Watchman News

Fast weight loss often feels like a success — until you look in the mirror and realize something else has changed. Many people using drugs like Ozempic to drop weight quickly are noticing their faces look older, thinner, and more tired. The cheeks that once gave definition start to hollow, skin loses its firmness, and wrinkles seem to deepen overnight.

What’s happening isn’t just surface-level. When fat disappears too quickly, your skin loses the very structure that keeps it supported, while your metabolism strains to adapt to the sudden energy drop. This combination leaves you not only depleted but visibly aged. The trend has become so widespread that experts have given it a name — “Ozempic face.”

It’s a reminder that how you lose weight matters just as much as how much you lose. Quick fixes trim the number on the scale, but they also rob your skin and cells of the nutrients needed to stay strong and resilient. To understand what’s really going on — and how to care for your face through the process, while restoring your energy — you need to look beneath your skin, where these changes begin.

Facial Fat Loss from GLP-1 Drugs Measured for the First Time

A study published in Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery was the first to use radiographic imaging — CT and MRI scans — to measure facial fat loss in people taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.1 The goal was to find out how much volume people actually lose in their faces when they drop weight using these medications.

This wasn’t just a survey or observation; it used before-and-after imaging from 20 patients treated between 2017 and 2024 at a major U.S. medical center. The participants had been on the drugs for nearly a year on average, giving researchers a detailed look at real physical changes over time.

• Patients lost a significant portion of their facial fat — The researchers found that patients lost about 7% of their midfacial volume for every 10 kilograms (around 22 pounds) of body weight lost. Most of this loss occurred in the superficial fat pads — those just beneath your skin that provide youthful fullness.
Deep fat, which lies closer to your bone, changed far less. In practical terms, this means that the visible signs of aging — hollow cheeks, sagging skin, and sharper facial angles — appear because the upper layers of facial support melt away while deeper structures remain intact.
• The connection between body weight and facial deflation was clear — Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation between total weight loss and facial volume loss. The more pounds shed, the more pronounced the hollowing effect became. Importantly, the loss wasn’t uniform — it targeted the areas that most define facial youth, including the cheeks and temples.
• The aging effects lie in how fat loss happens — Your body doesn’t evenly burn fat across all areas. When GLP-1 drugs lead to rapid fat loss, they also pull from facial stores that aren’t easily replenished.
The superficial fat pads that give your face smooth contours shrink before deeper tissues adapt, leaving skin unsupported. Skin elasticity depends on collagen, elastin, and healthy subcutaneous fat — so when that foundation disappears abruptly, gravity takes over, leading to sagging and wrinkles.
• These changes happen faster than normal aging allows — Under typical conditions, facial fat loss occurs gradually across decades as part of natural aging. By contrast, the patients in this study experienced similar levels of facial hollowing within roughly 10 to 12 months on GLP-1 medication.
That shorter timeframe explains why the results feel shocking — your reflection changes almost overnight. Researchers found that even after less than a year, the visible difference was enough for both doctors and patients to notice substantial deflation.

Experts Link Rapid Weight Loss to Premature Facial Aging

An article in The Epoch Times similarly explored how GLP-1 drugs have led to a rise in what doctors now call “Ozempic face.”2 It gathered insights from facial plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and wellness experts who have seen a surge of patients complaining that they look older after losing weight too quickly.
Unlike the scientific study that measured facial fat loss, this article focused on the real-world impact — what people notice in the mirror and what professionals see in their offices. Experts consistently observed sagging skin, hollowed eyes, and deeper wrinkles appearing soon after patients started losing weight with GLP-1 drugs.

• Patients often lose far more weight than they intended — Many users reported that they initially wanted to drop about 10 pounds but ended up losing 30 or more. This kind of rapid loss, while initially exciting, caused the fat pads under their skin to shrink faster than their skin could adjust.
As facial muscles and connective tissues weakened, the result was a gaunt, deflated look. People on these drugs often describe feeling shocked by their reflections, realizing that their skin has aged years in a matter of months.
• Doctors outlined visible changes that mirror accelerated aging — Plastic surgeon Dr. John Burns explained that Ozempic face isn’t limited to sagging cheeks — it affects your entire facial structure.
He described several key signs: deepened lines around your mouth and eyes, hollow cheeks and temples, sagging along your jawline, and a thinner upper lip. The combination exaggerates aging cues like drooping jowls and wrinkles. Some patients even noticed their bones appearing more pronounced because the supportive fat underneath had vanished.
• The phenomenon mirrors what happens after other forms of rapid weight loss — Dermatologist Dr. Brooke Jeffy pointed out that these same facial changes appear in people who lose large amounts of weight after bariatric surgery. As she put it, “You see the exact same changes in someone who loses weight rapidly from other things.”3
• Experts linked facial deflation to nutrient depletion and collagen breakdown — When you lose weight too fast, your body burns through fat and also loses the fatty acids and vitamins that build collagen and elastin — the proteins that act as your skin’s internal scaffolding. Without those materials, your skin loses elasticity, dries out, and begins to sag.
GLP-1 drugs may disrupt the normal balance of nutrients that feed skin cells, which experts suggest could contribute to dullness and premature wrinkling.
• Other serious side effects are emerging beyond facial aging — One study found a 45% increased risk of suicidal ideation in patients taking semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy) compared to other medications, with even higher risks for those with preexisting mental health conditions.4
In addition, GLP-1 drugs have been linked to severe vision problems, including diabetic retinopathy and optic nerve damage that may impair vision.5 These findings suggest the risks of using GLP-1 drugs extend far beyond appearance, underscoring the importance of safer, natural approaches to weight loss and metabolic health.

Proactive Ways to Deal with the Effects of ‘Ozempic Face’

If your face has started to look hollow, saggy, or older after taking Ozempic, that’s your body signaling an energy imbalance. GLP-1 drugs throw off how your cells produce and use energy. Rather than relying on fillers or creams, supporting the internal systems that keep your skin and metabolism healthy may help over time.

1. Avoid GLP-1 injections and rebuild your natural energy balance — Drugs that promise fast weight loss, like Ozempic or Wegovy, don’t heal your metabolism — they suppress it. They reduce appetite and calorie intake so drastically that your body enters a low-energy state. The resulting fat loss often leaves your face with a gaunt, aged, or saggy appearance.
The smartest move is to step away from these drugs and start focusing on supporting your mitochondria instead — the “batteries” in your cells — through real food, daily movement, sunlight, and enough rest. When your energy system works again, your face may gradually regain color, tone, and vitality.
2. Eliminate seed oils to lighten your cellular load — Vegetable oils such as canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower, and grapeseed oil are everywhere, and they’re quietly destroying your skin’s foundation. These oils are packed with linoleic acid, which slows down fat burning, weakens cell membranes, and promotes inflammation.
Replace them with healthier fats like grass fed butter, tallow, or ghee. Stick with meats from ruminant animals — grass fed beef or lamb — because poultry and pork tend to store these same inflammatory fats. Once you cut out seed oils, your metabolism may function more efficiently, and your skin’s appearance may improve over time.
3. Choose the right carbs to support your gut — Your body runs best on glucose, but the source matters. High-quality carbs contain fermentable fibers that feed beneficial microbes, which produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate — meaning fuel that strengthens your intestinal barrier, lowers inflammation, and supports immune balance.
If your gut is irritated, start gently with easy-to-digest options like fruit or white rice. When digestion steadies, layer in root vegetables, beans, and then whole grains. Aim for roughly 250 grams of quality carbs daily to fuel your thyroid, help friendly microbes thrive, and support the production of butyrate, which research suggests may support gut and metabolic health.
4. Nourish gut microbes that naturally raise GLP-1 — Skip drugs that force GLP-1 and train your microbiome to produce it for you. One keystone species, Akkermansia muciniphila, has been associated with supporting fat metabolism and healthy glucose regulation, in part by supporting natural GLP-1 activity.
Feed it with polyphenol-rich foods — apples, onions, green tea, ginger, broccoli, carrots, and berries. As this ecosystem strengthens, GLP-1 may rise on its own, metabolism stabilizes, and your face benefits from steadier nutrients and better collagen support.

These metabolic strategies work alongside a whole-food diet, sun exposure, and regular daily movement to support steadier energy, clearer thinking, and healthier weight management — without the facial deflation that follows drug-driven loss. Your skin is a reflection of your metabolic health. When you rebuild energy at the cellular level and eliminate the toxins that block it, skin health may improve as metabolic function is restored.

These findings include results from clinical, observational, and expert commentary. Results may not apply to all individuals.

FAQs About Ozempic Face

Q: What exactly is “Ozempic face”?
A: Ozempic face refers to the hollowed, aged look that develops after rapid weight loss from GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. A 2025 study found that users lose about 7% of their facial fat for every 22 pounds dropped, mainly from the superficial fat pads that give your face its fullness and support.6 When that fat disappears too fast, skin loses elasticity, sags, and wrinkles deepen — creating a prematurely aged appearance.

Q: Why does facial fat loss happen so quickly with GLP-1 drugs?
A: These medications suppress appetite and slow digestion, causing a sharp drop in calorie intake. The body burns fat rapidly, including the delicate fat pads in your face. Because skin and connective tissue can’t keep up with that pace, they lose support, resulting in deflation and sagging. Researchers also note that facial fat loss on this scale usually takes decades to develop naturally — but with GLP-1 drugs, it happens within a year.

Q: How do nutrient and fat deficiencies play a role in aging my face?
A: Fast weight loss depletes essential nutrients and fatty acids that your skin needs to stay firm and hydrated. Without these materials, collagen and elastin — the proteins that hold your skin together — begin to break down. This leads to dryness, dullness, and visible wrinkles. Experts emphasize that nourishing your body with real food, including quality protein and carbohydrates, helps preserve your skin’s structure and may help slow visible aging.

Q: Can “Ozempic face” improve over time?
A: Yes, but it requires addressing the underlying metabolic imbalance. Step one is avoiding or discontinuing GLP-1 drugs. Then, eliminate seed oils that interfere with energy production, eat around 250 grams of healthy carbs daily to support cellular energy, and feed beneficial gut microbes through whole fruits, root vegetables, and polyphenol-rich foods. These changes may support your body’s natural processes for skin maintenance and elasticity.

Q: What natural alternatives support healthy metabolism and weight management?
A: Experts often highlight the role of everyday habits in supporting metabolic health. Nutrient-dense foods, sunlight exposure, and regular physical activity form the foundation. Additionally, replacing seed oils with tallow or grass fed butter, prioritizing rest, and keeping your gut balanced all work together to support steadier weight management, reducing the facial deflation associated with rapid weight loss.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article.

What characteristic sets C15:0 apart from common even-chain fats?

It contains no carbon atoms but is more resilient to oxidation
It comes only from plant oils, especially cruciferous ones
It has an odd number of carbon atoms
C15:0, also called pentadecanoic acid, has an odd number of carbon atoms, unlike more common even-chain fats. Learn more.
It cannot be found in foods

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a simple compound with a remarkable blend of therapeutic properties. Over the last year, I’ve compiled thousands of studies showing how it treats a wide range of conditions including:

• Neurological disorders such as strokes, dementia, paralysis, and neuropathies (discussed here).

• Circulatory disorders such as Raynaud’s, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids (discussed here).

• Chronic pain (e.g., from disc herniations, bursitis, or complex regional pain syndrome) and tissue injuries, such as sprains, concussions, burns, surgical incisions, and spinal cord injuries (discussed here).

• Autoimmune, protein, and contractile disorders, such as arthritis, scleroderma, amyloidosis, and interstitial cystitis (discussed here).

• Head conditions, such as tinnitus, ear infections, dental problems, and sinusitis (discussed here).

• Internal organ diseases such as prostate enlargement, pancreatitis, and cirrhosis (discussed here).

• Respiratory disorders, including asthma, COPD, and pulmonary fibrosis (discussed here).

• Many different gastrointestinal disorders, such as bowel inflammation, cirrhosis, and pancreatitis (discussed here).

• Skin conditions such as hair loss, acne, ulcers, skin cancer, or psoriasis (discussed here).

• Infections, such as onychomycosis, herpes, and shingles, and many antibiotic-resistant infections (discussed here).

• Many aspects of cancer, including eliminating cancers, enhancing chemotherapy, reducing the toxicity of mainstream cancer treatments, and reducing cancer pain (discussed here).

Because of how effective DMSO was for a wide range of “incurable” conditions, after being discovered in the 1960s, DMSO quickly became the most demanded drug in the country — at which point the FDA did everything they could to suppress it.

In the 1960s a miraculous treatment for chronic pain, traumatic injury, strokes and spinal cord paralysis was discovered that spread across America like wildfire—until the FDA buried it.Here, 60 Minutes exposed the FDA using the same playbook they used throughout COVID-19. A🧵 pic.twitter.com/Bh0dcjNk5w— A Midwestern Doctor (@MidwesternDoc) October 14, 2024
Video Link

The FDA succeeded, and DMSO’s incredible utility became largely forgotten. However, due to its remarkable efficacy and the extensive evidence corroborating its medical utility, once I brought attention to DMSO (in a post-COVID world where widespread skepticism exists towards the medical establishment), it rapidly went viral, and there is now a similar interest in DMSO to what was seen in the 1960s.

Because of this, I have now received over 5,000 reports from readers who’ve benefitted from DMSO (which I compiled here),1 most of which match the effects typically attributed to DMSO (e.g., rapid healing from an injury or eliminating debilitating chronic pain). However, I also come across some that are quite extraordinary, such as this 75 year old man who regained sight in his eye after being blind since birth after using DMSO to eliminate a chronic sinus infection.

This 75 year old who’d been blind since birth suddenly regained his sight after using DMSO to cure sinusitis. DMSO has been repeatedly shown to heal eye issues medicine still can’t solve like blindness and macular degeneration along with eliminating floaters and cataracts by… pic.twitter.com/8jyF48INX3— A Midwestern Doctor (@MidwesternDoc) October 25, 2025
Video Link

Murray’s story illustrates one of the least appreciated facets of DMSO — it is exceptionally well suited to treating a wide range of eye conditions — many of which are considered incurable within conventional medicine.

Note: The German DMSO community (including DMSO utilizing ophthalmologists) has also reported that DMSO has an extraordinary affinity for treating a wide range of eye conditions.

DMSO and the Eyes

DMSO’s uses for the eyes originally emerged after participants in early clinical trials noted that their vision frequently improved when an unrelated issue was being treated (as DMSO will concentrate within the eyes) — something many readers have also reported to me. As DMSO has a variety of different therapeutic effects, such as healing tissues, reducing inflammation, eliminating infection, removing protein deposits, or increasing blood circulation and fluid drainage, it is well suited to treating a variety of eye conditions.

As such, numerous studies and hundreds of readers have reported remarkable improvements in the following eye conditions:

• Floaters, cataracts, and other opacities within the eyes
• Myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and other focusing problems (allowing many people to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses)
• Dry eyes, blurry vision, and eye strain (especially from screens)
• Eye spasms and muscle twitching
• Glaucoma and elevated intraocular pressure
• Healing from eye surgeries and eliminating adhesions within the eyes
• Growths on or around the eyes (skin tags, chalazia, pterygia, etc.)
• Blepharitis, conjunctivitis, uveitis, and other inflammatory or infectious eye conditions

Note: The extremely high success rate readers have reported for treating floaters is quite noteworthy given the lack of satisfactory conventional treatments for the condition.

In turn, since many of the above conditions can impair vision (along with many more minor ones not mentioned), it is not surprising that many readers have reported visual improvements from DMSO2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31 (e.g., many reported improved night vision32,33,34,35,36). Reports include:

“I just dabbed a bit of DMSO on my eyelids and got an immediate improvement. I could see my pool shots so much better.”37

“Vision has improved, and I can read some small text again — The deterioration of vision that I felt at night after a few hours on the screen has lessened.”38

“DMSO immediately helped my eyesight by improving contrast after I just put a little above my ankle.”39

Furthermore, DMSO’s therapeutic properties enable it to reach the retina and optic nerve, thereby directly treating many challenging visual disorders that ophthalmology still struggles to address (e.g., beyond lowering eye pressure, DMSO can directly counteract the degenerative process of glaucoma).

Note: DMSO has also been repeatedly shown to enhance the penetration of drugs into the eyes, allowing lower (safer) doses to be used and to potentially eliminate the need for eye medications to be injected.40,41,42,43,44

Eye Protection

One of DMSO’s most well documented properties is its ability to protect tissues throughout the body from a variety of otherwise lethal stressors, such as heat, cold, radiation, poisons, and a loss of blood flow — which is a key reason why it produces such remarkable results for strokes and other central nervous system injuries.

In turn, many readers have reported remarkable stroke recoveries with DMSO (along with a dog who’d developed a variety of vestibular neurological issues such as uncontrolled eye movements, due to mini strokes which immediately resolved from small amounts of DMSO and magnesium).45

Note: Multiple readers have also reported DMSO rapidly resolving the visual disturbances occurring with migraines.46,47

As the eyes are also nervous tissue, similar effects from DMSO have been repeatedly observed within them:

• Injecting 1.5% DMSO into the eyes of rats subjected to 90 minutes of retinal ischemia (via optic nerve ligature) was found to reduce the number of ganglion cells that died.48

Note: One reader reported “I got IV DMSO after an optic nerve stroke and I’m pretty sure it saved my eyesight in that eye.”49 Another shared that six weeks after a retinal bleed,50 that eye had episodes of partial loss of vision (“grey outs”) which cleared a few minutes after applying DMSO gel to the eyelid of the affected eye, and a third shared DMSO treated a branched retinal vein occlusion in the eye that was no longer responding to standard therapies.51

• In mice, numerous studies have shown that DMSO treatment protects retinal cells from damage caused by toxic bright light exposure, preserving retinal function and structure (whereas in untreated mice, most retinal cells were damaged or died).52,53,54,55

Note: A reader who damaged their eyes from excessive sunlight exposure (due to pre-existing inflammation weakening the eye) was able to heal their eyes with DMSO.56 Likewise, another reader who damaged their eyes by accidentally staring at the sun for too long (presumably due to sun gazing) also healed their eyes with DMSO.57

Finally, in parallel with DMSO’s ability to heal damaged eye tissue, numerous studies have shown that normal doses of DMSO have no toxicity to the retina or optic nerve.

Retinal Diseases

DMSO’s restorative properties make it uniquely suited to treat challenging degenerative eye diseases.

“My son has retinitis pigmentosa. He uses DMSO eyedrops. They help his [eye’s] field of vision.”58,59

For example, retinitis pigmentosa (RP),60 is a genetic disorder that causes gradually increasing visual loss, and is incurable (excluding a rare subset that an $850,000 gene therapy treats about half the time).61 As such, it immediately caught a few doctors’ attention that their RP patients had their vision improve while receiving DMSO for something else.62

This prompted a preliminary (successful) investigation that found that DMSO applied to the eyes improves RP,63 and then a larger trial of 50 patients with RP or macular degeneration.64

There, no retinal toxicity was observed, and 22 (44%) had improved visual acuity, 9 (19%) had improved visual fields, 5 (10%) had improved night vision and 48 (96%) had no further worsening of their vision (which would otherwise be expected in these retinal disorders) — results which are quite extraordinary. This, for example, was one patient in that study:

“When his DMSO treatment was started, this patient could see hand motion only with his right eye, and had a visual acuity of 20/200 (Snellen) in his left eye. Five days later, his vision was measured as 20/70 + 1 in the left eye, and he could count fingers at 5 ft with his right eye. Three months later, his visual acuity was 20/50 in the left eye.

This patient has continued his treatments daily, except for a 1-week trial interval without DMSO. He noted that his vision began to get worse during this interval, and when he restarted treatment, his vision returned to the level he had just before discontinuance. His most recent visual acuity measurement (two years after starting DMSO) is still 20/50 in the left eye, and he can count fingers at 6 ft with his right eye.”

Animal studies have also shown that DMSO prevents retinal vision loss:

• Low doses of DMSO (0.01% in drinking water) protected retinal cells in mice engineered to model RP.65

• In RP model mice, from day 4 to day 23 of life, untreated mice experienced a loss of retinal function not seen in normal mice,66 whereas DMSO treated mice had those parameters improve — scotopic a-wave amplitudes (-42% vs. +107%), photopic a-wave amplitudes (-8% vs. +65%) photopic b-wave amplitudes (-20% vs. +56%).

• In Alzheimer’s model mice, very low-dose (0.01%) DMSO in drinking water improved early contrast sensitivity deficits and restored normal outer retinal (ELM-RPE) thickness.67,68

• In Alzheimer’s model mice, 0.01% DMSO in drinking water prevented the visual loss seen early in the disease process and restored the thickness of the retinal pigment epithelium.

• In rats with diabetic retinopathy, subconjunctival injection of 10% and especially 50% DMSO significantly improved retinal function (higher B-wave and flicker ERG amplitudes) and restored retinal thickness.69

In parallel, readers have reported a variety of significant visual improvements from DMSO in a variety of eye disorders (e.g., vision loss due to RP, glaucoma, or multiple sclerosis), including many instances where “incurable” macular degeneration (AMD) improved70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82 (or stopped progressing83,84,85):

“I personally have used eye drops for 6-7 years. It has effectively stopped my macular degeneration.”86

“Personally I have used DMSO eye drops for three years. My retina doc said my scarring is down 50% with my AMD.”87

“I use DMSO eye drops for my macular degeneration, and it brought my sight from 25/40 to 20/25.”88

“I [have AMD] and have been using 40% DMSO for three weeks. Before, I was having ink-blot-like hallucinations that severely affected my central vision, to the point where I couldn’t drive at night even with my glasses on. Just three weeks later, I can now drive at night in the rain without wearing glasses at all, and the impairment in my central vision is completely gone.”89

“I tested my AMD with an Amsler’s chart earlier this year and my left eye showed distorted lines. After a month of DMSO, I had no more distortions.”90

“My husband has macular degeneration and he is using DMSO. It’s been about four months and his vision has not gotten worse, I think it’s improving. He’s driving better.”91

“I now use the drops for my macular degeneration. Have great results.”92

Note: Most of the reports I’ve seen on macular degeneration were improvements of the more common (dry) form. Some evidence also suggests it can help wet macular degeneration by inhibiting VEGF and the formation of new blood vessels, which underlie many eye diseases.93,94,95,96

Additionally, DMSO has also been reported to heal a variety of other challenging retinal conditions. For example, readers have reported improvement of a macular hole,97 a severe macular pucker that had required urgent surgery,98 and a torn retina that had previously healed badly.99

Reversing Blindness

DMSO’s ability to treat conditions like macular degeneration also allows it sometimes to produce even more remarkable results. For example, when I initially received Murray’s seemingly impossible report that DMSO restored sight in an eye which has been blind for 75 years, I was inclined to believe it as I’d read very similar accounts within the early DMSO literature, such as:100

• A man who had been blind for more than 30 years after having dynamite explode in his face, who started seeing flashes of light after applying DMSO to the head.

• A man who lost sight in the right eye (along with other functions of the eye like focusing) and gradually lost sight in the other after an almost fatal impact by an automobile while skating down the road.

After trying DMSO for hair loss, he noticed a sensation in the back of his right eye, so Dr. Stanley Jacob (the pioneer of DMSO) decided to apply DMSO to that eye, eventually settling on a high concentration (which stung for several minutes, caused tears, and left the eyes bloodshot for about 20 minutes). After this, sight rapidly returned to the right eye (as demonstrated in a blindfold test), along with him regaining the ability to see color (something his good eye had lost since the accident).

Note: One reader has also reported being able to cure their colorblindness with DMSO.101

• A man who had been blind for many years in one eye (only able to distinguish light and dark) regained his sight in that eye with DMSO (e.g., he demonstrated this by walking unaided in public areas and describing objects and events while his good eye was covered).

• A man who was almost blind (leading to him being entirely dependent on others, like his wife, to take him anywhere, cut his meat, or keep his house clean), after a year on DMSO, regained his sight and no longer needed assistance to do anything (which was of great relief to his family).

Note: These results led Jacob to test DMSO on a series of patients with incurable blindness, many of whom then had their vision improve.

Conclusion

I’ve spent decades seeking out methods to treat macular degeneration, and seen a few approaches (e.g., intensive nutritional regimens, eye circulation improving regimens or energetic inputs that reawaken dormant retinal cells) “do the impossible” and bring lost sight back to the eyes.

It’s hence quite noteworthy that DMSO is both able to create many of these same therapeutic effects (e.g., by increasing microcirculation to the eyes, it greatly increases the vital nutrition retinal cells receive), and like those therapies, restore vision, but do so in a much more broad and economical way (rather than only targeting one component of vision loss).

“I’ve had countless patients who were already doing all the ‘right’ things with nutrition and weren’t getting better with their pain/autoimmune problems, and then they did well after adding DMSO.” — James Miller MD

More importantly, the fact that DMSO can quickly and easily treat “incurable” conditions like vision loss provide a critical lesson into the myriad of other chronic illnesses we are facing, as the eyes are not the only part of the body affected by the ever increasing circulatory impairments (many of which result from vaccination) and nutritional depletion of the food supply seen throughout society.

The significant health challenges our society faces require doing something different. Fortunately, as things like DMSO’s saga show, the solutions we are searching for already exist.

More importantly, we have reached a unique historical crossroad, as the dire need to fix America’s disastrous healthcare has thrust us into a never-before-seen political climate where large parts of the culture, media, and government support rather than oppose the adoption of these real and affordable pathways to health. It is up to each of us to make the best of this moment and rediscover the forgotten umbrella therapies.

Author’s Note: This is an abridged version of a longer article that discusses the evidence presented here in more detail along with how DMSO can be used in conjunction with natural therapies to treat the conditions discussed in this article (e.g., macular degeneration) along with a variety of other eye disorders (e.g., floaters, cataracts, glaucoma, nearsightedness, dry eyes, and chronic eye strain). That article, along with additional links and references, can be read here.

A Note from Dr. Mercola About the Author

A Midwestern Doctor (AMD) is a board-certified physician from the Midwest and a longtime reader of Mercola.com. I appreciate AMD’s exceptional insight on a wide range of topics and am grateful to share it. I also respect AMD’s desire to remain anonymous since AMD is still on the front lines treating patients. To find more of AMD’s work, be sure to check out The Forgotten Side of Medicine on Substack.

1 What metal makes up the largest single ingredient in dental amalgam?

Platinum
Gold
Mercury
Dental amalgam contains metals like silver, tin, and copper, but mercury makes up the largest share. Learn more.

Silver

2 Which is not a marker of biological age?

Metabolism
Inflammation
Organ health
Blood type
Biological age is tied to body function, including metabolism, inflammation, and organ health. Blood type does not show how fast the body is aging. Learn more.

3 What percentage of U.S. adults fall short on magnesium intake?

80%
Nearly 80% of U.S. adults do not get enough magnesium, which can limit how well the body activates and uses vitamin D. Learn more.

47%
67%
35%

4 Which symptom may be a sign of low vitamin D?

Slower nail growth
Pale skin
Frequent illness
Low vitamin D is linked to frequent illness, fatigue, poor bone strength, and low mood because vitamin D supports immunity and overall health. Learn more.

Sharper night vision

5 According to research, how many minutes of aerobic exercise may help lower stress levels?

20
88
150
About 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise per week was enough to lower cortisol and improve fitness over time. Learn more.

175

6 What type of plastic particle can enter living cells?

Bioplastics
Nanoplastics
Nanoplastics are tiny enough to enter living cells, while microplastics are larger fragments that can build up in the body and environment. Learn more.

Microbeads
Green polymers

7 What do peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) help control?

Fat-burning, energy use, and inflammation
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are protein switches that help regulate fat-burning, energy use, and inflammation. Learn more.
Skin color, eyesight, and hair growth
Bone length, tooth shape, and appetite
Water balance, sweating, and breathing speed

Test Your Knowledge with
The Master Level Quiz

1 By weight, how much mercury is usually found in dental amalgam fillings?

10%
25%
35%
50%
Dental amalgam fillings are about 50% mercury by weight. Researchers found adults with amalgam fillings carried significantly higher blood mercury levels than people without them. Learn more.

Your body uniquely responds to a fat called C15:0, also known as pentadecanoic acid. This fat has an odd number of carbon atoms, unlike the more common even-chain fats. The primary sources are full-fat dairy foods, but smaller amounts are also found in some meats and fish.

Average blood levels of C15:0 have declined alongside reduced dairy consumption over recent decades. Observational research has begun examining whether lower C15:0 status is associated with markers of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, though direct causation has not been established.
Now, what makes C15:0 stand out is not only how it fuels cellular metabolism, but also how it may help keep cells stable and resilient. Research suggests it integrates into cell membranes, supporting membrane stability under stress.

In 2025, I published a scientific review in the World Journal of Biological Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal recognized for advancing understanding of the biochemical foundations of health and disease. This paper marks an important step forward in our knowledge of C15:0, a little-known fat that may play an essential role in supporting long-term health.

For decades, dietary guidance has painted all saturated fats with the same broad brush. My paper challenges that view by presenting evidence that C15:0 stands apart, with research suggesting it may influence metabolic, inflammatory, and age-related biological pathways.

The publication points toward a potential paradigm shift in how we think about fats — from broad avoidance to recognizing that some, like C15:0, may help support resilience and healthy cellular function. With this in mind, this paper adds to the growing body of evidence that specific dietary fats can influence health at the cellular level, and that C15:0 warrants further investigation. To read the full paper, click the button below. A more layman-friendly version can be downloaded at the end of this article.

> > > > > Click Here > > > > Click Here

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published December 3, 2023.

