Biodynamic Farming and the Legacy of Rudolf Steiner

By Dr. Mercola Biodynamic farming is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture initially developed by Austrian scholar Rudolf Steiner,1 Ph.D., (1861-1925). It’s an approach that can provide far superior harvests compared to conventional chemical-based agriculture, while simultaneously healing the Earth. Not only does biodynamic farming provide superior crops both in volume and increased density of nutrients, but biodynamic farms are also completely self-sustaining. As noted in the featured film, “The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner,” sustainability, and the personal independence and freedom that sustainability provides, was incredibly important to Steiner. It’s a very long film — over three hours — but if you have an interest in biodynamic farming or Steiner’s worldview in general, it’s well worth watching. He taught there is an invisible force that aids and sustains humanity, and biodynamic farming makes use of a wide variety of influences, including planetar
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/07/01/biodynamic-farming-rudolf-steiner-legacy.aspx

Here's What Happens When You Quit Smoking

By Dr. Mercola About 50 years ago, nearly 42 percent of the population smoked cigarettes.1 Between 2005 and 2014 those numbers dropped from 20 percent to 17 percent and then again to 15 percent by 2015.2 Public health officials are hoping that that number will drop below 12 percent by 2020. However, while the number of people smoking traditional cigarettes is steadily dropping, the number of teens using smokeless electronic cigarettes, also known as vaping, is steadily rising.3 Since 2011, teens have been smoking less and vaping more, and research demonstrates that teens who vape may also smoke. If you smoke, quitting is an essential strategy to return to good health. However, I strongly recommend that you first get your diet under control as the implications of a poor diet may outweigh those from smoking and those who are in the process of quitting may turn to food to help alleviate their cravings. Smoking is linked to a number of chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and s
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/07/01/quit-smoking.aspx

Anxiety Overtakes Depression as No. 1 Mental Health Problem

By Dr. Mercola Anxiety is the new depression, with more than half of all American college students reporting anxiety.1 Recent research2 shows anxiety — characterized by constant and overwhelming worry and fear — is now 800 percent more prevalent than all forms of cancer. A 2016 report3 by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State confirmed the trend, finding anxiety and depression are the most common concerns among college students who seek counseling.4 Data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests the prevalence of anxiety disorders in the U.S. may be as high as 40 million, or about 18 percent of the population over the age of 18, making it the most common mental illness in the nation.5,6 Fortunately, there are many treatment options available, and some of the most effective treatments are also among the safest and least expensive, and don't involve drugs. Anxiety — A Medical Condition Driven by Sociological Conditions? Commenting on the featured
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Putting the Spotlight on Coriander Seed Oil

What Is Coriander Seed Oil? Coriander seed oil is extracted from the fruit (seed) of coriander (Coriandum sativum L.), which is from the cilantro or Chinese parsley plant family. However, there might be some confusion between coriander and cilantro. Coriander and cilantro are from the same plant, but also have several differences. The word "coriander" technically describes the whole plant, but depending on geography, coriander and cilantro have different descriptions. In the United Kingdom, the leaves of the plant are called coriander and the seeds are called coriander seeds. In the United States, the leaves are called cilantro and the seeds are called coriander. However, in India, it is called dhania. Coriander seed is considered one of the earliest uses of spices in the world. It was used for culinary and medical purposes in Babylonian times. It was also mentioned in the Bible, and was found in tombs of pharaohs as a symbol of eternal love.1 Coriander seed oil's color is clear to a
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Drug-Free Ways to Help Balance Female Hormones

By Dr. Mercola Essential oils have been used for millennia to treat a myriad of health concerns. Given their potency, versatility and effectiveness, it comes as no surprise that essential oils can be useful in helping you balance your hormones. Many women have been successful in applying essential oils topically to alleviate premenstrual syndrome (PMS), menstrual cramping and other symptoms. Some enjoy essential oils aromatically by diffusing them into the air, while others combine them with Epsom salts for a therapeutic bath. Evidence continues to emerge suggesting essential oils can play a beneficial role during menopause. This is certainly a topic relevant to many of my readers and may be worthy of consideration. Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy Although you may think of menopause as a season of life, it is medically defined as marking the cessation of a woman's menstrual period for 12 months. Menopause signals that your ovaries are producing less estrogen and you no longe
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/29/how-to-balance-female-hormones.aspx

Obesity Takes Greater Than Ever Toll on Global Health

By Dr. Mercola According to research published in 2013, 1 in 5 American deaths is associated with obesity,1 and the younger you are, the greater obesity's influence on your mortality. Considering one-third of American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are now overweight or obese, chronic disease and mortality rates will likely climb dramatically in coming decades as the health of these youths begins to fail. Since 1980, childhood obesity rates have tripled in the U.S., the rate of obese teens has quadrupled from 5 to 20.5 percent, and nearly 9 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds are now obese.2 As of 2014, the obesity rate among adults over 20 was just shy of 38 percent, costing the U.S. medical system $147 million annually.3 In December 2011, severe obesity was included as a qualifying disability under the American With Disabilities Act, further raising the cost of obesity on society as a whole. Being overweight during pregnancy also increases the risk of birth defects, recent research
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/28/obesity-global-epidemic.aspx

