Author: Joseph Mercola

By Dr. Mercola According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),1 an estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the incidence of which increases as you age and doubles every five years beyond age 65. The National Institute on Aging2,3 suggests Alzheimer’s is the third leading cause of death for older people, falling behind heart disease and cancer. Currently, there is no cure for this irreversible, progressive brain condition. Due to the seriousness of Alzheimer’s, you’d be wise to proactively address any areas that may be putting you at risk for developing the disease. I’d like to … Continue reading →

The post Beat Alzheimers appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola While fiber is crucial for optimal gut health, what makes certain types of fiber even more important than others is its potential for fermentation. Unripe tropical fruits such as banana, papaya and mango contain digestive-resistant starch1 — indigestible low-viscous fibers that slowly ferment in your large intestine. These resistant starches feed healthy bacteria, essentially acting as prebiotics. They also bulk up your bowel movements for easier, timelier disposal without making you feel bloated or gassy. Best of all, they don’t spike your blood sugar the way completely ripened fruit and other starchy foods do, so they actually help improve rather … Continue reading →

The post A Simple Trick for Handling Carbs appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Among all the factors contributing to poor health and early death, stress is perhaps the most pernicious yet commonly overlooked. While the stress response is a lifesaving biological function, enabling you to fight or flee an attacker, this “lifesaving” reaction ends up doing far more harm than good when triggered by financial worries, fear of public speaking, difficult bosses and traffic jams. The sheer number of stress-inducing situations that face us on a daily basis can make it difficult to turn the stress response off. As a result, you may be marinating in corrosive stress hormones around … Continue reading →

The post Deep Sleep Is Important appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Fresh produce, whether organic or conventionally grown, is one of the healthiest food choices you can make. Organic produce gains an edge, however, because it tends to be more nutritious, tastes better and, importantly, does not contain pesticide residues like conventional produce does. In fact, the No. 1 reason people go organic is to avoid pesticides and other chemicals,1 and the majority of Americans consume organic food at least occasionally.2 If your budget prevents you from buying organic food 100 percent of the time — or there’s not an adequate selection in your area — it’s useful to … Continue reading →

The post The Dirty Dozen appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Ticks are widespread throughout the U.S., and while bites can be harmless they also hold the potential to transmit serious diseases. Lyme disease — which is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria spread through the bite of blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) and western blacklegged ticks — is thought to affect more than 300,000 Americans annually.1 As you can view for yourself in the video above, ticks are stealthy creatures that have developed an elaborate system to feed off human blood. Whereas other bloodsuckers like mosquitoes bite, suck quickly and leave, ticks’ goal is to stay embedded … Continue reading →

The post Dangerous Bloodsuckers appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population have marginal vitamin B12 status and 9 percent are deficient.1 Vitamin B12 insufficiency and deficiency increase your risk of serious health problems, many of which mimic more serious neurological diseases and can easily lead to misdiagnosis and improper treatment. Neurological problems, in particular, are a possibility even at the “low normal” range at or just below 258 picomoles per liter (pmol/L). A level of 148 pmol/L or less is considered a deficiency state. As noted by the USDA:2 “Deficiency can cause a type … Continue reading →

The post Just About Everyone Needs Vitamin B12 Supplements appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola For many illnesses and diseases there are recognizable symptoms. In some cases those symptoms are not evident until late in the disease process, while in others they appear immediately. Recognizing symptoms and associating them with specific conditions no longer relies on the memory of a diagnostician. Using the computer, you can check your own symptoms and end up with a list of possible conditions. In some cases a symptom is just a sign of another condition, while in others it may be the condition itself. It is important to pay attention to changes in your physical appearance … Continue reading →

The post Stick Out Your Tongue and Look in the Mirror appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Allergic rhinitis, or seasonal allergies, often referred to as hay fever, affect 20 million U.S. adults and more than 6 million children.1 The most common symptoms include sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, watery and itchy eyes and itching in your nose, mouth or throat, but a sizable number of allergy sufferers also experience noticeable brain fog as well. What causes the fuzzy-headed feeling is up for debate, but many theories are out there. One of the simplest is that allergy symptoms can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, which in turn makes you fatigued and … Continue reading →