In this interview, repeat guest Georgi Dinkov and I discuss the four hormones most adults need more of if they want to optimize their health. In my introduction I mention that we will review the benefits and mechanisms of action of carbon dioxide (CO2), but we’ve covered that in Part 2 of this interview, which you can watch here.

As for hormones, if you’re optimally healthy, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is unnecessary, as your body will make whatever hormones you need. The problem is that very few people, including me, enjoy truly optimal health.

We live in a very polluted world, so “optimal health” is a high bar for all of us. I take four hormones that I believe most adults can benefit from — progesterone, thyroid hormone T3, DHEA, and pregnenolone.

Three of these, progesterone, DHEA, and pregnenolone are available over-the-counter. Thyroid hormones, however, require a doctor’s prescription. You also need to get routine blood tests done (typically two to four times a year) to make sure your thyroid hormones are maintained at optimal levels. Overtreatment can result in hyperthyroid symptoms, which you clearly want to avoid.

How Hormones Impact Health Span and Life Span

As noted by Dinkov, around the ages of 11 and 12, right before puberty, the hormonal profiles of boys and girls are relatively similar, and they produce about the same amounts of pregnenolone and progesterone.

This is also the time when thyroid hormone levels are the highest they’ll ever be, and it’s the time in a person’s life cycle when their mortality is the lowest. Once puberty strikes, adrenal activity increases. In fact, the old name for puberty was adrenarche, which tells you that adrenal activity is driving the process.

At this time, boys start producing more testosterone and girls progesterone (depending on where they are in the menstrual cycle). Interestingly, many studies have shown that the later puberty starts, the longer the lifespan and health span of both sexes. Conversely, the earlier the onset of puberty, the shorter the lifespan and the more prone to diseases the individual will be.

“After puberty starts and until the late 20s, people are remarkably resilient to stress,” Dinkov notes. “In fact, stress often seems stimulating for them. This seems to change drastically after they hit 30, and especially after 35. It’s basically a very steep decline.

And if you look at the way the hormonal profile changes, you’ll see that whenever young, healthy people are exposed to stress, there’s a spike in cortisol release, followed closely by a spike of pregnenolone and DHEA release for males, and pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA release for females.

That delayed release of these secondary hormones drop off a cliff after the age of about 35. The ranges for pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA, and even testosterone, change depending on what age group you fall into, but the range for cortisol doesn’t change.

So, throughout your lifetime, unless you’re critically ill, in which case cortisol drops, or you have Addison disease, which is full on adrenal failure, your cortisol levels do not decline, and that’s what keeps you alive because, if you have adrenal failure, unless you take cortisol shots you will die from hypoglycemia or Addison’s disease. So, it’s lethal.

Cortisol is really a life-saving hormone. It’s proinflammatory, but its primary purpose is to keep blood sugar from dropping too low, because your brain runs predominantly on glucose. So, basically, after the age of 35, cortisol stays the same.

It’s a catabolic hormone. It can shred your muscles, soft tissue, bone, you name it. There’s no organ that is immune to the effects of cortisol. There is only one that is somewhat resilient, and it’s the heart. And the reason the heart is so resilient in both genders is because in males, the heart contains a very large amount of testosterone, and in females it contains very large amounts of progesterone.

Both of these happen to be glucocorticoid antagonists. So they’re protecting this vital muscle … but all the other tissues can be shredded and they’re considered basically nonessential. So, after the age of 35, you have a stable supply of a catabolic hormone and then a rapidly declining supply of pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA, all three of which have antiglucocorticoid effects.”

All of that said, if you’re taking progesterone, you don’t need to worry about the DHEA converting to estrogenic substances because progesterone will block that conversion. Even if there is conversion, progesterone is an antagonist at the estrogen receptors so it will directly block the estrogen as well. Pregnenolone has similar effects. It’s a milder aromatase inhibitor than progesterone, but it’s still quite good at preventing the uptake of estrogen into the cell.

Cortisol-to-DHEA Ratio Is a Good Predictor of Life Span

One of the take-homes from the above is that when you’re young, before puberty sets in, you have high production of T3 thyroid hormone, cortisol and anti-cortisol steroids. After age 35, there’s a gradual decline of thyroid function and a rapid decline in the synthesis and release of the anti-cortisol hormones, some of which also happen to be anti-estrogenic.

As a result, you enter a state of relative glucocorticoid and estrogen excess, both of which have detrimental effects on health. Dinkov explains:

“The state of glucocorticoid excess is not very well known. It’s easily measurable though by the ratio of cortisol to DHEA, or cortisol to progesterone, or cortisol to pregnenolone. Studies demonstrate that the cortisol to DHEA ratio is the best predictor we have for how long you’re going to live and for any diseases that you’re going to develop throughout your lifetime.”

DHEA Influences Your Immune Function

One of the reasons for this is because DHEA is an immune booster, and your immune system is your first line of defense against both acute and chronic diseases, including cancer. And the amount of DHEA produced is about the same in both sexes, regardless of age. Dinkov suspects an ideal ratio of cortisol to DHEA is 0-to-3 or lower.

As for DHEA by itself, he recommends aiming for a level in the upper 50th percentile for the upper range of a 20-year-old, which is around 600 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). So, ideally, if you’re older than 35, you’d want your DHEA to be somewhere between 300 and 600 ng/dL.

As for the daily dosage, the normal daily output of DHEA by the adrenal gland is about 10 milligrams (mg), so for most people, the max DHEA dose would be 5 to 10 mg and mixed with a long-chain fat. According to Dinkov, human studies have shown that once you take more than 10 mg of DHEA per day, you begin to increase estrogen biomarkers, which is something you don’t want.

“Anything less than [10 mg], which happens to be a physiological dose, doesn’t really cause that much of a problem, but I would still take it with progesterone because blood levels are not always indicative of tissue levels,” Dinkov says.

“In fact, [DHEA] is not always reflected on the blood test … If you look at the studies, they show you that cells have a very high uptake of pregnenolone and DHEA. They accumulate them at levels 100 times higher than what they are in the bloodstream. So if you’re very DHEA deficient, it will take a while to fill up your reserves and then for the extra to spill over. About six months.

There’s a study with Italian women. They took 10 mg for a full year. Eventually that restored their levels back to normal, but not until the six-month mark did they see significant change. So it really depends on how deficient you are, for how long you’ve been deficient, and the state of your adrenal gland.

Another study demonstrated that the DHEA starts working immediately. You don’t see it in the blood test, but they started measuring downstream metabolites of DHEA and found that taking just 10 mg of DHEA drastically increased the metabolites of the dihydrotestosterone such as 3-alpha androstane diol and metabolites of testosterone, such as testosterone glucoronate and sulfate.

So, DHEA starts working immediately and converting to downstream hormones, but it’s going to take a while to see that in the biomarkers that are usually measured, which is DHEA and DHEA sulfate. What they really should be doing is measure all of the other things that DHA can convert into.

And some of those things are estrogens. Chances are, at least based on studies, that either prolactin or estrone will rise if you’re taking too high of a dose long before there will be changes in the blood levels of DHEA or DHEA sulfate.”

Caveats and Warnings

There are a few important caveats here. Taking too high a dose of DHEA can cause unwanted hair growth in women, and breast growth in men,1 so be sure to monitor your symptoms. DHEA is also banned in sports. It’s classified as a doping agent by the World Anti-Doping Agency, so athletes need to take their competitive status into account before taking supplemental DHEA.

Also, never take DHEA without progesterone. They need to be taken together. Another point to optimize the therapy and not derail it is that if you take T3, DHEA, and/or pregnenolone orally, you need to dissolve them in a long-chain fat (14 carbons or more) first.

If you don’t do that, they’ll be metabolized by your liver, which significantly lowers their effectiveness. According to Dinkov, the bioavailability of oral hormones can be as low as 10%. Dissolving the supplements in a little ghee or butter will bypass liver metabolism and allow you to get the most out of your supplements.

Olive oil is also a long-chain fat, but I don’t recommend it, as it can have 20% linoleic acid (LA) and a flavor that many don’t like. According to Dinkov, at least one study has demonstrated that LA binds directly to estrogen receptors and acts like estrogen.

So, LA not merely promotes the effects of estrogen but also acts as an estrogen directly. Since estrogen is a potent carcinogen, you want to avoid things with estrogenic activity. In addition, olive oil contains oleic acid, which is just as damaging as LA.

Progesterone Works Best with Vitamin E

Progesterone, meanwhile, needs to be mixed into vitamin E for optimal bioavailability. You can make your own by dissolving pure USP 1/64 (25 mg) or 1/32 (50 mg) tsp of progesterone powder in one capsule of a high-quality vitamin E and applying to your gums 30 minutes prior to bedtime.

You can purchase pharmaceutical grade bioidentical progesterone as Progesterone Powder, Bioidentical Micronized Powder, 10 grams for about $40 on many online stores like Amazon. That is nearly a year’s supply, depending on the dose you choose.

You will need to purchase a set of special teaspoons to measure this. The difference in bioavailability between taking progesterone orally without vitamin E and taking it with vitamin E is quite dramatic.Many are concerned that the label on their product says it is for skin use only. This is because there is an FDA rule that transmucosal application turns the supplement into a drug and they are prohibited from putting that on their label. This is not for your protection it is to protect the drug company’s cash flow. Applying the progesterone to your gums is the ideal route of administration and is a perfectly legal off label use of progesterone.

Another good reason for taking progesterone with vitamin E is because it binds to red blood cells, which allows the progesterone to be carried throughout your body and be distributed to where it’s needed the most. What’s more, Dinkov cites research showing that when you dissolve a substance in vitamin E, it specifically targets sites with the highest inflammation.

For a more detailed explanation on the ideal way to administer progesterone, I recommend reviewing my article, “Unlocking the Secrets of Hormone Health and Vitality.”

Other Important Benefits of Vitamin E

Another important benefit of vitamin E is that it prevents LA stored in your tissues from being oxidized into toxic byproducts. Since most people are walking around with LA stores that are 10 times higher than normal, and since excess LA is likely one of the primary contributors to chronic disease, it can be a good idea to take vitamin E regularly until you get your LA down to healthy levels, which may take up to six years for most people.

Vitamin E also prevents LA stored in your tissues from being oxidized into dangerous toxic byproducts.

Vitamin E can almost miraculously prevent most of the damage done by LA. It can also reverse or prevent many of the issues associated with excess estrogen. This is important because LA has remarkable parallels to excess estrogen in terms of its metabolic and anti-health effects.

When you eat excess PUFA or LA, you increase your body’s production of estrogen. So, when you increase LA, estrogen levels go up — and that’s not a good thing. Both LA and estrogen interestingly increase the flow of calcium from outside the cell to inside because the concentration of calcium outside as well is 50 times higher than inside. So, the excess as LA will cause the influx of calcium inside the cell, which causes nitric oxide and superoxide to increase inside the cell.

Nitric oxide and superoxide combine almost instantaneously to form a very pernicious reactive nitrogen species called peroxynitrite, which causes pervasive damage to tissues in your body.

Both LA and estrogen also increase a dangerous process in your body called lipolysis, which is simply the liberation of fatty acids from your fat cells into your bloodstream where they are mobilized. This then increases the oxidation of LA, which is precisely what you want to avoid as ideally you want to keep LA in your fat cells until they metabolize it with peroxisomes.

Fortunately, vitamin E can also help neutralize this damaging effect of LA. Vitamin E also directly inhibits the activity of an enzyme called aromatase. This is an enzyme that converts the male hormones like testosterone and DHEA into estrogens.

Even better, it serves as an estrogen antagonist, meaning it binds to the estrogen receptor to block it from binding to estrogen. This dramatically lowers the damage from excess estrogen.

Vitamin E works very similarly to the drug tamoxifen, which is used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. For these reasons, I firmly believe nearly everyone needs to be getting vitamin E in their diet. However, due to the high LA burden, very few people can get enough vitamin E from their diet to suppress this oxidative destruction unless they’re supplementing with vitamin E.

The good news is that since the supplementation is short term, you’re not going to need it the rest of your life. If you can keep your LA intake to below 5 grams a day for three years, it’s likely you may not even need it at all, or at most, only a few times a month.

However, if for whatever reason, during this time, or when the LA in your tissues are low or normal, and you go out and binge on a meal that’s very high in LA, I would strongly recommend taking a vitamin E capsule to protect yourself from this exposure.

Vitamin E also protects against free radical damage and the normal effects of aging. It’s particularly important for brain health, and studies have found it can help delay the loss of cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s disease by preventing cell membrane damage and neuronal death.2

How to Pick a Good Vitamin E Supplement

Most vitamin E supplements are synthetic, and you want to steer clear of those. Studies have demonstrated that synthetic vitamin E has the opposite effect of natural vitamin E, such as increasing the risk of certain cancers rather than lowering it, for example. So, it’s important to make sure you’re getting a natural version.

Synthetic vitamin E is called alpha tocopherol acetate. The acetate indicates that it’s synthetic. Next, you need to pay attention to the orientation of the optical isomer. Most vitamin supplements are racemic, or they have left- and right-hand isomers. This is a problem as most biological molecules have optical isomers that are right-handed.

They’re usually called D and L isomers, which stands for right and left. When you have both left and right isomers present, it’s called racemic. Biologically, there’s usually only one optical isomer that works well, and with vitamin E it is the D isomer that works in your body, while the L isomer is useless. Yet in synthetic supplements, 50% of the vitamin E in the supplement is the useless L isomer.

To make matters even worse, many synthetic versions use an ester of vitamin E, which only has about 50% of the activity of the natural product. So, the total activity of many vitamin E supplements is reduced by 75%.

So, the first step in identifying healthy good vitamin E supplements is to make sure you’re getting real vitamin E and not synthetic. What you’re looking for is “d alpha tocopherol.” This is the pure D isomer, which is what your body can use.

Many vitamin E brands will use vitamin E from sunflower oil, which has a very high percentage of LA. However, the LA in the capsule is an insignificant amount, probably less than 50 or 100 mg, so in this case it’s not a problem. Your goal is to keep LA intake under 5,000 mg, and even better under 2,500 mg, so it really won’t negatively impact your LA intake at all.

As for dose, you don’t need more than 100 mg a day. There are also other vitamin E isomers, and you want the complete spectrum of tocotrienols, specifically the beta, gamma, and delta types of vitamin E, in the effective D isomer. It’s important to get this right, which is why I’m going into this much detail.

Most People Can Benefit from Bioidentical Progesterone

So, to tie up the discussion about progesterone, bioidentical progesterone (not synthetic progestin) is probably the most important hormone that most adults need. Conversely, I believe estrogen — including bioidentical estrogen — should never be used, as estrogen is carcinogenic.

As noted by Dinkov, virtually all cancers respond to hormones and estrogen is a primary growth factor in all of them. So, there’s really no such thing as a nonendocrine cancer. To learn more about this, see our previous interview, where we dove deeper into the hazards of estrogen.

Unfortunately, most people who use progesterone use it transdermally, which could be problematic. As explained by Dinkov, your skin expresses high levels of 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which causes a significant portion of the progesterone you’re taking to be irreversibly converted primarily into allopregnanolone and cannot be converted back into progesterone.

If you’re taking it orally with vitamin E as the solvent, a significant portion will be non-metabolized, that non-metabolized progesterone has potent pro-thyroid effects. It’s also a thermogenic steroid. It induces uncoupling, so you’ll be producing more heat, which is one of the effects of taking T3. While not as potent as taking T3, it can raise your metabolic rate by about 10%.

Progesterone also blocks cortisol and helps protect against excess cortisol production, but not to the point of causing cortisol deficiency (Addison disease), and it helps deactivate adrenaline.

“There are human studies demonstrating that you administer progesterone, even in its nonoptimal form — such as just the powder without the long-chain fatty acids and definitely without the tocopherols — even in that form, 100 to 200 milligrams orally.

A single dose is sufficient to drop cortisol and adrenaline by about 60%. As a side effect of that, the blood pressure also dropped in both sexes,” Dinkov says. “So, we know that progesterone has a very potent antistress effect by acting specifically on the two sides of the stress system, cortisol and adrenaline.

One of the explanations is that progesterone has shown some ability to directly activate the alpha receptors, which are negative feedback. In other words, if you activate the alpha adrenal receptor, you basically send in the signal that there’s too much adrenaline, so the body will produce less adrenaline …”

The dose of bioidentical progesterone I recommend is 30 to 50 mg a day (again, mixed with a long-chain fat), taken in the evening before bed, as it can promote sleepiness. The same dose (30 to 50 mg a day) is recommended for pregnenolone. This is the physiological dose, meaning it’s what you need for full replenishment, assuming you’re producing nothing.

Important Caveat for Menstruating Women

Women who still menstruate need to be careful with the timing of their progesterone supplementation. Progesterone is crucial for successful pregnancy, and you can severely inhibit your ability to get pregnant if you take it at the wrong time. (During pregnancy, progesterone actually skyrockets. In the third trimester, women produce about 600 mg a day.)

If your menses are regular, start taking the progesterone on the 14th day after your menstrual flow begins, and take it for 14 days straight (until cycle day 27). If your cycles are short, start on day 12 and continue for 14 days. Always take the progesterone for the full 14 days even if your menses begin before the 14 days are over. Start the next progesterone 14 days after the flow began.3

There’s no toxicity to progesterone, unlike estrogen and testosterone, neither of which I recommend. Progesterone, T3, DHEA, and pregnenolone are the only hormones you really need. Supplementing progesterone also will not lower your natural production, so you don’t need to be concerned about that. In fact, it enhances your natural production.

Thyroid Hormone Supplementation

When it comes to your thyroid, most people only need T3. That said, desiccated thyroid contains both T3 and T4 and can be a good option for some. Here, unless you’re treating a specific thyroid problem, the generally recommended dose is 10 micrograms two to three times a day. Dinkov comments:

“The thyroid gland produces about 100 micrograms in a healthy person — 100 micrograms of T3 over 24-hour period. If you take more than 25 micrograms, even that is a very high dose because it has such a potent thermogenic effect, and in higher doses can be catabolic.

The body has deiodinase enzymes, and they very quickly convert the excess T3 into something called T2 and even T1 … So, in other words, you’re going to be wasting most of it. Interestingly, the same type of enzymes, T3 deactivating, are highly overexpressed in cancer cells, and cancer cells just happen to be very hypometabolic, as we’ve discussed previously.

So the thyroid gland produces T3 and T4 in a ratio of about 1 to 4 in favor of T4. T4 is actually a prohormone, it by itself does not have a very high activity directly at the thyroid receptors T3. So, it circulates and about 80% of it in the liver, in a healthy person, should get converted to T3. The other 20% can get converted to T3 peripherally, or if the dosage of T4 is too high, the excess very quickly gets converted to something called reverse T3.

This is a very dangerous state because reverse T3 acts as a thyroid hormone antagonist … Most doctors don’t take these things into account, so if they prescribe you, let’s say, 100 or 200 micrograms T4 daily. You better be praying that this will get properly converted because if it doesn’t, and gets converted to reverse T3, you’ll end up in a more hypothyroid state than if you did not take the T4 at all …

T4 is almost never a good option by itself unless the person is very young. But even then, if a person is hypothyroid, that by definition already means that the liver will be burdened, because one of the primary functions of the liver is the detox mechanisms and one of the primary things that liver detoxifies are polyunsaturated fats and estrogens.

But the detoxification mechanisms themselves depend on thyroid function. So hypothyroid means sluggish liver by definition. So, if you give a hypothyroid person T4 only, especially if the dose is higher, you’re asking for trouble. Some of that will get converted to reverse T3.”

Plastics have been around since the last century and have quickly become a part of our life in countless ways. From the cellphone you hold all the way to the interior of your car, you’ll find some form of plastic. While plastic is touted as durable and cheap to produce, it eventually breaks down into microplastics.

I’ve been writing about the health effects of microplastics for quite some time now. In previous articles, I discussed research that suggest how they may contribute to mitochondrial stress in liver tissue, may affect lung immunity, and have been detected accumulating in brain tissue. This topic is more relevant than ever, as it’s now a global health issue.

To understand the scale and scope of the current problem, I believe it’s important to understand how we got here. My narrative review, “From Bakelite to Biohazard: The Century-Long Rise of Microplastics,” published in the journal Cureus,1 chronicles the rise of microplastics and what needs to be done to address it.

You can find the published paper here. You can also download a simplified PDF version of it at the end of this article, which summarizes the key points.

> > > > > Click Here > > > > Click Here Click Here

Sleep shapes every part of your health, yet for decades its true purpose remained unclear. You have likely heard that it restores memory, balances hormones, or strengthens immunity — but none of those explanations fully answered why life cannot continue without it.

What scientists now recognize is that sleep is hardwired into your biology as a survival mechanism. The process of creating energy in your cells isn’t perfectly clean. Each day, your mitochondria — the power plants inside every cell — leak electrons and generate toxic byproducts. These molecules are so harmful that your brain forces you into sleep, shutting down activity so your body can repair the damage before it spirals out of control.

Understanding sleep in this way reframes it as a metabolic safeguard, not wasted time. It explains why you feel heavy fatigue after stressful days or long bouts of endurance exercise — the fuel mix in your body has shifted in ways that clog your energy system and accelerate cellular stress. At the same time, it shows why people with healthier metabolisms often get by with far less sleep: their mitochondria run cleaner, leak fewer electrons, and create less damage to repair.

This perspective opens the door to a deeper question: what exactly happens inside your cells that builds the pressure to sleep, and how do those changes play out across your brain and body? A study, in which researchers mapped the mitochondrial shifts that create the pressure to sleep, set out to find the answer.

Mitochondria Signal When It’s Time to Sleep

A paper published in Nature examined fruit flies to uncover what triggers the brain’s need for sleep.1 Researchers wanted to understand why prolonged wakefulness produces such a strong drive to rest, and they focused on the activity inside specific neurons that regulate sleep. They discovered that when flies were deprived of sleep, their sleep-control neurons dramatically shifted how their mitochondria functioned.

• The research focused on specialized sleep-control neurons — The researchers looked at a small group of neurons known as dorsal fan-shaped body neurons (dFBNs), which act like switches that decide when the fly sleeps or stays awake. These cells showed major changes after sleep loss, while other neurons in the brain did not. This specificity helped pinpoint exactly where sleep pressure originates, making it easier to track how mitochondria play a direct role.

• Mitochondria change shape and function after sleep loss — The researchers found that in these neurons, genes responsible for making energy surged after sleep deprivation. Mitochondria fragmented into smaller units, and more contact points formed with the endoplasmic reticulum — a structure in the cell that helps with repair and lipid processing. These changes pointed to stress on the mitochondria and a greater need to manage toxic byproducts.

• Sleep pressure was directly linked to electron overflow — The study showed that when mitochondria handled more electrons than they could safely process, they leaked extra electrons, creating reactive oxygen species (ROS), toxic molecules that damage cells. When mitochondria were modified to reduce this electron leak, flies needed less sleep. On the other hand, when electron leakage was increased, flies fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer.

• Sleep need was manipulated by changing mitochondrial activity — By forcing mitochondria to use up more electrons through special proteins, researchers reduced the flies’ sleep time. When they blocked the normal use of electrons and forced a backup of the system, the flies slept more. This demonstrated that sleep is tightly tied to the balance of energy demand and toxic byproduct cleanup inside neurons.

• Mitochondria are the true regulators of sleep — According to the researchers, “Sleep, like aging, may be an inescapable consequence of aerobic metabolism.” The mitochondria act like sensors, detecting when the balance between fuel burned and energy used tips too far. When electron leaks rise, mitochondria send signals that trigger your brain’s sleep circuitry. This ensures your body slows down, lowers activity, and allows repair systems to catch up before permanent damage occurs.

• In essence, sleep restores cellular balance — It’s more than rest — it’s an emergency response system to protect your brain from energy stress. By forcing downtime, your body prevents runaway damage from ROS and restores healthy mitochondrial function. This means that the efficiency of your metabolism directly shapes how much sleep you require.

Fat Oxidation Under Stress Pushes You Toward Sleep

Bioenergetic researcher Georgi Dinkov reviewed findings from the Nature study and argued that the true driver of sleep is the buildup of damaging molecules created by excessive fat oxidation.2 Dinkov explained that when your body burns too much fat for fuel — especially under stress — it overloads your cellular machinery and creates conditions that trigger deep sleep pressure.

• How fat burning overloads mitochondria — According to Dinkov, excessive fat oxidation drains a molecule called FAD, which is made from vitamin B2 and is required for energy production in your mitochondria. When this cofactor runs low, electrons back up in the energy chain, producing harmful ROS. Your body responds by forcing you into sleep to shut down activity and stop further damage.

• Real-life examples make the point clear — Dinkov highlighted that endurance athletes often feel overwhelmingly tired after long training sessions because their metabolism shifts heavily toward fat oxidation. Babies provide another example — after stressful events, especially if they have not been well-fed with carbohydrates, they fall into deep sleep. Both cases illustrate how the body uses sleep as an emergency brake when fat burning spins out of control.

• Chemicals that increase electron leakage also make you drowsy — The commentary pointed out that certain substances known to raise electron leakage inside your mitochondria make you feel very drowsy. This shows that your body treats excess leakage like a danger signal, forcing you into sleep so it can repair the damage and restore balance.

• Serotonin is another part of the picture — Dinkov tied sleep pressure to elevated serotonin in the brain, which increases when fatty acids rise in your blood. As fats displace tryptophan from its carrier protein, more tryptophan enters your brain, where it converts into serotonin. Higher serotonin levels are well known to cause fatigue, creating another pathway linking fat oxidation to sleep.

• Aspirin reduces fatigue by targeting both fat and serotonin — Aspirin lowers fatty acids in your blood and reduces serotonin, explaining why it has been shown to reduce fatigue and daytime sleepiness in people with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, and cancer.

Electron Leaks Explain Why Sleep Is Nonnegotiable

A feature published in The Scientist broke down the findings from the Nature paper.3,4 For decades, scientists had proposed theories — memory storage, immune support, or general repair — but none provided direct proof. The news article described how University of Oxford neuroscientist Gero Miesenböck and his colleagues finally identified the smoking gun: toxic molecules created when electrons leak inside your mitochondria.

• The degree of electron leakage determined how long the fruit flies slept — When mitochondria were tweaked to reduce electron leak, flies required less sleep. When electron leakage was artificially increased, they slept longer. This gave clear, testable evidence for why sleep exists, a major leap forward compared to older, correlation-based theories.

• Experts called this breakthrough conclusive — The article quoted Van Savage, a theoretical biologist at the University of California Los Angeles, who called it “a landmark study for the function of sleep,” adding, “It’s like the smoking gun — a conclusive evidence — for why we need sleep.”5 This is not just another theory — it’s a strong, test-backed explanation of why you feel sleep pressure and why ignoring it damages your health.

• To make energy, electrons flow through a chain of protein complexes in the mitochondria — Normally, they end up safely joining oxygen and hydrogen to make water. But sometimes they slip out early, reacting with oxygen to form ROS that corrode your cells. Neurons are especially vulnerable, so your brain forces you into sleep as a protective shutdown to let mitochondria recover.

• The findings raise questions about humans — While the experiments were in fruit flies, these principles almost certainly apply to mammals, including you. Miesenböck suggested the same process likely occurs in the human brain, though formal proof is needed. That means the way your body handles energy at the cellular level is likely the hidden driver behind your nightly need for rest.

• Sleep is a trade-off — Miesenböck explained, “Life wants to use respiration because the energy gains are so large, but it has to somehow deal with the electron leak, and one way to deal with it is sleep.”6 The benefit is high energy output; the cost is mandatory downtime to clean up the mess. This frames sleep not as wasted time, but as the unavoidable balance that lets your energy system keep running without burning itself out.

Everyday Habits That Help Your Body Need Less Sleep

If you struggle with needing long hours of sleep or waking up feeling unrefreshed, the issue often starts with how your body processes energy. Sleep pressure builds when your mitochondria get overwhelmed by burning too much fat for fuel and leaking harmful byproducts.

However, you can take direct steps to lighten the burden on your cells, which lowers the demand for long stretches of sleep. I personally sleep between four and five hours a night because I have radically reduced my ROS and virtually eliminated reverse electron flow. Here are five steps that will help you restore balance and reduce the pressure to sleep:

1. Prioritize carbohydrates over excessive fat burning — If you eat a low-carb or keto diet, your body relies almost entirely on fat for fuel. That overloads your mitochondria and increases the toxic leaks that drive sleep pressure. By eating about 250 grams of healthy carbohydrates each day — or more if you’re very active — you give your cells a cleaner, steadier fuel. This lowers the buildup of harmful byproducts and helps you feel more awake during the day.

2. Stop using extreme cardio to “earn” rest — Pushing through long runs or hours of cardio often leaves you wiped out, not refreshed. That’s because these workouts flood your cells with energy that your brain doesn’t fully use, leading to electron overflow and toxic stress.

Dinkov adds that endurance exercise forces your body into fat burning, which makes the problem worse.7 Instead, try moderate workouts and regular daily movement — strength training, walking, or zone 2 cardio. These keep your energy system balanced so you finish feeling energized instead of exhausted.

3. Try aspirin to calm sleep pressure — If you deal with daytime fatigue, small doses of aspirin help by lowering free fatty acids in your blood and reducing serotonin, both of which Dinkov links to electron leaks and drowsiness.8 Think of it like unclogging a pipe — aspirin keeps energy flowing smoothly instead of backing up and spilling out as toxic waste. That means less sleep pressure and steadier energy through your day.

4. Time your carbs to support recovery — Running low on glucose forces your body to burn more fat, which can trigger electron backup and fatigue. Eating fruit after workouts or stressful days gives your cells quick, clean fuel when they need it most. This prevents the crash that often follows endurance activity and helps you recover faster without dragging you into deep exhaustion.