How to Get Rid of a Stye in Your Eye

By Dr. Mercola Your eyelids protect your eye from injury, help regulate how much light is admitted to your retina and maintain a film of tears by distributing tears over your eye and pumping tears from the conjunctival and lacrimal sacs. You have Meibomian glands at the base of your eyelids, near your eye lashes. These glands secrete an oil that combines with your watery tears to lubricate and protect your eye from drying.1 Without enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye, the orb can become irritated and you may develop an inflammation of the cornea, leading to blurry vision, redness and a burning and scratchy sensation, if left untreated.2 A stye may develop on your eyelid in the Meibomian gland duct. These irritations present as red lumps along the edge of the eyelid. While they can be annoying or painful, they are rarely serious. Styes can often be successfully treated at home, but before determining your course of treatment, you’ll want to make sure you’re not de
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/28/how-to-get-rid-of-a-stye.aspx

If You Eat French Fries or Potato Chips, This Will Stop You

By Dr. Mercola The potato has had a long history. The Incan tribe from the highlands of Peru worshipped the potato and people from Ireland blamed the potato for the Great Famine when a blight destroyed potato crops across Europe.1 Today, the potato is the fourth largest food crop in the world. The potato is a perennial plant that is high in starch and has more potassium than bananas.2 The vegetable is also source of vitamin C and B-6, and is sodium and fat free. However, while there are benefits to the vegetable, it is also high in carbohydrates; one medium potato contains 37 grams of carbohydrates. I recommend you limit your net carbohydrates (total carbs minus fiber) to between 50 and 80 grams per day, depending upon your metabolism. This means a single potato can be 45 percent to 75 percent of your daily net carb amount. The consumption of fresh potatoes has declined in the past 50 years, dropping from 61 pounds per year per person in 1970 to 36 pounds per year per person in 2008.3
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/28/eating-fried-potatoes-doubles-death-risk.aspx

Toxic Clothing Affects Everyone

By Dr. Mercola In September 2016, American Airlines rolled out new uniforms for more than 70,000 employees — the first uniform overhaul in 30 years. Soon after, reports started coming in from about 100 pilots and 3,000 flight attendants that the uniforms were making them sick. A variety of symptoms were reported (some occurring only while the personnel were wearing the uniforms), such as rashes, itching, eye swelling and a general feeling of malaise.1 Twin Hill, a unit of Tailored Brands Inc., which supplied the uniforms, has conducted testing, with nothing suspicious showing up that may cause the symptoms, and so far American Airlines has not recalled the uniforms, although they've given some employees alternative pieces and allowed them to wear their old uniforms while the matter is sorted out.2 While this may seem like an unusual story, it's not unheard of for clothing to make people sick. In fact, the average piece of clothing not only may be made from potentially allergenic mat
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/27/toxic-clothing.aspx

Many Veterans Are Denied Benefits for Vaccine Injuries

By Dr. Mercola Children and adults injured or killed by vaccines face a long uphill battle when filing for compensation with the U.S. vaccine injury compensation program (VICP), better known as “vaccine court.” American war veterans injured by vaccines face even grimmer prospects, as veterans appear to be routinely denied benefits for vaccine-related injuries. Part of the problem is that proving a vaccine caused the illness can be difficult, and it’s even more difficult when side effects are not carefully tracked and documented. Remarkably, the U.S. military does not track any vaccine-related side effects or injuries, even though military personnel receive a number of mandatory vaccines, and despite the fact that concerns over vaccine-related injuries led to the creation of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Vaccine Healthcare Centers (VHC) Network in September 2001.1,2 Military Personnel Blame Health Problems on Controversial Smallpox Vaccine Fox News Boston3 recently highlig
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/27/vaccine-injuries-veterans-denied-benefits.aspx

Sunless Tanning Drug Sure to Increase Skin Cancer

By Dr. Mercola Melanin is the pigment that gives skin (as well as hair and eyes) its color. Dark-skinned people have more melanin in their skin, and the presence of dark melanin, known as eumelanin, is associated with a low skin cancer risk.1 It would seem plausible, then, that creating an artificial way to stimulate pigmentation in human skin could lower the risks of damage from excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. There is a natural way to do this — get regular exposure to the sun in short increments, gradually building up your time spent in the sun to create a natural tan. As part of my healthy sunbathing tips, I recommend building up your tolerance by starting early in the spring, with as few as five minutes of exposure time, and gradually increasing the time you spend in the sun to avoid getting burned. Once your tolerance has been built up, aim for 15 to 30 minutes of unprotected sun exposure two to four times per week, around midday, to maximize vitamin D
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/27/sunless-tanning-drug.aspx

Why You Should Always Use Organic Red Onions

By Dr. Mercola Have you ever sat in a restaurant and smelled the tantalizing sizzle of sautéed onions moving past to another table? You may wonder why you didn't order the same thing, and resolve to get out some onions and other veggies for your next evening's meal. But did you know there's a difference between all the onion varieties in the way they impact your health? Besides the fact that both red and white onions are a low glycemic food,1 a new study has determined that red onions are superior in many ways, one of the most important being the dramatic influence they had on study participants' cancer risk. It also turns out that, among five onion varieties, red onions kill between three and four times more cancer cells than the yellow and white ones. The Canadian study, no doubt prompted at least in part because cancer is that country's leading cause of death, noted that the high levels of flavonoids, specifically quercetin, myricetin and kaempferol, in the five onion types were s
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/26/organic-red-onions.aspx

