FixBit Promises to Revolutionize Medicine by Detecting Deficiencies and Delivering Drugs by Drone

By Dr. Mercola Americans consume 50 percent of all drugs sold globally and 80 percent of the global opioid supply.1 An estimated 60 percent of patients taking opioid painkillers are also taking other drugs that may be hazardous in combination with opioids — a fact that plays a significant part in the current drug overdose epidemic. Prescription opioids are killing people at an unprecedented rate, outpacing both car accidents and gun violence combined. Illicit drug use has also risen as a result, and despite growing opioid use, heroin dealers are outperforming Big Pharma in drug deliveries — so much so the industry is now taking a page from the street vendors' sales manual. FixBit to Revolutionize Medicine "Optimizing delivery to capitalize on rapid-delivery needs is a priority," Evan Adsevil, senior analyst for Umbrella Capital, a Phoenix-based drug innovation firm said in an April 1, 2016, letter sent to senior management and shareholders. "Last year, 300 million pain prescriptio
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/04/01/fixbit-to-revolutionize-medicine.aspx

This Disastrous Trend Is Snowballing and It's Ripping Away Our Food Choices

By Dr. Mercola The seed saving movement is growing. Communities are banding together to save and share heirloom and open pollination seeds that are in danger of disappearing off the face of the Earth as a result of industrialized agriculture and multinational corporations that control the majority of our seed supply. The documentary "Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds," by M. Sean Kaminsky seeks to inspire people about the importance of seed saving — and its urgency.1 When you save seeds, you're joining a chain of farmers, gardeners and seed enthusiasts that dates back to the Stone Age — our civilization literally arose due to seed saving. Early humans selected the best wild plants with which to feed themselves, and passed those varieties along to others by saving and sharing seeds. Seeds are the foundation of life, from fruits and vegetables to grain and livestock feed — without them, we have no food. It's estimated that upward of 90 percent of our caloric intake directly or indir
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How to Grow and Enjoy Swiss Chard

By Dr. Mercola There is little doubt that minimally processed vegetables are one of the best ways to improve your health. Ideally, they should be locally grown to ensure freshness, and organic to avoid pesticides, with a majority consumed raw. A simple way of boosting your vegetable intake is to juice your veggies, and tender, young Swiss chard makes a tasty addition to your juice that boosts your vitamin intake. Many equate vegetables with a few different leaves of lettuce or some tomatoes. However, there is a wide variety of vegetables available in different colors, tastes and textures that may help meet your nutrient requirements and satisfy your taste. Swiss chard is one such vegetable that may not be as popular as tomatoes and peppers, but packs a punch of phytonutrients and a subtle nutty flavor. Most vegetables are not calorie-dense, including the Swiss chard. Depending upon the age of the plant, it may be a tasty addition to your salad, can be cooked or added to your morning j
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/31/how-to-grow-swiss-chard.aspx

How to Grow the Most Flavorful Tomatoes

By Dr. Mercola Tomatoes are the most popular garden vegetable (technically tomatoes are a fruit, but they're used more like a vegetable) in the U.S., with 95 percent of home gardeners planting them in their backyards. About 4 of 5 people say that out of all homegrown foods, tomatoes are their favorite.1 Indeed, the flavor and texture of a supermarket tomato can't compare to that of a homegrown variety. Not to mention, tomatoes are exceptionally healthy, especially when they're grown organically at home, and incredibly easy to grow. It's possible to successfully grow tomatoes even if you don't have a green thumb — in containers, raised beds or virtually anywhere there's soil — but simple tips can turn otherwise ordinary tomatoes into extraordinary tomatoes. Step No. 1: Choose the Best Tomato Variety Supermarket tomatoes are designed with travel readiness and pest resistance in mind. At home, you can choose tomato varieties based on their reputation for flavor and intended use as we
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/31/tomato-growing-tips.aspx

A Shower at Night Might Help You Sleep Better

By Dr. Mercola Environmental temperature has more than one influence on how your body functions. For example, did you know that exposure to extreme temperatures can be a catalyst to improve your health? As you may have read in previous articles, mitochondria are the energy generators in your cells. When they don’t work properly, your body’s ability to produce energy is impaired. This may affect not only your metabolism but also your immune system and how diseases are triggered and grow. The key to getting older mitochondria out and creating new ones is called mitochondrial biogenesis. This process is triggered through exposure to extreme temperatures, exercise and intermittent fasting, for example. Your sleep is also dependent on appropriate temperature regulation. As you sleep your body’s natural internal temperature drops to the lowest level, usually about four hours after falling asleep. You may take advantage of this function, improve your quality of sleep and your ability t
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/30/night-shower-might-help-you-sleep-better.aspx

Migraine Triggers and Helpful Treatments

By Dr. Mercola Migraines affect an estimated 38 million Americans.1 They can strike both young and old, but a majority of sufferers are women, and/or between the ages of 35 and 55.2 Worldwide, as many as 1 billion people are affected,3 making migraine the third most prevalent illness in the world. Yet, despite its prevalence, researchers still struggle to understand exactly how and why migraines occur. Adding to the complexity, there are several different types of migraines, including:4,5 ✓ Cluster✓ Chronic✓ Episodic ✓ Basilar ✓ Hemiplegic✓ Retinal ✓ Abdominal✓ Optical✓ With aura ✓ Without aura✓ Status migrainous
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/30/migraine-triggers-treatments.aspx