5. Focus on efficiency, not just hours of sleep — The real issue isn’t just how long you sleep — it’s how cleanly your cells make energy. When your mitochondria keep electron supply and demand balanced, they leak less and you need less sleep to recover.Supporting that balance is simple: avoid seed oils found widely in ultraprocessed foods, eliminate alcohol, eat enough healthy carbs, and choose moderate exercise that leaves you energized. That way your nights feel restorative without stretching endlessly, and your days feel sharper.

FAQs About Fat Metabolism and Sleep

Q: Why do scientists now believe we need sleep?
A: Research published in Nature shows that sleep is triggered by toxic byproducts called ROS, which are created when mitochondria leak electrons during metabolism. When this electron overflow builds up, your brain forces you into sleep as a protective shutdown to prevent permanent damage.

Q: How does fat metabolism increase the pressure to sleep?
A: Dinkov argues that excessive fat oxidation, especially under stress, depletes a key molecule called FAD, which clogs up energy production and drives reverse electron flow. This increases ROS and creates heavy sleep pressure. Endurance athletes and stressed infants often experience this crash into deep sleep because their metabolism has shifted toward fat burning.

Q: What role does serotonin play in sleep pressure?
A: According to Dinkov, rising fatty acids in your blood free up more tryptophan to enter your brain, where it converts into serotonin. Elevated serotonin levels are strongly linked to fatigue and drowsiness, creating another pathway that connects fat metabolism with the need for sleep.

Q: How can everyday habits reduce the amount of sleep I need?
A: You can lower sleep pressure by helping your mitochondria run more efficiently. Practical steps include eating enough healthy carbohydrates instead of over-relying on fat for fuel, avoiding extreme cardio that floods your system with excess energy, using aspirin to lower fatty acids and serotonin, timing carbs after activity to support recovery, and cutting seed oils and alcohol from your diet.

Q: Is sleep really wasted time, or does it serve a purpose?
A: Sleep is not wasted time — it’s a built-in emergency repair system. As Miesenböck explained, sleep is the unavoidable trade-off of aerobic metabolism: you get large amounts of energy from respiration, but the cost is toxic electron leaks.9 Sleep exists to clean up that damage, allowing your brain and body to restore balance so you can function the next day.

Every time you get up from a chair, turn to reach for something, or walk across a room, you rely on balance, an ability so automatic that it’s easy to overlook. But these ordinary movements depend on constant input and coordination from your brain, muscles, joints, inner ear, and cardiovascular system. When that connection starts to weaken, balance is often the first thing to falter.

Balance is not just important for avoiding falls and staying independent. Several studies have shown that it’s a powerful indicator of overall health, closely tied to both heart and brain function.1,2 These findings highlight why it’s essential to protect your balance before it begins to decline.

Poor Balance Signals Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

A September 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, conducted by researchers from Umeå, Sweden, set out to determine whether impaired balance predicts future cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults. Researchers followed 4,927 individuals, all age 70 and without any history of heart attack, angina, or stroke at baseline.3

• How balance was measured — The participants underwent balance testing under two conditions — standing quietly with eyes open and with eyes closed. Their sway was recorded in millimeters, both side-to-side (lateral) and forward-backward (anterior-posterior). These measurements were analyzed alongside other clinical data, including blood pressure, body weight, and medication use.

• Lateral sway was a consistent predictor of CVD — Participants who swayed more from side to side during balance tests were more likely to be hospitalized for heart attack, stroke, or angina in the years that followed. For every 1 millimeter of added lateral sway during the test with eyes open, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease increased by about 1.4%. The risk rose by about 1.5% per millimeter when the test was done with eyes closed.

• The more you sway, the higher your risk — The results showed that participants in the top quarter for lateral sway had a significantly higher rate of cardiovascular events compared to those in the lowest quarter. This means that even small increases in sway added up to a meaningful difference in future health outcomes.

• Unsteady forward-backward movement mattered too — Among those tested with eyes closed, people who had faster and more erratic movement in the forward-backward direction were also more likely to develop CVD. These patterns reflected instability that wasn’t visible during regular medical visits.

• Balance testing outperformed some traditional risk markers — Side-to-side sway, especially during eyes-closed tests, ranked among the four strongest predictors of cardiovascular disease, along with being male and taking medications for high blood pressure or clot prevention. These four factors together explained 61% of the risk across the population. Balance alone accounted for about 10% of that risk.

• The results were consistent and reliable — Even after removing participants with very short follow-up periods, the findings didn’t change. Just 1 millimeter more sway still raised the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 1.8%, depending on test conditions.

Impaired Balance in Older Adults Is Strongly Linked to Cognitive Decline

Beyond heart health, balance reflects how well the brain integrates sensory and motor signals. In older adults, impaired balance is an early indicator of cognitive dysfunction, even before memory loss or disorientation appears. A January 2024 analysis published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease evaluated 143,788 community-dwelling Korean adults and found strong evidence linking balance impairment to the future onset of dementia.4

• Balance testing predicted future dementia — Those who showed balance impairment at age 66 had significantly higher rates of new-onset dementia compared to those with normal balance. The dementia rate was more than twice as high in those who could stand on one leg for less than 10 seconds versus those who could hold the position for 20 seconds or longer.

• Higher risk of both Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia — Participants with poor balance faced an 83% higher risk of all-cause dementia compared to those with normal balance. Their risk of Alzheimer’s disease was 80% higher, and the risk of vascular dementia was almost three times higher.

• Shorter balance time meant higher dementia risk — Even small reductions in balance performance showed a continuous, stepwise relationship with dementia risk. People in the “cautious” category (10 to 19 seconds of one-leg standing) still had a 28% higher dementia risk compared to those who could balance for 20 seconds or longer.

• White matter damage and cortical atrophy may explain the link — Poor balance was associated with structural brain changes often seen in early cognitive decline, including white matter lesions and gray matter atrophy in regions tied to motor and memory functions. These changes weaken both physical and cognitive processing, reducing adaptability in daily life.

• Microvascular disease contributes to cognitive and motor decline — Vascular-related damage in the frontal-subcortical circuits (which regulate movement and decision-making) explains why balance issues often accompany executive dysfunction, slowed thinking, and increased dementia risk. These shared neural pathways suggest that the same biological disruptions that undermine stability also degrade cognition.

• A non-cognitive early marker for dementia — Because balance testing is simple, noninvasive, and predictive, the authors propose it as a valuable screening tool for identifying dementia risk in older adults, especially in those who have not yet shown signs of cognitive impairment.

Gait and Leg Strength Also Predict Dementia Risk

Supporting the findings from the January 2024 analysis, an August 2024 study published in the Journal of Gerontology5 confirms that poor balance, reduced walking speed, and lower body weakness are strong predictors of future dementia. Drawing from over 9,000 older adults tracked for up to 15 years, the study found that simple physical tests already used in routine geriatric assessments offer insight into cognitive vulnerability before symptoms appear.

• Impaired balance predicted up to a threefold increase in dementia risk — Older adults who struggled to maintain a semi-tandem stance (standing with one foot slightly ahead of the other, heel beside toe) had a two to three times higher risk of developing dementia compared to those with stable balance.

• Slower walking speed signaled significantly elevated risk — Participants with slower gait at baseline had a 52% to 73% greater likelihood of dementia onset. The walking test, long known for predicting frailty and mortality, also proved to be a powerful early marker of cognitive decline.

• Lower limb strength mattered too — Poor performance on the chair stand test, an indicator of leg strength and neuromuscular coordination, was linked to a 56% higher risk of dementia. This adds to growing evidence that physical frailty and cognitive deterioration share overlapping biological pathways.

• Risk consistent across sex, age, and genetic risk — The associations were consistent regardless of participant sex, age, or presence of the APOE ε4 gene, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. These findings support the role of motor testing as a universal tool for early dementia screening.

To learn more about why balance matters as you age, read “Balance Function Serves as a Key Marker for Healthy Aging.”

Assess Your Balance with These Simple Tests

Adults, especially those over 50, should ideally test and train their balance before trouble begins. As reported by the Associated Press, the basic at-home tests below offer powerful insights into your ability to balance and overall health:6

• Standing on one leg — Dr. Greg W. Hartley, a physical therapy professor at the University of Miami, recommends a simple balance test that involves standing on one leg for 10 seconds. If you’re able to hold it without wobbling, you’re likely within a safe range. Struggling with the test, however, is a signal to seek medical evaluation.
For more insight into what one-leg balance tells you about your health, check out “Balancing on One Leg Reveals Important Clues About Your Neuromuscular Health.”

• Timed walking tests gauge — The “timed up and go” test (TUG) offers a quick check of your functional balance. You rise from a chair, walk 10 feet (3 meters), turn around, walk back, and sit down. You should ideally complete this in under 12 seconds. Taking more than 15 seconds marks impaired balance.

5 Daily Exercises to Enhance Your Balance

Don’t wait until you lose your footing — start improving your balance now to support your heart, brain, and overall health. I recommend starting with the five strategies below, which you can fit seamlessly into your daily routine. If you’re just starting out, begin with exercises 1 through 3 and gradually add the others as your confidence grows.

1. Walk heel-to-toe like you’re on a tightrope — Take 20 slow, deliberate steps in a straight line, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other. Keep your arms relaxed and your eyes fixed on a point ahead. This improves your brain’s spatial processing and enhances coordination.

2. Do chair-supported squats — Stand with your feet hip-width apart. While you’re holding the back of a chair, lower yourself as if sitting down. Begin with five reps and increase gradually.

3. Use a stability ball — Sit or kneel on a stability ball for 30 seconds, adding time as your balance improves. This activates deep core muscles and builds full-body stability.

4. Perform gentle Tai Chi or yoga — You don’t need to join a class. Just a few minutes of slow, controlled breathing and movement done at home is enough. These practices blend breathing, movement, and balance to improve coordination and body awareness.

5. Build ankle strength — Weak ankles cause instability. Sit in a chair and try writing the alphabet in the air with your foot. Strengthen your ankles by tracing the alphabet with your foot while seated or doing toe raises while standing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Balance

Q: What does balance reveal about overall health?
A: Balance reflects the integrity of your nervous, muscular, and cardiovascular systems. Research shows that poor balance is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline.

Q: What does it mean if I sway while trying to stand still?
A: Swaying side to side, especially when your eyes are closed, could be a sign that your brain and body aren’t working together as smoothly as they should. Even small increases in sway have been linked to a higher risk of heart problems and memory decline.

Q: Can poor balance really predict dementia?
A: Yes. Several large-scale studies have found that impaired balance in midlife is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia years later, even before memory issues begin.

Q: How can I test my balance at home?
A: Try standing on one leg for 10 seconds or completing the “timed up and go” test. Struggling with either is a sign to focus on balance training and seek further evaluation.

Q: What’s the best way to improve my balance daily?
A: Incorporate simple movements into your routine, like heel-to-toe walking, chair squats, stability ball exercises, and ankle drills. These small, consistent practices make a big difference over time.

Many people think stress just lives in your mind, but your body tells a very different story. A growing body of research shows that chronic stress leaves a biological footprint, one that accumulates in your hormones, your heart, and your nervous system long before you feel it. Now, a 12-month clinical trial offers some of the clearest evidence yet that structured aerobic exercise can directly target that footprint at its source.1

What the findings reveal goes beyond the familiar advice to “exercise more to feel less stressed.” This is about measurable, lasting changes to the systems that control how your body produces and regulates stress hormones, changes that build slowly, require consistency, and work in ways that may surprise you.

A Year of Exercise Rewires Your Stress Hormone Production

Researchers tracked 130 adults for an entire year, long enough to see whether the body actually changes, or whether the stress benefits of exercise are just a temporary mood lift.2 This was a randomized clinical trial, meaning participants were split into two groups — one that exercised and one that did not — to clearly measure cause and effect. The goal was simple but powerful: find out if improving fitness changes how your body handles stress at a biological level, not just how you feel.

Adults between ages 26 and 58 who exercised less than 100 minutes per week at the start were assigned to either a structured exercise plan or a control group. The exercise group completed about 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous activity like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling. That breaks down to roughly 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The control group continued their normal habits, giving researchers a clear comparison point.

• Cortisol levels dropped in a measurable, long-term way — The most important result showed up in hair cortisol, which dropped significantly in the exercise group compared to the control group. Hair cortisol reflects stress hormone output over several months, not just a single moment. Researchers reported a clear reduction from baseline, with a statistically significant difference between groups.
• The improvement built slowly and required consistency — The change appeared after a full 12 months of consistent exercise, showing that your body rewires stress gradually, not overnight. During the first six weeks, participants exercised at moderate intensity, then increased effort as their fitness improved.
That progression matters because it shows your body adapts step by step. Each workout acts like a small training signal, and over time, those signals add up into a measurable shift in stress biology.
• Not all stress systems improved, which reveals how stress actually works — While cortisol dropped, other markers, including inflammation, heart rate variability (HRV), and brain responses to stress, didn’t change consistently. This tells you something: stress is not one single system. It involves multiple layers in your body, including your brain, nervous system, and hormones. Exercise directly impacted the hormone side, but other systems require different factors or longer timeframes to shift.
• Fitness improved even when body composition stayed the same — Participants increased cardiorespiratory fitness, meaning their heart and lungs became more efficient at delivering oxygen. However, body weight, body fat, and blood pressure did not significantly change in this trial.
That’s worth sitting with: your stress biology can fundamentally change before the scale moves an inch. Your internal systems adapt first. Even without major weight loss, your body becomes more resilient under stress.
• Repeated exercise trains your stress response like a muscle — Researchers call this “cross-stressor adaptation,” a clunky term for a simple idea: when your body faces physical stress repeatedly and survives it, it starts treating other stressors as less threatening too. Each workout temporarily raises stress signals, including cortisol. Then your body recovers. Over time, this cycle teaches your system to respond less aggressively to stress.
Think of it like exposure training. The more often your body faces controlled stress, the less reactive it becomes in daily life.
• Your brain and stress system become more efficient over time — Regular aerobic exercise leads to changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is your body’s central stress control system. This system controls how much cortisol gets released and how quickly it shuts off. Think of the HPA axis as a thermostat. In chronically stressed people, the thermostat is stuck on “high.”
Exercise gradually resets the dial. That means faster recovery after stress instead of staying stuck in a high-alert state for hours.

If you think in terms of progression, this becomes easier to follow. Start with manageable sessions. Track your weekly minutes. Gradually increase intensity as your fitness improves. That structure turns stress reduction into something you actively build, not something you hope for. Each workout becomes a step toward lowering your long-term stress load, not just burning calories.

Use Exercise to Reset Your Stress System at the Source

Cortisol has become the villain of wellness culture, but strip away the branding and you’ll find a hormone that’s genuinely keeping you alive. This hormone acts as a built-in survival system. Its primary job is to keep your blood sugar stable so it doesn’t crash to dangerous levels.3 Without that protection, blood sugar could drop low enough to trigger a hypoglycemic coma. That’s how important cortisol is in the short term.

The problem starts when that system doesn’t shut off. When cortisol stays elevated all day, your body shifts into a constant stress state. Energy drops, sleep breaks down, and your metabolism slows. Instead of protecting you, cortisol starts working against you. That’s why the goal is not to eliminate cortisol. The goal is to bring it back under control by fixing the signals that keep pushing it higher, via exercise and other lifestyle changes.

1. Fuel your body with enough carbohydrates to stop stress-driven cortisol spikes — If you restrict carbohydrates, your body compensates by raising cortisol every time your blood sugar dips. That keeps you stuck in a stress loop. Move your intake toward about 250 grams of carbohydrates per day so your body has a steady fuel source. Start with easy-to-digest options like whole fruit and white rice.
Once your digestion feels stable — no bloating, no irregular bowel movements — expand to root vegetables, then legumes and other whole-food carbohydrates.

2. Match your exercise to your recovery instead of pushing nonstop intensity — Long endurance sessions, frequent high-intensity workouts, and constant cardio tell your body it’s under threat. That drives cortisol higher instead of lowering it. Shift your focus toward balanced movement. Walking, moderate aerobic sessions, swimming, or moderate strength work support your system without overwhelming it.
If you feel worse after a workout instead of better, that’s your signal to scale back. The goal is adaptation, not exhaustion.

3. Lock in a consistent weekly routine that trains your stress response — Your body needs repetition to change. The featured study used 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic movement and spread it across the week. You can break this into simple sessions so it feels manageable and repeatable.

Daily walking, ideally for one hour, is also recommended as part of your movement routine. Each session becomes a training signal that teaches your body how to handle stress more efficiently. When you stay consistent, your baseline cortisol starts to drop.

4. Progress your effort gradually so your body keeps adapting — Start at a pace that challenges you, then build from there. Increase intensity or duration step by step as your fitness improves. This progressive load trains your stress system to become more resilient. When your body adapts, it reacts less aggressively to everyday stress.

5. Respect recovery as part of the stress-reset process — Your body improves after the workout, when it recovers. Give yourself enough downtime between sessions. Eat enough, sleep well, and avoid stacking intense workouts back to back. This is where cortisol comes down and your system recalibrates. When recovery is dialed in, your body stops acting like every day is a threat.

FAQs About Exercise and Stress Biology

Q: How does exercise actually lower stress in my body?

A: Exercise lowers stress by reducing long-term cortisol levels, which reflect how much stress your body has been carrying over time. The study showed that consistent aerobic activity trains your stress system to become less reactive, so your body stops overproducing stress hormones in everyday situations.

Q: How much exercise do I need to see results?

A: The research used about 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise, which breaks down to roughly 30 minutes a day, five days a week. This level of consistency is what led to measurable reductions in cortisol and improved fitness over time.

Q: Why didn’t all stress markers improve in the study?

A: Stress is controlled by multiple systems in your body, including hormones, your brain, and your nervous system. The study found that while cortisol dropped, other markers like inflammation and brain responses didn’t change consistently. This shows that exercise targets one key part of stress biology, but other systems require additional factors or more time to shift.

Q: Does exercise still work if you don’t lose weight?

A: Yes. Participants improved their cardiorespiratory fitness even without significant changes in body weight or body fat. This means your internal systems, especially how your body handles stress, improve before you see visible changes. Your resilience increases even if the scale doesn’t move.

Q: What’s the most important factor for reducing stress with exercise?

A: Consistency matters more than intensity. The study showed that stress reduction built gradually over 12 months of regular activity. Each workout acts as a training signal, and over time, those repeated signals teach your body to handle stress more efficiently and recover faster.

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Something unusual is happening across America — young adults are reporting more memory lapses, attention problems, and mental fatigue than ever before. The growing sense of “brain fog” is no longer limited to older adults or those with diagnosed conditions like dementia. It’s showing up in people who are studying, working, and raising families — those in what should be the sharpest years of their lives.

Cognitive struggles like these don’t appear overnight. They build slowly through a combination of metabolic stress, environmental exposure, poor sleep, and emotional overload. You might notice it first as trouble concentrating, needing more caffeine to stay alert, or forgetting simple things you used to remember easily. Over time, those small lapses reflect deeper changes in how your brain is using energy and responding to stress.

The trend is widespread enough to be a public health warning. It cuts across income, education, and geography, suggesting that modern life itself — constant digital stimulation, ultraprocessed food, and chronic stress — is draining mental clarity. If your mind feels slower, more scattered, or harder to focus than it used to be, it’s not a personal failing; it’s a signal that your brain’s energy systems need repair.

Younger Americans Face a Surging Crisis in Cognitive Health

A large-scale analysis published in Neurology examined national data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which tracks health trends across millions of adults.1 The research included more than 4.5 million responses collected between 2013 and 2023 and focused on people who did not have depression, allowing scientists to study cognitive decline unrelated to mental health conditions.

The researchers set out to identify who was most affected by increasing rates of “cognitive disability,” meaning serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition.

• Younger adults showed the fastest increase in cognitive impairment — Rates of self-reported cognitive disability nearly doubled among adults aged 18 to 39 — from 5.1% in 2013 to 9.7% in 2023. This shift marked a dramatic departure from earlier assumptions that cognitive problems mainly affected older adults. In contrast, people over 70 saw a slight decrease in reported issues, suggesting a generational reversal.

• Socioeconomic status strongly influenced cognitive outcomes — People earning less than $35,000 per year consistently reported the highest rates of cognitive difficulty, with prevalence rising from 8.8% to 12.6% over the decade. Those with the highest incomes, $75,000 or more, showed far lower rates — though even their numbers doubled from 1.8% to 3.9%.

Education showed the same trend: individuals without a high school diploma had prevalence rates around 14%, compared to just 3.6% among college graduates. These gaps reveal how stress, job insecurity, poor diet, and limited access to health care are taking a measurable toll on brain health.

• Chronic conditions were major drivers of cognitive decline — The study found that people living with high blood pressure, diabetes, or stroke were far more likely to report cognitive disability than healthy adults.2 For instance, 18.2% of stroke survivors reported memory or decision-making difficulties.

Similarly, people with diabetes or high blood pressure had rates 40% to 60% higher than those without these conditions. This suggests that metabolic and vascular health directly influence brain function — likely through poor blood flow, inflammation, and oxidative stress affecting brain cells.

• Lifestyle behaviors were powerful predictors of cognitive outcomes — Smokers reported the highest rates of cognitive disability. Among current smokers, prevalence climbed from 8.6% to 13.1% between 2013 and 2023. This emphasizes that lifestyle choices, like quitting smoking, are powerful tools for protecting your brain.

• Geographic and racial disparities reveal uneven risk — People living in the South and Midwest had higher rates of cognitive disability than those in the Northeast and West, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults experienced the steepest rise — from 7.5% to 11.2%.

Hispanic and Black adults also reported significantly higher rates than White adults. These regional and racial differences mirror broader public health inequalities, showing how environmental stressors, diet, and access to preventive care shape the cognitive landscape.

The Largest Increases Occurred After 2016, Indicating a Public Health Pattern

The researchers detected statistically significant jumps in cognitive disability beginning around 2016, with a consistent upward trend through 2023. This period corresponds with major societal shifts — including heavier digital media use, economic instability, and the onset of chronic stress from lifestyle and environmental factors. Although the study did not explore causes directly, the timing raises questions about how technology, sleep deprivation, and social isolation are affecting younger brains.

• Even high-income, educated young adults are affected — Among younger adults earning more than $75,000 per year, cognitive difficulty tripled — from 2.2% to 6.6%. This suggests the problem extends beyond poverty or limited education. Constant digital distraction, reduced outdoor time, and exposure to toxins such as microplastics and seed oils could play roles.

• Chronic illness could be driving cognitive decline — Conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes are occurring at younger ages. They impair your brain by damaging blood vessels and reducing oxygen delivery to neurons.

When blood sugar and blood pressure remain elevated over time, inflammation and oxidative stress interfere with mitochondrial energy production — the process your brain cells rely on to think, focus, and remember. This type of cellular energy failure leads to functional impairment, where your brain feels foggy and fatigued even if you’re otherwise healthy.

• Socioeconomic disadvantage compounds biological vulnerability — While not discussed in the study, people under constant financial or social stress often experience higher levels of cortisol, your body’s primary stress hormone. Chronically high cortisol alters sleep cycles, slows glucose metabolism, and reduces neuroplasticity — your brain’s ability to adapt and learn.

This explains why adults juggling unstable work, debt, or unsafe living environments are at greater risk of early cognitive decline. The study’s data show that these environmental and biological stressors do not act in isolation; they interact to amplify damage over time.

• Public awareness of cognitive health is growing, but prevention lags behind — The researchers noted that more people may be reporting cognitive problems because of reduced stigma around mental and neurological health. However, awareness alone isn’t enough. Without addressing the root causes — poor sleep, nutrient deficiencies, sedentary behavior, and chronic stress — the upward trajectory will continue.

• Cognitive health is becoming a mirror of social and metabolic well-being — Cognitive disability is no longer confined to a small segment of the population — it’s a growing public health concern that reflects the state of the modern American lifestyle. Cognitive symptoms should not be dismissed as minor or temporary. When your brain struggles to process, focus, or remember, it’s a sign your body and environment are out of balance.

Five Ways to Protect and Rebuild Your Cognitive Health

If you’ve been feeling foggy, forgetful, or mentally drained, you’re not alone. The rise in cognitive difficulties among younger adults is a reflection of how modern life drains your brain’s energy reserves. However, you have control over many of the factors driving this decline. The key is to restore your cellular energy, balance your metabolism, and reduce the everyday stressors that disrupt brain function. Here’s where to start.

1. Repair your brain’s energy supply by healing your metabolism — Your brain burns more glucose than any other organ in your body, and when your metabolism is sluggish, your mental clarity drops with it. Start by eating enough high-quality carbohydrates — around 250 grams a day for most adults — to fuel your brain.

Choose easy-to-digest options like fruit and white rice to start if your gut is compromised. Avoid seed oils, which contain linoleic acid (LA) that clogs mitochondrial function. When you restore your energy flow, you’ll notice sharper focus, steadier moods, and faster recall.

2. Protect your brain from metabolic and environmental toxins — Excess LA from seed oils, heavy metals in food, and microplastics all create oxidative stress that damages your neurons. Replace all industrial seed oils — soy, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower — with saturated fats like tallow, ghee, and grass fed butter. Filter your drinking water and eat whole, minimally processed foods.

When you remove these toxins, you reduce inflammation in your brain’s microglia — the immune cells that protect neural circuits — helping your mind feel calmer and clearer. Excess iron is another hidden threat to your brain. When iron builds up in tissues, it drives oxidative stress that damages neurons and accelerates aging.

High iron levels are linked to memory loss, depression, and even neurodegenerative diseases, since excess iron triggers inflammation and disrupts mitochondrial energy production.3 To protect your brain, avoid unnecessary iron supplements, limit fortified processed foods, and donate blood periodically if your levels run high.

3. Rebuild gut health to strengthen your gut-brain axis — Your gut bacteria directly influence your mood, memory, and mental performance. When your gut barrier becomes inflamed or “leaky,” endotoxins enter your bloodstream and reach your brain, triggering fatigue and brain fog. To repair this, focus first on foods that are gentle and soothing. Start with fruit and white rice if your gut is sensitive, then gradually reintroduce more fibrous foods once symptoms ease.

Once your gut is healthy, support beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia muciniphila by including foods that feed them, like pectin-rich apples and cranberries. A healthy gut produces short-chain fatty acids like butyrate that nourish your colon and protect your brain from inflammation.

4. Balance your hormones and stress response — Chronic stress floods your body with cortisol, which disrupts sleep, slows glucose delivery to your brain, and impairs memory formation. Make it a daily habit to get morning sunlight on your skin and eyes — it resets your circadian rhythm and promotes nighttime melatonin release.

If your stress feels unrelenting, rhythmic breathing or moderate-intensity exercise like walking helps lower cortisol naturally. Magnesium supports relaxation and helps your brain generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that powers focus and alertness. If you find yourself running on empty by midafternoon, it’s a sign that your nervous system needs recovery, not more stimulation.

5. Reclaim mental focus by managing digital and sensory overload — Constant exposure to screens, notifications, and artificial light keeps your nervous system in a low-grade state of alarm. Protect your brain by creating tech-free windows during your day. Try turning off all devices at sunset and getting at least one hour of natural sunlight daily.

If you work indoors, use short movement breaks — stand up, stretch, or step outside — to reset your focus. Think of it like interval training for your mind: periods of deep work followed by real rest. Over time, these patterns rewire your brain for better attention and stronger working memory.

Your brain’s decline isn’t inevitable — it’s reversible when you restore your cellular energy and eliminate the stressors blocking it. The habits that strengthen your metabolism, calm inflammation, and nourish your gut also protect your cognitive future. The earlier you begin, the faster you’ll notice your mental sharpness returning and your ability to think clearly restored.

FAQs About Cognitive Challenges in Younger Adults

Q: Why are more young adults struggling with memory and focus today?
A: Cognitive difficulties have surged among younger adults largely because of lifestyle and environmental stressors — poor sleep, processed diets high in seed oils, chronic stress, and constant screen exposure. These factors interfere with your brain’s ability to generate energy and maintain focus, leading to symptoms such as forgetfulness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Q: How serious is this rise in cognitive disability?
A: According to research published in Neurology, self-reported cognitive disability among Americans aged 18 to 39 nearly doubled between 2013 and 2023.4 This shift means problems once seen mostly in older adults are now affecting people in their 20s and 30s, suggesting a larger public health issue tied to metabolism and environment rather than age alone.

Q: What does “cognitive disability” mean in plain terms?
A: It refers to ongoing trouble concentrating, remembering things, or making decisions due to physical, mental, or emotional causes. It’s not the same as dementia — it’s an earlier stage of dysfunction that signals your brain is under stress. Ignoring it allows small imbalances in energy, blood flow, and inflammation to grow into long-term decline.

Q: What lifestyle changes help reverse cognitive decline?
A: Focus first on restoring your metabolism by eating whole foods rich in natural carbohydrates while avoiding seed oils and ultraprocessed snacks. Repair gut health with easily digested foods, get morning sunlight, manage stress with rhythmic breathing or daily walks, and limit digital overload. Each of these steps improves energy flow to your brain, stabilizes hormones, and enhances memory.

Q: Can cognitive decline really be reversed?
A: Yes — because it’s often driven by reversible factors like chronic stress, nutrient depletion, and poor metabolic function. By addressing the root causes and building daily habits that protect your mitochondria and calm your nervous system, you give your brain the fuel and recovery time it needs to repair itself and regain clarity.

Are you experiencing tired, achy eyes lately? You’re not the only one, as modern technology, particularly the excessive use of screens and rampant exposure to blue light, has caused a massive increase in eye strain. Not even children1 are safe from this problem. That said, protecting your vision is important especially as you age, and there are many strategies available to help you.