Broccoli Compound Lowers Risk of Obesity and Helps Treat Diabetes

By Dr. Mercola Broccoli and broccoli sprouts have potent anticancer activity courtesy of sulforaphane, a naturally occurring organic sulfur, and other chemoprotective compounds. Studies have shown sulforaphane: • Supports normal cell function and division and acts as an immune stimulant1 • Causes apoptosis (programmed cell death) in colon,2 prostate,3 breast4 and tobacco-induced lung cancer5 cells; three servings of broccoli per week may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by more than 60 percent6 • Activates nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that regulates cellular oxidation and reduction and aids in detoxification,7 as well as other phase 2 detoxification enzymes. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, have been shown to help detox environmental pollutants such as benzene.8,9,10 In another study, sulforaphane was found to increase excretion of airborne pollutants by 61 percent.11 The phytonutrients glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiin and glucobrassicin also aid detoxif
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/26/broccoli-sulforaphane-obesity-diabetes.aspx

Health Benefits of Artichokes

By Dr. Mercola You've probably tasted artichokes and enjoy them in soups and on pizza for their zesty, unique flavor. But you may not be aware there are artichoke supplements, which are helpful as a powerful probiotic and antioxidant. The probiotic part helps your gut regain equilibrium, while the antioxidants are instrumental in fighting free radicals that cause many diseases, including cancer, heart attack and Alzheimer's. A plethora of nutrients simultaneously benefit your health in many other ways. For a little background on this interesting plant, there are two botanical varieties: the globe artichoke, suggested for culinary use, is Cynara scolymus and the cardoon is Cynara cardunculus. They're beautiful plants, depicted by artists for their interesting construction and vibrant colors: pale gold on the inside; thick rubbery "petals" in shades of pale green, sometimes tinged with purple, on the outside. If the plant reminds you of a thistle, it's because it belongs to the same per
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/26/artichoke-health-benefits.aspx

How to Make Thick and Creamy Labneh at Home

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Dietary Fats — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

By Dr. Mercola Fats are an essential part of your diet. However, not all fats are created equal. So, how do you know you're eating healthy, high-quality fat? In this interview, Dr. Cate Shanahan answers this important question. Shanahan is a family physician and author of "Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food," originally published in 2008. A revised and updated version was issued this year. Herself an avid athlete, having competed in the Olympic Trials, she has also done consulting work for the Los Angeles Lakers. Shanahan's journey into nutrition started when she got sick. She ended up doing a deep dive into biochemistry and molecular biology, looking for a connection between her health problem and her diet, and found it didn't reconcile with what she'd been taught in medical school. "I was practicing family medicine in Hawaii at that time. I had gone to medical school with this fantasy that I would get to the underlying cause of diseases, particularly the ones that
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/25/good-bad-ugly-dietary-fats.aspx

Homemade Ant Bait — Less Toxic and More Effective

By Dr. Mercola The tiny ant is a unique marvel of nature. However, after invading your home, you may not find ants so fascinating. It has become convenient to run to the local hardware store for bug killer to rid your home of the pests, but you may be swapping one problem for another, more toxic, one. Your next option may be to reach for the nontoxic, green product advertised as safe for home and family. Unfortunately, finding a safer option may not be as straightforward as it seems since you can’t judge a book by its cover. Some of these “green” options may not be as harmless as advertised. Thankfully, there are truly safe options to rid your home of these insects and most of the necessary items can be found at your local grocery or health food store. In order to understand how the products should work, it helps to understand how the ant functions. The Mighty Ant In the short video above, you’ll discover five interesting facts about ants that may help you understand how to ke
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/24/homemade-ant-bait.aspx

Documentary Investigates the Causes and Ramifications of Stress-Related Burnout

By Dr. Mercola Unless kept in check, stress can wreak absolute havoc on your life, undercutting your health and depressing your very will to live. Around the world, "burnout" is becoming an increasingly pervasive problem, affecting people from all walks of life. Being successful per se will not insulate you from burnout. On the contrary, it may actually raise your risk. "The Day I Snapped" is a mental health documentary featuring five professionals who walked into the proverbial wall one day, "suddenly" unable to cope any longer. However, as noted in the film, while the crisis may appear sudden, that moment when a person "snaps" is really the culmination of an untenable situation that has been going on for a long time. Why the Modern Workplace Promotes Burnout The five individuals in the film suffered burnout due to work-related stress, which is the most typical scenario. But what is it about the modern workplace that pressures people beyond their limits? Key factors highlighted in th
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/24/stress-related-burnout-causes-ramifications.aspx

How to Grow Basil

By Dr. Mercola Savory green pesto sauce, tomato and mozzarella salad, nearly any egg dish, wild-caught Alaskan salmon — these and many more meal options take on a fresh tweak of flavor when basil is part of the equation. If you've ever headed for the produce section of your grocery store to pick up a small package of basil, though, you know how expensive it can be. Growing your own is super easy, even if all you have in the way of a garden spot is a balcony, deck or patio. Basil (ocimum basilicum, a member of the mint family) grows beautifully in pots or in your backyard garden, offering a pretty pop of greenery that you can snip off and pop into any number of delicious recipes. Gardener's World features a video clip of horticulturalist Monty Don, who says no other herb goes quite as well with tomatoes as basil, as the basil cuts through the acidity of the tomato to create a perfect flavor balance. Further, tomatoes and basil share the same growing standards and conditions: "It's wo
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/23/growing-basil.aspx