Neroli Oil: The Pleasantly Fragrant Citrus Oil

Did you know that it takes at least 1,000 pounds of orange blossom flowers just to make 1 pound of neroli oil?1 No wonder it's the most expensive among citrus essential oils. Neroli oil actually offers many impressive uses and benefits, so get to know more about this valuable essential oil. What Is Neroli Oil? Neroli oil is produced by steam-distilling the fragrant flowers of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium), which is cultivated in the western parts of India, Eastern Africa and the Himalayas. During the mid-1500s, the Spaniards brought the tree back to St. Augustine, Florida, where it thrived and was exported by 1763. This is why Florida became known as one of the world's largest producer of oranges, with the orange blossom flower2 and fruit3 even regarded as official state symbols. Today, orange blossom trees are also commercially grown in Morocco, France, Tunisia and Egypt. Neroli oil was named after the 16th century Princess Marie-Anne de La Treemoille of Nerola, Italy, wh
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/30/neroli-oil.aspx

Have We Had Enough of Daylight Saving Time Yet?

By Dr. Mercola Daylight saving time (DST), the practice of moving the clock one hour ahead in the summer and then back an hour in the fall, was used during World War I in the hope it would save energy. Over the coming decades, the world experienced unexpected repercussions from the time change — so much so, in fact, that many would like to stay on one time, all the time. The issue of abolishing DST is backed by good reasons and scientific evidence. The original intention was to give you more access to daylight hours, but you may experience mental and physical consequences in the days and possibly weeks surrounding the time change. There doesn’t appear to be good reason to continue to keep DST, but changing it may take several more years. Since inception, the idea of DST has been surrounded by controversy. Today research demonstrates it does not save energy and may instead pose a risk to public health. History of Fast Time When DST was first introduced in the U.S. in 1918, it was c
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/29/daylight-savings-time-health-effects.aspx

The Case Against Yoga Pants and Other Technical Athletic Wear

By Dr. Mercola Water pollution has many sources. Agriculture is a significant one, but clothing is another that has not received as much attention. Non-organic cotton contributes to environmental problems due to the fact that most of it is genetically engineered (GE) and sprayed with copious amounts of Roundup, the active ingredient in which is glyphosate, a likely human carcinogen. In fact, non-organic cotton is one of the most chemical-dependent crops out there. While making up only 2.4 percent of global cropland, it receives 10 percent of agricultural chemicals in total, and 25 percent of all insecticides.1 But synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon are equally destructive.2 In 2014, polyester — a plastic material made from crude oil — made up 60 percent of all fabrics produced by the textile industry.3 Unfortunately, stretchy fabrics like yoga pants and comfy, cozy fleece items have become a true bane, shedding copious amounts of microscopic plastic fibers each time they’
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/29/microfibers-yoga-pants-athletic-wear.aspx

Big Pharma Channeled Opioids to Black Market

By Dr. Mercola The opioid overdose epidemic in the U.S. killed more than 33,000 people in 2015, which is more than any other year on record, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the opioids referenced include both heroin and prescription opioids, nearly half of overdose deaths involve the prescription drugs.1 Prescription opioids such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine and methadone are widely prescribed for pain relief. Initially, they were intended to treat severe pain following surgery or injury or due to illnesses such as cancer. However, they’re now increasingly prescribed for many types of pain, including chronic back pain or pain from osteoarthritis. Opioid prescriptions nearly quadrupled in the U.S. between 1999 and 2013, despite reported pain levels remaining stagnant. By 2014 nearly 2 million Americans were dependent on or had abused the drugs,2 and the situation is only getting worse. There are even
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/29/big-pharma-sued-funneling-opioids-black-market.aspx

The Grass Really Is Greener

By Dr. Mercola There are a number of reasons to seek out grass fed dairy products. For foodies, the seasonal variations in flavor are a huge draw. For the health-conscious, milk from cows raised primarily on pasture has been shown to be higher in many nutrients, including vitamin E, beta-carotene and the healthy fats omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).1 On an environmental level, grass fed dairy has a considerably reduced footprint compared to the way most dairy is produced using concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). When cows eat grass, it's a closed-loop system that, as Maple Hill Creamery put it, "bypasses the considerable resources used to produce the [genetically engineered] corn, soybeans or grains to feed dairy cows."2 Farms producing grass fed dairy products are able to naturally regenerate the soil and maintain ecological balance without relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And on an ethical level, cows are designed to eat grass. When they eat cor
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/28/grazing-cows-can-rejuvenate-a-farm.aspx

Evidence EPA Colluded With Monsanto to Dismiss Cancer Concerns Grows Stronger

By Dr. Mercola Glyphosate — the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup and other herbicides — is the most widely used agricultural chemical in the world, and testing suggests a large portion of the global population now has glyphosate in their system. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the "gold standard" in carcinogenicity research, glyphosate is a "probable human carcinogen" (Class 2A).1,2 Research scientist Anthony Samsel has also reported he has evidence showing Monsanto is well aware glyphosate promotes cancer, and that they've had this knowledge since 1981. Publicly, the company has insisted glyphosate is harmless to both environment and human health, but recent revelations are beginning to unravel Monsanto's carefully orchestrated plot to deceive the public. The evidence in question suggests the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has in fact colluded with Monsanto to protect
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/28/epa-monsanto-collusion.aspx

Why Does Health Care Ignore Your Mouth?

