Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
Listen to Dr. Mercola's Weekly Podcast, as the legendary natural health pioneer continues to lead you on your journey towards optimal health.
Episodes
- The Differences Between Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Postbiotics
The relationship between prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics is symbiotic, meaning they work together to support and maintain optimal gut health Prebiotics are nondigestible food components that promote the growth and activity of benefi…
- Study Finds Linoleic Acid May Directly Influence Cancer Growth
Linoleic acid (LA), a ubiquitous omega-6 fat in Western diets, may directly influence aggressive cancer growth by activating specific cellular pathways, according to recent animal research High levels of LA, found predominantly in ultrapro…
- High Use of Anticholinergic Drugs Linked to Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Common medications with anticholinergic effects — including certain allergy drugs, sleep aids, and antidepressants — interfere with acetylcholine, a chemical your nervous system uses to regulate heart rhythm, blood pressure, and other auto…
- Dipeptides and Tripeptides: The Emerging Frontier of Collagen Science
Standard collagen supplements get broken down to individual amino acids during digestion, but specific di- and tripeptides resist digestive enzymes, enter your bloodstream intact, and may act as signaling molecules that stimulate collagen…
- Just Like Cigarettes, Vaping Likely Causes Cancer, Major Study Finds
A 2026 scientific review concludes vaping is likely to cause lung and oral cancer, shifting the conversation from uncertainty to clear concern The damage from vaping starts at the cellular level, where DNA injury, oxidative stress and infl…
- The Foods You're Eating Could Be the Source of Your Urinary Tract Infection
About 10.5 million Americans visit doctors annually for urinary tract infections (UTIs), and global cases rose 66% from 1990 to 2021, totaling 4.49 billion infections worldwide Research found that 18% of UTIs in Southern California came fr…
- Is Fiber the New Protein? The Surprising Health Benefits of the Latest Wellness Trend
Fiber has replaced protein as the latest wellness obsession, driven by social media trends, food industry marketing and growing concern over gut and metabolic health Most adults still consume far less fiber than recommended, a gap linked t…
- CDC Adjusts Childhood Vaccine Guidelines — Here's What's Changing
Federal health officials have reduced the number of vaccines routinely recommended for all U.S. children from 17 to 11, giving parents more room to make individualized decisions based on their child's specific health needs and risk factors…
- Can Humidifiers Help Ease Your Skin Problems During Winter?
Winter itch happens when cold air outside and heating systems inside strip moisture from your environment, causing your skin, sinuses, and sleep to suffer An article featured in The New York Times reported that humidifiers can help ease sy…
- How Butyrate Fuels GLP-1 — Your Gut's Built-In Weight Management System
Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced when gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber. It serves as the primary fuel for colon cells, including L-cells that produce GLP-1 When your gut produces enough butyrate, natural GLP-1 secreti…
- Low Vitamin D Levels Raise Risk of Hospitalization for Respiratory Tract Infections
Severe vitamin D deficiency is linked to a sharply higher risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, turning common illnesses into serious medical events Adults with the lowest vitamin D levels fac…
- Why Weight Loss Stalls When Your Cells Are Starving for the Wrong Fuel
My new book, "The Weight Loss Cure," offers a step-by-step guide to rebuilding your gut ecosystem so you can restore your body's natural weight-control system — no injections required Your gut produces the same GLP-1 hormone that weight-lo…
- The Hidden Role of Bacteria in the Formation of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones form when minerals in urine crystallize and clump together. Among all types, calcium oxalate stones are the most common Calcium oxalate stones were long thought to result solely from physical and chemical processes, but a rec…
- This Widely Used Pesticide May Raise Your Parkinson's Risk by Over 2.5 Times
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that gradually interferes with movement, coordination, and cognitive function. New research points to environmental exposures, not just age or genetics, as a risk factor Research links long-te…
- Human Hearts Can Regrow Some Muscle Cells After Severe Damage
Heart attacks occur every 40 seconds in America, affecting a total of 805,000 people annually. It is characterized by blocked coronary arteries that starve cardiac muscle of blood flow Australian researchers found human hearts can regenera…
- Low Lycopene Intake Tied to Higher Risk of Severe Gum Disease
Severe gum disease reflects chronic inflammation and strongly links to broader health risks, including heart disease and diabetes, not just tooth loss Older adults with low dietary lycopene intake face a much higher risk of advanced gum di…