Malabar Spinach — An Easy-Grow Summer Green That Loves the Heat

By Dr. Mercola Malabar spinach 1,2,3,4 is an interesting alternative to regular spinach. It grows like a perennial jungle vine, and thrives in the summer heat when most other greens tend to turn bitter and dry, easily reaching heights of 10 to 35 feet in a season. Trained on a trellis, with frequent pruning, you can turn it into a decorative edible hedge. Also known under the names Indian, creeping, Asian, Vietnamese, Surinam, Ceylonese and Chinese spinach, Malabar spinach comes in two varieties:5 Basella rubra, which has purple-red vines and pink flowers Basella alba, which has white to pale green stems and white flowers Characteristics The red variety is more visually dramatic, but other than that, it grows and tastes nearly identical to its white counterpart. Full-grown leaves are about the size of your palm, with a slight crunchiness and a hint of lemon-pepper flavor that take on a more characteristic spinach flavor when cooked, although it’s less bitter than regular spinach, th
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/23/growing-malabar-spinach.aspx

Jump-Start Your Health With Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

Lemon eucalyptus oil, the common name for one of the natural oils obtained from the lemon-scented gum eucalyptus plant, has gained popularity as an insect repellant. This use is important when you consider the dangers of DEET and other toxic solutions and want to steer clear of them. Learn more about the benefits, composition and proper therapeutic and practical applications of this plant oil. What Is Lemon Eucalyptus Oil? Lemon eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves and twigs of the lemon-scented gum eucalyptus plant, also known as Eucalyptus citriodora or Corymbia citriodora. The lemon eucalyptus is a tall tree that grows up to 50 meters (164 feet) tall and comes from the temperate and tropical northeastern Australia.1 Its name is derived from the Latin term citriodorus meaning "lemon-scented," and is in demand for structural timber and for honey production. It is also popular in horticulture both in and outside of Australia. The oil — particularly p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD),
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/22/lemon-eucalyptus-oil.aspx

Too Many Children Taking Melatonin

By Dr. Mercola Melatonin is an important hormone produced by your body's pineal gland. One of its primary roles is regulating your body's circadian rhythm. When it gets dark, your brain starts secreting melatonin (typically around 9 or 10 p.m.), which makes you sleepy. Levels typically stay elevated for about 12 hours, then, as the sun rises, your pineal gland reduces your production, and the levels in your blood decrease until they're hardly measurable at all. When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, such as from shift work, jet lag or nighttime light exposure, your body produces less melatonin. It's these instances when supplementing with small amounts of melatonin can be most useful, as it may help to reset your internal clock.1 However, a growing number of children are reportedly now taking the supplement to help them sleep, which could be associated with long-term risks. Melatonin May Help Children With Certain Sleep Disorders If your child has a unique medical need that makes
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/22/melatonin-children.aspx

Probiotics Help Reduce Symptoms of Depression

By Dr. Mercola When it comes to mental health, most assume the brain is in charge. In reality, your gut may be calling the shots. Interestingly enough, in the 1800s and early 1900s, it was thought that waste in your colon could produce infections that lead to depression. As it turns out, they weren't too far off the mark. Scientific advances now suggest your state of mind is influenced, if not largely directed, by the microflora in your gut, and probiotics (beneficial bacteria) are being thought of as "the new antidepressants." However, while it may be tempting to trade one pill for another, I urge you to consider taking a more comprehensive approach. Taking a probiotic supplement may be helpful, but if you're still eating the same junk as before, it's not likely to make a significant difference. The key, really, is to eat a healthy diet. Limiting or eliminating sugar is absolutely essential, as adding healthy fats will provide your brain with much-needed fuel, while fermented foods w
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/22/probiotics-depression.aspx

How Misuse of a Single Paragraph Ended Up Killing 60,000 Americans Per Year

By Dr. Mercola Opioid addiction is at an all-time high in the U.S., and according to many addiction specialists, pain and hopelessness are primary drivers of this burgeoning crisis.1 Limiting the availability of opioids and making overdose-reversal drugs and treatment for drug addiction more readily available are part of the answer. But it’s not enough. We have to take a much deeper look at the root of the problem. What is causing all this physical pain and emotional distress in the first place? Clearly, the U.S. health care system is grossly ineffective when it comes to addressing chronic health problems. Whether pain is promoting hopelessness or the other way around is difficult to ascertain, but the two appear to be closely intertwined and need to be addressed together. Somehow or another, we need to refocus our efforts to create lives worth living, and improve access to and information about basic disease prevention, which begins with diet and basic lifestyle choices — the kin
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/21/opioid-crisis.aspx