By Dr. Mercola Every year, more than 1 million people end up in hospital emergency rooms (ERs) due to dental problems that could have been treated in a dentist’s office. The cost of these visits is more than $1 billion a year. These startling statistics were reported by The Atlantic in an interview with Mary Otto, author of the book “Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America.”1 It’s widely known that your oral health is intrinsically connected to your overall health, but despite this dentistry remains distinctly separated from the medical field. The ‘Historic Rebuff’ That Separated Your Mouth From the Rest of Your Body’s Health According to Otto, tooth issues were once viewed as primarily mechanical issues, with barbers (who at one time acted as both surgeons and dentists) taking care of tooth extractions along with haircuts. It wasn’t until 1840 that the first dental college was opened by two self-trained dentists in Baltimore
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/28/dentistry-separate-from-medicine.aspx

Resveratrol Proven to Slow Brain Aging

By Dr. Mercola What happens when you begin exercising and cutting back on calories? Some may say "weight loss" and "getting healthier," which are good answers, but researchers have found that resveratrol, a compound in the skin of grapes, blue and purple berries and dark chocolate may impart many of the same neuroprotective benefits that working out and eating smaller portions offers. In fact, a new study1 reports that resveratrol is comparable to metformin, a drug often prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, as it helps preserve the muscle fibers that break down during the aging process. It can also protect the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) between neurons, known as synapses. Synapses are important for voluntary movement because they relay motor commands from neurons in your spinal cord to your muscles. Scientists say they're hopeful the information will eventually help alleviate the detriments of aging as it did in studies on 2-year-old mice which, in mouse years, is considered elder
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/27/resveratrol-slows-down-brain-aging.aspx

Prunes or Plums — Which Has More Benefits?

By Dr. Mercola If you know anyone with osteoporosis, you may be familiar with some of the more overt signs, such as broken bones, weak grip strength or back pain. People with this condition may develop a "stooped" posture or even become shorter because their bones are literally being compressed. There's good news, though, as a new study has revealed dramatic and positive effects from dried plums. Scientists found that "dried plum not only protects against but more importantly reverses bone loss in two separate models of osteopenia," another name for bone loss and the forerunner of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects both males and females, although more women than men. One study describes it as a "debilitating disorder" exacerbated by age: "As the demographic shift to a more aged population continues, a growing number of men and women will be afflicted with osteoporosis and a search for potential non-pharmacological alternative therapies for osteoporosis is of prime interest. Aside fro
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/27/prunes-or-plums.aspx

B Vitamins May Protect Against Damaging Effects of Air Pollution, and Improve Cognition and Psychiatric Health

By Dr. Mercola B vitamins are important for cognition and mental health, but recent research suggests they may have other important functions as well. A small-scale human trial1 found B vitamins may help protect against air pollution.2,3 At high doses, B vitamins were actually able to “completely offset” damage incurred by fine particulate matter. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released last year, only 8 percent of people worldwide are breathing air that meets WHO standards.4 This means 92 percent of the world population are breathing polluted air, and toxic environments are responsible for at least 1 of every 4 deaths reported worldwide.5 Poor air quality can cause serious damage to your lungs, heart and other organ systems. One of the most dangerous air pollutants is very fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers — about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair — in diameter. B Vitamins Help Prevent Damage From Air P
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/27/b-vitamins-may-help-protect-against-air-pollution.aspx

Market Rejection of GMOs Grows — Four-Year Plan to Topple Toxic Agriculture

By Dr. Mercola Our annual GMO Awareness Week is upon us, and in this interview, Ronnie Cummins, founder of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) details the current state of the opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). We first met about six years ago, when we collaborated to create the direct ballot initiative to label GMOs in California. A lot has happened since then, including the passing of what's colloquially known as the Deny Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act, ironically misnamed "The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act" — this despite a full 90 percent of consumers supporting mandatory labeling. The Trump administration has also selected or appointed notorious cheerleaders for GMOs and factory farms to his cabinet — Mike Pompeo as head of the CIA, Sonny Perdue as USDA Secretary, and Rick Perry as Energy Secretary. Meanwhile, his Tea Party allies in Congress have called for the abolition of the entire National Organic Program!1 On the upside, in 2016 we sa
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/26/market-rejection-of-gmos-grows.aspx

Easy Bell Pepper Egg Bake Recipe

Scrumptiously Easy Bell Pepper Egg Bake Recipe
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Beauty Parlor Stroke Syndrome