- Exploring the Link Between Niacin and Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease is the most common liver disorder, driven by obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance. It often progresses silently for years before symptoms appear Niacin helps your body use energy better. It turns down a mole…
- Hidden Fat in the Pancreas and Abdomen Linked to Brain Aging and Cognitive Decline
Hidden fat stored deep inside organs, especially the pancreas and abdomen, links to brain shrinkage, cognitive decline, and a higher risk of neurologic disease even when your weight looks normal An MRI-based study of 25,997 adults found th…
- Reaching the Right Vitamin D Level Cuts Breast Cancer Risk in Half
Blood vitamin D levels, not supplement dose, determine breast cancer risk, with studies showing roughly a 40% to 50% lower risk once levels rise into protective ranges Women who maintain blood vitamin D levels around 50 to 60 ng/mL experie…
- Astaxanthin — A Therapeutic Agent in Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease develops quietly over years as blood vessels lose resilience under oxidative and inflammatory stress, long before symptoms appear Astaxanthin supports heart health by protecting cell membranes and blood vessels from damage at…
- The Overlooked Environmental Trigger Behind Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes now affects nearly 1 in 10 U.S. pregnancies and raises long-term metabolic risks for both mother and child Research shows that exposure to PFAS, common industrial chemicals found in most people's bodies, increases the…
- New Study Shows Hobbies Help People Find More Meaning in Their Jobs
A five-week study of nearly 200 working adults found that leisure crafting, using hobbies more intentionally, boosted creativity and meaning at work, often more strongly than benefits seen in participants' personal lives Creative activitie…
- More Evidence That Exercise Is as Effective as Medication in Treating Depression
Exercise reduces depression symptoms as effectively as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy for many adults, without the burden of prescription side effects Daily walking is one of the most reliable starting points for improving moo…
- Arthritis Is Forcing Millions of Americans Out of Work
Arthritis-related disability remains high, with nearly half of adults with arthritis struggling to perform basic daily movements that affect independence, mobility, and quality of life About 40% of working-age adults with arthritis report…
- Aspartame's Hidden Effects on Your Heart and Brain
Long-term, low-dose aspartame intake caused measurable changes in heart structure and brain energy use in mice, even at amounts far below current safety limits Weight and body fat dropped with aspartame use, but this came alongside reduced…
- Health Officials Slash the Number of Vaccines Recommended for All Kids
Federal health officials reduced the number of vaccines recommended for all children and reorganized the schedule to align more closely with other developed nations, giving parents clearer decision points The updated framework separates va…
- Are Water Dispensers Safe or a Hotbed for Bacteria?
A study published in AIMS Microbiology discovered that many commercial water dispensers harbor more bacteria than tap water due to biofilms and poor maintenance, raising public health concerns for offices, homes, and public-use systems wor…
- Spending Too Much Time on Social Media Could Stress You Out
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults today are almost constantly online with global screen time averaging over six hours per day A 7-month study of 1,490 German adults found that spending more time online — especially on mobile phones — was linked to…
- Preservatives in Ultraprocessed Food Linked to Rising Cancer and Diabetes Rates
Before refrigeration, humans preserved food through drying, fermenting, curing, and pickling. These methods helped extend food availability without synthetic chemicals Industrialization drove the use of chemical preservatives like nitrites…
- Is Tramadol Safe? What the Latest Evidence Says
Tramadol is widely prescribed for chronic pain because it's perceived as "safer" than other opioids but more effective than other over-the-counter pain relievers, yet newer evidence challenges both its effectiveness and long-term safety A…
- Unexpected Chemicals Found in Human Milk Raise New Questions About Infant Exposure
Researchers analyzing breast milk found traces of plastics, disinfectants, pesticides, and other industrial chemicals, showing that breast milk reflects everyday environmental exposure Five separate studies using advanced testing methods i…
- How Ashwagandha Supports Stress Balance and Physical Recovery
Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which disrupts sleep, slows physical recovery, blunts training progress, and prevents your body from fully resetting day to day Clinical research shows ashwagandha consistently lowers cortisol, helpi…
- This Small Molecule Reverses Alzheimer's Disease Progression, Study Shows
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is central to cellular energy and mitochondrial health, driving redox reactions that produce ATP. Declining levels are linked to metabolic disorders, sarcopenia, and diabetes Alzheimer's disease has…