The Heroes Who Sunk Lead

By Dr. Mercola Lead has a cumulative effect on multiple organ systems in your body and is particularly harmful to young children. After it enters the body, it is distributed through the brain, kidney, liver and bones, and is often stored in the bones and teeth.1 There is no known safe exposure to lead, which often affects young children and lower socioeconomic groups the hardest. However, humans have a long and intimate relationship with lead, dating back to 3000 B.C. when the Roman Empire used it to create pipes for their plumbing and to sweeten wine that they then shipped all over Europe.2 Documents from that period report symptoms of colic, anemia and gout attributed to overexposure to lead. Some historians even believe lead poisoning hastened the fall of the Roman Empire. The oldest known piece made of lead is a figurine from 4000 B.C., found in Egypt.3 In more recent years, the durability of the heavy metal made it an excellent additive to paint, and the chemical properties made
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/21/heroes-who-sunk-lead.aspx

The Worst Kind of Meat

By Dr. Mercola The first large-scale animal farm factories appeared in the early 1970s,1 designed for egg-laying hens. However, it wasn't long before beef and pork producers followed suit with the aim to reduce overhead and increase profits, which also reduced the quality of the meat produced. Today, most meat sold in the U.S. is raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). In a corporate-controlled environment characterized by large-scale, centralized production, companies — not farmers — have identified means of production, processing and distribution that produce more meat for less money. The repercussions associated with these farms have included a rise in antibiotic-resistant disease claiming the lives of nearly 23,000 Americans each year,2 and a significant impact on local water supply from waste water runoff from these farms.3,4 Both of these concerns are driving significant global issues with water quality and antibiotic-resistant bacterial disease. Although t
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/21/worst-kind-of-meat.aspx

Sanderson and Merck Caught Deceiving Consumers

By Dr. Mercola In May 2016, I urged you to pressure poultry giant Sanderson Farms to come to its senses and join other major poultry producers in taking proactive steps to reduce its antibiotic use. Remarkably, the company not only decided not to reduce its usage but also took the step of going public with its decision to continue using antibiotics, saying the antibiotic-free chicken trend is nothing but a marketing ploy devised to justify higher prices. According to Lampkin Butts, president and chief operating officer of Sanderson Farms, "There is not any credible science that leads us to believe we're causing antibiotic resistance in humans."1 Yet, when the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) conducted an analysis of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) testing for multidrug-resistant E. coli on Sanderson Farms’ chicken, they found otherwise. Sanderson Farms’ Refusal to Cut Antibiotics in Chicken Is Dangerous Eighty percent of the antibiotics used in the U.S. ar
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/20/sanderson-merck-caught-deceiving-consumers.aspx

Factory Farms Consuming the US

By Dr. Mercola Industrial agriculture, characterized by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and vast swatches of genetically engineered (GE) monocrops, are touted as necessary to feed the world. At one time not long ago, it was up to small family farms to provide the food for nearby communities and ensure food security for the U.S. In an essay adapted from John Ikerd’s presentation at the 10th Annual Farm and Food Leadership Conference — Farm Policy at a Crossroads: A Time to Choose — it’s explained:1 “U.S. farm policies from the 1930s through the 1960s were premised on the proposition that food security could best be assured by keeping independent family farmers on the land. Family farmers had been the cultural foundation of American society and were committed to maintaining the productivity of their land — not only for the benefit of their families and communities but also for the food security of their nation.” Since the 1970s, however, farm policies have o
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/20/factory-farms-consuming-us.aspx

How Organic Is Your Organic Milk?

How Organic Is Your Organic Milk?
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Boil Your Unpeeled Carrots for Maximum Nutrition

By Dr. Mercola There are astonishing arrays of vegetables in the world of every shape and color, each representing an amazing commodity. It's incredible that you can put seeds in the ground, give them adequate sunlight and water, and in a matter of weeks or a few months, you have instant food, which your body needs to thrive. Vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, nutrients and phytonutrients, such as antioxidants, sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, anthocyanins, carotenoids and a host of other beneficial compounds to provide energy, help your body fight disease, increase your immune function and perform a myriad of other tasks. Carrots, one of the sweetest vegetables, are also one of the most popular plant-based foods. They're unique for several reasons, but perhaps one of their most important calling cards is beta-carotene, which can't be manufactured in your body, so it needs to come from your diet. In the days of the Romans and Greeks, carrots were believed to be an aphrodisiac, which
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/19/carrots-nutrition.aspx

Cherries — A Potent Super Food

By Dr. Mercola Cherries are a favorite summer treat with a number of health benefits. Harvest season runs from May through July, and with high susceptibility to disease and a short shelf life, cherry season is a short one. An exception is if you grow your own Barbados or West Indian cherry, more commonly known as the acerola cherry. I have several acerola trees and harvest cherries nearly nine months of the year. Acerola cherries1 also are one of the highest sources of vitamin C. Each acerola cherry provides about 80 milligrams (mg) of natural vitamin C with all the other important supporting micronutrients, unlike synthetic vitamin C. When I have a bountiful harvest and eat more than 100 cherries, I get close to 10 grams of vitamin C. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin C in the U.S. is a mere 75 to 90 mg for women and men respectively, so just one of these cherries can provide you with all the vitamin C you need for the day. You pretty much have to grow acerola cherries on y
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/19/cherries-super-food.aspx