By Dr. Mercola In 2013, Elizabeth Williams, a California mother of two, did something you’ve probably done many times yourself: visited a hair salon for a cut and routine wash. Several days later, she began experiencing strange symptoms indicative of stroke, including weakness on her left side. Doctors ultimately diagnosed her with a relatively rare condition called vertebral artery dissection from hyperextension of the neck,1 otherwise known as beauty parlor stroke syndrome. The act of extending her neck over the shampoo bowl was deemed to be the culprit, although it’s unclear if the condition resulted solely from a kink in the neck or in combination with a certain head movement caused by the stylist.2 Smith, who subsequently filed a lawsuit against the salon, conducted an informal poll of her friends’ stylists and found 80 percent were familiar with the possibility that you could have a stroke while getting your hair washed.3 What Causes Beauty Parlor Stroke Syndrome? When you
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/25/beauty-parlor-stroke-syndrome.aspx

The Healing of Heather Garden

By Dr. Mercola The inspiring documentary "The Healing of Heather Garden" underscores the value of taking personal responsibility for your health after you've been diagnosed with a serious illness, but I recommend you start sooner than that. At the age of 27, Heather Garden, an athletic Canadian woman, was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system attacks your body's healthy cells. The year was 1991, and Garden's doctors told her she would never walk again and would become increasingly more disabled over time. Doctors told Garden there was "no cure" and "no hope." Despite taking conventional treatments for about five years, Garden continued to deteriorate. When she began losing her eyesight and doctors suggested she may spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, Garden became motivated to create her own program for healing. Healing Begins by Addressing Your Lifestyle Some of the approaches she tried are among
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Simple Brain Training Techniques Can Turn You Into a Memory Master

By Dr. Mercola How’s your memory these days? If you’re like most, you could probably use some help in this area. Your memory holds a record of your entire life and helps shape your identity, but the ability to form memories does not occur until around the age of five.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/23/memory-improvement-brain-training-techniques.aspx

Cassia Bark Oil: Why It's Valuable in Traditional Chinese Medicine

What Is Cassia Bark Oil? Cassia bark oil is derived from the Cinnamomum cassia plant of the Lauraceae family. It is frequently compared to cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon leaf oil, which are both extracted from the same plant species. Also known as the Chinese cinnamon, cassia is native to China and is a slender, evergreen tree that grows up to 20 meters or 65 feet tall. It has thick, leathery leaves and tiny, immaculately white flowers. Cassia bark oil is widely available and sourced in China and the U.S., where it is distilled. It is a dark brown liquid with a strong warm and woody-resinous odor and sweet balsamic undertone. The tannins in the bark give the essential oil a dark color if copper stills are used. Rectified cassia bark oil, on the other hand, has a yellowish color. Uses of Cassia Bark Oil Although cassia bark is very seldom added to perfume products because of its dark color, it is commonly used as a flavoring agent in food, beverages and pharmaceutical preparations just
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/23/cassia-bark-oil.aspx

Can Pink Noise Help You Sleep?

By Dr. Mercola You probably don't think of noise in terms of colors, but there is a rainbow of noise out there — from the familiar white noise that occurs when a TV turns to static to the higher-pitched blue noise, which sounds similar to a hissing spray of water.1 Somewhere in the middle is pink noise, gentle sound similar to that of rushing water or wind blowing through leaves on a tree. Pink noise contains frequencies from 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz, just like white noise, but the lower frequencies are louder and more powerful than the higher frequencies (white noise, in contrast, has equal power in all of its frequencies).2 However, pink noise has equal power per octave (a range of frequencies whose upper frequency limit is twice that of its lower frequency limit), which is why most people hear it as an even noise.3 To an untrained ear, pink noise may sound quite similar to white noise, but the former, it seems, may have particular promise for helping you sleep and improving other
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Damage and Death From Toxic Chemicals Are Reaching Epidemic Levels

By Dr. Mercola You are likely aware that air pollution may affect your lungs, but did you know it has a significant effect on your brain and your cognitive functioning? These changes affect not just adults, but have also been linked to lower IQ testing, development of ADHD in children1 and an increased risk of death. Toxins from the environment, both inside and outside, are almost impossible to avoid. Moreover, the traditional view of toxin exposure is outdated, so you'll need to consider different factors if you're attempting to reduce your exposure and susceptibility to disease and illness triggered by toxic chemicals. Today toxins can be inhaled, applied to your skin, injected or eaten with your food. The Environmental Working Group reports the average person has 91 toxic chemicals in their body.2 Unfortunately, while exposure to some chemicals are studied, researchers have no idea how this combined toxic soup and chemical interactions affect your health. According to the World Hea
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/22/toxic-chemicals-damage-death.aspx

Fatal Forecast: Lyme Disease Will Plague America

By Dr. Mercola National surveillance for Lyme disease began in 1982 and since then the number of reported cases have grown over 25-fold.1 Between 1990 and 2015, the number of reported cases in the U.S. doubled.2 The disease has also spread geographically.3 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's the fastest growing vector-borne infectious disease in the U.S.4 The CDC reports the disease, and the ticks that carry the disease, are concentrated in the northeast and upper Midwest.5 Ticks carry more than Lyme disease, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and human babesiosis, a rare microscopic parasite that infects red blood cells. Each year approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the CDC.6 However, this number does not reflect all cases diagnosed in the U.S. Following two studies by the CDC, researchers estimate 10 times that number are infected with Lyme disease each year, for a total ranging between 296,000 and 376,000 cases. Lyme di
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/22/lyme-disease-will-plague-america.aspx