What Causes Your Strained Eyes?

Many factors influence eye strain, but one of the biggest contributors is using your eyes too much. Below are the most common causes:

• Non-blinking causes eye strain — Blinking is an instinctive action that helps keep your eyes moist. According to Dr. Chantal Cousineau-Krieger, an ophthalmologist at the National Institutes of Health, not blinking enough causes your eyes to dry out.2

In relation to this, computer screens have been pointed out as a top cause of eye strain because they make us blink less. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), humans normally blink 15 times per minute. However, computer screens reduce this to five to seven times only.

• Air exposure — Being exposed to air blowing directly in your face will contribute to eye dryness. Examples include sitting in front of a fan, air vents from a car, or windy weather.

• Presbyopia — Commonly known as age-related farsightedness, this condition causes you to have trouble focusing on objects up close. It usually affects people in their early- to mid-40s, and progressively worsens until the age of 65 years.3

• Undiagnosed eye conditions — According to the Cleveland Clinic, an underlying problem such as uncorrected vision or eye muscle imbalance increases the risk of eye strain.4 While corrective glasses are employed to fix these problems, there may be times when they cause more problems.

Have Your Eyeglasses Checked

If you’re wearing eyeglasses, you probably only have one pair that you use for everything, from driving a car to reading and walking. However, there are certain cases when relying on them too much isn’t ideal, as they can worsen your vision.

• Consider removing your eyeglasses if you have presbyopia — Wearing glasses encourages your eyes to stay in one place instead of moving around, which is what you want to keep your eyes healthy. In my interview with optometrist and eye health coach Taylor DeGroot, she explains the downside of using eyeglasses:

“Healthy eyes like to move a lot and they don’t like to just stay in one place and stare. That’s another bad habit people have. They stare and keep their eyes in one place. That’s also what glasses train the eyes to do.

Glasses have an optical center, so there’s one part in the glasses where you see most clearly. Glasses in a way are kind of visual confinement because they lock your eyes into one place.”

• Consider using two pairs of eyeglasses — If your prescription lens is based on your vision at 20 feet, it’ll actually become 20 times stronger when working on something nearer, such as using a computer. She explains:

“I would say if you’re spending most of the day on the computer and you can go without the glasses, obviously, do that. But if your prescription is too high and you can’t see anything at near, just get another prescription that’s set for that distance.

I prefer two separate pairs of glasses. The problem with bifocals and progressives is that they lock your eyes. You can only see from a very specific part of the glasses, so that locks your eyes into that one position. That’s locking up your posture, and that’s also locking up the nervous system because eye movements obviously correlate with emotions.”

• Train your brain — There’s evidence that targeting perceptual learning by repeatedly practicing a demanding visual task may improve visual performance in people with presbyopia. In one study, the brain training enabled subjects to “overcome and/or delay some of the disabilities imposed by the aging eye.”5

5 Helpful Strategies to Reduce Eye Strain

Putting yourself in front of a screen is now an inevitable part of modern life. That said, it’s important you be conscious of your screen time to minimize your risk for eye strain before your vision problems worsen. Here are other practical tips to help you manage it:

• Try the 20-20-20 rule — Simply put, your eyes should take a break every 20 minutes by looking far into the distance about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. While this is a start, research shows that this is not enough to prevent nearsightedness.6,7

Rather, I suggest you take a five-minute break every hour you face a screen. As you rest, don’t just switch to another screen. Instead, take a real break — get up, take a walk, and stretch your body so you’re not completely sedentary to allow your eyes from taking a break at looking things up close. This is important to relieve eye strain and let your blink rate return to normal.8

• Avoid blue light exposure — It’s becoming more common for people to scroll through their phone while lying in bed, thinking it’ll help them fall asleep faster. In reality, the opposite occurs because screens emit blue light, which throws your circadian rhythm off. As noted by Harvard researchers:

“While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully. Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).”

That said, I recommend you make it a habit to minimize screen exposure after sunset. During the evenings, use warmer light sources instead of bright lights to signal your body to go to sleep. If you absolutely need to use devices at nighttime, I recommend using blue light filters or wearing specialized sunglasses that block blue light.

• Reduce screen time usage wherever possible — This is probably one of the most practical ways you can reduce your exposure to devices that emit blue light. Ask yourself how much time do you really need to spend in front of screens for work and leisure, and commit to areas where you can cut back.

For example, try to schedule specific times for checking emails or messages rather than scrolling through the internet during idle time. In addition, consider adopting hobbies that do not need to use screens, such as reading books or learning a musical instrument. Consider visiting your family or friends instead of talking with them through a screen, too.

• Try pencil push-ups — According to ophthalmologist Dr. Colman R. Kraff, this exercise is commonly used to train your eyes to converge when looking at an object near you, which can help improve eyesight.9 Here’s how to perform this exercise:10

Hold a pencil at arm’s length. The pencil should be vertical, with the eraser pointing upward just below eye level. Then, position it in front of your nose.
Move the pencil to your face while concentrating your vision on the eraser. Stop after you see two pencils rather than one.
Slowly move the pencil back to arm’s length while focusing on keeping a single image.
Begin the exercise for 30 seconds, then build up to 60 seconds three times a day.

• Get your body moving — Interestingly, research has shown that exercising regularly helps reduce your risk for various eye-related because of its positive effects throughout your whole body. As noted in a study published in Frontiers in Medicine:11

“[I]t can be inferred that for individuals suffering from DED (dry eye disease), myopia, cataracts, glaucoma, DR (diabetic retinopathy), and AMD (age-related macular degeneration), or those at high risk, when physical activity is appropriately tailored to their conditions, long-term, regular exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity can help delay the onset and progression of these diseases or alleviate their symptoms.

This offers a promising avenue for the prevention and treatment strategies of a variety of ocular diseases.”

That said, I recommend that you start going for daily walks, aiming to get around 10,000 steps. After that, the benefits of exercise start to plateau. For a more detailed look at the benefits of walking, read “Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Good Walk.”

Your Diet Sets the Foundation for Optimal Eye Health

Lastly, I want to emphasize the importance of carotenoids found in food, which contribute to optimal eyesight. These include lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin, which act as antioxidants to protect your eyes from the damaging effects of oxidative stress and harmful light wavelengths.

• Lutein and zeaxanthin are concentrated in the macula12 — This is a small area in your retina that is needed for central vision. More importantly, these nutrients help filter out harmful blue light from digital screens, which, as I’ve discussed earlier, interrupt your circadian rhythm.

• Lutein reduces damage caused by blue light — According to a team of researchers from Harvard Medical School and The University of Hong Kong, writing in the journal Nutrients:

“As the peak wavelength of lutein’s absorption is around 460 nm which lies within the range of blue light, lutein can effectively reduce light-induced damage by absorbing 40% to 90% of incident blue light depending on its concentration.

The outer plexiform layer of the fovea, where the majority of axons of rod and cone photoreceptor cells are located, is the retinal layer having the highest density of macular carotenoids including lutein. Hence the photoreceptors are protected against photo-oxidative damages from blue light.”13

• Only lutein and zeaxanthin cross the blood-retina barrier — One of the most interesting properties about lutein and zeaxanthin is their ability to concentrate in the macula compared to form macular pigment, “which is essential for maintaining optimal visual performance and is often used as a proxy for predicting the risk of developing macular diseases.”14

Higher levels of lutein and other carotenoids are linked to a lower risk of AMD. To showcase their importance in eyesight, research noted that people with increased levels of lutein and zeaxanthin have a 65% lower incidence of neovascular AMD compared to those who consumed less.15

• Load up on leafy greens — The best dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin are leafy greens such as spinach and kale. Research shows that even a half-cup serving of spinach (around 60 grams) every day for four weeks already increased macular pigment density.16 In addition, pasture-raised eggs, as well as yellow and orange fruits, contain these important carotenoids.

• Minimize linoleic acid intake — Lastly, DeGroot noted that your eyes are susceptible to damage caused by a high intake of polyunsaturated fat (PUF). That said, keep your LA intake below 5 grams daily, but if you can get it below 2 grams, that’s even better for your health.

To help you achieve this goal, I recommend using the Mercola Health Coach app, which is coming out soon. It contains a special feature called the Seed Oil Sleuth, which will help track your LA intake to a tenth of a gram.

For more foods that contain lutein and zeaxanthin, refer to the list below:17

Dark leafy greens, such as spinach and kale
Carrots
Broccoli
Egg yolks

Red and yellow peppers
Leeks
Parsley
Basil

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Relieving Eye Strain

Q: What are the main causes of eye strain?
A: Eye strain is often caused by excessive screen time, not blinking enough (especially when using devices), exposure to blowing air (fans or vents), presbyopia (age-related farsightedness), and undiagnosed vision conditions like eye muscle imbalances.

Q: Can wearing glasses contribute to eye strain?
A: Yes. Wearing glasses excessively can restrict eye movement, locking your vision into one place, which worsens eye strain. It’s recommended you try removing eyeglasses or having separate pairs for different distances, rather than using bifocals or progressive lenses, to allow your eyes more movement.

Q: How can I reduce eye strain from screen use?
A: Implement the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds), take longer breaks hourly to stretch and move, avoid blue light exposure especially in the evening, reduce overall screen time, perform pencil push-up exercises, and maintain regular physical activity.

Q: Why is blue light from screens harmful?
A: Blue light from screens significantly disrupts your circadian rhythm by suppressing melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. Harvard researchers indicate blue light exposure can shift sleep patterns significantly more than other kinds of light.

Q: What dietary changes help improve eye health?
A: Eating foods rich in carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin found in leafy greens (spinach and kale), carrots, pasture-raised eggs, and colorful fruits and vegetables, support optimal eye health. These nutrients protect the eyes from oxidative stress and damage caused by harmful blue light, helping to prevent conditions like age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It constitutes roughly 25% to 30% of your total protein mass, forming the structural framework of your skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, gut lining, and the cornea of your eyes. You have more collagen than any other single protein, and it is woven into virtually every tissue you have.

But here is something the vast majority of people — and most of the medical establishment — do not know. You are not making enough of it. The reason for this has to do with a fundamental limitation in human biochemistry that has existed throughout human evolution.

The Stoichiometric Bottleneck

In 2009, Spanish biochemist Enrique Meléndez-Hevia, Ph.D., published a landmark paper demonstrating something remarkable. The metabolic capacity for glycine biosynthesis does not satisfy the need for collagen synthesis in humans.1

• Glycine production falls short of collagen requirements — The paper showed that glycine — the amino acid that occupies every third position in the collagen triple helix — has a production bottleneck that cannot be solved by the human body, no matter how well you eat or how healthy your metabolism is.
• The bottleneck is stoichiometric — This means it’s built into the chemistry of the pathway itself. Glycine is synthesized primarily from serine via the enzyme serine hydroxymethyltransferase. But this reaction produces glycine in a fixed 1-to-1 ratio with a one-carbon fragment called THF-C1.
• The body can only use so much THF-C1 — Once that demand is saturated, the glycine production pathway stalls. It doesn’t matter how much serine you have or how active the enzyme is — the bottleneck is structural.

The Glycine-Serine Metabolic Coupling

What makes this even more notable is the tight metabolic coupling between glycine and serine. A 2025 review in Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental laid out the full picture — because serine hydroxymethyltransferase mediates the interconversion of both amino acids, a deficiency in one tends to drag down the other.2

• Depletion in one amino acid may disrupt the broader system — When glycine is depleted, serine levels often fall with it, and both depend on adequate one-carbon metabolism to function properly. This can create a cascading metabolic vulnerability that extends beyond collagen production.
• The review also highlighted a subtlety that earlier analyses had missed — When you supplement large amounts of glycine alone, a portion of it is shunted back toward serine synthesis via serine hydroxymethyltransferase, consuming methylenetetrahydrofolate in the process. This means high-dose glycine supplementation can potentially deplete the one-carbon pool needed for methylation reactions.

The author argued that co-administering glycine with L-serine may be more appropriate in glycine-deficient conditions, though no head-to-head studies comparing the two approaches currently exist.

The Widespread 10-Gram Deficit

Meléndez-Hevia calculated the numbers. A 70-kilogram human needs roughly 12 grams of glycine per day just for collagen synthesis. Add another 1.5 grams for glutathione production, plus additional amounts for creatine, heme, purines, and bile salts. Total daily glycine demand: about 14.5 grams or more.

• Daily glycine requirements exceed supply — The body’s own synthesis produces about 3 grams. A typical diet contributes 1.5 to 3 grams. That leaves a deficit of approximately 10 grams per day.
• The deficit appears to be widespread — It affects most adult humans and is not conditional on illness, age, or diet. Meléndez-Hevia argued that glycine should be reclassified from “non-essential” to “essential” because the body’s synthesis capacity is fundamentally inadequate.
• Deficit increases in specific conditions — A 2022 study confirmed that glycine becomes conditionally indispensable during late pregnancy, when the deficit becomes especially acute.3

The 2025 Metabolism review further established that glycine deficiency occurs across a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and xenobiotic exposure, and that endogenous synthesis consistently falls short of meeting the body’s needs.4

This finding is important because it suggests the deficit is not merely theoretical. Blood glycine levels are measurably reduced in patients with Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, suggesting the deficit may have clinical relevance that extends beyond collagen.

Why We’ve Survived — But Not Optimally

You might wonder — if humans have always had this deficit, how have we survived? The answer is that we have survived, but not optimally. Collagen turnover slows with age, and one likely contributor is that the raw materials to maintain it are insufficient.

• Collagen turnover is slow when glycine availability is limited — Skin collagen has a half-life of about 15 years; cartilage collagen, 117 years; intervertebral disc collagen, 95 years.5 These are not rapid turnover rates. They are consistent with chronic substrate limitation — the body cannot replace collagen quickly when glycine availability is constrained.
• What this means in practical terms — A 2022 narrative review on musculoskeletal connective tissue remodeling noted that even the relatively fast-turnover collagen in tendons, ligaments, and fascia only cycles at approximately 0.5% to 2% per day — giving a half-life measured in months, not weeks.6
• Injury repair is constrained by the speed of collagen synthesis — This means that when you sustain a tendon injury, the repair process is inherently limited by how fast you can synthesize new collagen. Because collagen synthesis depends on glycine availability, every tendon tear, ligament sprain, or surgical wound may heal more slowly than it biologically could when glycine supply is limited.

The Procollagen Quality Control Furnace

But there’s a deeper problem still. When your body synthesizes collagen, it doesn’t just build it and install it. Fibroblasts degrade 30% to 40% of newly synthesized collagen within minutes of making it, before it even leaves the cell.7

• This is a quality-control mechanism called the procollagen cycle — The cell checks whether the triple helix folded correctly. If it didn’t, the molecule is destroyed.
• In some tissues, this wastage rate reaches 50% or more — A study in adult rat tissues found that the proportion of newly synthesized collagen rapidly degraded ranged from 8.8% in skin to 53% in heart tissue.8
• Not all collagen components can be recycled — The amino acids released should be recycled — and most are — with one important exception. Hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, created by post-translational modification after they’re already incorporated into the collagen chain, cannot be recycled back into new collagen. They need to be remade from scratch.

This means the procollagen cycle behaves like a glycine-burning furnace. Every failed collagen molecule consumes glycine that can never be recovered.

The Skeletal and Cardiovascular Consequences

The consequences of this chronic deficit extend to the skeletal system. A 2025 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Nutrition pooled data from multiple randomized trials and found that collagen peptide supplementation was associated with increased bone mineral density at both the femoral neck and spine in the populations studied.9

• Researchers examined the link between collagen peptides and bone density — When collagen peptides were combined with vitamin D and calcium, the trials reported additional improvements in bone turnover markers and muscle performance compared with collagen alone.
This suggests that providing amino acids and peptides implicated in collagen synthesis may, in the populations studied, be linked with measurable changes in bone-related markers.
• The cardiovascular system may also be affected by the collagen deficit — Arterial walls rely on collagen for structural integrity and elasticity. As collagen degrades and is not adequately replaced, blood vessels can stiffen.
• The effect of collagen peptides on cardiovascular markers — A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials reported that collagen peptide supplementation was associated with an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of approximately 5 mmHg and with lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the study populations examined.10

Taken together, these pooled randomized-trial findings point to potential cardiovascular-related effects of collagen peptides that warrant further investigation.

The Metabolic Connection

Beyond the structural consequences, there is mounting evidence that the collagen deficit intersects with metabolic health.

• Collagen peptides improved metabolic markers in high-calorie animal models — A 2025 meta-analysis of animal studies found that collagen peptide administration exerts significant antiobesity effects in rodents on high-caloric diets, reducing body mass, adipose tissue, LDL, and triglycerides while increasing HDL and adiponectin.11
While these are animal findings, they suggest that collagen-derived peptides may influence metabolic signaling pathways beyond their structural role. Whether the same effects extend to humans remains to be tested in controlled trials.
• Chronic glycine deficiency may contribute to gradual systemic changes over time — The consequences could accumulate quietly in humans. Over decades, connective tissues and the vasculature undergo gradual changes.

These include loss of skin elasticity, joint stiffness, reduced bone density, thinning of the gut lining, reduced vascular compliance, greater injury susceptibility, and slower wound-healing. Emerging research suggests that chronic glycine deficiency may be one contributing factor among many.

Glycine, Glutathione, and the Aging Connection

And the deficit doesn’t just affect collagen. Glycine is the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione, your body’s master intracellular antioxidant.

• Researchers examined whether supplementing key glutathione precursors could address measured glutathione deficiency in older adults — A 2023 randomized clinical trial at Baylor College of Medicine found that supplementing glycine and N-acetylcysteine in older adults was associated with corrected glutathione deficiency, reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, better mitochondrial function, and improvements in several biomarkers related to aging over a 16-week study period.12
• Physical and metabolic health improved alongside cellular repair — The trial reported that gait speed improved, muscle strength increased, waist circumference decreased, and molecular markers of genomic damage were reduced. All from supplementing the two rate-limiting precursors for glutathione synthesis — glycine and cysteine.
• Earlier trial findings reported broad systemic effects — An earlier pilot trial from the same group reported broader effects over a 24-week supplementation period — corrected intracellular glutathione deficiency, improved mitochondrial fuel oxidation, reduced inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, better insulin resistance and cognition, and enhanced muscle strength and exercise capacity.13
Importantly, when glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) supplementation was stopped for 12 weeks, the benefits declined, suggesting that an ongoing glycine deficiency may require ongoing correction.

Note that these findings are from research conducted in clinical settings. Results may not apply to all individuals.

Independent Validation

A 2022 randomized controlled clinical trial conducted by Nestlé researchers attempted to independently validate the GlyNAC effect in 114 healthy older adults. While they found that GlyNAC supplementation was safe and well-tolerated, the primary endpoint — increased total glutathione — was not reached in the overall population.14

However, a post-hoc analysis revealed something notable — subjects who started with both high oxidative stress and low baseline glutathione showed significant increases in glutathione after receiving the medium and high doses. This suggests the response may be most pronounced in those who are most depleted, which is consistent with what the underlying biochemistry would predict.

In mice, GlyNAC was reported to extend lifespan by 24%.15 A follow-up study reported that it improved brain glutathione, reduced brain oxidative stress, and enhanced cognitive function in aging mice.16 Again, these findings are from laboratory or animal research and may not directly apply to human health.

The Bottom Line

The peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled trials I explored in this article have reported that GlyNAC supplementation was associated with measurable improvements in several aging-related biomarkers in the populations studied. Researchers have identified potential nutritional strategies — centered on glycine and collagen-peptide intake — worth exploring further. It begins with understanding that an underlying biochemical limitation exists — and that it is built into how the body produces glycine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Glycine and Collagen

Q: How do I know if I’m deficient in glycine?
A: There isn’t a definitive symptom checklist for glycine deficiency, and changes like reduced skin elasticity, joint stiffness, slower recovery from injury, or declining sleep quality have many possible contributors. Some emerging research suggests chronic glycine deficiency may be one of them. The biochemical analysis explored in this article suggests a glycine gap exists in most adults, even without obvious symptoms.

Q: Why can’t my body just make enough glycine on its own?
A: Your body produces glycine through a pathway that is chemically rate-limited. It depends on a reaction tied to one-carbon metabolism, and that reaction can only run at a fixed rate. Once that limit is reached, production effectively plateaus, regardless of how healthy you are or how much protein you eat. This isn’t a lifestyle issue — it’s a built-in feature of human biochemistry.

Q: How much glycine do I actually need each day?
A: Your body uses roughly 12 grams of glycine daily for collagen alone, plus additional amounts for other functions. You typically produce about 3 grams and get a few more from diet, leaving a gap of around 10 grams.

Q: Why is glycine essential for building collagen?
A: Glycine is required at every third position in the collagen chain, allowing the triple helix to form correctly. Without sufficient glycine, collagen assembly is constrained, which can, in turn, limit how much new connective tissue your body produces.

Q: Does this affect more than just my skin and joints?
A: Yes. Collagen supports your blood vessels, gut lining, bones, and parts of your eyes. Glycine also plays a central role in glutathione production, which has been linked to oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular health. When glycine availability is constrained, multiple systems may be affected together.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified health care provider before making changes to your health regimen.

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Which mineral helps activate vitamin D in the body?

Magnesium
Magnesium helps turn vitamin D into its active form, so low magnesium can leave the body unable to use vitamin D well. Learn more.
Manganese
Molybdenum
Mica

According to the American Heart Association, around 40 million American adults are now taking statins to manage their high cholesterol.1 These medications work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that’s responsible for producing cholesterol, reducing your blood cholesterol levels.

However, statins actually do more harm than good — Not only do they fail to address the root cause of heart disease, but they also expose you to various detrimental side effects (more on this later).

The good news is that there are ways to manage your cholesterol levels without relying on statins. In an article in the Hearty Soul, Dr. Adriana Quinones-Camacho, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health, says that implementing four lifestyle changes can help protect your heart health better. She discusses strategies that are advised by cardiologists, saying that physicians must recommend these to their patients before resorting to prescribe statins.2

1. Be Physically Active

Quinones-Camacho says that making time for exercise is essential if you want to manage your cholesterol levels. Numerous studies support this; in fact, a 2013 paper published in Sports Medicine3 notes that almost any type of exercise can have a significant impact on cholesterol.4

• Exercise boosts your “good” cholesterol levels — According to Quinones-Camacho, moderate-intensity workouts help improve the production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol.

• Aerobics and strength training are also helpful — A separate study also found that combining these two types of exercises helps improve lipid profiles and overall metabolic health.5

• You don’t need a gym membership — Taking a brisk walk at lunch, riding a bike to work, or getting into a sport you’re interested in are some great ways to stay physically active.

• What’s the recommended amount? Ideally, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity workouts five days per week, or 20 minutes of high-intensity exercise three times weekly.

• Avoid being sedentary — Rather, make sure to incorporate short bursts of movement throughout the day. This will help burn calories and improve your cholesterol profile. Quinones-Camacho also advises joining support groups or fostering friendships to keep you motivated to workout.

2. Lose Excess Weight

Quinones-Camacho notes that excess weight leads to higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels — this is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol, as it builds up in the walls of your arteries, leading to plaque formation.

• Plaque leads to atherosclerosis — Plaque buildup narrows and hardens your arteries, restricting blood flow to your heart, brain, and other vital organs. This increases your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke.

• Manage your weight with small yet impactful lifestyle changes — “Changing your diet to cut out unnecessary calories, boost your activities in your routine and increasing standing activities such as yardwork, are some strategies to aid in weight loss,” The Hearty Soul article notes.

3. Consume the Right Fats

Quinones-Camacho notes that the type of fats you eat affects your cholesterol levels. Although there’s some truth to this, she lumps together trans fats and saturated fats, advising to limit them both.

While trans fats are particularly harmful — especially partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are loaded with linoleic acid (LA) — and are best eliminated from your diet, I do not agree with avoiding saturated fats, as they actually help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels while supporting your overall heart health.

• Saturated fats have been wrongly vilified to cause high cholesterol — For decades, you’ve been told that eating saturated fat raises your cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol. However, the relationship between saturated fat intake and cholesterol levels is far more complex than previously thought.

• When you consume saturated fat, it doesn’t directly impact your cholesterol production — Your body processes fats in your digestive system, breaking them down and packaging them into chylomicrons — large lipoproteins that transport fats throughout your body.

• Meanwhile, cholesterol production occurs separately in every cell of your body, with your liver playing a significant role — The idea that eating saturated fat automatically raises cholesterol levels is an oversimplification that doesn’t align with the complex biochemical processes in your body.

She also advises getting enough omega-3 fats. However, although omega-3s promote heart health, there are certain considerations to be mindful of.

• It’s not simply about consuming omega-3s — The quantity, the type, and the quality of what you consume also matter. Since omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fat (PUF), moderation is key. Think of omega-3 consumption as a balancing act; too little is detrimental, but too much also poses risks, albeit through different mechanisms.

• Excessive omega-3 intake could negatively impact heart health — When you rely on getting omega-3s from certain supplements, it could contribute to atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib leads to complications such as blood clots, strokes, heart failure, and other serious cardiovascular problems.

• Omega-3s affect your cell membranes — Each cell in the body is enclosed by a protective barrier called the cell membrane. This membrane is like a fluid composed of various fats, including omega-3s and omega-6s. When you consume omega-3s, they become incorporated into these membranes, altering their fluidity.

One theory suggests that an overabundance of omega-3s makes the cell membrane excessively fluid disrupting the function of ion channels, particularly a channel known as the Piezo channel. This interferes with the normal electrical signaling of the cell, thereby triggering an irregular heartbeat.

• Quality and quantity are key to ensure omega-3 fats are beneficial, not harmful — Prioritize whole food sources such as wild-caught fatty fish like Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and herring, which provide omega-3s in their natural form along with other essential nutrients.

When supplementing, opt for krill oil or phospholipid-form fish oil for better absorption. Choose reputable brands that prioritize quality and purity, and start with lower doses, increasing them only under medical guidance.

4. Eat More Fiber and Less Processed Sugar

Lastly, Quinones-Camacho recommends consuming fiber, as it “binds to cholesterol in the digestive system and prevents its absorption into the bloodstream,” while limiting your sugar intake.6 She says this dual strategy not only contributes to optimal weight management but also improves your lipid profile.

• Refined sugar and carbohydrates increase inflammation — Once eaten, these chemicals trigger a release of insulin, promoting the accumulation of fat and the creation of triglycerides (a type of fat found in your blood, which is a valuable indicator of your overall health) making it more difficult for you to lose weight or maintain your normal weight.

• Some experts argue that insulin resistance, not high LDL, is the primary driver of heart disease — Insulin resistance leads to a decline in your mitochondrial energy production, and this poor mitochondrial health underlies heart disease and many other chronic conditions.

• Consuming fiber-rich foods leads to a significant decline in LDL levels — I recommend getting both soluble and insoluble fiber, from foods like whole fruits like apples, fresh vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, prunes, beans, and whole grains.

Is Lower Cholesterol Really a Good Thing?

You’ve been told that high cholesterol is bad and low cholesterol is good for your heart health. But the fact is that low cholesterol could be harmful as well, especially with recent research providing more evidence into cholesterol’s significant role in our bodies.

• Cholesterol is a crucial component of cell membranes and a precursor to many important hormones — It’s not just a harmful substance to be eliminated, but a vital part of our biology. In fact, cholesterol plays a key role in brain function, hormone production, and even vitamin D synthesis.

• The conventional advice to lower cholesterol levels to prevent heart disease is based on flawed studies — This included research like the Framingham Heart Study, which linked high cholesterol to increased cardiovascular risk. As a result, millions of people have been prescribed statins and told to follow low-fat diets. However, new research is challenging this simplistic view.

• The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study provides new insights — Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, this study examined data from 23,901 participants over a median follow-up of 10.7 years. The researchers found that the relationship between HDL cholesterol and heart disease risk actually varied depending on race.7

Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were only associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in White adults. Even more surprisingly, high levels of HDL cholesterol didn’t seem to protect against heart disease in either White or Black adults.

• This revelation challenges decades of medical advice — It goes against the advice to raise HDL cholesterol levels to improve heart health. The study also highlights the importance of considering racial differences in health research and treatment recommendations.

• Individual genetics also play a big part in how our bodies handle cholesterol — Some people naturally make more cholesterol, while others make less. This is why two people eating the same diet could have very different cholesterol levels.8

• The “cholesterol paradox” is another intriguing discovery — In some cases, individuals with low cholesterol levels actually had worse health outcomes than those with higher levels — a finding that flies in the face of long-held beliefs about cholesterol and health. As noted in one 2023 scientific review:

“On average, patients with a total cholesterol level of 232 mg/dl had a 25% higher survival rate than those with a total cholesterol level of 193 mg/dl who were suffering from heart failure. A total cholesterol level under 200 mg/dl is generally preferred.”9

These unexpected results raise important questions about how we assess cardiovascular risk and whether current treatment guidelines are appropriate for all populations. Clearly, the relationship between cholesterol and health isn’t nearly as straightforward as we once thought. For more information, read “Low Cholesterol Dangers Exposed; Heart Health Myths Shattered.”

Just Say ‘No’ to Statins

Although there are specific points that need to be rectified, Quinones-Camacho’s recommendations are generally a step in the right direction. These four strategies address the underlying and foundational causes of high cholesterol, which is far better than taking statins.