Paying Respect to Dr. Kummerow

By Dr. Mercola As they say, patience is a virtue, and that's part of what it took for Dr. Fred A. Kummerow to accomplish what was arguably his most important work: spearheading a federal ban on synthetic trans fats in processed foods. It took nearly 50 years of what The New York Times described as his "contrarian" nature to get the job done, and it wasn't an easy task. Kummerow, a comparative biosciences professor at the University of Illinois, died on June 2, 2017, at the age of 102. He had studied trans fats for decades — long before they were an issue in the minds of food scientists. Despite opposition and even ridicule (such as heckling by industry representatives at scientific conferences, according to his local Champaign, Illinois, newspaper, the News-Gazette1), his tenacity eventually facilitated changes in the American diet that have undoubtedly saved thousands of lives. Perhaps it was his perseverance in working toward his goal that spurred Kummerow on to centenarian status
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/19/trans-fat-toxicity-scientist-fred-kummerow-dies.aspx

Tasty Chocolate Fat Bomb Truffles Recipe

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http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/18/avocado-truffles-recipe.aspx

How to Recover From Burnout By Rebalancing Your Life

By Dr. Mercola Burnout is becoming a more common problem in the United States and around the world. How can you avoid it or recover from it if you’ve already hit the proverbial wall? Dr. Joseph Maroon, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, has written a book that addresses these very questions. “Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life” grew out of his own struggles with burnout, setbacks and depression after he’d become a world-class neurosurgeon before the age of 40. “I’ve had rather impressive success [and] cataclysmic failure personally,” Maroon says. “I was intent on becoming the very best that I could in terms of my profession, neurosurgery. I worked extremely diligently. It became an all-encompassing pursuit for me in my life … with success, societal approval, writing papers, going to national meetings … Soon after becoming chief of neurosurgery at a major university hospital, I [crac
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/18/how-to-recover-from-burnout.aspx

Short Film Reveals the Lunacy of Water Fluoridation

By Dr. Mercola The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has hailed water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. Beginning in 1945, it was claimed that adding fluoride to drinking water was a safe and effective way to improve people's dental health. Over the decades, many bought into this hook, line and sinker, despite all the evidence to the contrary. The featured film, "Our Daily Dose," reviews some of this evidence. As noted in the film's synopsis: "Filmmaker Jeremy Seifert lays out the dangers of water fluoridation informatively and creatively, highlighting the most current research and interviewing top-tier doctors, activists, and attorneys close to the issue.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/17/our-daily-dose-fluoride-documentary.aspx

Can Handwashing With Cold Water Really Kill Germs?

By Dr. Mercola If you’ve ever been in a place or circumstance where hot running water wasn’t available for some reason, perhaps you had a vague sense when washing your hands in the only water available — cold — that they weren’t really getting clean. That’s probably because most of us learned in kindergarten that washing with hot, soapy water is imperative to kill germs. The belief is so ingrained that it’s been written in government regulations (at least in the U.S.) for years. Even using soap with cold water may seem as if using hot water would do a better job, but is there any actual scientific evidence this is true? Here’s your answer: New research shows that if the water you’re using to wash your hands is lukewarm or even cold, it does just as well as hot to remove bacteria. It’s the length of time and the method that make all the difference. The study, conducted at Rutgers University and published in the Journal of Food Protection,1 involved 21 participants a
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/17/washing-hands-with-cold-water.aspx

Alzheimer’s Deaths Exceed Half a Million a Year in the US

By Dr. Mercola Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most serious form of dementia, eventually leads to the inability to carry out even the most basic of bodily functions, such as swallowing or walking. It is ultimately fatal, as conventional treatment options are few and universally ineffective. Like autism among children, Alzheimer’s among seniors has reached epidemic proportions, with no slowdown in sight. On the contrary, evidence suggests the trend is worsening. At present, Alzheimer’s affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans.1 Projections suggest the disease will affect 1 in 4 Americans within the next two decades, and by 2050, Alzheimer’s diagnoses are projected to triple.2,3 Shocking statistics published in the journal Neurology in 2014 revealed Alzheimer’s killed more than 503,000 American seniors in 2010, making it the third leading cause of death, right behind heart disease and cancer.4 Now, data published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/15/us-alzheimers-disease-deaths-increase.aspx

How to Stay Calm Among Chaos

By Dr. Mercola In 2015, 24 percent of U.S. adults reported experiencing extreme stress, according to the American Psychological Association's annual Stress in America survey.1 In addition, average reported stress levels increased over the last two years, with money, work, family responsibilities and personal health concerns rounding out the top sources of significant stress. Even barring any major stressful events like job loss, health problems or a death in the family, most people deal with stress day in and day out. It's a fact of 21st-century life and one that can quickly derail your healthy habits and goals — if you let it. A Reminder on Why It's Important to Stay Calm Although stress is often regarded as a psychological issue, stress is definitely not all in your head. Whenever the chaos that is life starts to get to you — maybe you missed your train this morning or are worrying about an unpaid bill — excess stress hormones are released, including cortisol, epinephrine and
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/15/health-benefits-relaxation-techniques.aspx