Why Colon Cancer Scare Is Fake News

By Dr. Mercola Colorectal cancer, which includes both cancers of the colon and rectum, is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. An estimated 135,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year (about 95,500 cases of colon cancer and 39,900 cases of rectal cancer1), and more than 50,000 die from it. Historically, colon cancer has been confined to those over the age of 50, but that’s changing. According to a recent report2 by the American Cancer Society, prevalence among younger people is rising.3,4,5 As reported by STAT News:6 “Among adults between the ages of 20 and 39, colon cancer has increased by 1 percent to 2.4 percent a year since the mid-1980s. This rise has been so dramatic that those born in 1990 and afterward have rates of colon cancer not seen since 1890.” The findings made headlines and, not surprisingly, younger people are now urged to consider colon cancer screening, which is typically done by colonoscopy. What the study
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/22/colon-cancer-scare.aspx

United Nations Calls for Worldwide Treaty to Phase Out Pesticides and Transition to Sustainable Farming

By Dr. Mercola In a 2013 survey, 71 percent of Americans expressed a concern over the number of chemicals and pesticides in their food supply.1 And no wonder — research has linked long-term pesticide exposure to infertility,2 birth defects,3,4 endocrine disruption5 and obesity, reduced IQ,6 neurological diseases7 and cancer.8 It is only a common-sense conclusion that reducing your pesticide exposure would result in improved health. The amount of pesticides used both commercially and in residential areas has grown immensely since 1945. More than 1 billion pounds are used each year in the U.S. alone. Worldwide, an estimated 7.7 billion pounds of pesticides are applied to crops each year, and that number is steadily increasing.9 According to a 2012 analysis,10 each 1 percent increase in crop yield is associated with a 1.8 percent increase in pesticide use. Logic tells us this is an unsustainable trajectory when you consider the health and environmental ramifications associated with pes
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/21/un-to-phase-out-toxic-pesticides-in-farming.aspx

Surprising Recycling Mistakes Most People Make Daily

By Dr. Mercola In the U.S., nearly 260 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) are generated annually. Nearly 90 million tons of this MSW are recycled or composted, for a recycling rate of close to 35 percent.1 It's a good start, but there's clearly room for improvement, especially because many of the items Americans throw in their recycling bins are not actually recyclable. Many people toss questionable items in their bins hoping to give them a shot at being recycled, but the reality is that certain non-recyclable items will only be tossed into the trash bin at the recycling center. Worse, some of the items may end up contaminating entire loads of recyclables that would otherwise have gone on to other uses. During a visit to Denver's recycling facility, and specifically the waste management sorting facility, The Denver Post identified some of the top mistakes well-meaning recyclers make.2 Six Top Recycling Mistakes Recycling requirements vary by municipality, but in general you c
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/21/recycling-mistakes-people-make.aspx

The War on Water Is a Very Real Crisis

By Dr. Mercola One of the hidden costs of industrial agriculture is its intensive water usage. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), about 80 percent of U.S. consumptive water (and more than 90 percent in many Western states) is used for agricultural purposes.1 Only about 3 percent of the water on Earth is fresh water, which is dependent on rain for replenishment. Fresh water stored in aquifers, meanwhile, is being increasingly depleted, at a rate that cannot be naturally restored.2 In some areas, pollution has left water largely undrinkable while industry (often the same ones responsible for the pollution) is draining underground aquifers at alarming rates. Irrigation is necessary to grow crops (including alfalfa hay used primarily for cattle feed) in arid regions of the U.S., but experts say it's unsustainable. Some farmers are responding by using new forms of irrigation technology and farming methods to improve water efficiency, but will it be enough to offset the
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/21/war-on-water.aspx

Eat This, Not That for Longer Life

By Dr. Mercola You've probably heard that "eating right" can go a long way toward keeping you healthy, while it stands to reason that if you don't, just the opposite will happen — at least sooner than it might have otherwise. It turns out this is more than just conjecture, since a new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), reports that if you eat the right foods in the right amounts, your risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes — among the most common killers in the U.S. — could be cut nearly in half. That's pretty impressive, but what does "eat the right foods" even mean? It turns out there's a "substantial body of evidence" showing that "suboptimal" diets are undeniably culpable in causing the development of these illnesses, collectively known as cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), for several reasons. Specifically: "Dietary factors studied have included individual nutrients (macronutrients, micronutrients, minerals, vitami
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/20/eating-the-right-foods.aspx

Latest Perk for Coffee Drinkers: A Boost of Beneficial Enzymes

By Dr. Mercola A recent study has revealed even more evidence to indicate coffee has more to offer than just a boost of energy. Caffeine offers much more, actually, as it may help protect against the development of dementia. Researchers at Indiana University discovered that caffeine and 23 other compounds kick-start an enzyme known as nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2, or NMNAT2, and it's this compound that scientists say may block the effects of neurodegenerative disorders. To identify substances with the potential to produce the NMNAT2 enzyme in the brain, the scientists screened over 1,280 compounds, including existing drugs, in order to identify 24 compounds that could potentially increase the enzyme's production. The study,1 led by Hui-Chen Lu of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, followed research done by Lu's team in 2016,2 which found that the NMNAT2 enzyme not only protects neurons in the brain from stress but binds to tau proteins via the "c
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/20/coffee-reduce-dementia-risk.aspx