I personally would never take or prescribe a statin drug; apart from failing to derail the rising trend of heart disease, they also put you at risk of certain conditions, including:

• Myopathy — Some individuals taking statins experience muscle pain or weakness; these muscular issues are thought to stem from mitochondrial dysfunction and alterations in muscle protein metabolism.10

• Type 2 diabetes — A 2024 Lancet study confirmed that statins increase diabetes risk, with high-intensity statins raising the risk by 36%.11

• Cataracts — Statins increase cataract risk by interfering with cholesterol biosynthesis in the lens epithelium. One study found that 1.9% of coronary artery disease patients underwent cataract surgery during a three-year follow-up period.12 Read more here: “Statins Raise Glaucoma Risk.”

• Pancreatic cancer — Long-term use of anticholesterol drugs, around five years or more, has been linked to an increased risk of this condition.13

In addition, statins deplete your CoQ10 levels, as they work to block HMG coenzyme A reductase in your liver, which is how they reduce cholesterol. HMG coenzyme A also produces CoQ10. However, your body requires CoQ10, as it is an essential mitochondrial nutrient that facilitates ATP production.

By impairing your mitochondrial function, statins could affect any number of health problems, as without well-functioning mitochondria, your risk for chronic disease increases significantly. Learn more by reading “CoQ10 Is Key for Cellular Energy and Cancer Support.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Lifestyle Changes to Lower Cholesterol

Q: What are the four lifestyle changes that help lower bad cholesterol better than statins?
A: The most effective changes include eating the right fats, cutting processed sugar and consuming enough fiber, increasing daily movement, and losing excess weight. These address the root causes of high LDL and improve heart health naturally.

Q: Why are statins not the best first option for managing cholesterol?
A: Statins don’t treat the root cause of high cholesterol and often cause side effects like muscle pain, insulin resistance, and CoQ10 depletion, which impairs energy production and increases disease risk.

Q: How does exercise impact cholesterol levels?
A: Regular movement boosts HDL (“good” cholesterol), helps clear LDL from the bloodstream, improves insulin sensitivity, and reduces inflammation — all without needing a gym or intense workouts.

Q: Are all fats bad for cholesterol?
A: No. Processed seed oils and trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and damage your arteries, but saturated fats from clean sources and omega-3s from wild fish support healthy cholesterol levels and cellular function.

Q: How does fiber help lower cholesterol?
A: Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol in your gut, stopping it from being absorbed into your bloodstream. Eating whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains daily is a powerful way to naturally lower LDL.

High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that often goes unnoticed until it causes serious harm. It develops quietly, putting constant strain on your arteries, heart, and brain long before symptoms appear. That hidden pressure gradually stiffens blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder, creating the foundation for heart attack, stroke, and cognitive decline.

Many people assume that feeling “fine” means they’re in the clear, only to find out later that their blood pressure has been elevated for years. The truth is, high blood pressure doesn’t wait for dramatic warning signs — it typically builds slowly. Nearly half of adults in the U.S. live with it, but only a fraction keep it under control.1

What makes this so important is that your vascular system is dynamic — it changes with the right input. The same body that develops stiff arteries can also restore flexibility when given the right conditions. That’s why research into heat-based therapies is worth attention.

It shows that something as simple as raising your body temperature through safe, controlled heat exposure improves how your blood vessels function and eases the pressure placed on your heart. This isn’t about quick fixes or gadgets — it’s about teaching your cardiovascular system to respond better, recover faster, and perform the way it’s designed to.

Heat Therapy at Home Works Like Exercise for Your Heart

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology investigated whether simple, home-based heat therapy could lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function in older adults.2 The study followed 19 participants — men and women with an average age of 67 — over eight weeks.

They used heated pants connected to a portable water circulator four times a week, for 60 minutes per session. The device pumped water heated to about 124 degrees F (51 degrees C) through tubing that warmed their legs, while a control group used the same setup with water at a neutral 88 degrees F (about 31 degrees C).

• Older adults who used heat therapy had drops in blood pressure and improved circulation — Those in the heat group saw their daytime systolic blood pressure — the upper number on a blood pressure reading — drop by an average of 5 mm Hg. That’s a small number with big consequences.

Even a 5 mm Hg reduction cuts the risk of major heart events like stroke or heart attack by roughly 10%. They also showed enhanced endothelial function, meaning the inner lining of their arteries became more responsive and flexible. This improved function helps your arteries widen more easily, which reduces strain on the heart.

Many older adults hesitate to exercise because of joint pain or fatigue, and this approach gave them a safe, convenient way to get some of the same cardiovascular benefits, without movement, equipment, or gym membership. Compliance was remarkable: participants completed every session, a rare outcome in intervention trials.

• Blood pressure dropped in as little as eight weeks, and vessel health improved steadily — The researchers measured blood pressure and vascular function at multiple intervals and saw consistent improvements throughout the trial.

The most significant changes occurred after the full eight weeks, showing that benefits build gradually as the body adapts to repeated heating. These improvements lasted beyond each session, suggesting cumulative effects rather than temporary relaxation.

• Circulation improved through the same biological pathway triggered by exercise — Heat exposure increased shear stress — the friction of blood flowing against vessel walls — which stimulates the release of nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes and widens arteries.

Nitric oxide acts like a natural vasodilator, helping blood move smoothly and delivering oxygen more efficiently throughout your body. This mechanism explains why heat therapy mimics the vascular effects of moderate exercise, even though participants stayed seated during treatment.

• The heart responded to heat by working smarter, not harder — During sessions, participants’ heart rates increased slightly, similar to what happens during brisk walking. However, because blood vessels were dilated, the heart pumped more efficiently, moving greater volumes of blood without excessive pressure. This mild cardiovascular “workout” trains your heart to handle stress better over time, just as regular aerobic exercise would, but without physical exertion.

Hot Water Immersion Boosts Heart and Immune Health

In a related study published in the American Journal of Physiology, scientists compared how different types of heat exposure — traditional dry saunas, far-infrared saunas, and hot water immersion — affect the cardiovascular and immune systems.3 The goal was to see which form of passive heating most effectively increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure, and activates beneficial immune pathways.

Twenty healthy adults participated, each completing three sessions in randomized order, one for each heat method. Each session involved 45 minutes of exposure to one of the three heating methods, followed by a recovery period to measure changes in heart rate, core temperature, and blood pressure. The results were clear: hot water immersion raised the body’s core temperature the highest, producing stronger and longer-lasting cardiovascular effects compared to both sauna types.

• Hot water immersion lowered blood pressure more dramatically than saunas — Mean arterial pressure — a measure of overall blood flow resistance — dropped by 14 mm Hg after hot water immersion, compared with smaller reductions in the sauna conditions. In other words, the simple act of sitting in a hot bath produced measurable heart health benefits equivalent to those gained from moderate-intensity exercise.

• Heart rate and circulation responded like they would during a brisk walk — During the hot water session, participants’ heart rates increased from about 70 beats per minute to nearly 110, which mimics the response seen in light to moderate exercise. This rise wasn’t due to stress — it was a sign that blood vessels were widening and the heart was pumping more efficiently.

• The immune system showed powerful short-term activation — The study revealed that hot water immersion boosted levels of a signaling molecule that triggers the release of anti-inflammatory agents and helps regulate immune response. It also increased the activity of two types of white blood cells responsible for targeting viruses and damaged cells.

• Hot water immersion triggered unique physiological stress that built resilience — The combination of hydrostatic pressure (the force of water against your body), heat, and mild cardiovascular demand created what scientists call “thermal exercise.” This type of controlled stress trains your body to adapt, improving blood vessel elasticity, fluid regulation, and heat tolerance over time.

For people who can’t perform regular exercise due to pain or illness, this kind of conditioning offers an alternative way to keep your circulatory system strong. As body temperature rose, endothelial cells — the thin lining inside blood vessels — released nitric oxide, helping to relax arteries and improve blood flow.

• Hot water immersion offers systemic benefits — While all three methods improved circulation to some degree, hot water immersion consistently produced the strongest increases in core temperature, heart rate, and immune markers.

This means you can use your bathtub as a powerful therapeutic tool. Regular hot baths help lower blood pressure, support healthy immunity, and mimic the benefits of physical activity for those who struggle to exercise.

Near-Infrared Sauna Therapy Takes Heat Training to the Next Level

While the American Journal of Physiology study compared traditional and far-infrared sauna therapy to hot water immersion, another approach — near-infrared sauna therapy — builds on those findings by combining heat exposure with exercise.

This practice uses radiant light to raise body temperature and stimulate the same cardiovascular benefits seen in heat therapy for blood pressure, but with added cellular repair and recovery advantages. Athletes and health enthusiasts are increasingly using infrared heat during workouts to enhance circulation, boost endurance, and accelerate recovery time.

• Not all infrared is the same — near-infrared works deeper — Infrared light is divided into near-, mid-, and far-infrared wavelengths, each with unique effects on your body. Near-infrared light penetrates several inches into tissue, reaching blood vessels and mitochondria — the energy-producing structures in your cells.

There, it activates photobiomodulation, a natural process that improves how your cells produce energy, release nitric oxide, and repair themselves.4 Far-infrared, by contrast, primarily warms the surface of your skin and promotes sweating but doesn’t reach deep enough to stimulate these regenerative pathways.

• Near-infrared boosts nitric oxide and mitochondrial performance — the same pathways linked to lower blood pressure — The mechanism that makes near-infrared so powerful mirrors the one seen in heat therapy research: increased nitric oxide production. This molecule relaxes arteries, improves oxygen delivery, and enhances blood vessel flexibility.

Meanwhile, near-infrared light improves energy metabolism at a cellular level. The result is more efficient cardiovascular function, reduced fatigue, and faster tissue recovery after stress — effects that complement the vascular benefits of hot water immersion and sauna therapy.

• Infrared heat strengthens training adaptations and speeds recovery — Exercising in near-infrared heat creates a mild, controlled stress response that reinforces cardiovascular and muscular adaptation.

It improves oxygen use, increases endurance, and supports muscle growth through pathways that include mTOR and heat shock proteins — molecules that repair microscopic muscle damage and reduce soreness.5 This combination of movement and thermal conditioning mimics the “cardio effect” of heat therapy, offering an efficient way to build resilience, balance inflammation, and accelerate repair between workouts.

• Choose near-infrared over commercial far-infrared saunas for real results — Most commercial “infrared” saunas rely on far-infrared emitters or weak near-infrared LEDs, which generate surface heat but not enough irradiance — the power needed to activate true photobiological effects.

For meaningful results, near-infrared exposure should come from high-irradiance red-filtered incandescent bulbs that deliver full-spectrum, natural light while minimizing electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. These can be easily built into a home sauna setup for safe, affordable, full-body therapy that supports heart health, recovery, and long-term vitality.

The Best Way to Monitor Your Sauna Session

While sauna room temperature and session duration are useful starting points, the most accurate way to optimize your sauna session is to monitor your actual core body temperature using an oral digital thermometer. This personalized approach accounts for individual variations in heat tolerance, body composition, and acclimation status.

Research shows that the therapeutic benefits of sauna — including heat shock protein activation, cardiovascular improvements, and enhanced recovery — are triggered when your core body temperature rises to specific thresholds, not simply by the room temperature or time spent inside.

Since individual responses to heat vary significantly based on factors like body mass, hydration status, fitness level, and heat acclimation, using a thermometer gives you direct feedback on what matters most: your body’s actual response.

• Target temperature guidelines — Using an oral digital thermometer:

◦ Beginner target — Work toward reaching an oral temperature of 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C)
◦ Optimal target — Gradually progress to 101 degrees F (38.3 degrees C) for maximum heat shock protein activation
◦ Do not exceed — 101.5 degrees F oral temperature (38.6 degrees C)

Important note on oral vs. core temperature — Oral temperature typically reads approximately 0.5 degrees F to 1 degrees F (0.3 degrees C to 0.5 degrees C) lower than true core (rectal) temperature. An oral reading of 101 degrees F corresponds to a core temperature of approximately 101.5 degrees F to 102 degrees F (38.6 degrees C to 38.9 degrees C) — the range research associates with robust heat shock protein induction and therapeutic benefits.

• How to use this method:

1. Take your baseline — Before entering the sauna, record your oral temperature (typically 97.5 degrees F to 98.6 degrees F/36.4 degrees C to 37 degrees C).
2. Check periodically — Keep thermometer out of the sauna as it will prolong its life and give you better measurements. After 10 to 15 minutes in the sauna, or as soon as you feel hot, measure your temperature. Be sure to put thermometer outside the sauna after measuring your temperature.
3. Track your progress — First few weeks: Exit when you reach 100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C). After acclimation (2 to 4 weeks of regular use): You may extend sessions until reaching 101 degrees F (38.3 degrees C). Never exceed 101.5 degrees F oral temperature.
4. Listen to your body — If you feel dizzy, nauseous, or unwell at any temperature, exit immediately regardless of the thermometer reading.

• The science behind these numbers:

◦ Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are activated when core temperature reaches approximately 38.5 degrees C (101.3 degrees F) or higher
◦ Research shows that time spent with core temperature ≥38.5 degrees C correlates with greater HSP72 mRNA expression
◦ Core temperatures above 39.4 degrees C (103 degrees F) approach hyperthermia risk territory
◦ The 101 degrees F to 101.5 degrees F oral target keeps you in the therapeutic zone while maintaining a safety margin

• Why this beats room temperature alone — A 175 degrees F traditional sauna may raise one person’s core temperature to 101 degrees F in 15 minutes while taking another person 25 minutes to reach the same point. Similarly, a 140 degrees F infrared sauna session may be perfectly adequate for one person while insufficient for another. Your oral thermometer tells you what’s actually happening in your body.

Quick Reference Summary

Parameter
Guideline

Measurement tool
Oral digital thermometer

Beginner target
100 degrees F (37.8 degrees C) oral

Optimal target
101 degrees F (38.3 degrees C) oral

Maximum safe limit
101.5 degrees F (38.6 degrees C) oral

Thermometer
Keep outside of sauna

• Scientific references supporting these recommendations:

1. Gibson et al. found that rectal temperature ≥38.5 degrees C correlates with greater heat shock protein (Hsp72) mRNA induction
2. A 30-minute sauna session at 80 degrees C increases rectal temperature by approximately 0.9 degrees C in adults (PubMed: 3218894)
3. Heat therapy research indicates core temperatures above 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) risk hyperthermia
4. Oral temperature typically reads 0.3 degrees C to 0.5 degrees C lower than rectal temperature (NCBI NBK562334)
5. Heat shock protein activation threshold documented at approximately 39 degrees C/102.2 degrees F core temperature

How to Use Heat to Lower Blood Pressure and Strengthen Your Heart

Your blood vessels respond best to steady, predictable input — not sudden extremes. When you expose them to gentle, consistent heat, they relearn how to expand and contract with ease. That’s how heat therapy targets one root cause of high blood pressure: stiff, unresponsive arteries that make your heart work harder than it should. You don’t need special equipment or a trip to the spa to do this. All it takes is warm water, radiant heat, time, and a bit of intention.

That said, heat therapy isn’t the only piece of the puzzle. True cardiovascular health depends on how you move, eat, rest, and recover. Think of heat exposure as one powerful tool in a broader routine — something that supports, but doesn’t replace, the daily habits that keep your heart strong and your blood pressure steady. Here’s how to make it part of your routine.

1. Start with shorter sessions and work your way up — If you’re new to hot water or infrared therapy, begin with 10 to 15 minutes to let your body adjust. Ease in slowly, and extend your sessions as your body adapts. Most people benefit from 20 to 30 minutes of infrared therapy. More time isn’t necessarily better. The goal isn’t to push your limits — it’s to train your cardiovascular system through repetition. Consistency, not intensity, creates lasting change.

2. Use warm — not scalding — water — Comfort is key when it comes to warm baths. If the water stings, burns, or turns your skin bright red, it’s too hot. Aim for a temperature between 100 degrees F and 104 degrees F. If you’re prone to flushing, itchiness, or heat rashes, keep your chest and face out of the water. This moderate warmth is enough to boost circulation and improve vessel flexibility without overstressing your body. Think of it as a gentle stimulus, not a test of endurance.

3. Alternate between bath and sauna therapy for greater benefit — Very hot water dries out your skin, alters its pH, and disrupts your skin microbiome, especially if you have eczema, rosacea, or sensitive skin. If hot baths are too harsh for your skin, sauna therapy offers a great alternative.

It delivers many of the same heart and immune benefits without prolonged water exposure. Start low — around 120 degrees F — and increase gradually as you get used to it. Two to four sessions per week are plenty for most people. Combining both forms — baths for circulation and near-infrared light for mitochondrial repair — offers the broadest benefit.

4. Lock in moisture right after each session — Heat strips natural oils from your skin and causes fluid loss through sweat. Rehydrate by drinking mineral-rich water and apply organic coconut oil afterward to seal in moisture. It helps restore your skin barrier and prevents dryness while you strengthen your heart from within.

5. Balance your sodium and potassium for stronger blood pressure control — Heat therapy helps improve circulation, but healthy blood pressure also depends on what’s on your plate. Most Americans consume nearly twice as much sodium as potassium, even though your body functions best with the opposite ratio. Processed foods account for roughly 70% of sodium intake, making it easy to overload without realizing it.6

To support vascular health, aim for about 3,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day from natural, unprocessed foods, along with 3,400 to 5,000 mg of potassium from whole foods like spinach, beet greens, and oranges. Potassium helps your body flush out excess sodium, balances fluid levels, and lowers hormones that tighten arteries. Your sodium-potassium ratio — not sodium alone — is one of the most powerful levers you have for steady, healthy blood pressure.

FAQs About Heat Therapy for Healthy Blood Pressure

Q: How does heat therapy lower blood pressure?
A: Heat therapy works by gently raising your body temperature, which increases blood flow and improves the flexibility of your arteries. This heat exposure creates shear stress — the friction of blood moving along vessel walls — that triggers the release of nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes and widens arteries. Over time, this process retrains your cardiovascular system to work more efficiently, reducing overall blood pressure without medication or intense exercise.

Q: What’s the difference between hot-water therapy, traditional saunas, and near-infrared saunas?
A: Hot-water immersion and traditional or far-infrared saunas improve blood pressure by increasing core temperature and promoting vessel dilation. Near-infrared therapy goes deeper — it activates mitochondrial energy production and nitric oxide release at a cellular level, which enhances both vascular function and recovery. Together, these methods create a comprehensive system for improving heart and immune health.

Q: How long and how often should I use heat therapy?
A: Start with 10 to 15 minutes per session to allow your body to adapt, and gradually build up to 20 to 30 minutes, three to four times per week. Whether you use a warm bath or sauna, the key is consistency — regular exposure leads to cumulative benefits for heart health, circulation, and blood pressure regulation.

Q: Is near-infrared safer or more effective than far-infrared?
A: Yes, for most therapeutic purposes. Near-infrared penetrates deeper into tissue, reaching blood vessels and mitochondria to activate cellular repair and energy production. Most commercial “full-spectrum” saunas rely on far-infrared or weak LEDs that only warm the surface. Look for high-irradiance incandescent bulbs that emit natural-spectrum near-infrared light with minimal EMF exposure.

Q: Besides heat therapy, what else helps regulate blood pressure naturally?
A: Heat therapy is one part of the solution, but diet and lifestyle still matter. Most Americans consume nearly twice as much sodium as potassium, even though optimal blood pressure requires the reverse ratio.

Aim for about 3,500 mg of sodium and 3,400 to 5,000 mg of potassium daily from whole foods like spinach, beet greens, and oranges. Balancing these minerals helps your body eliminate excess sodium, regulate fluid levels, and keep your arteries relaxed. Together with consistent heat therapy, this approach supports stronger, more flexible blood vessels and long-term cardiovascular health.

Your gut lining is one of the most active and self-renewing tissues in your body. Every few days, millions of cells are replaced to keep your intestinal barrier strong and your digestion efficient. But that renewal process depends on more than time — it requires specific nutrients that fuel regeneration. When those nutrients are missing, your gut becomes fragile, leaving you more prone to inflammation, poor absorption, and chronic discomfort.

Cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid found in everyday foods like eggs, meat, and dairy, has emerged as one of the key players in this renewal process. Unlike most nutrients that simply provide energy or structure, cysteine helps your body activate its own repair mechanisms.

It influences the way your intestinal cells communicate with your immune system, guiding the regeneration that keeps your gut lining intact. The discovery of cysteine’s role in intestinal healing is changing how scientists view diet and recovery. Rather than relying solely on medical interventions after damage occurs, the focus is shifting toward using targeted nutrition to drive regeneration from within.

This approach offers a way to support gut health, especially for those dealing with the side effects of toxins, medication, or chronic stress. Scientific findings reveal the precise mechanisms that make cysteine such a powerful nutrient for intestinal repair. This knowledge could reshape your approach to digestive health.

Cysteine Sparks Gut Repair Through Immune-Cell Communication

In a study published in Nature, researchers demonstrated that dietary cysteine enhances the body’s ability to repair damage in the small intestine.1 The study focused on how cysteine influences intestinal stem cells, the specialized cells that replace and regenerate the lining of your gut. In simple terms, these stem cells act as the gut’s construction crew, repairing tissue that’s been damaged by illness, toxins, or treatments like chemotherapy.

• Cysteine enhances “stemness,” or the ability of these cells to regrow new tissue — The research team discovered that when cysteine intake increased, intestinal stem cells became more active, leading to faster and more complete regeneration.

This finding is significant because the small intestine needs to constantly rebuild itself — roughly every five days — to maintain barrier integrity and nutrient absorption. Without this renewal, inflammation and infection set in quickly, compromising digestion and overall health.

• The study was conducted in mice but reveals key principles applicable to human health — Mice given a cysteine-enriched diet showed remarkable improvements in how their intestines recovered after injury.

The cysteine-fed group had thicker, healthier intestinal walls and faster tissue renewal compared to control groups that didn’t receive extra cysteine. This suggests that dietary amino acids directly influence gut recovery, not just through nutrient supply but by altering cellular signaling within the intestinal lining.

• Your gut has a built-in repair signal that tells cells when to rebuild — When this natural signal was activated, the gut’s repair cells started multiplying quickly and creating fresh, healthy tissue. The intestinal wall became stronger and healed faster after damage. But when researchers shut off that signal or removed the immune cells that trigger it, the healing stopped completely — showing that cysteine works by switching on your body’s own repair response.

• Cysteine is converted into a special compound that starts the healing process — Researchers discovered that cysteine itself isn’t what repairs your gut — it’s what your body turns cysteine into. Once converted, this compound acts like a messenger that tells your intestinal cells and immune system to start rebuilding the damaged lining. It’s the spark that gets the repair system running.

However, if your cells can’t absorb cysteine, your gut won’t heal. When researchers blocked the tiny transport gate that lets cysteine into intestinal cells, the repair process stopped entirely. That means it’s not just about eating enough protein — it’s about making sure your gut takes in and uses cysteine properly to trigger healing from the inside out.

• A cysteine-rich diet could protect your gut health — By showing that cysteine supports both the immune system and stem cell function, the study reveals how a single nutrient orchestrates multiple biological systems to restore balance. It’s a form of dietary immunotherapy — using what you eat to direct your body’s own repair mechanisms.

This means that increasing cysteine intake through foods like eggs, grass fed meat, and dairy could help your intestinal lining recover more efficiently from stress or illness. The findings also encourage a shift in how we view amino acids: not just as building blocks of protein but as active regulators of healing and regeneration.

Cysteine Accelerates Gut Healing After Radiation Damage

The researchers specifically noted that eating a cysteine-rich diet rejuvenates the small intestine and helps it recover from severe tissue injury, including damage caused by radiation or chemotherapy.

According to senior study author Dr. Omer Yilmaz with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, “If we give these patients a cysteine-rich diet or cysteine supplementation, perhaps we can dampen some of the chemotherapy or radiation-induced injury.”2 This finding provides a nutritional strategy for protecting gut health during cancer treatments.

• Radiation-damaged intestines healed faster when cysteine was added to the diet — Cysteine-fed mice recovered intestinal structure and function more rapidly than untreated controls. The intestinal lining regained its normal architecture and barrier strength, preventing the leakage of toxins and undigested food particles into the bloodstream. The researchers also observed improved nutrient absorption, showing that cysteine helped restore full digestive performance.

• Cysteine’s benefits were localized to the small intestine — Unlike other dietary interventions that affect the entire digestive tract, the effects of cysteine were concentrated in the small intestine, where protein digestion and absorption occur. This targeted response suggests that dietary cysteine is metabolized and used most efficiently in the upper digestive tract, where it immediately influences stem cell and immune activity.

• Cysteine intake creates a protective immune environment in the gut — It created a “standing army” of immune cells positioned along the intestinal wall, ready to release gut-healing proteins when new damage occurred. This built-in readiness could help maintain long-term gut resilience, especially in people undergoing chronic stress or medical treatments that injure the intestinal lining.

• The researchers emphasized cysteine’s advantage as a natural nutrient — Unlike synthetic drugs, cysteine occurs naturally in foods such as eggs, meat, dairy products, and legumes. The researchers highlighted this as a key advantage: a dietary compound that activates a repair mechanism without pharmaceutical side effects.

Yilmaz explained, “The beauty here is we’re not using a synthetic molecule; we’re exploiting a natural dietary compound.” This discovery aligns with a growing interest in food-based medicine, where diet becomes part of the healing process rather than just prevention.

• The study opens a path to future applications beyond gut healing — Encouraged by these results, Yilmaz’s team began exploring whether cysteine could stimulate regeneration in other tissues, such as hair follicles or the colon. Early evidence suggests that cysteine’s ability to enhance cellular communication and immune coordination could apply more broadly to other forms of tissue renewal.

Understanding that a simple nutrient like cysteine supports your body’s repair systems gives you the ability to strengthen your intestinal resilience through daily choices. Whether you’re recovering from illness, stress, or medical treatment, adding cysteine-rich foods could support your gut’s natural ability to rebuild itself from within.

How to Use Cysteine to Strengthen and Repair Your Gut

Your gut lining isn’t just a passive barrier — it’s a living, renewing tissue that depends on the right fuel to stay strong. When you give your body what it needs to rebuild — like cysteine — you help it repair damage from stress, medications, radiation, or poor diet. The goal isn’t to take another supplement just for the sake of it. It’s to restore balance to your intestinal environment so your body can heal itself. Here’s how to get started:

1. Prioritize real food sources of cysteine every day — The best way to raise cysteine levels is through food. Focus on whole protein sources like pastured eggs, grass fed beef, and raw dairy. These foods naturally contain cysteine in a form your body recognizes.

If you’re plant-based, cooked lentils and beans are options, though they’re less concentrated. You don’t need massive amounts — consistency is what matters. Over time, you’ll feed your intestinal stem cells the raw material they need to keep your gut lining strong. If you’re sensitive to sulfur compounds or notice headaches or increased body odor when consuming sulfur-rich foods, start with smaller amounts of cysteine-rich foods and increase gradually.

2. Repair your gut barrier before adding complex foods — If your digestion is sensitive or you’re recovering from illness, your intestinal lining is likely fragile. Start simple. Use easily digestible foods like white rice and fruit before reintroducing heavier fibers. As your intestinal barrier heals, slowly expand your diet. Think of this as rebuilding a foundation — you wouldn’t stack bricks until the frame is stable. Cysteine works best when your gut environment is calm and ready to regenerate.

3. Support your immune system’s communication network — Cysteine’s healing effect depends on immune messengers that tell your gut cells to repair damage. To keep this system working smoothly, get daily sunlight exposure to support your vitamin D levels, which regulate immune balance.

I also recommend proper breathing and grounding in nature whenever possible; both help modulate your immune response and reduce stress hormones that slow regeneration. The more balanced your immune system, the faster cysteine-driven healing occurs.

4. Add NAC for deeper support and faster recovery — If you want an extra boost, consider N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a supplemental form of cysteine that your body converts easily. NAC helps raise glutathione — your body’s master antioxidant — which protects gut tissue from oxidative stress and inflammation.

Because glutathione is also a powerful detox agent, starting with too high a dose often triggers strong detox symptoms that make you feel worse before you feel better. To avoid this, begin low — around 400 to 600 milligrams (mg) once daily — and slowly increase your dose over time as your body adjusts.

Always take NAC with food to reduce stomach irritation. Long-term NAC supplementation may reduce copper levels. Consider monitoring copper status or taking periodic breaks from supplementation.

If you’re currently taking an antidepressant or undergoing cancer treatment, discuss the use of NAC with your physician first, as it may interact with certain antidepressants and chemotherapy drugs. NAC is especially useful if you’ve been exposed to environmental toxins, are recovering from antibiotics, or struggle with fatigue. It acts like an insurance policy, ensuring your body has enough raw material to rebuild, protect, and detox efficiently.

5. Avoid foods that inflame or block regeneration — The fastest way to undo progress is to keep eating foods that irritate your gut. Eliminate all seed oils, which are widely used in fried foods, restaurant meals and ultraprocessed snacks. These are high in linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat that acts as a mitochondrial poison when consumed in excess.

Replace them with stable fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter. Also, avoid high-fiber foods if your gut is inflamed — they worsen endotoxin buildup. You’ll know your gut is improving when bloating subsides, energy rises, and you tolerate a wider range of foods.

Healing your intestinal lining isn’t a quick fix — it’s a biological rebuild. If you’ve struggled with chronic gut issues, expect to see improvements gradually as your intestinal stem cells restore balance. Track your progress by how you feel: fewer digestive flare-ups, better bowel regularity, deeper sleep, and more stable energy are all signs your gut is responding.

You’re not just feeding your stomach — you’re training your body to heal itself through the signals you send with every meal. Your gut has remarkable regenerative power. When you supply the right inputs — nutrients like cysteine, healthy carbs, and recovery time — you teach your body to rebuild rather than just cope. The result is a stronger, more resilient digestive system that supports every aspect of your health.