Crafty Uses for Carrot Seed Oil

Carrot seed oil is far removed from the ubiquitous orange vegetable and should not be mistaken for the cheaper macerated carrot oil. This humble essential oil is packed with natural healing properties, which have been used since the times of ancient Greeks and Indians. Learn more about carrot seed oil and how to get the most out of this plant oil. What Is Carrot Seed Oil? Carrot seed oil is derived from the dried seeds of the wild carrot plant (Daucus carota) of the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family. Its plant source is an annual or biennial plant with hairy leaves and umbels of white lacy flowers and purple centers. Also popularly called wild Queen Anne's lace, its native origins can be traced back to Egypt, France and India.1 Carrot seed oil has a viscous consistency, a yellowish-brown color2 and a distinct woody, earthy and root-like fragrance. Uses of Carrot Seed Oil In traditional Chinese medicine, carrot seed oil has been proven to treat dysentery and to expel worms. But apart fro
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/15/carrot-seed-oil.aspx

Drugged Driving Now Causes More Fatal Crashes Than Drunk Driving

By Dr. Mercola One in 4 Americans (and 1 in 3 millennials) reports knowing someone addicted to opioids,1 and recent statistics reveal driving under the influence of these and other drugs has become a serious problem, now causing more fatal car crashes than drunk driving.2 Many who go on to develop an addiction to opioids start out merely seeking relief from their aches and pains. Back pain is a leading cause of opioid use, but many also get hooked on these potent painkillers after receiving a prescription following a sports injury or a minor surgical procedure such as a tooth extraction. Little did they know the painkiller they were taking would lead them down such a dark and troublesome path. For years, drug makers misled doctors and patients about the addictive nature of their narcotic painkillers. As it turns out, opioids are highly addictive and have become the No. 1 gateway drug to heroin. While the rising death toll from opioid overdoses has received much-needed attention in the
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/14/drugged-driving-death-rate.aspx

What Happens to Your Body When You Use the Internet

By Dr. Mercola The internet has made connecting with new business partners, discovering health information and finding long lost friends, easier and cheaper. However, while digital connections have distinct advantages, digital dependence does not. You’ve likely seen — or have been part of — a family outing where one by one, everyone pulls out their phone to check notifications, text messages or email. It happens in restaurants, on busy streets and commuter trains. The desire to be rewarded by your phone may have even been so great that you endangered your life by attempting to read a text or send one while driving. Toddlers get their own devices to keep them busy and 10-year-old children are carrying their own phones.1 Where once children talked on the phone, set up face-to-face time and engaged with real people in real situations, they now spend hours keeping a “streak” alive. Dependence on digital communication presents several physical and emotional health challenges. Mit
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/14/digital-dependence.aspx

Is it Time to Dump Your Toothpaste?

By Dr. Mercola Over the course of your lifetime you’ll produce 10,000 gallons of spit that your body uses to initiate digestion, neutralize acid in your mouth and help fight germs that produce bad breath.1 If you floss each day, you’ll go through approximately 5 miles of floss over your lifetime and will use 20 gallons of toothpaste. If you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes, you’ll spend 24 hours brushing each year. Even though you don’t swallow your toothpaste (and shouldn’t!), it all happens in an area of your body used as a drug delivery system when a rapid onset of action from medication is desired,2 with a permeability four to 4000 times greater than your skin.3 The wide range is due to the different permeability in the different regions in your mouth. Thus, any chemical you place in your mouth, despite the fact you don’t swallow, may be absorbed directly into your bloodstream. With this in mind, it’s worth considering what you and your children are placi
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/14/triclosan-toothpaste-hand-soap.aspx

Heavy Metals, Poisons and Deficiencies Are Causing Autism Epidemic

By Dr. Mercola About 1 in 68 U.S. children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), up from 1 in 150 in 2000.1 This rising trend isn't only occurring in the U.S., however, as autism rates have increased rapidly worldwide, taking a heavy toll on families and economies alike. While certain genetic mutations have been linked to autism, they're thought to be involved in less than one-third of cases.2 The other major cause of autism is thought to be environmental in nature, with exposure to toxins and nutrient deficiencies among the possible culprits. "The rapid increase in numbers during [the] last few decades supports a major role in environmental factors over genetic causes alone. The other possibility is that the environmental factors may be contributing to activate the genetic or epigenetic mechanisms of development of autism," researchers wrote in the Journal of Heavy Metal Toxicity and Diseases.3 Some experts believe autism development starts in the womb, with environ
https://articles.mercola.com:443/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/13/autism-epidemic.aspx

Unprecedented Lawsuit Could End Water Fluoridation in US Based on Neurotoxicity Studies

By Stuart Cooper Campaign Director, Fluoride Action Network The Fluoride Action Network (FAN), along with a coalition of environmental and public health groups has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to their denial of our petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) seeking a ban on water fluoridation. We believe this lawsuit is an unprecedented opportunity to end the practice once and for all in the U.S., and potentially throughout the world, based on the well-documented neurotoxicity of fluoride. You may read the official complaint here. According to FAN’s attorney and adviser, Michael Connett: “This case will present the first time a court will consider the neurotoxicity of fluoride and the question of whether fluoridation presents an unreasonable risk under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). And, in contrast to most other legal chal
https://articles.mercola.com:443/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/13/ban-artificial-water-fluoridation.aspx