Superfoods That Give You the Most Bang for Your Buck

By Dr. Mercola Ideally, food is your "medicine." It's certainly one of the best preventive strategy I can think of, and getting more raw organic foods and healthy fats in your diet are key considerations. However, while any type of whole food is better than none, some choices can give you more bang for your buck than others.1 For example, while lettuce is a staple in most people's homes, even if they don't eat a whole lot of vegetables in general, and many may even spend the extra money on organic lettuce, there are far more cost-effective ways to get higher quality nutrients into your diet. Below are 17 of my personal favorites in no particular order, with some added cost-saving and nutrition-boosting tips thrown in along the way.1. Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon Research suggests eating clean fish like salmon, sardines or anchovies once or twice a week may increase your lifespan by more than two years and reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 35 percent.2 However, the
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/20/17-superfoods-cost-saving-nutrition-boosting-tips.aspx

Metabolically Supported Therapies for the Improvement of Cancer Treatment

By Dr. Mercola Each and every day, more than 1,600 people prematurely die from cancer in the United States alone and 20,000 worldwide. While the situation can sometimes seem hopeless, there are effective ways to prevent becoming another statistic. And, as you will soon learn, even late-stage cancer patients have cause for new hope these days. In this interview, Travis Christofferson, author of "Tripping Over the Truth: The Return of the Metabolic Theory of Cancer," and Dr. Abdul Kadir Slocum from the ChemoThermia Oncology Center in Turkey.They present data from one of the first
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/19/metabolically-supported-therapies-cancer-treatment.aspx

This Guilt-Free Chia Seed Pudding Recipe Will Be Your New Favorite

When the word “pudding” comes to mind, most people think of a very sweet and creamy food item. Pudding is usually made with a sweet milk base to produce a dish with a similar consistency to egg-based custards or mousse.[1] However, if you’re tired of that typical heavy texture, you can use seeds to make a light but delicious pudding.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/19/chia-seed-pudding-recipe.aspx

How Clothes and Personal Care Products Destroy the Environment and Circulate Plastic Back Into the Food Supply

By Dr. Mercola While most of our grandparents used natural products packaged in reusable, recyclable or degradable containers made from glass, metals and paper, the current generation has grown up surrounded by non-biodegradable plastics made with toxic chemicals. Saying that plastics are "everywhere" is hardly an exaggeration anymore. You can find it in virtually every area of your household: in containers of all kinds, bags, baby items, electronics and even clothing and personal care products, in the form of microfibers and microbeads. Discarded plastic — both large and microscopic — circles the globe, choking our oceans and polluting our food supply, ultimately finding their way into your body where they can accumulate over time. And, the potential for catastrophic environmental and biological consequences grows with every discarded bottle and bag, with every shower and every load of wash. Plastic — A Most Harmful Convenience Many of the chemicals used in the manufacture of p
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/18/how-clothes-personal-care-products-destroy-environment.aspx

How to Save a Life

By Dr. Mercola Everyone is capable of learning how to do cardiopulmonary necessitation (CPR), but according to the American Heart Association, 70 percent of people living in the U.S. feel helpless during an emergency.1 This is alarming as 88 percent of all cardiac arrests happen at home, meaning the person you save may be someone you love. For the first time in 50 years, the American Heart Association released a snapshot of heart disease and stroke statistics that indicate those who are treated only by medical personnel after a heart attack at home, had a 10.6 percent survival rate, while those who received bystander CPR had a 31.4 percent survival.2 However, CPR is not only useful in the event of a heart attack. The concepts can be used to save a life following an accident or injury as well. If bystander CPR is not performed, the survival rate drops by 7 percent every minute.3 If it takes 10 minutes for emergency personnel to attend to a cardiac arrest casualty, without bystander CPR
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/18/cpr-may-save-lives.aspx

Subway Chicken — 50 Percent Chicken, 50 Percent Filler?

By Dr. Mercola By now you may have heard the shocking news: Subway "chicken" may contain just 50 percent chicken.1 The rest is filler. As reported by Time Magazine:2 "According to tests performed at Trent University in Canada, the company's chicken strips and oven-roasted chicken contained just 43 percent and 54 percent chicken DNA, respectively, consisting otherwise of soy and other filler ingredients." Subway denies the charges and has demanded a retraction from CBC Marketplace, yet admits it is "concerned by the alleged findings." According to Subway, its chicken strips and oven-roasted chicken contain less than 1 percent soy protein. "We will look into this again with our supplier to ensure that the chicken is meeting the high standard we set for all of our menu items and ingredients," the company said in a statement.3 Popular chicken sandwiches from Wendy's, McDonalds, A&W and Tim Hortons were also included in the testing. All, with the exception of Subway, tested as "mostly" chi
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/14/subway-chicken.aspx

