot are prone to developing colds, a new study finds. Having a weakened immune system prompts individuals to rate their general health as relatively poor, even if they don't display illness symptoms, say psychologist Sheldon Cohen Read More...
Recycling hotel soap is helping prevent disease in India
Erin Zaikis was visiting a village in Thailand when she noticed one glaring piece of everyday life was missing. “Never once did I see soap,” she said. “A water charity had been in this village and had built two wells and deemed it a smashing success. But no one was using soap or Read More...
Students invent fridge that runs without electricity
Upwards of 40% of food produced in developing countries is wasted due to lack of electricity and poor refrigeration. With that in mind, four University of Calgary students have invented a fridge that doesn’t require electricity to run. Inspired by the way animals cool themselves, the machine uses Read More...
Putting a tax on meat will help tackle climate change, study shows
We already knew the livestock sector accounts for about 15% of global greenhouse emissions. Eating less meat has therefore been known to be an effective way to tackle climate change. But how do you get people to eat less meat? A leading think-tank in the UK has suggested that a meat tax is likely Read More...
4 ways to manage ADHD without medication
My sister and her husband choose not to use medication as a way of managing their son’s ADHD. It’s a personal decision which they thought and prayed about for a long time. They’re supportive of others who choose to use medication, but it wasn’t the answer for their own Read More...