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.
Large-scale study confirms the safety of home birth
For women with low-risk pregnancies, delivering their babies at home with a midwife is as safe as delivering in a hospital, according to the largest study of planned home birth ever conducted in the United States. The likelihood of pregnant women undergoing interventions including epidurals, Read More...
Pesticides linked to Parkinson’s disease
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have identified 11 pesticides that more than double the risk of Parkinson’s disease—and at much lower concentrations than they are currently used. Furthermore, people with a common genetic variant are particularly susceptible to the Read More...
The brain: a life-long learner
A new study has shown that the connections in the brain continue to change well into adulthood—and provides promising evidence that brain function doesn’t necessarily need to decline as we age. The brain’s ‘white matter’ is the original information superhighway. Every brain cell has a Read More...
Blue light special for alertness
If you’re looking to improve your attention or reaction time, if you struggle with daytime sleepiness, or if you simply have some late-night work to do—simply switching your standard light bulb for a blue one might be a big help. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston compared Read More...
Benefits of coconut milk
Rich in vitamins and minerals, coconut milk’s uses extends far beyond an ingredient for beach–side cocktails and into the realm of hair care products, skin ointments, and arthritis remedies. See the health benefits below and find a way to incorporate this underrated antioxidant into your daily Read More...
Olive oil under the lens for breast cancer prevention
A major component of olive oil—hydroxytyrosol—is the subject of a new clinical trial testing its ability to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women. This powerful antioxidant has been linked to decreased breast density, which in turn is correlated with breast cancer. According to lead Read More...
Drug “personalities” new marketing strategy
With the prescription drug market expected to exceed $1.3 trillion worldwide by 2018, this new strategy is hoped to help maximize profits from existing brands. The United States is unusual in its policy to allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to consumers—in most countries the Read More...
A good night’s sleep for happy bodies
Disrupted sleep patterns—such as occur with jetlag or shift work—have long been associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes, and scientists are beginning to understand why. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science illustrated the huge extent to Read More...
Hand-held eye exam
Finding an optician on the plains of the Serengeti is a daunting task, but researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have come up with a way to turn anyone into an impromptu eye-doctor. A smartphone application called Peek, Portable Eye Examination Kit, utilizes the Read More...
Keep laughing...
Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle was 58 when she heard that her husband, Harrison, had Alzheimer’s disease. Harrison—”Hob” to friends—was 72. Suddenly, the Hoblitzelles had to rethink their plans for a carefree old age. The disease progression that followed was difficult. Years after her Read More...