New Study Identifies the Optimal Exercise Dose for Reducing Fatty Liver
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Release Date: 02/12/2026
How Everyday Breathing Habits Affect Blood Pressure
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 higher, making it a powerful daily tool for regulation Long-term high blood pressure reduces blood flow to your brain and shrinks regions responsible for memory, focus, and decision-making Blood pressure control depends on cumulative daily habits, not single readings, which explains why short-term fixes often fail Practicing nasal, slow, and passive breathing...
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How Your Closest Relationships Influence Heart Health
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your 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 consistently, reduce smoking more effectively, and follow treatment plans better than people working alone Chronic relationship conflict and emotional disconnection keep stress hormones elevated, quietly straining blood vessels, heart rhythm, and metabolism over time Supportive connection lowers stress signaling, stabilizes heart rhythm, improves sleep...
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Europe Establishes Its First Clinical Guide for Photobiomodulation in Cancer Care
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 recently released its first formal clinical guide for PBM in oncology, marking a shift toward standardized use of light-based supportive care across cancer treatment centers Clinical research shows PBM is most strongly supported for managing oral mucositis and radiation-related skin damage, two common cancer complications that can interfere with eating,...
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The Hidden Mental Health Cost of Antibiotic Use
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 brain cells tied to anxious behavior Repeated or early-life antibiotic exposure increases long-term vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and cognitive strain Antibiotics disrupt gut-brain signaling in ways that trigger anxiety, sleep problems, and emotional instability even in people with no prior mental health history Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use...
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Fermented Foods Shape Gut Health in Ways Modern Diets Do Not
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 in gut chemistry and microbial signaling rather than permanent colonization, which explains why you can see results even without lasting microbiome changes Different fermented foods act through different pathways, so rotating options like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and sourdough supports broader gut resilience than relying on a single “superfood”...
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Statins, Cholesterol, and the Real Cause of Heart Disease
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 Studies show that lowering cholesterol with statins does not reduce heart disease, and yet these findings are ignored while statin guidelines are created by experts paid by pharmaceutical manufacturers Malcolm Kendrick’s clotting model provides a superior explanation for heart disease: atherosclerotic plaques result from repeated damage to blood vessel...
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Aggressive Antibiotic Use Disrupts Gut Microbes and Raises Risk of Anxiety and Mood Disorders
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 neurotransmitter that supports calm focus, memory, and stress tolerance, explaining why many people feel anxious, foggy, or irritable after a course Even a single round of antibiotics is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression, and the risk rises further with repeated exposure, especially with drugs like penicillin, quinolones, and clindamycin...
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The Hidden Reason Vitamin D Fails in People with Obesity
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 form, leaving blood tests low even when intake appears sufficient Deep belly fat and liver fat have the strongest impact on vitamin D availability, making waist size more important than body weight alone Taking higher doses of vitamin D doesn’t always fix the problem if metabolic signals from excess fat remain unchanged Reducing visceral fat, restoring...
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New Study Identifies the Optimal Exercise Dose for Reducing Fatty Liver
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 liver fat even without weight loss, improving blood sugar control, cardiovascular fitness and overall metabolic function Meaningful liver fat reduction begins at about 20 to 25 minutes of moderate activity five days weekly, with the strongest efficiency gains occurring around 150 to 160 minutes per week Combining aerobic exercise with strength training...
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Daytime Light Exposure Influences Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
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 exposed to natural daylight spent more time within a healthy glucose range than those exposed to standard office lighting Daylight supports circadian alignment by strengthening communication between the brain’s master clock and peripheral clocks in organs that control insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake, and energy metabolism Natural daylight also shifted how...
info_outline- 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 liver fat even without weight loss, improving blood sugar control, cardiovascular fitness and overall metabolic function
- Meaningful liver fat reduction begins at about 20 to 25 minutes of moderate activity five days weekly, with the strongest efficiency gains occurring around 150 to 160 minutes per week
- Combining aerobic exercise with strength training produces greater liver and metabolic improvements than performing either type of exercise alone
- Eliminating harmful dietary fats, increasing key nutrients that support liver fat removal and maintaining regular physical activity directly address the metabolic overload that drives fatty liver disease