FAQs About Cysteine and Intestinal Health

Q: What does cysteine do for your gut health?
A: Cysteine is a sulfur-based amino acid that helps your gut rebuild itself from the inside out. It activates your body’s natural repair system by stimulating the cells that regenerate your intestinal lining. This process strengthens your gut barrier, improves nutrient absorption, and reduces inflammation that often leads to digestive discomfort.

Q: How is cysteine different from other amino acids?
A: Unlike amino acids that mainly serve as building blocks for protein, cysteine acts like a repair signal. It communicates with your immune system and triggers the production of gut-healing compounds that tell your body when to rebuild damaged tissue. This makes cysteine not just a nutrient, but a powerful regulator of regeneration and resilience in your digestive system.

Q: What foods are rich in cysteine?
A: You’ll find the highest levels of cysteine in protein-rich foods such as pastured eggs, grass fed beef, and raw dairy. If you eat a plant-based diet, cooked lentils and beans help, though they contain less cysteine and should only be eaten if your gut is healthy. The key is consistency — including these foods daily supports continuous repair of your intestinal lining.

Q: How does NAC help, and how much should I take?
A: NAC is a supplemental form of cysteine that your body converts easily. It boosts glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant, which protects gut tissue from inflammation and oxidative stress. Because it also supports detoxification, starting with too high a dose can cause uncomfortable detox symptoms.

Begin with 400 to 600 mg once daily, taken with food, and increase slowly as your body adjusts. If you take antidepressants or are undergoing chemotherapy, talk to your physician before adding NAC, as interactions are possible.

Q: What should I avoid while trying to heal my gut with cysteine?
A: Stay away from seed oils, fried foods, and ultraprocessed snacks that contain LA, a fat that damages your mitochondria and interferes with repair. Also avoid high-fiber foods if your gut is inflamed, as they worsen endotoxin buildup. Instead, use stable fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter, and eat easily digestible foods such as white rice and fruit until your gut barrier strengthens.

Did you know that your oral health is directly tied to your heart health? According to one study, there’s one simple habit that makes a significant difference in your risk for cardiovascular problems — flossing.

Research presented at a major conference in 2025 found that people who flossed at least once a week had lower risks of stroke and irregular heart rhythms compared to those who skipped it. Yet, studies say that two-thirds of people skip this part of their daily hygiene routine.

Flossing Shows Big Rewards for Cardiovascular Health

A preliminary study presented at the American Stroke Association’s 2025 International Stroke Conference earlier this year found stronger evidence associating flossing with a reduced risk of severe cardiovascular illnesses — and these benefits appeared independently of other dental habits, such as brushing and/or regular visits to the dentist.1,2

• The report was based on the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study — This large-scale investigation began in 1987 and continues to track thousands of participants across decades. The research team examined more than 6,000 adults, assessing their use of dental floss using a structured questionnaire.

• The flossing habits of the participants were compared to their risk of cardiovascular health problems — These include stroke and atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heartbeat that greatly increases stroke risk. The researchers found that 4,092 participants who reported flossing had not experienced a stroke, while 4,050 had not been diagnosed with AFib.

• The research involved a 25-year follow-up — During this period, 434 strokes were recorded. These were further divided into larger artery brain clots (147), heart-driven clots (97), and hardening of the smaller arteries (95). Nearly 1,300 cases of AFib were also recorded.

• Flossing, even just once a week, appeared to have significant benefits — According to the researchers’ analysis, the participants who reported flossing at least once per week had a 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke, 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke, and 12% lower risk of AFib.

• The researchers also noted that flossing itself stood out as an independent protective behavior — The results held true even after accounting for brushing, dental visits, and other lifestyle factors. According to study lead author Souvik Sen, M.D., M.S., M.P.H:

“Oral health behaviors are linked to inflammation and artery hardening. Flossing may reduce stroke risk by lowering oral infections and inflammation and encouraging other healthy habits. Many people have expressed that dental care is costly. Flossing is a healthy habit that is easy to adopt, affordable and accessible everywhere.”3

However, the researchers note that these findings are preliminary, and that flossing alone is not enough to get rid of heart health issues; it is still essential to follow healthy lifestyle habits like eating a balanced diet, being physically active, getting enough rest, and avoiding smoking and alcohol intake.

How Does Flossing Reduce Heart Disease Risk?

The findings of this preliminary study cement the notion that oral health is closely connected to your heart. Considering that tooth decay and gum disease now affect 3.5 billion people globally,4 these findings serve as a wake-up call that your oral health needs to be given more stringent attention.

• Pathogenic bacteria in your gums don’t stay confined to your mouth — They travel throughout your body. Once they enter the bloodstream, they contribute to inflammation in your arteries. This puts you at risk of atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, and blood clots. Chronic inflammation also raises your risk of heart attack and stroke.

• Flossing helps reduce pathogenic oral bacteria — What makes flossing more beneficial than brushing alone is it helps remove food particles and plaque between your teeth more efficiently. Plaque, if left inside your mouth, turns into tartar, which cannot be removed by regular brushing or flossing, only through dental services.
Tartar needs to be removed, as this is the damage that leads to tooth decay and tooth loss. According to Dr. Karen Furie, neurologist-in-chief at Brown University Health in Providence, Rhode Island:

“Things that cause inflammation to the gums might be retained food or seeds, things that if not removed might inflame the gums and contribute to a systemic inflammatory state that might affect the health of the blood vessels.”5

• This explains why cardioembolic strokes showed the strongest risk reduction among regular flossers — These are clots that start in the heart and travel to the brain. Healthy gums reduce the bacterial load, lowering the chance of dangerous clot development.

• Other studies have reported similar findings — For example, a study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association investigated the relationship between self-reported flossing habits and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease events.

• The researchers categorized participants based on how often they flossed — Daily flossing appeared to have the most benefits, reducing the risk of cardiovascular health problems by 29% and death from heart disease by 36%.6

“Even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and lifestyle habits, results of our large-scale analysis provided evidence that poor flossing behavior was associated with higher prevalence of CVD events and increased risk of experiencing CVD-linked mortality and elevated CRP levels,” the researchers concluded.

This Simple Habit Could Even Reduce Your Risk of Premature Death

Beyond its cardioprotective effects, flossing has been found to help reduce mortality risk. According to the study, people who did not floss had a higher risk of dying during the follow-up period, even after adjusting for other variables.7

• Flossing is linked to a longer life — The study authors note that participants with poor flossing habits had an 8.3% all-cause mortality rate, compared to 6.3% among daily flossers. This suggests that flossing — and healthy oral habits — could have a broader influence on your health, going beyond just heart disease.8

• One area that’s affected by poor oral health is your brain health — A 2023 study published in Neurology found that poor oral health has been associated with hippocampal atrophy, a condition wherein the hippocampus brain region shrinks; this is a marker for Alzheimer’s disease.9

• Both gum disease severity and tooth loss were linked to brain changes — The study authors found that those with mild gum disease and fewer teeth had a faster shrinkage rate in the left hippocampus. In addition, having one less tooth increased brain shrinkage at a rate equivalent to nearly one year of brain aging.

“In conclusion, this study revealed that having fewer teeth is associated with a faster rate of left hippocampal atrophy in patients with mild periodontitis, whereas having more teeth is associated with a faster rate of atrophy in those with severe periodontitis. This finding indicates that periodontitis may have a greater association with left hippocampal atrophy than the association exhibited by age,” the researchers concluded.10

How to Floss Properly

Flossing is one of the simplest habits to incorporate in your daily routine. It’s inexpensive and time-efficient — you can do it in just a few minutes or less. But did you know that there’s a proper way to floss to maximize its benefits? If you’re not flossing properly, you’re not getting all the unwanted particles out, allowing bacteria to thrive.

• It’s not simply popping floss in and out the gaps — Many people are guilty of this — all they do is glide the floss in between the teeth gaps in a straight motion. Instead, make sure to pull the tape up then slightly slide it under your gum line, in a C-shape. Aim to do eight to 10 up-and-down strokes per tooth.

• Dexterity issues? Consider soft plaque removers instead — These materials are similar to toothpicks and help clean the spaces between your teeth with one hand. Note that if brushing, flossing, or using a plaque remover causes bleeding gums, this is a sign that bacteria are working.

• Should you brush or floss first (and does it matter)? The answer depends on whom you ask. Some dentists recommend flossing first simply because it gets it out of the way and lessens the risk that you’ll simply skip it once you’re done with brushing.

Others recommend flossing first because you can then brush away any plaque particles or food debris that have been removed. Still others advise brushing your teeth and then flossing before you rinse; this will help pull some of the toothpaste between your teeth as you floss.

• The good news is both methods work — What’s important is you’re flossing. In fact, the American Dental Association (ADA) says, “Either way is acceptable as long as you do a thorough job.”11

• The right type of floss matters, too — Ideally, find one that uses vegan wax. Most commercially made flosses contain “forever chemicals,” which poses dangers to your well-being. If you have wider spaces between your teeth, use Super Floss, which is thicker.

• Ready to floss? Once you’ve found a brand of floss that suits you, follow these steps.

Use a piece of floss that is about 15 to 18 inches long and wrap each end around your index fingers.
Gently slide the floss between your teeth. Don’t snap it down into your gums.
At the gum line, wrap the floss around the side of the tooth in the shape of a “C,” and gently but firmly slide the floss up and down the tooth and side-to-side, making sure you get down into the gum line as well. Scrub both sides of the adjacent teeth before moving on to the next set.
Repeat on the rest of your teeth, including the back side of your last tooth.

Oil Pulling Complements Flossing for Better Oral Health

In addition to brushing and flossing, many people also gargle with mouthwash to help promote optimal oral health. While this sounds like good advice to follow, a better alternative is oil pulling. As the name implies, oil pulling refers to swishing oil around your mouth to “pull” bacteria away from your teeth and gums. It’s an ancient technique rooted in Ayurvedic practice, which is one of the world’s oldest traditional medicine systems.

• Oil pulling is simple — Just measure a tablespoon of organic, high-quality coconut oil and place it into your mouth (don’t swallow). Swish the oil around using your cheeks and tongue. Make sure to “pull” the liquid through your teeth to eliminate any bacteria that brushing and flossing cannot reach.

• Don’t rush; take it slow and easy — Unlike flossing, which takes only a few minutes, oil pulling lasts longer — ideally around 20 minutes. This will tire out your jaw, so to keep this from happening, relax your jaw muscles as you swish the oil around.

• Don’t swallow or gargle the oil — The oil will be pulling bacteria from your mouth, making it thick and milky. If you feel the urge to swallow or feel tired, simply spit out the oil, take a short break and start again. However, do not spit the oil down your bathroom sink, as it will solidify and cause plumbing problems. Instead, spit out the oil into the garbage bin or in your yard, taking care not to hit the plants.

• To supplement your oil pulling, I recommend increasing the pH levels in your mouth to help reduce bacterial growth further — Do this by mixing 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 6 ounces of water and gargling. This will alkalize the pH of your mouth, and since bacteria thrive in an acidic environment, the increased pH will discourage growth.

To learn more about the advantages of oil pulling, read “Why Is Oil Pulling Suddenly All the Rage?” I believe that this three-step routine — brushing, flossing, and oil pulling — will give you an advantage, protecting not only your heart but your overall health as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Flossing and Heart Health

Q: How is flossing connected to heart health?
A: Flossing removes harmful bacteria and plaque from between your teeth. Without it, these bacteria enter your bloodstream, inflame your arteries, and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and irregular heart rhythms.

Q: How often do I need to floss to see benefits?
A: Research shows that even flossing once a week lowers stroke and atrial fibrillation risks. Daily flossing offers the strongest protection, further reducing your chances of cardiovascular problems and premature death.

Q: Isn’t brushing enough to protect my heart and gums?
A: Brushing cleans tooth surfaces, but it misses the tight spaces between teeth. Flossing reaches those hidden areas where bacteria thrive, making it an independent and necessary step for better overall health.

Q: What specific health risks are lowered by flossing?
A: Studies found flossing is linked to a 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke, a 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke, and a 12% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, even after adjusting for other habits.

Q: Does flossing really affect my overall lifespan?
A: Yes. Participants with poor flossing habits had higher all-cause mortality rates than daily flossers. By reducing systemic inflammation and infections, flossing supports not just oral health but also longevity and brain function.

Why does vitamin D deficiency persist in people who get sunlight and take supplements? Low sun and poor diet are the usual suspects, but they miss the real bottleneck, a mineral most Americans don’t get enough of. Data published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that 79% of U.S. adults fail to meet the recommended intake for magnesium, a mineral required to activate and regulate vitamin D inside your body.1

That means even if you take vitamin D supplements or spend time in the sun, your body struggles to use it efficiently. Here’s where it becomes personal. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to fatigue, frequent illness, poor bone health, chronic diseases, and low mood. At the same time, magnesium deficiency shows up as muscle cramps, poor sleep, irritability, and stress sensitivity. This overlap is not a coincidence.

Magnesium acts as a switch that turns vitamin D into its active form, meaning a deficiency in one disrupts the function of the other. If you’ve taken vitamin D for months and felt no different, or watched your lab numbers barely budge, you probably don’t have a vitamin D problem. You have an activation problem.

The vitamin D you swallow or make in your skin isn’t the working form. It’s a raw ingredient — chemically inert until your body converts it twice, first in the liver and then in the kidneys, into the hormone your cells can actually read. Research clearly reveals how magnesium controls this process, and why fixing this single gap changes how your body uses vitamin D from the inside out.

Magnesium Fine Tunes How Your Body Uses Vitamin D

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study followed 180 adults between ages 40 and 85 to find out how magnesium supplementation affects vitamin D metabolism.2 Researchers used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, meaning participants were assigned to either magnesium or placebo without knowing which they received, and outcomes were measured objectively. The goal was to determine whether magnesium changes how vitamin D is processed, activated, and regulated in real people.

Instead of giving everyone the same amount of magnesium, researchers adjusted magnesium intake based on each person’s baseline diet and calcium-to-magnesium ratio. Blood samples were taken multiple times over a 12-week period, and scientists measured several forms of vitamin D, not just the standard one you see on a lab test. That gave a much clearer picture of what was actually happening inside the body.

• Magnesium raised vitamin D when levels were low and lowered it when levels were high — Magnesium acted like a regulator, not a simple booster. When participants had vitamin D levels near 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), magnesium increased their levels. But when levels were higher, magnesium actually reduced them. This balancing effect means your body uses magnesium to keep vitamin D within an optimal range instead of letting it swing too low or too high.
• The effect depended on the starting point, which explains inconsistent results with supplements — The relationship between magnesium and vitamin D “was significantly different dependent on the baseline concentrations” of vitamin D. That helps explain why some people take vitamin D and see no improvement, while others respond quickly. Your starting level changes how your body reacts, and magnesium determines how that response plays out.
• Different forms of vitamin D shifted in specific ways — The study didn’t just track total vitamin D. It measured forms like 25(OH)D3 (the storage form doctors measure on lab tests) and 24,25(OH)2D3, a breakdown product the body uses to clear excess. Magnesium increased certain forms when needed and reduced others when they were excessive. Your body is constantly adjusting and recycling vitamin D, and magnesium controls that process.
• Changes happened within a 12-week window, showing fast biological impact — Participants were followed over roughly three months, with repeated measurements during that time. Within that window, magnesium supplementation shifted vitamin D metabolism in measurable ways. That means your body responds relatively quickly once the missing piece is restored.

The paper references cases where individuals with vitamin D deficiency didn’t improve even after receiving extremely high doses of vitamin D, up to 600,000 IU. Once magnesium was added, their bodies responded and vitamin D levels normalized. That shows how foundational magnesium is. Without it, even aggressive supplementation fails.

• Magnesium controls the enzymes that activate and deactivate vitamin D — The study explains that vitamin D needs to go through multiple conversion steps before your body can use it. These steps rely on enzymes called cytochrome P450 enzymes, which act like biological machines that convert raw vitamin D into its active form and break it down when necessary. Magnesium is required for these enzymes to function properly.

Two key enzymes, 25-hydroxylase and 1α-hydroxylase, convert vitamin D into its usable form, and both depend on magnesium. If magnesium is low, this activation slows down or stalls. At the same time, other enzymes that deactivate vitamin D also rely on magnesium, meaning your body loses its ability to regulate balance.

These enzymes are like a two-stage assembly line in your liver and kidneys. Your liver adds the first modification (25-hydroxylase), the kidney adds the second (1α-hydroxylase), and only after both stations finish does vitamin D become the hormone your cells can actually read. Magnesium is the electricity powering both stations. Without it, the assembly line stops and raw vitamin D piles up unused.

How to Fix the Root Cause That Blocks Vitamin D from Working

Your body doesn’t struggle with vitamin D alone. It struggles with activating it. Once you correct the magnesium gap and align your daily habits with how your biology actually works, your vitamin D levels start behaving the way they were designed to.

1. Fix your magnesium status first so your body can actually use vitamin D — Most magnesium sits inside your cells, not in your blood, which is why standard tests often miss the problem. Even a clean diet full of magnesium-rich foods often falls short because modern soil lacks minerals. While I generally recommend you get your nutrients from food, magnesium is a rare exception. Reaching the recommended 420 milligrams per day through diet alone is difficult.
If you want the most advanced absorption, liposomal magnesium delivers it directly into your cells by mimicking how your body absorbs fats. Once your magnesium is in place, your vitamin D finally starts working the way it should.
2. Pair vitamin D3 with magnesium and vitamin K2 for full activation — The three nutrients work as a team. Vitamin D3 is the raw material your skin makes from sunlight. Magnesium is the activator — without it, D3 stays dormant. Vitamin K2 is the traffic director, steering the calcium that vitamin D pulls from your gut toward your bones rather than your arteries.
Skip any one, and the other two can’t do their jobs. In fact, people who skip magnesium and K2 need more than twice as much vitamin D to reach the same blood levels as those who take all three together.3 Combining all three changes your results quickly.
3. Get your vitamin D from sunlight first whenever possible — Your body makes vitamin D3 through your skin in response to sunlight exposure, and that form matches what your biology expects. Ideally, get sun exposure daily and pay attention to your skin. No redness means you stayed within a safe range.
This simple habit improves mood, sleep, and energy because it ties directly into your circadian rhythm and cellular energy production. You aren’t just making vitamin D. You’re restoring a natural signal your body depends on.
4. Remove seed oils before increasing midday sun exposure — If your diet includes seed oils like canola, soybean, or sunflower oil, your tissues are loaded with linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat that oxidizes under ultraviolet (UV) light, making you more prone to sunburn and skin damage, especially during peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Give your body time to clear stored LA, about six months, before you increase midday sun exposure. This step changes how your skin handles sunlight from the inside out. Replace seed oils with stable fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter.
5. Test your vitamin D levels twice a year and track your progress — The only way to know if your vitamin D levels are in the optimal range is to get your levels tested. Aim for a vitamin D level between 60 and 80 ng/mL (150 to 200 nmol/L), and test every six months. Treat this like a measurable goal. If your numbers fall in the optimal range, your approach works. If they’re not, adjust your sunlight exposure or supplementation.

FAQs About Magnesium and Vitamin D

Q: Why does vitamin D deficiency persist even if I get sun or take supplements?
A: Because vitamin D needs to be activated inside your body before it works. Magnesium is required for that activation. When magnesium levels are low, vitamin D stays inactive, so your body can’t use it effectively even if your intake looks adequate.

Q: What role does magnesium play in vitamin D metabolism?
A: Magnesium controls the enzymes that convert vitamin D into its active form and also helps regulate its breakdown. Research shows it acts like a balancing system, raising vitamin D when levels are low and lowering it when levels are too high.

Q: What are common signs that I might be low in magnesium or vitamin D?
A: Low vitamin D is linked to fatigue, frequent illness, chronic diseases, poor bone strength, and low mood. Low magnesium often shows up as muscle cramps, poor sleep, irritability, and higher stress levels. When these symptoms overlap, it points to a breakdown in how your body is using these nutrients.

Q: Why do some people not respond to vitamin D supplements?
A: Your starting nutrient levels matter. If magnesium is low, your body can’t properly activate vitamin D, which explains why some people see little change in their labs or symptoms even after taking high doses.

Q: What’s the most effective way to improve vitamin D levels?
A: The best source of vitamin D is regular sun exposure. Focus on fixing magnesium status first, then test your levels to see if you’re within the optimal range. If not, increase sun exposure and consider supplementing with vitamin D3, combined with magnesium and vitamin K2. This approach supports how your body naturally produces, activates, and regulates vitamin D for better results.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
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What does biological age measure besides the number of years someone has lived?

How efficient the cardiovascular system works
How long someone has been physically active
How much belly fat someone has
How well the body is actually functioning
Biological age reflects how well the body functions inside, using signs like metabolism, inflammation, and organ health. Learn more.

Nearly 90% of U.S. adults have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, yet almost no one has heard of it.1 That’s what the American Heart Association (AHA) revealed in its October 2025 survey.2 The condition is a newly defined but increasingly urgent public health crisis — one that connects the dots between heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and obesity.

CKM syndrome means your body’s main systems for circulation, filtration, and metabolism are breaking down together. It’s a silent threat that puts nearly nine out of 10 adults at risk for heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. When you hear the term “CKM syndrome,” think of a vicious loop. High blood pressure strains your kidneys. Damaged kidneys disrupt your metabolism.

Poor metabolic function drives insulin resistance and fat storage, which, in turn, burden your heart even more. You might experience symptoms like fatigue, swelling in your legs or ankles, difficulty losing weight, high blood sugar, or elevated blood pressure — but many people feel fine until the damage becomes severe. That’s why CKM is often missed until a major event, such as a heart attack, forces a diagnosis.

Unlike isolated diseases, CKM syndrome is an integrated condition that reflects the collapse of your body’s internal network. It’s not just one organ malfunctioning — it’s your entire energy and filtration system signaling distress. Understanding this connection is the first step toward reversing it.

Most Adults Don’t Know They Have CKM Syndrome — but Almost Everyone Is at Risk

The AHA survey found that nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults had never heard of CKM syndrome — even though almost 90% already had at least one risk factor for it.3 This new diagnosis links three of the most common chronic disease systems: the heart, kidneys, and metabolism.

The survey, conducted by The Harris Poll among about 4,000 adults, revealed that public understanding of this condition is alarmingly low despite its enormous prevalence. According to Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, the AHA’s chief medical officer for prevention, CKM syndrome represents “a full circle” of interconnected health issues that require attention as a whole, not in isolation.

• Most adults misunderstand how chronic diseases interact — Only 12% of Americans had ever heard of CKM syndrome, while 79% said it was important to understand it better and 72% wanted to learn more. Yet two-thirds of respondents incorrectly believed the best approach was to manage one condition at a time — for example, treating high blood pressure separately from high blood sugar or obesity.

This fragmented thinking mirrors how conventional medicine is often practiced. The AHA survey highlights the danger of that approach: when one system fails, the others quickly follow. If your kidneys lose function, your blood pressure rises; if your metabolism falters, your heart takes on more strain.

• Most people didn’t realize how these organs affect each other — Forty-two percent of participants believed that a healthy heart wouldn’t be damaged by problems in other organs, or weren’t sure if that was true. In reality, poor kidney function increases your heart’s workload, and metabolic dysfunction raises inflammation and oxidative stress, accelerating heart disease.

The AHA used a simple visual to explain it: your heart pumps blood through your body, your metabolism turns sugar into energy, and your kidneys clean your blood of waste. If one link breaks, the others weaken too.

• The AHA framed CKM syndrome as both common and reversible — Most CKM cases can be improved with lifestyle changes — including better eating habits and increased physical activity. Unlike advanced heart or kidney failure, CKM syndrome often starts silently with small, reversible imbalances. Tracking your blood pressure, blood sugar, body weight, and kidney function gives you control over your long-term health.

• Researchers stressed the need for coordinated care across medical specialties — The AHA found that people with multiple chronic conditions often receive conflicting or overlapping treatments because cardiologists, nephrologists, and endocrinologists work separately. The CKM Health Initiative aims to bridge these gaps, helping health care teams collaborate so patients receive integrated care instead of fragmented management.

The AHA also announced plans to release the first-ever guidelines for diagnosing and managing CKM syndrome in early 2026. These guidelines are designed to help doctors identify at-risk patients earlier, measure progress more effectively, and prioritize lifestyle-based prevention.

Is CKM Syndrome a Breakthrough or Just a Rebrand?

A commentary published in PLOS Medicine questions AHA’s CKM syndrome framework.4 Rather than celebrating it, the researchers challenged whether this term represents a true medical advance or just a polished way of describing conditions we’ve known to be connected for decades — heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and kidney dysfunction. They warned that if CKM doesn’t drive earlier prevention and measurable change in patient outcomes, it risks being “a simple rebranding of known clinical principles.”

• The commentary acknowledged the value of connecting the dots but warned against overpromising — The AHA’s framework does highlight an important reality: your metabolism, heart, and kidneys rise and fall together. However, as the researchers argued, simply naming that connection isn’t enough.

It’s already recognized that obesity, high blood pressure, and poor glucose control share common roots in mitochondrial dysfunction, excess linoleic acid (LA), and sedentary living. Without tackling those upstream causes — cellular energy failure, inflammatory fat, and chronic stress — CKM becomes just another layer of terminology.

• Researchers used large-scale data to show how CKM risk multiplies — The commentary cited a Taiwanese study of 515,602 adults followed for over 16 years.5 For each added CKM condition — such as diabetes on top of obesity or kidney disease — the risk of death from any cause rose by 22%, while cardiovascular deaths increased by 37%. Each new condition shaved an average of three years off lifespan.

The data confirm what many patients experience firsthand: chronic conditions cluster, compound, and accelerate decline when left untreated. Yet the commentary authors argued that medicine doesn’t need a different label to recognize this pattern — it needs better prevention grounded in metabolic repair.

• Key blind spots reveal how narrow the CKM model still is — The paper called out the AHA’s oversight of the liver, which plays a central role in metabolic and inflammatory balance. By leaving out metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — otherwise known as fatty liver disease — the AHA missed a major piece of the puzzle.

Some experts even suggested the framework should evolve into “CKLM syndrome” to reflect the liver’s role in regulating blood sugar and fat metabolism.

• The authors questioned whether CKM is ready for the clinic — At present, CKM lacks clear diagnostic criteria or validated tools that doctors can use in practice. The framework depends on theoretical models, not measurable interventions. The authors compared it to metabolic syndrome, which was widely publicized but not implemented effectively because it didn’t translate into prevention or treatment strategies that addressed root causes.

In my experience, that gap exists because mainstream medicine rarely acknowledges the foundational problem: failing mitochondria. You don’t fix CKM by naming it — you fix it by restoring cellular energy and reducing the metabolic toxins that cause it.

• Without lifestyle reform, CKM is just a slogan — The PLOS Medicine authors ended with a blunt warning: CKM could move medicine forward if it sparks genuine reform — but it will collapse into irrelevance if it stops at reclassification. That means shifting the focus from symptom management to energy metabolism, nutrition, and environmental repair.

Whether CKM becomes a meaningful clinical framework or another hollow acronym depends on what happens next. The true solution to CKM is not more diagnosis, but more energy — restoring mitochondrial health through diet, movement, sunlight, and removing what’s poisoning your cells in the first place.

How to Restore Cellular Energy and Escape the CKM Cycle

You don’t need another medical label to tell you your metabolism is failing — you need a plan to fix it. The truth behind CKM syndrome is that it’s not a new disease at all. It’s the visible result of deep mitochondrial dysfunction — the slow breakdown of your body’s ability to create and use energy. When that system collapses, your blood pressure rises, your kidneys struggle to filter waste, your metabolism slows, and your body starts storing energy as fat instead of using it.

If you want to reverse CKM, you need to go after the cause: mitochondrial dysfunction causing low cellular energy, inflammatory fats, and chronic stress. When you fix that, your heart, kidneys, and metabolism naturally recover — without waiting for a new medical framework to tell you how.

1. Cut LA to repair your mitochondria — The most damaging modern toxin isn’t sugar — it’s excess LA, the polyunsaturated fat hidden in seed oils. These oils infiltrate your cell membranes, distort energy metabolism, and trigger chronic inflammation. If you regularly eat restaurant food or packaged snacks, you’re already overloaded. Replace seed oils — soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, canola — with stable saturated fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter.

This reduces oxidative stress, improves mitochondrial respiration, and helps your organs communicate properly again. Your target is less than 5 grams of LA daily, ideally under 2 grams. To track your intake, I recommend you sign up for the Mercola Health Coach, which is coming out soon. One of its main features is the Seed Oil Sleuth, which calculates your vegetable oil intake to the tenth of a gram.

2. Rebuild energy production with healthy carbohydrates — Your mitochondria run on glucose, not deprivation. Low-carb, fasting-heavy diets suppress thyroid function and lower metabolic rate — the exact opposite of what you need. I recommend 250 grams of carbohydrates per day from whole-food sources such as fruit and root vegetables.

If your gut is sensitive, start with fruit and white rice, which are easy to digest. As your digestion improves, add starches later. This steady fuel supply turns your mitochondria back on and keeps your metabolism resilient.

3. Restore mineral balance to protect your heart and kidneys — Magnesium is your body’s electrical stabilizer — it regulates blood sugar, heart rhythm, and blood pressure. Yet most people are deficient. Even if you eat organic vegetables, today’s soil is far more depleted in magnesium than it was decades ago. While nuts and seeds are often promoted as magnesium-rich, I don’t recommend them because they’re packed with LA. This is why many people benefit from a magnesium supplement.

