Metabolic Syndrome Has Doubled Worldwide Over the Last 2 Decades
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Release Date: 06/17/2026
Why I'm Rethinking the Way Supplements Are Delivered
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Supplements were never meant to be miniature drugs. They exist to complement a nutrient-dense diet, not to override a poor one the way pharmaceuticals are used to suppress symptoms Compliance is the supplement world's quietest failure. Good intentions are common; the willingness to swallow a fistful of capsules every day is not, and a supplement sitting in your cabinet does nothing for you For certain ingredients, I'm moving toward clean, sprinkle-on-food powders in foil pouches and canisters instead of capsules in bottles. When the supplement becomes part of your meal, taking it stops being...
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The Supplement You Took This Morning May Have Already Failed You
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
The label on a supplement bottle tells you what went into the capsule — not what reaches your cells. For a great many products, the gap between those two numbers is enormous, and it is invisible at the point of purchase The scientific term for how much of a compound actually reaches your bloodstream in active form is bioavailability. Most oral supplements lose a large fraction of their dose to stomach acid, poor solubility, and rapid elimination before they ever do any good Fat-soluble plant compounds and minerals are especially vulnerable, which is why two products with nearly identical...
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How Hot Is Too Hot? Here's What to Consider When Exercising in the Heat
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
There is no single temperature that automatically makes exercise unsafe because humidity, direct sunlight, and airflow often influence heat stress as much as the temperature itself Your body maintains a core temperature near 98.6 degrees F, but exercise and hot weather together increase heat production, raising the risk of heat-related illness when heat builds up faster than your body can release it Early warning signs such as headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, weakness, and unusual fatigue often appear before a heat emergency develops, giving you an opportunity to cool down and recover...
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Study: Anxiety and Depression Drive Global Mental Health Surge to Nearly 1.2 Billion
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023, and anxiety and depression accounted for much of the increase, making mental illness one of the leading causes of disability across the globe Teenagers ages 15 to 19 now carry the highest burden of mental disorders, replacing middle-aged adults as the most affected group and raising concerns about long-term effects on education, relationships and future health Mental health concerns are appearing more often during routine pediatric medical visits, with anxiety-related visits increasing about 300% over the last...
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Chronic Kidney Disease: A Hidden Threat to Your Heart
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Chronic kidney disease often develops silently for years, but even early kidney damage sharply increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and dangerous heart rhythm problems Two common tests called eGFR and UACR reveal hidden kidney stress long before symptoms appear and provide an early warning sign that your cardiovascular system is already under strain Researchers discovered that damaged kidneys release microscopic particles into the bloodstream that directly injure heart muscle cells, weaken heart contractions, and disrupt the electrical timing of the heartbeat Chronic...
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Study Links Microplastics in Arterial Plaque to Fourfold Increase in Stroke Risk
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Human brain tissue contains far higher concentrations of microplastics than liver or kidney tissue, and researchers found the burden increased sharply between 2016 and 2024 Researchers discovered that patients with microplastics embedded inside carotid artery plaque faced a 4.53-fold higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death compared to patients without detectable plastics in plaque Studies found plastic particles inside blood clots and diseased artery walls, while animal experiments showed nanosized plastics disrupting blood flow and worsening brain injury after stroke Ultraprocessed...
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How to Detox Naturally
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
In my May 2026 CBS Chicago interview, I explained that your body already contains detox systems that work continuously through your liver, skin, kidneys, and digestive tract, but processed foods, seed oils, and dehydration overload those pathways and slow recovery Regular sun exposure and increased outdoor activity naturally support detoxification by improving sweating, circulation, hydration, and cellular energy production Seed oils stored inside your tissues contribute to fatty liver disease, impaired detox capacity, and increased sensitivity to midday sunlight, which helps explain why many...
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The Simple Link Between Core Strength and Brain Health
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Your abdominal muscles physically influence your brain every time you move by creating pressure changes that affect brain fluid circulation, nervous system signaling, and mechanical stimulation inside the skull Research showed that exercises combining movement with coordination and focus, including yoga, tai chi, Pilates, dance and bodyweight training, improved memory, attention, decision-making and overall thinking ability across all age groups Shorter exercise programs often produced stronger cognitive improvements than long-term workout programs, making brain-supportive movement realistic...
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How Long Poop Stays in Your Body May Impact Your Health, Study Finds
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
The amount of time stool stays inside your body strongly influences your gut bacteria, short-chain fatty acid production, inflammation levels, and metabolic health Researchers found that slower gut transit shifts bacteria away from carbohydrate fermentation and toward protein fermentation, increasing irritating compounds like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide inside the colon A simple blue stool test revealed that people with slower transit times had poorer blood sugar control after meals, higher visceral fat levels, and less favorable metabolic markers High-fat diets slow intestinal movement and...
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What Niacinamide Studies May Reveal About Cancer as a Metabolic Disease
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Glioblastoma is considered one of the most aggressive brain cancers, with survival often limited to about a year, largely because tumors adapt by rewiring how they use nutrients and energy Tumors divert vitamin B3 (niacinamide) away from normal energy production into a pathway that supports their survival, suggesting a metabolic weakness that could potentially be targeted This altered pathway may drain key cellular resources, meaning cancer cells appear to burn through materials they need to grow, which may create an opportunity to disrupt their fuel supply In a Science Advances study,...
info_outline- Metabolic syndrome now affects about 1 in 4 adults worldwide, with cases rising rapidly across nearly every country and age group, which means your personal risk is higher than it was just a generation ago
- The condition develops silently through a combination of abdominal fat, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol, often without clear symptoms until damage is already underway
- Your daily habits drive the condition, as processed foods, low movement, chronic stress, and poor sleep disrupt how your body produces and uses energy
- Insulin resistance sits at the center of the problem, creating a chain reaction that affects your metabolism, blood vessels, and hormone balance all at once
- You can reverse the trajectory by restoring cellular energy through better food choices, eliminating seed oils, increasing daily movement, getting regular sunlight, and improving sleep and stress control