Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

A new Intermountain Health study presented at the American Heart Association's 2025 Scientific Sessions found that adults with heart disease who optimized their vitamin D levels cut their risk of another heart attack by 52% Most participants began the trial with low vitamin D levels, showing that deficiency is common in people with cardiovascular disease and silently increases the risk of recurring heart problems More than half of the patients needed over 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily — six times the FDA's recommended intake — to reach protective blood levels between 40 and 80 ng/mL Vitamin D acts as a hormone that helps lower inflammation, maintain proper calcium balance, improve blood vessel function, and reduce oxidative stress — all key to preventing heart damage Regular testing, personalized dosing, sunlight exposure, and daily exercise are simple, measurable ways to restore vitamin D, strengthen your heart, and reduce your risk of another cardiac event

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder where people severely restrict food due to fear, sensory sensitivities, or low interest — not body image concerns — causing significant health and social problems Unlike normal picky eating, ARFID involves intense distress, extremely narrow food choices, nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, and serious disruption to daily life and social activities Prevalence ranges from 0.35% to 6.4% depending on region, primarily affecting children and teens, with average diagnosis at age 11 and higher male representation than other disorders Treatment approaches include parental control strategies, cognitive behavioral therapy, family-based treatment, food therapy, and sequential oral sensory methods to gradually reduce food-related fear and anxiety A specialized protocol combining psychology, hypnosis, and neuro-linguistic programming shows 90% success for adults and 65% for children, often achieved in single session

Researchers have identified 168 everyday chemicals, including pesticides, flame retardants, and plastic additives, that are toxic to beneficial gut bacteria and may disrupt essential body functions Certain banned or restricted substances, like hexachlorophene and DDT, were also shown to damage gut microbes and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction Pesticides such as glyphosate, chlorpyrifos, and atrazine alter gut microbial balance and reduce protective species, allowing harmful bacteria to thrive and weakening your immune defenses Gut bacteria exposed to pesticides not only change how they grow but also how they process nutrients, interfere with detox pathways, and trigger inflammation in the gut, liver, and other organs Practical solutions like choosing organic produce, eating probiotic and prebiotic foods, filtering drinking water, and avoiding plastic containers can help protect and restore gut 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