Find your personal dose using magnesium citrate: increase until stools loosen, then reduce slightly. Once you know your ideal level, maintain it with magnesium glycinate or magnesium malate; these forms are well-absorbed and easy on your digestive system. Proper magnesium balance restores smooth energy flow between organs, preventing the calcium overload that drives oxidative stress in CKM.

4. Balance hormones with sunlight and progesterone — Chronic stress and environmental estrogens shut down mitochondrial function. Sunlight reverses that process by triggering vitamin D and melatonin production inside your mitochondria, optimizing your circadian rhythm and cellular repair.

Combine this with natural progesterone, which counters estrogen-driven fat gain, stabilizes thyroid activity, and reduces water retention. If you’ve struggled with hormonal weight gain or fatigue, this is one of the fastest ways to regain equilibrium.

5. Move, breathe, and sleep like your life depends on it — because it does — Daily movement isn’t optional for energy recovery. Regular walking — ideally 60 minutes daily — improves glucose use, circulation, and kidney filtration. Add resistance training two to three times per week to build muscle, which acts as a glucose reservoir and metabolic buffer.

Just as important is rest: deep sleep restores mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, lowers cortisol, and synchronizes hormonal rhythms. Breathing practices that increase carbon dioxide, such as slow nasal breathing, calm your nervous system and improve oxygen delivery to your tissues — the foundation of real metabolic repair.

Restoring your CKM health is not about treating multiple diseases. It’s about reclaiming energy. Once your mitochondria begin functioning again, your blood pressure stabilizes, your kidneys filter efficiently, and your metabolism turns back on. The solution isn’t a new diagnosis — it’s rediscovering how to live in alignment with how your biology was designed to generate energy and heal itself.

FAQs About CKM Syndrome

Q: What exactly is CKM syndrome?
A: CKM syndrome isn’t a new disease — it’s a new name for the same metabolic breakdown driving today’s chronic health crisis. It describes what happens when your heart, kidneys, and metabolism fail together because your body’s energy system — your mitochondria — has stopped working efficiently. When that happens, your blood pressure climbs, your kidneys can’t filter waste properly, and your body stores fat instead of burning it.

Q: Why are so many people at risk without knowing it?
A: Nearly 90% of American adults already have at least one CKM risk factor, yet almost no one has heard of it. The AHA’s 2025 survey revealed that most adults think their heart, metabolism, and kidneys operate independently — when in truth, they’re part of one network. That misunderstanding keeps people trapped in fragmented treatments that don’t address the real cause: failing energy metabolism.

Q: Is CKM a genuine breakthrough or just another acronym?
A: A 2025 commentary in PLOS Medicine warned that CKM simply rebrands what medicine has known for decades — that obesity, diabetes, and heart disease share the same roots.6 Without lifestyle reform and mitochondrial repair, the framework changes nothing. The real solution lies in prevention — removing toxic seed oils, restoring metabolic energy, and improving mitochondrial function through movement, sunlight, and nutrient balance.

Q: What’s actually driving CKM syndrome?
A: The breakdown begins at the cellular level. Excess LA from seed oils, chronic stress, and poor nutrition damage your mitochondria — the tiny powerhouses inside every cell. As energy production falters, inflammation rises, hormones fall out of balance, and organs lose communication. CKM isn’t caused by bad luck or genetics — it’s the predictable result of a low-energy lifestyle that can be reversed once you fix your metabolism.

Q: How do you start reversing CKM and restoring energy?
A: The first step is eliminating seed oils to stop mitochondrial damage. Next, feed your cells with real carbohydrates like fruit and root vegetables, not restrictive low-carb diets that starve your metabolism. Support heart and kidney function with magnesium, balance hormones with sunlight and natural progesterone, and rebuild energy through daily movement and deep sleep. Once your mitochondria are working again, your blood pressure normalizes, your kidneys recover, and your metabolism reignites.

Each night while you dream, your brain performs one of its most important tasks — cleaning itself. As you enter deep sleep, a hidden network flushes away waste that builds up during the day. But when this system slows down, toxic proteins begin to linger, quietly damaging brain cells years before symptoms ever appear.

One of the earliest clues something’s wrong is a strange sleep disorder that causes people to move, shout, or strike out while dreaming. This condition, known as isolated REM sleep behavior disorder, isn’t just restless sleep — it’s often the first visible sign of a much deeper neurological problem. Research now shows that nearly everyone diagnosed with it eventually develops Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies, both linked to how well your brain clears waste.

Advances in brain imaging are uncovering what happens long before tremors, stiffness, or memory loss set in. Scientists are now able to detect subtle changes in brain fluid balance and waste-removal efficiency — signals that your brain’s internal “plumbing” is beginning to fail. These findings are rewriting how we understand the earliest stages of neurodegeneration and opening a new path toward prevention: keeping your brain’s cleaning system working for life.

Brain Scans Reveal Hidden Waste Build-Up Years Before Parkinson’s Symptoms Appear

A study published in Neurology investigated whether brain imaging could detect early warning signs of neurodegeneration in people with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) — a condition known to precede Parkinson’s and related diseases.1

Using a specialized MRI method, the researchers measured how efficiently the brain’s glymphatic system — the waste-clearing network that flushes toxins during sleep — was working. They wanted to know whether problems in this system could predict who would later develop Parkinson’s or dementia with Lewy bodies.

• The study involved hundreds of participants across five countries — The research included 250 patients with iRBD and 178 healthy controls recruited from centers in Canada, the U.K., France, and Czechia.

All participants underwent advanced MRI scans and were followed for an average of six years. Among those with iRBD, 65 individuals eventually developed a neurodegenerative disease, most commonly Parkinson’s. Those who converted had distinct MRI patterns showing reduced activity in the brain’s waste-clearing channels — especially on the left side.

• Patients with the lowest glymphatic function were twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s — People with the sleep disorder who later developed Parkinson’s showed weaker brain waste clearance, meaning their brains were less effective at washing out toxins during sleep.

This specific pattern did not appear in those who developed dementia with Lewy bodies. In practical terms, this suggests that glymphatic slowdown is more strongly linked to Parkinson’s-type degeneration, giving doctors a measurable way to differentiate between disease pathways years before symptoms emerge.

• The left side of the brain appeared more affected than the right, offering clues about early disease progression — Interestingly, the reduction in glymphatic function occurred mainly in the left hemisphere, which mirrors how Parkinson’s often begins asymmetrically — typically affecting one side of the body before the other.

This lateral difference could explain why some people notice tremors or stiffness in only one hand or leg at first. It also shows that early Parkinson’s-related brain changes follow a predictable biological pattern.

• Standard MRI scans didn’t catch what this test did — When researchers compared the imaging results to regular MRI measures, they saw no clear differences between groups. This means conventional scans weren’t sensitive enough to spot the early waste-clearance problems linked to brain decline. The newer method, however, picked up a clear pattern that signaled disease progression.

The Brain’s ‘Cleaning System’ Could Act as a Diagnostic Frontier

Your glymphatic system, powered by glial cells and cerebrospinal fluid flow, removes toxic proteins that build up in your brain during wakefulness. When this flow is disrupted — especially during sleep — waste products accumulate and trigger inflammation and neuronal death. The study supports the theory that Parkinson’s begins not with dopamine loss alone but with years of poor waste clearance.2

• Your brain depends on sleep to take out the trash — and when that process slows, damage begins — Think of your glymphatic system as your brain’s plumbing. During deep sleep, cerebrospinal fluid flows through channels surrounding blood vessels, washing out debris.

When those channels get clogged or slow down, toxins linger, setting the stage for neurodegeneration. According to the researchers, this dysfunction precedes visible symptoms by several years, suggesting that tracking glymphatic health could give people time to intervene before irreversible damage occurs.

• This discovery could change how neurodegenerative diseases are detected and treated — By using noninvasive MRI to measure glymphatic function, doctors could one day identify high-risk individuals — especially those with sleep disorders like iRBD — and monitor them for early intervention.

Lifestyle changes that support deep sleep, reduce inflammation, and improve cerebrospinal flow could help protect glymphatic health. For anyone concerned about memory loss or movement problems later in life, this research offers a powerful reason to take sleep quality and nighttime brain repair seriously.

Extra Fluid on Brain Scans Predicts Who Will Develop Lewy Body Dementia

In a complementary study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, researchers also found that people with iRBD are very likely to later develop either Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body dementia.3 Using MRI, the team looked for “free water,” which means extra fluid between brain cells. More fluid usually means brain tissue is irritated or breaking down.

• The study followed hundreds of people over time — Researchers studied 261 people with this sleep disorder and 177 healthy people across five countries. Over about eight years, 64 of the patients developed a brain disease — 16 developed Lewy body dementia and 38 developed Parkinson’s. Those who showed more fluid in brain areas linked to memory and thinking were far more likely to develop Lewy body dementia.

• More fluid in the brain meant higher dementia risk — People with extra fluid between brain cells were far more likely to develop Lewy body dementia instead of staying healthy. Each step up in fluid level roughly doubled the overall risk of disease and sharply increased the chance of dementia compared with Parkinson’s.

• People with more brain fluid declined faster — Those with higher fluid levels developed disease sooner — within a few years — while those with lower levels stayed healthy longer. This shows the test could help doctors identify high-risk patients early enough to start brain-protective strategies.

• Thinking scores dropped as brain fluid rose — People with higher fluid in memory-related areas scored lower on cognitive tests that measure focus and recall. In other words, when these brain areas look “wetter,” thinking and memory already start to slip.

Typical MRI looks for brain shrinkage, but this study found that measuring fluid between cells gave better early warnings of dementia. It picked up problems even before tissue loss was visible.

• Too much fluid in brain tissue is an early red flag for Lewy body dementia — This simple MRI method could help doctors — and you — spot early brain changes years before memory problems begin, giving more time to protect brain health.

How to Keep Your Brain’s Cleaning System Working for Life

If your goal is to protect your memory, movement, and clarity as you age, it starts with how well your brain removes waste while you sleep. The study in Neurology shows that your brain’s cleaning network slows down long before diseases like Parkinson’s or Lewy body dementia appear.4

The research in Alzheimer’s & Dementia adds another piece to the puzzle, revealing that fluid buildup between brain cells predicts who will later develop memory loss or movement problems.5 Together, these findings show that one key to lifelong brain health is keeping your internal “plumbing” clear and flowing.

You don’t need fancy scans or medical treatments to do that. Simple, daily habits that support deep sleep, circulation, and hydration make a powerful difference in how your brain detoxifies and repairs itself each night.

1. Prioritize deep, restorative sleep every night — Your brain clears out waste almost entirely during deep sleep. If you struggle with insomnia or wake up often, your brain’s plumbing doesn’t have enough time to drain toxins. Make your bedroom dark and cool, avoid screens at least an hour before bed, and aim for uninterrupted rest. Even going to bed 30 minutes earlier improves your brain’s waste flow and helps prevent buildup that harms memory and movement.

2. Sleep on your side to boost your brain’s waste removal — Research shows your brain’s cleaning system works best when you sleep on your side rather than on your back or stomach.6 Use a body pillow if needed to stay comfortable. This position helps fluid move more easily through the same left-side brain areas that showed early signs of dysfunction in Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia risk studies.

3. Move your body to move your brain fluid — Gentle aerobic activity — like walking, swimming, or cycling — acts like a pump for your brain’s detox system. Movement increases blood flow and oxygen, helping flush waste and protect the nerve cells that control memory and movement. Start small — just 15 minutes a day — and build up over time. The better you move, the better your brain drains.

4. Keep your circulation strong and your fluids balanced — Your brain depends on steady circulation to deliver oxygen and carry waste away. Start your morning with a glass of pure water and continue sipping throughout the day, using thirst as your guide.

Choose water-rich fruits and vegetables — like cucumbers, celery, berries, and watermelon — to keep fluids moving smoothly. Add a sprinkle of sea salt or a squeeze of lemon to your water if you tend to lose minerals easily, since electrolytes help your brain’s fluid system flow efficiently.

5. Protect your sleep from inflammation and toxins — Alcohol, vegetable oils, processed foods, and eating late at night disrupt deep sleep and overload your body’s detox systems. Give yourself three hours to digest before lying down. Avoid exposure to heavy metals and pesticides whenever possible — they contribute to the protein buildup seen in neurodegenerative diseases.

By caring for your sleep, hydration, and daily movement, you create the right conditions for your brain to clean itself every night. Think of each night’s rest as a tune-up for your neurons — one that protects your memory, mood, and independence for years to come.

FAQs About Predicting and Preventing Neurodegenerative Diseases

Q: What is iRBD, and why does it matter?
A: iRBD is a sleep disorder that causes people to move, shout, or act out dreams while asleep. It’s not just a sleep problem — it’s one of the earliest warning signs of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies. Studies show that most people diagnosed with iRBD develop one of these conditions within about 15 years.

Q: How do newer brain imaging methods help detect disease earlier?
A: Researchers developed advanced MRI techniques that detect subtle changes in how your brain clears waste and manages fluid balance. These scans reveal early signs of dysfunction years before movement problems or memory loss appear, offering doctors a way to identify high-risk individuals sooner.

Q: What do the studies show about early warning signs in the brain?
A: The Neurology study found that people with weaker brain waste clearance were more likely to develop Parkinson’s.7 The Alzheimer’s & Dementia study showed that people with extra fluid between brain cells were more likely to develop Lewy body dementia and experience faster cognitive decline.8 Together, they reveal that brain “plumbing” problems begin long before symptoms surface.

Q: Can lifestyle habits really protect my brain’s cleaning system?
A: Yes. Deep, high-quality sleep, regular movement, hydration, and a nutrient-rich diet all support healthy cerebrospinal fluid flow — the foundation of your brain’s waste-removal system. These habits reduce buildup of toxic proteins linked to diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia.

Q: What’s the main takeaway from this research?
A: Early detection of waste-clearance problems could transform how doctors prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases. But even without scans, you can take action now: prioritize sleep, stay hydrated, move daily, and minimize toxin exposure. Each of these habits keeps your brain’s cleaning system working — protecting your memory, balance, and long-term vitality.

Your brain doesn’t age on a fixed schedule. It ages based on what your body is dealing with, including your metabolism, your environment, and the daily stress load you carry. When those factors push your biological age ahead of your actual age, your brain is one of the first places to show the damage. Think of biological age as your body’s “wear and tear” score.

Two 55-year-olds can have very different biological ages depending on how their organs, blood vessels, and metabolism are actually functioning. Two recent studies make that connection virtually impossible to ignore. The first, presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 78th Annual Meeting, drew on one of the largest health databases in the world to track how the gap between biological and chronological age shapes stroke risk and brain structure over time.1

The second, published in Nature Medicine, took a wider lens, looking across dozens of countries to measure how the environments people live in, from the air they breathe to the communities around them, drive brain aging at a population level.2

Together, these studies point to the same conclusion from two different angles. Your biological age isn’t locked in. It shifts in response to the load placed on your body, and your brain tracks that shift closely. The findings below show exactly how much is at stake, and more importantly, how much is within your control.

Lowering Biological Age Reshapes Your Brain from the Inside Out

The first study analyzed data from 258,169 participants in the UK Biobank to determine whether biological age acceleration — the gap between your actual age and how old your body behaves — predicts brain decline and stroke risk over time.3

Researchers used 18 routine blood biomarkers, such as cholesterol levels and white blood cell counts, to calculate biological age at baseline and then again years later, following participants for a median of 10 years to track brain imaging results, cognitive performance, and stroke outcomes.

• Participants with older biological age showed worse brain outcomes — The population included middle-aged adults with an average chronological age in the mid-50s. Individuals whose biological age exceeded their actual age had worse cognitive test scores, poorer brain imaging profiles, and significantly higher stroke risk. This means your internal aging speed directly connects to how well your brain functions, not just how many years you have lived.
• Stroke risk jumped sharply when biological age increased — For every meaningful jump in biological aging, stroke risk rose by 41%. That reflects a major change in how vulnerable your brain becomes to vascular damage, which is damage to the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to brain tissue.
• Improving biological age led to measurable protection — Participants who reduced their biological age gap over time saw the opposite effect. Their risk of any stroke dropped by 23%, and their risk of ischemic stroke — the most common type, caused by blocked blood flow — dropped by 27%.
• Brain scans confirmed structural improvements — Imaging data revealed that people who improved their biological age had lower volumes of white matter hyperintensities — damaged areas in the brain linked to cognitive decline and dementia — with a reduction of about 13%.4

White matter hyperintensities are essentially small areas where the brain’s “wiring insulation” has been damaged, often by poor blood flow, like corroded spots on electrical cables that slow or disrupt signals. People with improved biological age also showed better white matter diffusion metrics, which reflect how efficiently signals travel through the brain, and smaller ventricular volume, meaning less brain shrinkage over time.

Imagine water flowing through a network of pipes; white matter diffusion metrics measure whether the pipes are clear and flowing smoothly or clogged and leaky. Biological age reflects the condition of multiple organ systems at once, including cardiovascular, metabolic, kidney, and liver function. When these systems function better together, your brain receives more stable blood flow, fewer inflammatory signals, and stronger metabolic support, all of which protect its structure.

• The timeline shows change is possible even later in life — Researchers measured biological age at one point, then again roughly six years later, and followed outcomes for up to a decade. That time frame shows that improvements made during midlife still translate into long-term brain protection, rather than requiring lifelong perfection.
The associations held even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors and conventional cardiovascular risks like blood pressure. That tells you something important: the benefits of lowering biological age don’t depend on perfect genetics or ideal circumstances. Improvements show up across different populations.

Your Environment Shapes How Fast Your Brain Breaks Down

For the Nature Medicine study, researchers analyzed 18,701 individuals across 34 countries to understand how a wide range of environmental, social, and political factors influence brain aging at a population level.5 Instead of isolating one factor at a time, the study examined 73 different exposures, including air pollution, access to green space, and social inequality, to see how they work together to affect the brain over time.

Participants ranged from healthy adults to those with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and other neurodegenerative conditions, allowing researchers to compare how these exposures affect people at different stages of brain health. The findings showed that combined environmental and social pressures had a stronger effect on brain aging than individual diseases alone, which shifts the focus away from just treating illness and toward reducing the total burden placed on your body.

• Combined exposures had dramatically stronger effects than single risks — When researchers looked at all 73 exposures together, they explained up to 15 times more variation in brain aging than any single factor by itself.
This means your brain doesn’t respond to one isolated risk; it responds to the total load. Researchers call this a “syndemic” effect; stressors don’t just add up, they multiply. Polluted air is damaging on its own.6 Chronic stress is damaging on its own. But breathing bad air while living under chronic stress gives you something much worse.
• Higher exposure burden sharply increased accelerated brain aging — Individuals exposed to higher levels of combined environmental and social stressors had a 3.3- to 9.1-fold higher risk of accelerated brain aging compared to those with lower exposure levels. That shows that where you live, the air you breathe, and the stress you face daily directly shape how quickly your brain declines.
• Physical environment damage showed up in key brain regions — Factors like air pollution, extreme temperatures, and lack of green space were strongly linked to structural changes in the brain, especially in areas responsible for memory, emotional regulation, and automatic body functions like heart rate and breathing.
• Social stressors hit brain function even harder — Conditions such as poverty, inequality, and lack of social support had a powerful impact on functional brain aging, affecting regions tied to thinking, decision-making, and emotional processing. In fact, the study noted that these combined social pressures had effects that exceeded those of clinical diagnoses in some cases, meaning long-term stress reshapes brain function at a fundamental level.

Social exposures drive long-term stress responses, pushing your brain to stay in a heightened state of alertness and adjustment. Over time, this drains resources, disrupts normal signaling, and accelerates decline in areas responsible for memory, mood, and decision-making.

• Your brain responds to stress through inflammation and damage pathways — Researchers linked structural brain aging to mechanisms such as neuroinflammation, which means chronic activation of your brain’s immune system, oxidative stress, which damages cells through unstable molecules, and vascular dysfunction, which impairs blood flow. These processes gradually wear down brain tissue, leading to shrinkage and loss of function.

How to Lower Your Biological Age by Fixing the Factors That Age Your Brain

Your brain responds to the total stress load placed on your body, from your metabolism to your environment to your daily habits. When that load stays high, biological aging speeds up. When you reduce that load, your brain structure and function hold steady longer. That gives you meaningful control. Rather than chasing antiaging gimmicks, remove the forces that accelerate damage and restore the conditions your body needs to repair itself.

1. Fix your metabolic health first — If your blood sugar stays elevated or unstable, your biological age climbs, and that drives vascular damage that reaches your brain. Stable energy changes everything. Center your diet around whole foods with enough carbohydrates to support cellular energy. Most adults function best with about 250 grams of targeted carbohydrates daily, and more if you stay active.
Protein intake matters just as much. Aim for about 0.8 grams per pound (or 1.76 grams per kilogram) of lean body mass, with one-third coming from collagen-rich sources like slow-cooked meats or bone broth. At the same time, high intake of polyunsaturated fats, especially linoleic acid (LA) from seed oils, interferes with how your body burns glucose. That forces your cells to rely on less efficient energy pathways — the metabolic equivalent of running a car engine on the wrong fuel.
It still runs, but it generates more exhaust and more wear. Remove all major sources — soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and safflower oils — along with processed foods, nuts, and seeds, which concentrate these fats. Replace them with stable fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter. When your metabolism runs efficiently, your brain receives steady fuel instead of stress signals.
2. Reduce your total toxic exposure load next — The research shows that your brain responds to the combined burden of environmental and social stressors, not just one factor. Start with the exposures you contact daily. Run a high-quality air purifier in the room where you sleep.
Filter your tap water to cut fluoride, environmental chemicals, and pesticide residues. Don’t heat food in plastic or drink from plastic water bottles left in a hot car; heat accelerates the leaching of endocrine disruptors. Time in green spaces also lowers the stress load placed on your system. Small changes compound quickly.
3. Train your body to stay resilient through movement — Physical activity strengthens the same systems that determine biological age: your cardiovascular system, your metabolism, and your brain. Daily walking builds a strong foundation.
Work your way up to about an hour per day. Add strength training two to three times per week to preserve muscle and metabolic function. Keep your body moving throughout the day instead of sitting for long blocks. Movement isn’t optional. It’s one of the fastest ways to slow internal aging.
4. Use sunlight strategically to boost cellular energy — Sun exposure does more than support vitamin D. It directly improves mitochondrial function, which drives energy production in your cells. Morning sunlight helps reset your circadian rhythm and improves sleep quality. Avoid intense sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until you’ve reduced seed oil intake for at least six months, since high LA levels increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun.
5. Protect your brain by managing stress and staying engaged — Chronic stress reshapes your brain and accelerates aging in areas tied to memory and decision-making. You need active countermeasures. Stay socially connected, because isolation increases your biological aging load. Challenge your brain with learning, problem-solving, or new hobbies and environments.
Protect your sleep like your brain depends on it, because it does. During deep sleep, your brain runs a waste-clearance system called the glymphatic system, flushing out metabolic byproducts. If you’re under constant stress, your brain shifts into survival mode. When you reduce that pressure, it shifts back toward repair and resilience.

FAQs About Biological Age and Your Brain

Q: What is biological age and why does it matter for my brain?
A: Biological age reflects how well your body functions on the inside, based on markers like metabolism, inflammation, and organ health. When it rises faster than your actual age, your brain shows earlier damage, including poorer cognitive performance, higher stroke risk, and visible structural changes on imaging.

Q: How much does biological age affect stroke risk and brain damage?
A: Data from over 258,000 people showed that higher biological age raised stroke risk by 41%, while improving it lowered stroke risk by 23% and reduced brain damage markers by about 13%.7 That shift directly affects how well your brain maintains memory, processing speed, and overall resilience.

Q: What actually drives biological aging in my brain?
A: Your brain responds to the total load placed on your body. This includes metabolic stress, environmental exposures like pollution, and social pressures such as chronic stress or isolation. When these factors stack together, they accelerate brain aging far more than any single issue alone.

Q: Can I reverse or slow biological aging once it starts?
A: Yes, improvements show up even later in life. Research tracked changes over six years and found that reducing biological age during midlife still led to long-term protection against stroke and brain deterioration over the following decade.

Q: What are the most effective ways to protect my brain based on this research?
A: The strongest impact comes from addressing root causes. Stabilizing your metabolism, lowering toxic exposures, staying physically active, getting regular sunlight, and reducing chronic stress all work together to lower biological age and protect your brain from decline.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article.

What are dental amalgam fillings commonly called?

Ceramic fillings
Silver fillings
Dental amalgam fillings are often called silver fillings, even though mercury is the largest single ingredient by weight. Learn more.
Resin fillings
Gold fillings

1 What is the new initiative designed to measure microplastics inside the body called?

Plastic Exposure Tracking Program (PETP)
Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP)Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP) aims to measure, track, study, and remove microplastics and nanoplastics inside the body. Learn more.
National Chemical Burden Project (NCBP)
Human Particle Mapping System (HPMS)

2 What type of workout does gardening mirror?

Strength training and cardioGardening includes lifting, digging, squatting, and carrying, which can build strength, support endurance, and improve daily movement. Learn more.
Gentle stretching with no muscle effort
Balance drills without raising heart rate
Rest periods that replace regular movement

3 Which amino acid may signal the body to repair tissue?

GlycineGlycine is one of the key collagen amino acids that may support tissue repair, physical function, and healthy aging. Learn more.
Caffeine
Glucose
Sodium

4 Where does Akkermansia muciniphila usually thrive?

Inside stomach acid
In the intestinal mucus layerAkkermansia muciniphila thrives in the intestinal mucus layer, where it uses mucin as its main food source. Learn more.
On the surface of the skin
Within the bloodstream

5 What type of exercise aligns with rising cortisol and alertness?

Late-night exercise
Random exercise timing
Morning exerciseMorning exercise aligns with rising cortisol and alertness, which may support cardiovascular response and workout readiness. Learn more.
Bedtime stretching only

6 What overlooked factor may reduce vitamin D supplement absorption?

Drinking too much water
Taking the supplement with food
Choosing vitamin D3
Taking it at the wrong timeVitamin D works best when taken with the right meal and timing, so taking it randomly or on an empty stomach may reduce absorption. Learn more.

7 What symptom can happen during antidepressant withdrawal?

Brain zapsWithdrawal symptoms may include brain zaps, dizziness, anxiety, insomnia, and mood swings, which can sometimes be mistaken for relapse. Learn more.
Nausea
High fever
Flu-like symptoms

Test Your Knowledge with
The Master Level Quiz

1 What is one of the most direct routes for microplastic exposure?

Morning sunlight
Drinking waterDrinking water is a direct exposure route for microplastics, so a high-quality filtration system may help reduce daily particle intake. Learn more.
Outdoor walking
Deep breathing

2 Which fat source is less likely to cause inflammation?

Soybean oil
Canola oil
TallowTallow is an animal-based fat, while soybean, canola, and corn oils are seed oils. Balancing them with omega-3s from krill oil or fatty fish may help lower inflammation. Learn more.
Corn oil

3 What habit can increase microplastic exposure from food and drinks?

Using plastic containers for mealsHeating food in plastic, drinking from disposable bottles, or storing meals in plastic containers can increase microplastic exposure. Learn more.
Cooking meals in stainless steel pans
Drinking from a glass water bottle
Storing leftovers in ceramic dishes

4 Aside from lowering cortisol, what other stress-relief benefit can gardening offer?

Blocking every stressful thought right away
Reducing the need for sleep recovery
Removing all anxiety after one session
Helping you focus on the present momentGardening can lower cortisol while helping attention shift into the present moment, which supports a calmer nervous system. Learn more.

5 At how many weekly minutes do strength training’s longevity benefits start to drop?

20 to 40 minutes
40 to 60 minutes
130 to 140 minutesStrength training beyond 130 to 140 minutes per week may reverse longevity gains by increasing inflammation, injury risk, and stress on the body. Learn more.
200 to 240 minutes

6 What flower may help reduce the need for pesticides or toxic repellents?

Rose
YarrowYarrow attracts helpful insects that naturally control pests. Fennel, goldenrod, marigolds, nasturtiums, and alyssum may also support pest control. Learn more.
Orchid
Hydrangea

7 Which food is a collagen-rich source that may support tissue repair?

Plant-based milk
Collagen-infused juices
Bone brothBone broth provides collagen-rich protein and glycine, which help support connective tissue repair and antioxidant protection. Learn more.
Naturally made cheese

8 What is a better source of taurine than energy drinks?

Grass fed beefTaurine-rich whole foods like grass fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, and shellfish are healthier sources of taurine compared to processed foods. Learn more.
Plant-based energy gels
Brown rice
Trail mix with plenty of nuts

9 How many milligrams (mg) of copper daily were linked to better memory in older adults?

0.2 to 0.6 mg
0.8 to 1.0 mg
1.2 to 1.6 mgOlder adults who consumed 1.2 to 1.6 milligrams of copper daily scored higher on memory and processing speed, with stroke survivors benefiting most. Learn more.
2.5 to 3.0 mg

10 Which kind of milk naturally contains Akkermansia muciniphila?

Almond milk
Breast milkAkkermansia muciniphila is present in breast milk, rises quickly in infants, reaches adult levels by age 2, and may decline with age. Learn more.
Oat milk
Skim milk

11 Why are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) called “forever chemicals”?

They are hard to remove from the bodyPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are called forever chemicals because they persist for years and are difficult for the body to eliminate. Learn more.
They disappear quickly after digestion
Fiber turns them into healthy compounds
Short exposure makes them harmless

12 How does osteoarthritis develop?

Immune cells attack joints quickly on both sides
Joint swelling begins suddenly after mild stress
Infection spreads into cartilage and bone tissue
Cartilage slowly breaks down in weight-bearing jointsOsteoarthritis develops from slow cartilage breakdown, often in weight-bearing joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is different because it causes autoimmune joint inflammation. Learn more.

