Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

A recent study reveals microplastics are infiltrating human bones, disrupting bone health and increasing fragility. These pollutants not only affect bone structure but have also been found in vital organs like the brain and heart. With ultrafine combustion particles posing an even greater risk, experts suggest practical tips to reduce exposure. Recommendations include switching to natural materials, filtering air and water, and ditching plastic kitchen items for safer alternatives.

Dysfunctional breathing affects over 10% of adults, causing symptoms like air hunger and chest tightness. Current and former smokers face a significantly elevated risk of these issues. Stress intensifies poor breathing habits, leading to shallow chest breathing and muscle fatigue. Additionally, dysfunctional breathing can disrupt heart function and balance oxygen levels. Smoking exacerbates immune issues and long-term health risks, making quitting a crucial first step. The podcast also introduces breathing exercises to restore calm and improve overall health.

Discover the complexities of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a serious eating disorder often affecting children and teens. Unlike picky eating, ARFID leads to severe nutritional deficiencies and significant social difficulties. Learn about its prevalence, core causes like sensory issues, and treatment strategies including cognitive behavioral therapy and innovative food therapies. Find out how specialized protocols combining psychology and hypnosis offer impressive success rates, and gain practical tips for supporting recovery in both children and adults.

A groundbreaking study reveals that optimizing vitamin D levels can slash the risk of repeat heart attacks by over 50%. Many adults with heart disease initially had low vitamin D, with more than half needing high daily doses to achieve protective levels. Vitamin D helps combat inflammation and supports blood vessel function. Key recommendations include regular testing, sensible sun exposure, and a diet free from seed oils. Pairing vitamin D with magnesium and K2 enhances its protective effects, while exercise further strengthens heart health.

Explore the transformative power of butyrate in gut health! Discover how it enhances metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and helps maintain a balanced microbiome. Learn about the link between dietary choices, like fermentable fibers, and butyrate production. Understand the implications of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and its treatment strategies. Tune in for practical tips on foods to boost butyrate, and find out how lifestyle factors impact gut health. Plus, get ready to assess your gut status!

Discover the hidden dangers lurking in everyday chemicals that attack beneficial gut bacteria. Researchers reveal 168 toxic substances, including pesticides and plastic additives, that disrupt gut health. Learn how glyphosate and other pesticides alter gut microbiomes, leading to inflammation and metabolic issues. Practical tips include choosing organic produce, integrating probiotics, and using glass containers over plastics. Plus, track your symptoms to identify triggers and boost your body's detox pathways for better health.

Flavanols are plant compounds in cocoa, berries, and tea with low bioavailability, meaning only a small portion enters the bloodstream A new animal study found that oral flavanol doses of 25 to 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) activated the subjects' brains within minutes Flavanols are a type of flavonoid within the polyphenol family. This hierarchy clarifies their differences and explains why foods have unique combinations that offer specific health benefits If you choose cocoa flavanol supplements, don't fall for flashy marketing; whenever possible, stick to a nutritious food-first approach Along with consuming flavanol-rich foods, pairing them with regular physical activity and a nutrient-dense, plant-focused diet helps support long-term brain health and cardiovascular resilience

Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria that ferment dietary fiber, helps improve metabolic health by enhancing insulin function, regulating glucose levels and supporting healthy body composition Unlike most cells that use glucose, colonocytes (the epithelial cells that line your colon) prefer butyrate for energy, converting 70% to 80% through beta-oxidation to maintain gut barrier health Promoting butyrate production through fiber intake is beneficial, but only if your gut is healthy. If your gut is compromised, starting with dextrose water before transitioning to whole foods is recommended Lifestyle factors significantly impact butyrate production, with chronic stress, smoking, excessive drinking and antibiotic overuse reducing beneficial gut bacteria and SCFA production Excessive linoleic acid consumption, common in processed foods and vegetable oils, reduce beneficial gut bacteria, negatively affecting gut and metabolic health

People with long COVID experience persistent fatigue, breathlessness, and brain fog. Research links these effects to fibrin microclots intertwined with neutrophil extracellular traps that obstruct microvessels and impair oxygen delivery SARS-CoV-2 pushes blood into a hypercoagulable state, damaging endothelium, activating platelets, and inflammatory cytokines. This causes clot risk to persist for months, even after mild infections and hospital discharge Long COVID essentially boils down to mitochondrial dysfunction. Management includes proteolytic enzymes to help clear spike protein, while the I-RECOVER protocol guides detoxification, inflammation control, and mitochondrial repair to restore overall function Protecting cardiolipin, the mitochondrial membrane fat, requires limiting easily oxidized linoleic acid (LA) from seed oils, processed foods, nuts, seeds, and grain-fed meats Methylene blue may enhance mitochondrial respiration at low doses. Additionally, correcting copper deficiency and lowering excess iron through blood donation support energy production

A preliminary American Heart Association (AHA) study linked long-term melatonin use to increased heart failure risk, but a closer analysis shows serious flaws, including lack of peer review and failure to account for confounding variables The study found melatonin users had 90% higher heart failure rates, but data mixed together prescription-only countries with over-the-counter markets, misclassifying many actual users as non-users Moreover, the study failed to account for insomnia severity, psychiatric conditions, other medications, and dosing details, making it impossible to determine if melatonin caused the observed outcomes Decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrates melatonin's cardioprotective effects, including reducing blood pressure, protecting heart tissue, and mitigating oxidative damage, contradicting the study's alarming headlines While supplementation is unlikely to pose serious risks, there are natural ways to optimize your melatonin production, such as getting morning sunlight exposure, keeping a consistent sleep schedule, limiting evening blue light, eating earlier, and practicing stress-reduction techniques