The Very Real Dangers of New Gene-Editing Technology

By Dr. Mercola CRISPR gene-editing technology has been taking the medical world by storm, showing potential for treating diseases ranging from cancer to type 2 diabetes. The technology has been moving full-steam ahead, with a trial in humans already started, even as the repercussions of gene editing remain largely unknown. A new study has highlighted the uncertainties, showing that unintended mutations may result when you dice and splice the human genome, but it's too soon to say whether the mutations are a cause for alarm. What Is CRISPR? This video may not play in all browsers. CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat, is at the most basic level a very precise way of tinkering with genes. Whereas gene editing was once a very imprecise and expensive process, scientists can now go into your DNA and essentially cut and paste it at specified places. The technology can be traced back to bacteria, which protect themselves by cutting out invading viruses' DNA and
https://articles.mercola.com:443/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/13/crispr-gene-editing-dangers.aspx

Heavy Metals, Poisons and Deficiencies Are Causing Autism Epidemic

By Dr. Mercola About 1 in 68 U.S. children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), up from 1 in 150 in 2000.1 This rising trend isn't only occurring in the U.S., however, as autism rates have increased rapidly worldwide, taking a heavy toll on families and economies alike. While certain genetic mutations have been linked to autism, they're thought to be involved in less than one-third of cases.2 The other major cause of autism is thought to be environmental in nature, with exposure to toxins and nutrient deficiencies among the possible culprits. "The rapid increase in numbers during [the] last few decades supports a major role in environmental factors over genetic causes alone. The other possibility is that the environmental factors may be contributing to activate the genetic or epigenetic mechanisms of development of autism," researchers wrote in the Journal of Heavy Metal Toxicity and Diseases.3 Some experts believe autism development starts in the womb, with environ
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/13/autism-epidemic.aspx

Unprecedented Lawsuit Could End Water Fluoridation in US Based on Neurotoxicity Studies

By Stuart Cooper Campaign Director, Fluoride Action Network The Fluoride Action Network (FAN), along with a coalition of environmental and public health groups has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to their denial of our petition under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) seeking a ban on water fluoridation. We believe this lawsuit is an unprecedented opportunity to end the practice once and for all in the U.S., and potentially throughout the world, based on the well-documented neurotoxicity of fluoride. You may read the official complaint here. According to FAN’s attorney and adviser, Michael Connett: “This case will present the first time a court will consider the neurotoxicity of fluoride and the question of whether fluoridation presents an unreasonable risk under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). And, in contrast to most other legal chal
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/13/ban-artificial-water-fluoridation.aspx

The Very Real Dangers of New Gene-Editing Technology

By Dr. Mercola CRISPR gene-editing technology has been taking the medical world by storm, showing potential for treating diseases ranging from cancer to type 2 diabetes. The technology has been moving full-steam ahead, with a trial in humans already started, even as the repercussions of gene editing remain largely unknown. A new study has highlighted the uncertainties, showing that unintended mutations may result when you dice and splice the human genome, but it’s too soon to say whether the mutations are a cause for alarm. What Is CRISPR? This video may not play in all browsers. CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat, is at the most basic level a very precise way of tinkering with genes. Whereas gene editing was once a very imprecise and expensive process, scientists can now go into your DNA and essentially cut and paste it at specified places. The technology can be traced back to bacteria, which protect themselves by cutting out invading viruses’ DNA
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/13/crispr-gene-editing-dangers.aspx

What the NY Times Doesn't Want You to Know About My New Book

By Dr. Mercola I’m very pleased to announce that my new book, “Fat for Fuel,” released May 16, became an instant best-seller. As noted by Publishers Weekly May 26:1 “Unit sales inched up 1 percent in the adult nonfiction segment, helped by a new top-selling title. ‘Fat for Fuel’ by Joseph Mercola sold more than 34,000 copies in its first week, easily beating ‘Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,’ by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which sold more than 23,000 copies and came in second on the category best-seller list.” Nielsen ratings, considered the most accurate, show “Fat for Fuel” sold more than any other adult nonfiction book out there, yet The New York Times (NYT) — considered the pre-eminent list of best-selling books in the U.S. since 1931 — didn’t even include it in their top 15.2 Such a blatant omission is highly unusual, so Hay House, my publisher, reached out to find out why the book was being censored off the NYT best-seller list. NYT replied the book was
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/12/fat-for-fuel-book-sales.aspx

More Good News for Coffee Drinkers: It Benefits Your Liver

By Dr. Mercola Some say the most-consumed beverage in the world is tea, and others maintain it’s coffee. Whichever is true from year to year, it’s a fact that an estimated 3.5 billion cups of coffee are downed by bean aficionados on a daily basis, according to the European Coffee Federation.1 Between the leaf and the bean, it’s well-known that an amazing array of health benefits are delivered, but new information published in BMJ Open2 says drinking a single cup of coffee every day cuts your risk of developing a serious liver cancer called hepatocellular, or HCC, by a fifth. According to CBS Philly, HCC is the second-most prevalent cause of death from cancer in the world.3 The 19 percent lowered risk of HCC poses a major advantage from just one cup, but if you drink more than that in a day, your risk for liver cancer is even lower, the research team reported. In fact, five cups of coffee a day is associated with a 50 percent drop in your risk of this type of cancer. Medical News
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/06/12/coffee-good-for-liver.aspx