Polytoxicity: The Wild World of Chemical Exposure

By Dr. Mercola Have you ever wondered how many chemicals you're exposed to on any given day? How about your kids? It's really anyone's guess. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compile and keep a current list of chemical substances manufactured or processed in the U.S. That list includes about 85,000 chemicals,1 but even the EPA is largely in the dark about what that actually means for people's health and the environment. As noted in Chemical & Engineering News, "The agency is struggling to get a handle on which of those chemicals are in the marketplace today and how they are actually being used."2 Very few chemicals on the market are tested for safety, but even those that are, are not necessarily safe. Part of this is because safety testing is typically done on just one chemical at a time, and under laboratory conditions. The way you're actually exposed to chemicals — in combination and under countless different real
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/15/the-wild-world-of-chemical-exposure.aspx

California Tries to Cover Up Cellphone Hazards

By Dr. Mercola Cellphones have become commonplace. Users are able to call, text and use the Internet, all from the convenience of a piece of equipment that fits in a pocket. According to Pew Research Center, 91 percent of adults in the U.S. have one.1 Pew found the number of people embracing the use of cellphones have made this device the most quickly accepted consumer technology in history. The latest survey found those over 65, living in rural areas and women, are less likely to own a cellphone, although this pattern has not been evident in previous surveys. Pew attributes the quick rise in popularity of the device to the development of smartphones. Unfortunately, this connection to technology places you in danger of disconnecting from what's real and really important. Use and overuse may lead to addiction. The New York Times observes:2 "The near-universal access to digital technology, starting at ever younger ages, is transforming modern society in ways that can have negative effec
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/15/cellphone-emf-dangers.aspx

Why the War on Salt Is Dangerous

By Dr. Mercola The theory that salt is bad for you and contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease is an idea that has become more or less cemented as dogma. Alas, the war on salt has had a number of drawbacks and unintended consequences. For starters, evidence shows having the correct potassium to sodium balance influences your risk for hypertension and heart disease to a far greater extent than high sodium alone, and the Western diet tends to be lacking in potassium. Moreover, when lowering salt in processed foods, many manufacturers took to adding monosodium glutamate (MSG) instead — a flavor enhancer associated with a number of health problems, including obesity, headaches, fatigue and depression. Due to its ability to overexcite neurons, MSG may even raise your risk for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's disease. War on Salt Is Misguided In 2010, New York City launched the National Salt Reduction Initiative, a salt-reduction plan a
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/15/war-on-salt.aspx

Lavandin Oil: Reap the Benefits of This Sweet-Smelling Essential Oil

Even though lavandin oil comes second only to its parent plant lavender, you can certainly place it as one of the top oils in your medicine cabinet because it offers truly exceptional benefits to your health. Read on to learn more about this essential oil.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/16/lavandin-oil.aspx

Can Prebiotic Foods Improve Your Sleep?

By Dr. Mercola The bacteria living in your gut do more than help your body digest and metabolize the food you eat. A myriad of research studies demonstrate these bacteria are integral to your health and well-being, and may positively influence the activity of hundreds of your genes and your immune system. When you add friendly bacteria to your intestinal tract they are called probiotics. Another way of impacting the friendly bacteria in your gut is to provide them with the nutrients they need to multiply. These nutrients are called prebiotics. Prebiotics are found primarily in fiber-rich foods. Friendly bacteria thrive on indigestible fiber. Inulin is one type of water-soluble fiber found in onions, garlic, leeks and asparagus that help nourish the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Now researchers have found dietary prebiotics have a significant effect on rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep cycles, which may positively affect your sleep quality.1 Prebiotics
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/16/prebiotic-foods-improve-sleep.aspx

Subway Chicken — 50 Percent Chicken, 50 Percent Filler

By Dr. Mercola By now you may have heard the shocking news: Subway "chicken" may contain just 50 percent chicken.1 The rest is filler. As reported by Time Magazine:2 "According to tests performed at Trent University in Canada, the company's chicken strips and oven-roasted chicken contained just 43 percent and 54 percent chicken DNA, respectively, consisting otherwise of soy and other filler ingredients." Subway denies the charges and has demanded a retraction from CBC Marketplace, yet admits it is "concerned by the alleged findings." According to Subway, its chicken strips and oven-roasted chicken contain less than 1 percent soy protein. "We will look into this again with our supplier to ensure that the chicken is meeting the high standard we set for all of our menu items and ingredients," the company said in a statement.3 Popular chicken sandwiches from Wendy's, McDonalds, A&W and Tim Hortons were also included in the testing. All, with the exception of Subway, tested as "mostly" chi
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/14/subway-chicken.aspx

Now More Vaccines Recommended for Failing Mumps Vaccine

By Dr. Mercola Recent mumps outbreaks in the U.S. have health officials and regulators considering the addition of a third MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that children get two doses of MMR vaccine; the first dose is recommended between the ages of 12 and 15 months, and the second dose between 4 and 6 years.1 In the U.S., vaccination rates for MMR are high, with more than 91 percent of 19- to 35-month-olds having received one or more doses.2 However, the mumps portion of the vaccine is not 100 percent effective. According to the CDC, even after two doses the mumps component is only about 88 percent effective, with a range of 66 percent to 95 percent. Effectiveness after one dose is about 78 percent, with a range of 49 percent to 92 percent.3 As the CDC explained, “Mumps outbreaks can still occur in highly vaccinated U.S. communities, particularly in
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/14/health-officials-considering-third-mmr-vaccine.aspx

