Author: Joseph Mercola

By Dr. Mercola Every five years, the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) convene a 15-member panel to update the nation’s dietary guidelines. The panel’s mission is to identify foods and beverages that help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, promote health, and prevent disease. In addition to guiding the public at large, the guidelines significantly influence nutrition policies such as school lunch programs and feeding programs for the elderly. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) scientific report is an integral part of this process, as it serves as the foundation for the development … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Depression and other mental health problems are at epidemic levels judging by the number of antidepressants prescribed each year. According to CDC data,1 one in 20 Americans over the age of 12 report some form of depression, and 11 percent of the US population over the age of 12 is on antidepressant medication.2 This despite overwhelming evidence showing that antidepressants do not work as advertised. At best, antidepressants are comparable to placebos. At worst they can cause devastating side effects, including deterioration into more serious mental illness, and suicidal or homicidal tendencies. Virtually all of the school … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Most everyone, including many conventional physicians, have begun to appreciate the importance and value of vitamin D. Few, however, recognize the importance of vitamin K2, which is nearly as important as vitamin D. Dr. Dennis Goodman,1 who was born in South Africa and trained at the University of Cape Town, has multiple board certifications in cardiology (and several subspecialties) and holistic integrative medicine. After his internship at the Grootte Schuur Hospital—where Dr. Christian Barnard did the first heart transplant in 1967—he came to the US, where he did his cardiology fellowship at the at the Baylor College … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola In 2012, then California Assemblyman Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento)1assured Californians that a bill he sponsored (AB2107) to increase child vaccination rates in the state would not remove parental rights to make vaccine choices for their children. Now a state Senator, he’s singing a different tune. This year he worked with attorney Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) to fast track a bill (SB277) through the state legislature The bill would make it virtually impossible for California children to attend daycare or get a school education without receiving more than 40 doses of 10 federally recommended vaccines or filing … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Are you among the 20 million1 Americans taking an acid inhibiting drug to treat your heartburn? Please be aware that for most, the risks far outweigh the benefits as there are plenty of alternative effective strategies to eliminate heartburn without serious side effects. Previous research2,3,4,5,6,7 clearly shows that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid, are severely overprescribed and misused. Indeed, PPIs are among the most widely prescribed drugs today, with annual sales of about $14 billion8–this despite the fact that they were never intended to treat heartburn in the first place. Visit the … Continue reading →

By Stuart CooperCampaign Manager, Fluoride Action Network (FAN) Just when you thought the evidence against fluoridation couldn’t get any more damning, several new studies and reviews have been published so far in just the past five months that ought to condemn fluoridation to the history books once and for all. The video above features a brief overview by Dr. Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN),  about the health risks of water fluoridation you may have not been aware of. Water Fluoridation Linked to Higher Prevalence of ADHD A new study links water fluoridation to attention deficit hyperactivity … Continue reading →

Some people think of chickenpox as a dangerous health condition, especially among children. But it is not life-threatening. In fact, it is actually nature’s elegant design to defend you against a more problematic disease – shingles. According to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC),1 shingles is more common in individuals over age 50, although those who are immunocompromised are also at risk. Fortunately, exposing yourself to the chickenpox virus in your childhood years—as well as developing it early on—may significantly lower your risk of developing shingles. Shingles: A Reactivation of the Chickenpox Infection Chickenpox and shingles are caused by similar … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Vinegar is said to have been discovered around 5000 BC, when unattended grape juice turned into wine and then vinegar. Originally used as a food preservative, vinegar’s medicinal uses soon came to light. Hippocrates used vinegar to manage wounds, while medical practitioners in the 1700s used it to treat everything from poison ivy and croup to stomach aches. Vinegar was even used to treat diabetes.1 Vinegar, which means “sour wine” in French, can be made from virtually any carbohydrate that can be fermented, including grapes, dates, coconut,potatoes, beets, and, of course, apples. Traditionally, vinegar is made through … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common in the US, but many Americans mistakenly believe they aren’t at risk because they consume vitamin-D-fortified foods (such as milk). There are very few foods that actually have therapeutic levels of vitamin D naturally and even fortified foods do not contain enough vitamin D to support your health needs. Despite its name, vitamin D is not a regular vitamin. It’s actually a steroid hormone that you are designed to obtain primarily through sun exposure, not via your diet. Just How Widespread Is Vitamin D Deficiency? Before the year 2000, very few … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola To quote Suzanne Somers: “We’re all on a big, chemical drunk, and the hangover is a killer.” In addition to a successful career as an actress and singer, Suzanne has also become a household name in the natural health field, authoring a number of books. Her latest, TOX-SICK: From Toxic to Not Sick, is her 25th book to date, in which she delves into the toxic roots of disease. Before this, she did a great deal to bring bioidentical hormone replacement to the forefront as a means for women to reclaim their health and quality of life. … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Root canal is a commonly performed procedure in most adults. But is it a wise one? Dr. Robert Kulacz, a dentist, has spent a significant portion of his professional career trying to answer this question. What he discovered profoundly changed his life, and led him to write a book about his findings called, The Toxic Tooth: How a Root Canal Could Be Making You Sick, which I think is among the best available on this subject. Dr. Kulacz began practicing dentistry in Brewster, New York. After six years as an associate, he opened his own practice in … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola If you’re like most people, you’ve probably fallen for the misguided advice from most dermatologists and public health officials to stay out of the sun to avoid skin cancer. Unfortunately, total sun avoidance is inadvisable, as it can actually increase your risk rather than lower it. Vitamin D, which is metabolized when UV rays strike your skin, has been shown to reduce not only your risk of melanoma—the deadliest form or skin cancer—but also the most common types of cancer. According to Australian researchers, vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) may also offer protection for those who are prone to … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola There’s so much confusion regarding health information in the media. How do you determine which advice to follow and what to take with a grain of salt? Dr. Malcolm Kendrick wrote the book Doctoring Data: How to Sort Out Medical Advice from Medical Nonsense to help you answer that question. His fabulous book will teach you how to identify common research flaws and help you sift through misleading and meaningless data. An important resource if you are a serious student of health. Dr. Kendrick has also written The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth about What Really Causes … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola Cutting out grains and sugar (particularly fructose), is a crucial step if you want to normalize your weight, but paying attention to what you replace them with is equally important. One of your most basic health principles is to eat a diet of whole, nutritious foods rather than processed “diet” fare. Focusing on so-called “superfoods” might change the way you look at weight loss—and could even turn your struggles with weight into an issue of the past. Feeding your body the right nutrients rather than stuffing it with “empty” calories will not only help you lose unwanted … Continue reading →

By Dr. Mercola The quality, quantity, and composition of the bacteria in your gut have enormous influence on your brain. Dr. David Perlmutter explores this phenomenon in great detail in his new book, Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain-for Life. Dr. Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and a fellow of the American College of Nutrition (ACN). He also has a clinic in Naples, Florida, and he’s been very active in publishing his findings in peer-reviewed medical journals. His previous book, Grain Brain, topped the New York Times bestseller list for 54 weeks. In … Continue reading →