The post Got Seasonal Brain Fog? appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Google and Facebook are two of the largest and clearest monopolies in the world, and between them, the harvesting of your personal information goes far beyond what most people realize was even possible. I have recently removed Google Search from this website and replaced with a search engine without the privacy concerns, but has similar capabilities.   The search bar at the top of the website is the most used and essential feature for you to research the many thousands of pages I’ve published over the last 20 years. Google catches every single thing you do online if … Continue reading →

The post What Do Google and Facebook Have on You? appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Research has shown that the more vegetables you eat, the lower your risk of heart disease, with different types of vegetables protecting your heart through different mechanisms. Leafy greens, for example, have high amounts of nitrates that naturally boost your nitric oxide (NO) level.1 Cruciferous veggies, on the other hand, lower your risk of stroke and heart attack by promoting more supple neck arteries and preventing the buildup of arterial plaque. In fermented cabbage, it’s the fiber content that helps lower blood pressure and improve blood sugar control, thereby lowering your risk of heart problems. Phytonutrients in sauerkraut … Continue reading →

The post The Best Vegetables appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola While hard to believe, the most recent statistics1 indicate Americans just keep getting fatter. As of 2015, nearly 40 percent of adults, over 18 percent of teens and nearly 14 percent of young children were obese, not just overweight. Severe obesity has also increased, now affecting nearly 8 percent of adults; a 2.3 percent increase since 2007/2008. As reported by the authors: “Among adults aged 20 years and older, obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI …) of 30 or more and severe obesity was defined as a BMI of 40 or more … Among youth, obesity … Continue reading →

The post Why Are Americans Getting So Fat? appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Beets have been shown to fight inflammation, lower blood pressure1,2 and aid detoxification. Studies also suggest they can help lower your risk for heart failure and stroke, and provide powerful benefits for your brain, largely due to their high nitrate content. Your body transforms nitrates into nitric oxide,3 which enhances oxygenation and has beneficial impacts on your circulatory and immune systems. Nitric oxide4 is a soluble gas continually produced from the amino acid L-arginine inside your cells, where it supports endothelial function and protects your mitochondria. Nitric oxide also serves as a signaling or messenger molecule in every cell of … Continue reading →

The post Fight Alzheimer’s appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Your body has two adrenal glands located just above each of your kidneys. As part of your endocrine system, your adrenal glands secrete more than 50 hormones, including aldosterone (which helps regulate your blood pressure and blood volume), cortisol and adrenaline, the latter two of which can become overactivated by stress. Indeed, your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the system responsible for the management of stress. This includes stress from every conceivable source, be it injury or disease, work or relationship problems, lack of sleep or poor diet. Exposure to chronic stress from overwork, chronic inflammation or long-term … Continue reading →

The post Suffering From Adrenal Fatigue? appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Given their unflagging popularity, you have very likely heard of or applied a few old wives’ tales to matters of health, perhaps without checking to see if the advice was true or false. Based on two articles published in Reader’s Digest,1,2 I am highlighting eight tales that dispense some type of medical advice. Separating fact from fiction with respect to these timeless tales is just one more way you can take control of your health. No. 1: An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away Somewhat true. Although you’ll want to keep a close eye on your total daily … Continue reading →

The post An Apple a Day appeared first on LewRockwell.

By Dr. Mercola Berberine — a yellow-colored alkaloid compound found in several different plants, including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape and tree turmeric — has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antidiarrheal, antineoplastic, antidiabetic and immune-enhancing1 properties. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine, and many of its historical uses now have scientific backing. For example, it’s effective against a wide range of bacteria, protozoa and fungi, and is commonly used to treat gastrointestinal issues, including traveler’s diarrhea and that from food poisoning. Having similar mechanisms of action as the drug metformin, berberine can also be … Continue reading →

The post The Biggest Thing in Natural Health? appeared first on LewRockwell.