How to Multiply the Most Dangerous Diseases Very Quickly

By Dr. Mercola It was not long ago — within the last 50 years — that small family farms were responsible for raising most of the food that Americans ate. In the early 1970s, when the first large-scale concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) appeared — first for egg-laying hens — it was with the notion that this "modern" way of rearing livestock was more efficient and profitable.1 By 1980, chickens, pigs, beef and dairy cows raised on CAFOs were commonplace, and today most meat sold in the U.S. comes from these massive, industrialized operations. The cheap meat they produce is not without consequence, however. When you buck the laws of nature and attempt to industrialize farming instead of raising animals the right way — with good food and access to the outdoors that allows animals to live naturally — it's a recipe for disease.One of the World's Deadliest Viruses Came From Pig Farms Nipah virus was named for the town where the first reported outbreak was identified:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/14/cafo-causes-dangerous-diseases.aspx

Maca Is Good for More Than Your Mojo

By Dr. Mercola Superfoods seem to be more plentiful today than they've ever been. One of the best, but lesser known, is an ancient root vegetable called maca, belonging to the same cruciferous family as kale and cauliflower. However, maca is most closely associated with mustard, turnip, cabbage, garden cress and watercress.1 Grown in the Peruvian mountains, maca's history is long and distinguished, as it was used even earlier than the Incans for both food and traditional medicine. Its most notable use was to proliferate fertility in both men and women and, serendipitously, increase sexual desire. That may be why another name for it is Peruvian ginseng.2 Today, maca is taking on new life with clinically proven and remarkable health benefits, both as a food and supplement. Studies show it to improve mood and memory, lower stress levels, treat osteoporosis, protect against UV radiation,3 help balance hormones,4 and perform a dozen other functions. Similar to a turnip, maca root (Lepidium
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/13/maca-health-benefits.aspx

Swapping Lettuce for Sprouts and Microgreens Can Help You Meet Several Daily Vitamin Requirements

By Dr. Mercola When you grow your own vegetables and notice the tender, young plants emerging from the earth, you may be surprised to learn that not only is it OK to harvest them while they're still only a week or two old, but these sprouts and microgreens actually offer superior nutrition.1,2,3 Many of the benefits of sprouts and microgreens relate to the fact that, in their initial and early phase of growth, the plants contain more concentrated amounts of nutrients. As a result, you need to eat far less, in terms of amount, compared to a mature plant. Sprouts, Microgreens and Baby Greens Once the sprout starts to grow — but well before it reaches maturity — it's considered a microgreen. Sprouts may be harvested within just a few days or a week of growth, while microgreens are typically harvested after two to three weeks, when they've reached a height of about 2 inches. "Baby greens" are microgreens allowed to grow to a height of about 4 inches before harvesting. All of these —
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/13/swapping-lettuce-for-sprouts-microgreens.aspx

Worm Therapy to Treat Inflammatory Disorders

By Dr. Mercola Scientists are sometimes excited when they break the news that humans are "teeming" with trillions of microbes, also known as biomes, the "critters" that make up the flora of our bodies. It's one of the reasons why it makes sense to some that "fighting fire with fire," so to speak, is the best way to combat certain diseases. Consequently, it was probably only a matter of time before using helminths — parasitic worms — to combat certain diseases became a "thing" once again in the scientific community. Surprisingly, reports of individuals who have been using helminths on themselves have grown into the thousands. The clinical description for the therapy is "the deliberate hosting of a controlled number of carefully selected, benign, intestine-dwelling nematodes (worms) known as helminths."1 One theory is that these organisms are an "heirloom" species that humans inherited from their primate ancestors. Helminth therapy is not a new thing. It's been used for centuries, t
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/13/helminth-therapy.aspx

Start Your Day Right With These Protein-Packed Waffles

The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day has long been the subject of contentious debate. In one camp, there are those that extol the benefits of eating breakfast. Then there are the detractors – these skeptics argue that you are better off skipping breakfast.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/12/protein-packed-waffles-recipe.aspx

How to Boost Brain Performance and Prevent Dementia Using No- or Low-Cost Strategies

By Dr. MercolaAlzheimer’s is an epidemic, currently affecting an estimated 5.4 million Americans. Unless there are radical changes, many experts project half of us will eventually acquire it. Since diet is one of the root causes, diet is also a foundational prevention and treatment strategy. This is an important point, considering there are no meaningful conventional treatments for this devastating disease. Drugs like Namenda or Aricept, which are commonly prescribed for Alzheimer’s, have very limited effectiveness, and come with potentially serious side effects. But other healthy lifestyle strategies also need to come into play for a truly holistic approach. In this interview, Dr. David Perlmutter, a board-certified neurologist and author of The New York Times best seller “The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan: Boost Brain Performance, Lose Weight, and Achieve Optimal Health,” shares his insights into core strategies that will help boost brain performance and dramatically reduce yo
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/03/12/core-strategies-prevent-dementia-alzheimers.aspx