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.
Green tea sharpens your memory
Scientists have published the first physical evidence of how green tea improves memory, paving the way for its therapeutic use among people with memory problems like dementia. In addition to its well-documented benefits for the body, like cancer protection, heart health and weight loss, a number of Read More...
Legume seeds lower cholesterol
Pulses might be the most important food you’ve never heard of—the dried seeds of plants in the legume family, which includes beans, lentils and chickpeas. They have long been considered an important part of any healthy diet—in fact they are a staple food for many indigenous diets Read More...
Watermelon extract lowers blood pressure
Beloved as a refreshing summer treat, watermelon may also have major benefits for heart health, new research has shown. Thirteen obese adults with high blood pressure were randomized to receive watermelon extracts of l-citrulline and l-arginine or a placebo for 6 weeks. Each day during the 6-week Read More...
Mind over molecules for arthritis pain management
If you expect something to hurt, it probably will. This simple premise has now shed new light on how we adapt to chronic pain and suggests that so-called “talking therapies” like psychotherapy and meditation could offer relief to millions of people suffering from arthritis and other Read More...
Breakthrough in high-temperature cancer treatment
As reported in the April issue of What Doctors Don’t Tell You, high fevers and medically induced hyperthermia have been linked with cancer remission for decades. Now a new study by researchers at Dartmouth provides even more evidence for how heat therapy works, while also proposing a new therapy Read More...
One in five taking a drug that worsens other symptoms
Over three-quarters of older Americans are being treated for more than one chronic condition. A new study has highlighted the possible risks of this practice, finding that more than 20% of senior citizens are receiving a medication that may cause another pre-existing condition to get worse, and Read More...
No link between saturated fat and heart disease
Saturated, unsaturated, trans, omega-6, omega-3… Like the Eskimo languages famed for having dozens of words for ‘snow’, the modern Western vocabulary is rich in ways to describe fat—as well as advice on which ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats to seek out or avoid for a healthy diet. But Read More...
Lonely hearts are bad for your health
Your spouse might be a pain in the neck, but they’re good for your heart. Researchers have confirmed in women what has already been established in men: married people and those with long-term partners are less likely to die of heart disease. The latest numbers, by researchers at Oxford Read More...
Protein-rich diet makes brain age better
The optimal level of protein in our diet has been a subject of great controversy in recent medical literature, and two studies out this month exemplify the controversy and the complexity of the situation. But in spite of their differences, both add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that a Read More...
Omega-3s linked to improved sleep
Researchers at Oxford University are proposing that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may be important for healthy sleep patterns, after children in their recent study who took DHA supplements for 16 weeks began waking up fewer times and sleeping for almost an hour longer each Read More...