Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Parkinson's disease is rising rapidly worldwide, and most cases are driven by lifestyle and environmental stressors rather than genetics, meaning daily choices play a powerful role in risk and progression
The disease often begins years before diagnosis, with early signs like poor sleep, digestive issues, anxiety, and fatigue signaling stress on your brain long before tremors appear
Chronic inflammation, toxin exposure, poor sleep, and metabolic strain weaken dopamine-producing neurons, but improving sleep, movement, diet, and stress regulation slow this damage
Supporting gut health, reducing exposure to environmental toxins, and maintaining steady energy through proper nutrition help protect your brain and preserve mobility and cognition
Consistent habits that lower stress, improve sleep quality, encourage movement, and support vitamin D balance give your brain the conditions it needs to stay resilient over time

A new trial in The New England Journal of Medicine found that exercise, whether done at home or with a physical therapist, helped reduce knee pain in adults with osteoarthritis and meniscal tears
Supervised physical therapy (PT) offered a modest short-term advantage over home exercise. Much of PT's value may come from the attention and interaction with therapists rather than the specific therapeutic interventions
Avoiding movement worsens knee arthritis over time by weakening muscles and stiffening joint structures, while regular exercise helps maintain mobility and reduce discomfort
Surgery, including arthroscopy and meniscectomy, often fails to outperform exercise and carries long-term risks, making structured movement a better starting point
Gentle, joint-friendly exercises like sit-to-stands, mini squats, leg raises, step-ups, cycling, and pool walking can help strengthen your knees and support long-term function

Soybean oil dominates the U.S. food supply. Americans' intake has increased from about 2% to nearly 10% of calories over a century, alongside sharp rises in obesity and diabetes
A recent study published in the Journal of Lipid Research found soybean oil drives obesity independent of calories by generating liver oxylipins that track with weight gain, revealing LA metabolism, not food intake, as the key driver of fat accumulation
Soybean oil promotes oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, gut permeability, and long-lasting inflammatory byproducts that continue to affect your metabolism for years due to LA's extended half-life in body fat
Soy contains additional disruptive compounds, including phytoestrogens, phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, lectins, saponins, and goitrogens, along with frequent glyphosate residues
Reducing LA intake means eliminating sources of soybean and other vegetable oils from your diet, and replacing them with stable fats like ghee, tallow, butter, or coconut oil

Women with uterine fibroids face a significantly higher long-term risk of heart disease, meaning fibroids act as an early warning sign of deeper cardiovascular strain rather than a localized reproductive issue
The increased risk shows up early, often years before traditional heart disease symptoms appear, giving you a key window to address underlying metabolic and vascular stress
Fibroids are linked to chronic inflammation, impaired blood vessel function, and disrupted energy metabolism, all of which contribute to heart disease development over time
Addressing root causes such as low cellular energy, poor metabolic flexibility, and vascular stress helps reduce both fibroid progression and cardiovascular risk
Lifestyle strategies that support energy production, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation shift your body out of survival mode and lower long-term heart disease risk

Saffron supports both mood and sexual function, addressing a common problem where depression treatments often blunt intimacy
Clinical trials show a daily 30-milligram dose of saffron reduces depression symptoms at a level similar to common antidepressants used for mild to moderate depression
Unlike many psychiatric drugs, saffron improves erectile function, arousal, lubrication, and sexual satisfaction instead of worsening them
Saffron works best when underlying stressors such as inflammation, poor cellular energy production, and gut imbalance are addressed at the same time
Consistent daily use for six to eight weeks, combined with stable sleep, movement, sunlight, and a low-seed oil diet, produces the most reliable results