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.
To counter overfishing, Ikea will only serve seafood from certified sources
Last week, a WWF report revealed that nearly two-thirds of the world's fisheries are "fully exploited." Most of the rest are over-exploited. And so it is good news that Ikea, the Swedish furniture chain, has decided to only sell seafood that come from certified sources. From this week all 23 Read More...
Increased activity in older brains may point to new avenues for treating memory loss
Neurons are hyperactive and fire more in newly studied area of hippocampus. Northwestern Medicine scientists have examined activity in a little-studied part of the brain associated with memory and found for the first time the reason that neurons there become more active in old age, findings that Read More...
With a few simple changes, Denmark is radically reducing its food waste
In just five years, the country has slashed wasted food by 25%. What can we learn from its success? Someone living in Chicago throws out around two and a half times more food—around 273 pounds a year—than someone in Copenhagen. What makes Danes so much better than Americans at actually Read More...
Kavala Graha: Ayurvedic remedy for a healthy smile
If you haven’t heard about the new “in” ayurvedic cleansing technique called oil pulling, let me fill you in. Oil pulling, known as “Kavala” or “Gandusha” is one of the techniques that is highly regarded in Ayurveda. Though there have been only a few small Read More...
Top 10 foods for a better mood
The food we eat can be an excellent source of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. Growing research supports that the quality of our food is not only important to our physical health but also for our mood and can influence depression and anxiety. Our Westernized so-called "cafeteria" diet Read More...
U.S. organic food sales up 72% since 2008, new report finds
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report shows that organic food sales have seen a sharp increase, topping $5.5 billion. AgWeb reports that sales are up 72 percent since 2008. The growth comes primarily from several pockets in the U.S., including the West Coast, Texas and Colorado, the Read More...
This restaurant will fight child obesity with, er, fried chicken
Tottenham is an area in the north of London with one of the highest child obesity rates in the country. Almost 40% of 11-year-olds are classified as obese. The area also has a lot of fried chicken restaurants, which is why it is rather odd that a new community project will open another one of Read More...
Meet the mind-controlling algae protein that could cure blindness
It sounds completely crazy: as early as next year, using gene therapy scientists hope to restore sight in the blind by giving their eyes additional “light sensors.” We’re not talking about bionic eyes: instead of implantable electronics, scientists are turning to a protein called Read More...
Diet is still the key to brain power
Can you build a better brain with blueberries – or with fish, walnuts or kale? The idea that certain super foods can keep us sharper as we age has huge appeal – especially as study after study suggests that brain power will not be found in a supplement pill. The latest, published in Read More...
Sound waves used to activate brain cells in a worm
For the first time, scientists have directly controlled brain cells using sound waves, in a tiny laboratory worm. They used ultrasound to trigger activity in specific neurons, causing the worms to change direction. As well as requiring a particular gene to be expressed in the brain cells, the Read More...