Best of Elemental 2019

11 Stories That Made Us Healthier and Happier in 2019

Staff-picked standouts to keep you informed and entertained this holiday

If you are a human being in 2019, you know that the health and wellness world can be a little bonkers with its crazy cure-alls, pin-balling research findings, and all-meat diets. But in reality, health and wellness is more nuanced than that. Since its launch in April, ELEMENTAL has provided endlessly-curious people (like you) clear, trusted, science-backed information about your bodies and minds and how to best care for them. Naming our favorite stories of 2019 is sort of like naming our favorite children… but eh we’ll do it anyway.

This article has everything you could want from a science story: amazing one-liners, surprising biology facts (did you know the liver can regenerate itself?), and practical health advice. It’s even got Greek mythology! Angela Lashbrook’s piece is simultaneously entertaining and educational, and you’ll come away from reading it with a newfound appreciation for your liver.

— Dana Smith, senior staff writer

I like health journalism that’s science-backed and non-judgmental. This story is one of my picks because it’s realistic, well-researched, and has a forgiving takeaway. The body greatly benefits from exercise. Positive changes can happen fast, but they can also diminish quickly. However, the story’s message is not that sporadic exercisers should be shamed. Rather, you should be encouraged that it takes just a little movement to start becoming healthier. The human body is amazing!