- Acupuncture in the ICU — A Natural Approach to Faster Recovery
A mini-review published in Frontiers in Neurology suggests that acupuncture may assist ICU patients in recovering more quickly by relieving pain, lowering sedative use, shortening ventilator dependency, enhancing strength, and increasing d…
- Seed Oils Linked to Early 20th Century Heart Disease Surge
My paper, Seed Oils as a Hypothesized Contributor to Heart Disease: A Narrative Synthesis, explains that heart disease was rare before the 20th century and surged only after industrial seed oils became a dominant part of the food supply, p…
- How Everyday Breathing Habits Affect Blood Pressure
Forceful abdominal exhalations activate a brainstem circuit that tightens blood vessels and raises blood pressure, even in the absence of stress or exercise Slow, calm breathing quiets the nervous system signals that drive blood pressure h…
- How Your Closest Relationships Influence Heart Health
The quality of your closest relationships influences heart health as strongly as conventional risk factors by shaping daily stress levels, recovery capacity, and long-term resilience Couples who approach heart health together exercise more…
- Europe Establishes Its First Clinical Guide for Photobiomodulation in Cancer Care
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a light-based therapy that uses specific wavelengths to interact with body tissues, influencing cellular activity without heat and supporting recovery across both medical and general wellness settings Europe rec…
- The Hidden Mental Health Cost of Antibiotic Use
Antibiotic use has been linked to higher anxiety and depression risk by disrupting gut bacteria that regulate brain chemistry and stress response Human studies show antibiotics lower key calming neurotransmitters and activate inflammatory…
- Fermented Foods Shape Gut Health in Ways Modern Diets Do Not
Fermented foods are biologically active whole foods that reshape digestion and immune signaling by delivering microbes, enzymes, and microbial byproducts together, not isolated nutrients Most benefits from fermented foods come from changes…
- Statins, Cholesterol, and the Real Cause of Heart Disease
Despite decades of statin use costing approximately $25 billion annually in America alone, heart disease remains the leading cause of death, suggesting the cholesterol hypothesis that drives statin prescriptions is fundamentally flawed Stu…
- Aggressive Antibiotic Use Disrupts Gut Microbes and Raises Risk of Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Repeated or aggressive antibiotic use disrupts gut microbes that regulate brain chemicals, which raises your risk of anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, and emotional instability Research shows that antibiotics lower acetylcholine, a key neurot…
- The Hidden Reason Vitamin D Fails in People with Obesity
Extra body fat interferes with how vitamin D works after it enters your body, which explains why low levels often persist despite supplements or sun exposure Vitamin D can become trapped in fat tissue and fail to convert into its usable fo…
- New Study Identifies the Optimal Exercise Dose for Reducing Fatty Liver
Fatty liver disease affects a large portion of adults worldwide and often develops silently, increasing the risk of liver damage, heart disease and shortened life expectancy if metabolic health isn't improved Consistent exercise reduces li…
- Daytime Light Exposure Influences Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes management is influenced not only by diet and medication but also by environmental factors, including the type and timing of light exposure during typical indoor workdays A Cell Metabolism study found that participants expo…
- Why Your Heart Risk Score Matters for Your Eyes
Your cardiovascular risk score reflects how well blood flows through your smallest vessels, and those same vessels determine whether your retina and optic nerve stay healthy as you age People with higher heart risk scores face a much great…
- Is Brain Rot Real? Researchers Warn of Emerging Risks Tied to Short-Form Video
Heavy short-form video use trains your brain to favor speed and novelty, which weakens sustained focus and makes everyday tasks feel harder to finish Attention loss linked to scrolling reflects learned brain adaptation, not a lack of intel…
- Bowel Prep for Colonoscopies May Disrupt Your Gut Microbiome Balance
The bowel prep used before a colonoscopy does more than empty your colon; it strips protective mucus, wipes out beneficial gut bacteria, and weakens your gut's natural defenses right when they are needed most Research shows nearly half of…
- Is Your Makeup Toxic? The Alarming Rise of PFAS in Cosmetics
A review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified 51 PFAS in 1,744 cosmetic products. Among the 25 most-used PFAS, 19 lacked sufficient safety data for assessment The most common PFAS in European makeup were polytetrafluor…
- Evidence Points to a Narrow Exercise Range That Protects Metabolism and Cognition
Walking 5,001 to 7,500 steps a day slows the buildup of tau, the brain protein linked to Alzheimer's-related decline, helping you stay sharper for years longer Older adults with elevated amyloid — a key early Alzheimer's marker — preserved…