13 How can someone tell if they are a morning or evening exerciser?

Follow the same workout time as everyone else
When your energy and motivation feels the strongestThe best workout time often matches when energy, focus, and motivation naturally feel strongest, whether earlier or later in the day. Learn more.
Pick the time that feels hardest to maintain
Exercise only when a schedule forces it

14 Which statement is not true about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

It can cause breathing pauses during sleep
Loud snoring and daytime fatigue are common signs
It mostly affects active teenagers who play sportsObstructive sleep apnea can interrupt breathing and sleep quality. Risk factors include age, excess throat tissue, weak throat muscles, and airway problems. Learn more.
Age, airway issues, and weak throat muscles can raise risk

15 How many grams (g) of bay leaves are suggested daily for metabolic support?

0.5 g to 1 g
4 g to 8 g
A piece or two will do
1 g to 3 gBay leaves may be used whole, brewed as tea, or taken ground, with 1 to 3 grams daily suggested for metabolic support. Learn more.

16 Which nutrients help the body use vitamin D properly?

Calcium and vitamin C
Magnesium and vitamin K2Magnesium and vitamin K2 help support proper vitamin D activation and use, especially when sunlight is limited or supplements are needed. Learn more.
Iron and vitamin B12
Zinc and vitamin E

17 Which type of bacteria can strongly trigger the body’s clotting response?

E. coliE. coli can release endotoxin that enters the bloodstream and triggers clot formation, even without clear infection or heart disease. Learn more.
Lactobacillus
Bifidobacteria
Akkermansia

18 What water temperature may be gentler for digestion?

Ice-cold water
Lukewarm water
Room temperature waterRoom temperature water may feel gentler on the stomach and support smoother digestion, absorption, and steady hydration throughout the day. Learn more.
Chilled water

19 Which is not a common characteristic of depression?

Persistent sadness and low motivation
Medium to neutral energy for activitiesDepression is marked by sadness, fatigue, poor focus, and trouble sleeping. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of metabolic dysfunction, isolation, and poor health. Learn more.
Poor concentration and sleep disruption
Loss of interest in daily life

20 What is one simple way to protect the microbiome?

Use antibacterial products every day
Be less selective of your meats and produce
Take more preventative antibiotics for better gut health
Avoid unnecessary antibiotics when it’s not really neededAntibiotics can disrupt the microbiome, so they should be used only when needed for an active infection, not through routine exposure from food or products. Learn more.

21 Which statement about molecular hydrogen (H2 gas) is incorrect?

It’s just as large as an oxygen moleculeMolecular hydrogen (H2 gas) is the smallest molecule, allowing it to pass through membranes, reach mitochondria, and act as a selective antioxidant. Learn more.
It can diffuse through cell membranes
It may reach the mitochondria inside cells
It works as a selective antioxidant

Linoleic acid (LA) is the most abundant fat in the modern diet, not because your body requires it in large amounts, but because it’s the primary omega-6 polyunsaturated fat (PUF) in vegetable oils used throughout the food supply. While often marketed as heart-healthy, LA accumulates in your tissues over time and integrates into cell membranes, including the keratinocytes that make up your skin.

As keratinocytes migrate toward the skin’s surface, they carry LA with them. Once exposed to sunlight, LA breaks down easily into reactive byproducts that increase your risk of skin damage.1 The good news is, a promising solution exists in an odd-chain saturated fat found in full-fat dairy and ruminant animals — pentadecanoic acid (C15:0). Unlike LA, C15:0 supports cellular integrity and protects the skin from oxidative stress.

The Adipose Trap — Why Diet Alone Takes Too Long

LA creates a persistent metabolic challenge that defies simple dietary changes. Once consumed, it’s absorbed into adipose tissue and stored in triglyceride reserves, where it lingers far longer than most people realize.2

• Adipose tissue turns over slowly — Triglycerides are continually broken down through lipolysis and reassembled through re-esterification, yet radiocarbon dating studies show that the average triglyceride molecule in subcutaneous fat remains in place for approximately two years. In other words, the LA you consumed one or two summers ago may still be entering your bloodstream today.3,4

• Skin cells renew on a much shorter timescale — Keratinocytes complete their journey from the basal layer (the deepest part of the epidermis where new skin cells form) to the stratum corneum (the outermost layer made of dead skin cells) in roughly 28 days.5 During this process, they assemble membranes using fats transported through the bloodstream by the protein albumin.6

This lipid supply reflects not only your current diet, but also what’s being released from fat stores. This means that even if dietary LA has been completely removed, keratinocytes will continue to incorporate it into their membranes as long as it’s still being released from storage.

• The body has no built-in mechanism to speed up LA removal — The body lacks a mechanism to specifically target or rapidly eliminate stored LA, nor does it flag it for disposal based on its instability. As a result, clearance proceeds at the natural pace of adipose turnover.

• This mismatch in turnover rates creates a metabolic bottleneck — Enzymes involved in phospholipid synthesis prioritize lipid abundance over quality. So as long as LA dominates the bloodstream, it will continue to be used.

This is why dietary changes often fall short. While removing seed oils is important, it does not address the backlog that continues to influence tissue composition. This is where approaches, such as incorporating specific fats that reshape membrane competition and accelerate turnover, offer a meaningful advantage.

What Is C15:0 and How Does It Help Clear LA from Your Skin?

C15:0 plays an important role in cellular stability, mitochondrial health, and metabolic regulation. It has been proposed as a recognized essential fat, since the body cannot synthesize it in sufficient quantities to meet physiological needs. Yet, most people consume only 100 to 200 milligrams of C15:0 daily, primarily from dairy fat.7

• C15:0 is chemically stable and resists oxidation — C15:0 contains no double bonds, making it highly resistant to peroxidation. This contrasts sharply with LA, which has reactive bis-allylic bonds and breaks down easily into damaging lipid peroxides. C15:0 helps build membranes that are less vulnerable to oxidative stress.8

• C15:0 integrates directly into membrane phospholipids — It occupies the sn-1 position of key phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), the same structural slot typically taken by palmitic acid or LA. This integration reduces LA’s presence in cells that turn over quickly, including keratinocytes.9

• It suppresses lipid recycling by altering enzymatic competition — As circulating C15:0 increases, acyl-CoA and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT) enzymes, which play key roles in phospholipid remodeling, preferentially incorporate C15:0 over PUFs. This reduces the chance of LA being reincorporated into cell membranes. Over time, this reduces LA availability for skin cells and helps restore healthier lipid balance.10

• It influences fat-burning and anti-inflammatory signaling — C15:0 partially activates PPAR-α and PPAR-δ, two nuclear receptors that regulate lipid oxidation, inflammation, and mitochondrial function. Activation of PPAR-α upregulates CPT1, the enzyme for transporting long-chain fats into mitochondria, thereby promoting β-oxidation and accelerating the clearance of stored fats, including LA released from adipose tissue.11

• It activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) — AMPK acts as a cellular switch that flips on when energy reserves run low. Once activated, it boosts mitochondrial activity, initiates the removal of damaged or dysfunctional components, and promotes β-oxidation. AMPK also dampens mTOR signaling, a growth-promoting pathway that drives fat storage and cellular expansion. Together, these shifts promote faster lipolytic turnover.12,13,14

How Long Does It Take C15:0 to Push LA Out of Your Skin?

C15:0 acts quickly once circulating levels rise, integrating efficiently into the blood lipid pool and shifting the body’s lipid supply within weeks. From there, the process of displacing LA from skin tissue unfolds across several biological layers — plasma, cell membranes, and ultimately adipose tissue.

• Circulating levels rise within weeks — In a 12-week randomized controlled trial, just 200 milligrams per day (mg/day) of C15:0 raised its concentration in plasma phospholipids by 1.9 micrograms per milliliter (mg/mL). This study suggests that even modest doses are efficiently absorbed and incorporated into circulating lipids over time.15

• What a study on EPA tells us — Since no direct human studies exist on how fast C15:0 displaces LA from skin membranes, we can look to similar fats that compete at the same biological sites to estimate timing and effect. One of the best-established examples comes from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fat.

In one trial, a dose of 1.8 g/day of EPA reduced LA content in platelet membranes by 15% within two weeks. Although EPA and C15:0 differ structurally, both act on the same enzymatic targets during membrane assembly, making this study a useful benchmark for modeling displacement kinetics in the absence of direct human data on C15:0.16

• Red blood cell (RBC) membranes turn over rapidly — In vitro studies show that saturated fats like C15:0 are quickly esterified into RBC membrane phospholipids. Since keratinocytes draw from the same circulating fatty acid pool, this rapid renewal offers an early indication of how fast C15:0 becomes available for skin membrane remodeling.

• Modeling membrane turnover at 2 grams per day — Based on the EPA displacement kinetics,17 2 g/day of C15:0, which is 10 to 20 times the current average intake, can be used as the modeled dose to initiate meaningful LA displacement in keratinocyte membranes.

At this intake, circulating lipids reach saturation within three to four weeks. This allows membrane remodeling to begin within a single skin renewal cycle. Below is a projected timeline of LA displacement in the epidermis:

◦ Weeks 0 to 4 — Around 10% reduction in LA in newly formed keratinocyte phospholipids.

◦ Weeks 4 to 12 — About 25% to 30% cumulative reduction as successive skin layers cycle out.

◦ Months 3 to 6 — Progress plateaus until adipose LA supply wanes.

• C15:0 cuts the clearance timeline in half — This modeling shows that 2 g/day of C15:0, combined with LA restriction, can cut the effective half-life of adipose LA from 12 months to about six months. This reduces the time required to clear up over 80% of mobilizable LA to roughly 12 to 18 months, helping stabilize the skin’s lipid profile far sooner.

• Individual factors influence your remodeling timeline — Individuals with over 30% body fat typically carry a larger reservoir of stored LA, which extends the time required to fully remodel skin membranes even with consistent C15:0 intake and strict LA restriction.

In addition, genetic differences in fat metabolism, such as fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene variants or reduced LPCAT enzyme activity, may reduce C15:0’s effect during membrane assembly. These variables don’t negate the benefits; they just mean the timeline may stretch closer to 24 months for some.

The Skin Benefits of Accelerated LA Clearance

When LA saturates skin membranes, it increases your susceptibility to oxidative stress. Upon UV exposure, LA breaks down into lipid peroxides like 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which damage DNA, compromise mitochondrial function, and fuel inflammation. The higher your skin’s LA content, the more destructive this reaction becomes.18,19

• Displacing LA with C15:0 measurably lowers this risk — As the skin remodels over successive renewal cycles and adipose leakage slows, the burden of UV-induced 4-HNE drops substantially. The table below outlines the projected timeline for this shift, inferred from linear relation between membrane LA and 4-HNE generation:20

Timeframe
What’s Happening Biologically
Estimated Reduction in UV-Driven 4-HNE Burden

0 to 1 month
C15:0 enters circulation; first new keratinocyte layer forms with less LA
~10%

1 to 3 months
LA levels fall further as skin continues to renew with C15:0-rich membranes
~25%

3 to 12 months
Skin keeps improving, but LA released from fat slows additional progress
~30% to 45%

12 to 18 months
Most stored LA is cleared; skin maintains a more stable, low-LA membrane state
More than 60%

• This shift brings forward your “don’t-burn” window by about a year — The C15:0 protocol compresses your skin’s vulnerable period to 12 to 18 months. While this doesn’t eliminate all UV risks, it significantly lowers your skin’s baseline sensitivity to sun damage.21

• Sunlight becomes safer once your lipid profile stabilizes — LA removal doesn’t mean avoiding sunlight. In fact, once your skin has remodeled away from PUF dominance, sun exposure supports circadian alignment, nitric oxide release, vitamin D production, and mitochondrial energy output.

Take a deeper dive into the benefits of C15:0 to your health in “C15:0 — Found in Dairy — May Be an Essential Fat.”

How to Do the C15:0 Protocol

Clearing LA from your skin requires more than adding the right nutrient — it depends just as much on subtracting the wrong ones. The steps below outline how to properly implement the protocol, monitor your progress, and support your body’s lipid turnover mechanisms along the way:

1. Keep LA intake less than 2% of your calorie intake — Eliminate industrial seed oils, including soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, canola, and grapeseed oil. These fats are widely used in packaged foods, restaurant meals, condiments, and processed snacks.

LA also accumulates in the fat of grain-fed animals, particularly poultry and pork, where it reaches levels comparable to seed oils. These sources should be avoided or replaced with pasture-raised alternatives to prevent ongoing exposure through hidden dietary fats.

Learn more about how to lower your LA intake in “Linoleic Acid — The Most Destructive Ingredient in Your Diet.”

2. Take 2 grams of C15:0 per day, divided with meals — Use a pure pentadecanoic acid powder or a verified high-C15 butter or ghee concentrate. Split the dose between meals to maintain even plasma levels and maximize tissue uptake.

3. Track your status every three months — Use an RBC or dried-blood-spot test to confirm that your C15:0 levels are 0.4% or more and your LA is less than 5% of your total fats. These markers confirm that remodeling is occurring. If your numbers plateau, reassess for hidden LA intake or inconsistent dosing.

4. Support fat turnover with lifestyle strategies — Promote the release and clearance of stored LA from adipose tissue by incorporating intermittent fasting, high-intensity workouts, and heat exposure through sauna use or hot baths.

For high-intensity exercise, limit sessions to no more than 75 minutes per week, as research shows longer durations undermine longevity and recovery. If using intermittent fasting, avoid long-term restrictive protocols that depress thyroid function and metabolic rate; short, occasional fasts are safer and more sustainable.

5. Ease into sun exposure until at least your second summer — Until adipose LA is largely depleted, skin remains vulnerable to UV-triggered oxidative stress. During this window, avoid midday sun, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and instead focus on early morning or late afternoon sun exposure.

Once LA levels decline and membrane composition stabilizes, your skin becomes more resilient. At that point, you can begin to increase midday exposure gradually without burning.

Avoid using conventional sunscreens, which block vitamin D synthesis and contain ingredients that interfere with endocrine or skin health. Instead, build your tolerance with timed, progressive exposure and support internal protection through dietary antioxidants like astaxanthin, niacinamide, and vitamin E, along with saturated fats from ghee, butter, and tallow.

For a deeper understanding of how to safely approach sun exposure, read “Beyond Vitamin D Production — How Sensible Sun Exposure Supports Overall Health.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Clearing LA from Your Skin

Q: Why is linoleic acid harmful to my skin?
A: LA is highly unstable and prone to oxidation. When integrated into skin cell membranes, it generates toxic byproducts like 4-HNE upon sun exposure, which damage DNA and accelerate skin aging.

Q: How does C15:0 help clear out LA?
A: C15:0 is a stable saturated fat that integrates into cell membranes in place of LA. It supports structural integrity and resists oxidation. By competing at key enzymatic sites, C15:0 helps displace LA from skin tissues and accelerates its clearance from fat stores, especially when combined with a low-LA diet.

Q: How long does it take to remove LA from my skin using C15:0?
A: At a dose of 2 grams per day, C15:0 begins altering skin membrane composition within one skin renewal cycle (about four weeks). Over the course of 12 to 18 months, it can remove more than 80% of mobilizable LA from tissues, cutting the typical clearance timeline in half.

Q: What are the best food sources of C15:0?
A: C15:0 is naturally found in full-fat dairy and ruminant fat, particularly in butter and ghee. However, typical intake from food is only 100 to 200 mg per day, which is well below the effective 2-gram daily dose needed for membrane remodeling. Supplementation with pure pentadecanoic acid powder or tested high-C15 butterfat concentrates is usually necessary.

Q: Is sun exposure safe during the C15:0 protocol?
A: Sunlight is beneficial once your membrane composition stabilizes. However, early in the protocol, when LA is still leaking from your fat stores, the skin remains vulnerable to UV-induced damage. During this window, practice caution when spending time outdoors.

When your dentist says “silver filling,” picture this instead: a paste that’s half mercury by weight — the same neurotoxin that closed down hat factories in the 1800s and triggered international treaties in the 2010s. Yet it’s still being drilled into American teeth, including children’s, every single day. That detail rarely comes up at the appointment, and most patients walk out of the office not knowing what was just placed inside their mouth.

An analysis published in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine set out to answer a question that should have been settled decades ago: do these fillings actually raise mercury levels inside the human body?1 Researchers turned to a large, nationally representative dataset of American adults, measured mercury directly in blood and urine, and compared people with amalgam fillings to people without them. What they found has serious implications for how Americans think about routine dental care.

Mercury attacks your body on three fronts: it inflames the nervous system, damages the kidneys that filter it out, and poisons the mitochondria — the tiny power plants inside every cell that produce your energy. That last point explains why fatigue is so often the first symptom: when your cellular engines sputter, everything else slows down with them.

Its symptoms — fatigue, brain fog, headaches, trouble concentrating, irritability, and disrupted sleep — are so easily blamed on aging, stress, or a busy schedule that the underlying cause often goes unrecognized for years. Once mercury enters your body, it doesn’t stay put. It slips past the blood-brain barrier, crosses the placenta during pregnancy, and quietly accumulates in tissues over time.

That’s why the growing movement toward mercury-free dentistry is gaining ground. Below, I’ll walk you through exactly what the researchers discovered, what it means for you if you already have amalgam fillings, and the practical steps you can take to lower your exposure starting today.

Before you finish reading, make sure you reach the action alert near the end of this article. A national push to ban mercury fillings is underway right now, and public comments to federal regulators could help decide whether this outdated practice finally disappears from U.S. dentistry.

Mercury Levels Climbed as Fillings Added Up

For the study, investigators analyzed data from 1,377 adults ages 18 to 70, representing more than 180 million weighted Americans, meaning the smaller study group was statistically adjusted to reflect the larger U.S. adult population. Instead of relying on guesswork or self-reported symptoms, the researchers measured actual mercury concentrations in blood and urine samples, then compared people with amalgam fillings to people without them.

• Adults with amalgam fillings carried measurably higher mercury levels — The researchers found that nearly 61% of adults fell into the “amalgam exposed” group, meaning they had at least one mercury filling surface. Blood mercury concentrations rose significantly in those adults compared to people without amalgam fillings. Blood total mercury levels were 1.34 times higher, while inorganic mercury — the form most closely linked to dental amalgams — was 1.33 times higher in the exposed group.
• More fillings meant more mercury circulating in blood — Researchers identified a direct relationship between the number of amalgam surfaces and blood inorganic mercury levels. Every additional filling surface added more mercury burden to the bloodstream. Inorganic mercury is not the same as the methylmercury commonly linked to fish exposure. The study showed dental fillings acted as their own unique source of mercury exposure inside the body.
• Investigators estimated how much mercury vapor people absorbed daily — Researchers used a mathematical system that estimates how chemicals move through the body to calculate daily mercury vapor exposure from amalgams. They factored in body weight, urine mercury levels, and urine flow rates to estimate how much mercury vapor adults absorbed each day.
• Some adults exceeded federal safety thresholds — Earlier findings referenced in the study estimated that about 16 million adults received mercury vapor exposures above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety limit from amalgam fillings alone. Even more alarming, researchers noted California’s mercury vapor safety threshold is roughly 10 times stricter than the federal EPA limit. That gap highlights how differently agencies define “safe” exposure.
• Pregnant women faced elevated exposure too — The paper referenced previous analyses showing roughly 36% of pregnant women carried amalgam fillings, and about 600,000 pregnant women exceeded the EPA mercury vapor limit from dental amalgams. That becomes especially concerning because mercury crosses the placenta and reaches the developing fetus.

Mercury Moves Through Your Entire Body Once It Leaves the Filling

Researchers explained that mercury vapor enters through the lungs, rapidly absorbs into blood, and then spreads into tissues and organs throughout the body. Your bloodstream essentially becomes a transport system that carries mercury everywhere.

Mercury vapor dissolves into fatty tissues — including the brain, which is roughly 60% fat — and spreads through cell membranes with almost no resistance. That allows it to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain, while also crossing the placental barrier during pregnancy. Once mercury enters tissues, it oxidizes — meaning it changes form chemically — which traps it inside cells and makes removal much harder.

• Blood tests only show part of the problem — Researchers warned that blood mercury levels don’t fully reflect how much mercury accumulates in organs and tissues. They cited earlier autopsy research showing the number of amalgam fillings correlated with tissue mercury levels even when blood measurements did not. Your bloodwork could look relatively modest while mercury still accumulates inside organs over many years.
• Scientists ruled out several common confounding factors — The investigators adjusted their statistical models for age, sex, ethnicity, body weight, and country of birth to make sure the mercury findings were not explained by unrelated variables. Even after those adjustments, the relationship between amalgam fillings and mercury exposure remained strong.
• The researchers directly called for reducing amalgam use — Investigators stated that “efforts should be made to reduce/eliminate the continued use of amalgams.” They also recommended that people who want to lower mercury exposure consult dentists trained in safe amalgam removal. This is an important detail because improper drilling releases large bursts of mercury vapor directly into the air you breathe.
• Your daily habits influence how much mercury releases from fillings — Every bite, chew, and clench releases a small puff of mercury vapor — invisible, odorless, and inhaled directly into your lungs. Over a lifetime of three meals a day, that’s roughly 65,000 chewing sessions per decade, each one adding to a cumulative dose your body didn’t ask for. Hot drinks and chronic gum chewing raise exposure further because heat and friction accelerate mercury vaporization.

Make Mercury-Free Dentistry Your Baseline

Reading this with a mouthful of amalgam fillings is unsettling. The good news is that mercury exposure isn’t permanent destiny; your body has real defenses, and the choices you make starting today determine whether your burden grows or shrinks.

1. Treat mercury fillings like any other toxic metal exposure — Before choosing a new dentist, ask: “Does your office place mercury amalgam fillings on patients?” If the answer is yes, keep looking. Mercury doesn’t belong in your teeth any more than lead belongs in your drinking water.
Don’t let the term “silver filling” soften the reality of what’s inside your mouth. Amalgam fillings contain roughly 50% mercury by weight. Choosing a mercury-free dentist immediately lowers your future exposure and protects your family from unnecessary toxic burden.
2. Walk away from deceptive language and outdated practices — If a dental office avoids the word “mercury” entirely, pay attention. Clear language matters because informed consent matters. You deserve to know exactly what material goes into your body before a drill ever touches your teeth.
If you’re a parent, this becomes even more important. Children absorb toxic exposures differently than adults because their brains and nervous systems are still developing. Refusing outdated materials protects more than your own health. It changes demand in the marketplace and pressures clinics to modernize.
3. Challenge insurance plans that default to mercury fillings — Many dental plans still reimburse amalgam as the cheapest standard option. That financial pressure keeps mercury dentistry alive. Before treatment begins, ask your insurer exactly which materials are covered and whether mercury-free alternatives qualify for reimbursement.
If your plan penalizes you financially for choosing mercury-free care, create a written objection trail. Send a short letter or email to member services, your employer benefits department, or your state Medicaid office if applicable. Insurance companies track complaints carefully. Enough documented objections force policy reviews and coverage changes over time.
4. Lower mercury vapor exposure if you still have amalgam fillings — If removal isn’t financially realistic right now, focus on reducing vapor release day by day. Avoid chewing gum constantly, especially on the side with amalgam fillings. Limit very hot drinks directly against those teeth because heat increases mercury vaporization.
Refuse whitening, deep cleaning, or polishing procedures performed directly over amalgam fillings. Both the abrasion and the bleaching chemistry can spike mercury vapor release in the moment, meaning a 30-minute hygienist visit can deliver a mercury dose that takes your body weeks to process.
Most important, avoid casual drilling by dentists who don’t follow strict safe-removal protocols. Improper removal creates a massive short-term mercury exposure spike that can overwhelm your lungs and nervous system. These steps buy you time while you find a qualified biological dentist and get your health in the right place for safe removal.
5. Create pressure that dentists and insurers can’t ignore — Call local dental offices and ask one direct question: “Does your office place mercury amalgam fillings?” Share the answers with friends, family members, coworkers, and parents at your child’s school. Leave positive reviews for clinics that practice completely mercury-free dentistry.
Markets shift when patients change their behavior. Dentists notice when people start choosing offices based on mercury-free policies, and insurers notice when enough members reject amalgam coverage. Every conversation, review, and phone call chips away at the system that keeps mercury in people’s mouths. Once enough people reject the default, the default changes.

Choose a Biological Dentist for Further Care

Biological dentists have undergone training that equips them to view and treat your oral health as an integral part of your overall health. They’re also trained how to safely remove mercury fillings. The unsafe removal of your mercury fillings could expose you to toxic amounts of poisonous mercury.

Before scheduling amalgam removal, work with your integrative practitioner to ensure you’re healthy and your body’s detoxification pathways are well supported; this typically means optimizing nutrition, gut health, and mineral status.

The reason for this preparation is practical: during removal, even with proper safety protocols, some additional mercury exposure is possible. A body that is nutritionally depleted or under immune stress will handle that exposure less efficiently. To help you on your search for a biological dentist, refer to the resources below:

• Consumers for Dental Choice
• Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (DAMS) — Email them here or call 651-644-4572 for an information packet
• Holistic Dental Association
• Huggins Applied Healing
• International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM)
• International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT)
• International Association of Mercury Safe Dentists
• Talk International

Action Alert: Tell the FDA to Ban Mercury Fillings Now

Consumers for Dental Choice, leader of the national and world campaign against mercury in dentistry, filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban amalgam nationwide. My friends, I ask for your help: now is the time to write the FDA and call for action.

Composed 50% of the neurotoxin and reproductive toxin mercury, amalgam does not belong in modern dentistry. Nonetheless, it’s still being used in the U.S. even in children, who are most susceptible to amalgam’s toxic effects. That’s why over the past 15 years, I’ve teamed with my friend Charlie Brown to defeat the dental mercury lobby.
His nonprofit organization Consumers for Dental Choice has had spectacular successes, including an amalgam ban in the entire 27-country European Union. But we must finish the job: Ban amalgam for every American.

Now it’s your turn at bat. You can submit comments to the FDA voicing your support for a ban on mercury fillings. Then tell your story! Was a child you know subjected to this mercury product? Were you misled by the “silver fillings” deception? Were you harmed by amalgam? Are you a health professional who supports mercury-free dentistry? Here’s how to get your comments in front of FDA:

Go to Regulations.gov.
In the “Comment” section, state your city and state and why you think FDA should ban dental amalgam.
Answer the two required questions (the others are not required!): “Tell us about yourself” (just a multiple-choice question) and confirm that “I’m not a robot.”
At the bottom of the page, click the blue “Submit Comment” button.

As consumers and patients, parents and grandparents, dentists and other health professionals, and concerned community members adversely affected by this toxic mercury product, you have an important message. FDA needs to hear from you. Need ideas to get started on your comment? Consider these themes:

• I urge FDA to ban amalgam because …
• Amalgam poses an unreasonable risk because …
• Amalgam was placed in my child’s teeth when he/she was (x) years old, a risk I would not have taken had I known about amalgam’s mercury because …
• Amalgam was placed in my teeth while I was pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, a risk I would not have taken had I known about amalgam’s mercury because …
• Amalgam was placed in my teeth even though I have a kidney impairment or neurological disorder, a risk I would not have taken had I known about amalgam’s mercury because …
• Amalgam damaged my teeth by …
• I’m a dentist and I’ve practiced mercury-free dentistry for (x) years because …
• I did not know about the mercury in amalgam because of the dental industry’s deceptive practices like …
• Had I known that amalgam contained mercury I would have chosen mercury-free fillings because …
• Everyone has a right to mercury-free dentistry because …

FAQs About Mercury Dental Fillings

Q: Are “silver fillings” actually made with mercury?
A: Yes. Dental amalgam fillings, commonly called “silver fillings,” are composed of about 50% mercury by weight. The remaining material usually includes metals such as silver, tin, and copper. Mercury is the largest single ingredient, yet many patients don’t hear the word “mercury” during dental appointments.

Q: Do mercury fillings really raise mercury levels inside my body?
A: Yes. The study published in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine found that adults with amalgam fillings had significantly higher blood mercury concentrations than adults without them.2 Researchers also found that mercury levels increased as the number of amalgam filling surfaces increased. The findings showed that dental amalgams act as an ongoing source of mercury exposure inside the body.

Q: How does mercury from fillings spread through the body?
A: Mercury vapor releases from amalgam fillings during chewing, teeth grinding, and exposure to heat from hot foods or drinks. After inhalation, the vapor rapidly enters the bloodstream and travels into organs and tissues throughout the body. Researchers explained that mercury crosses the blood-brain barrier and placenta easily, then becomes trapped inside tissues over time.

Q: What symptoms are linked to mercury exposure from amalgam fillings?
A: Mercury exposure is associated with symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, headaches, poor concentration, irritability, and sleep disruption. Long-term exposure also places stress on the nervous system, kidneys, and mitochondria, which are responsible for producing cellular energy. Many people dismiss these symptoms as aging or stress and don’t connect them to chronic mercury exposure.

Q: What should you do if you already have mercury fillings?
A: Don’t rush into unsafe removal. Improper drilling releases large bursts of mercury vapor directly into the air you breathe. Instead, focus first on lowering daily exposure by avoiding gum chewing, limiting very hot foods and drinks against amalgam fillings, and avoiding whitening or polishing procedures on those teeth. When you’re ready for removal, choose a dentist trained in safe mercury removal protocols and mercury-free dentistry.

Test Your Knowledge with Today’s Quiz!
Take today’s quiz to see how much you’ve learned from yesterday’s Mercola.com article.

Why is the federal government focusing on antidepressant overprescribing?

Doctors stopped using mental health screening
Adults asked for stronger drugs every year
Some patients stay on drugs without reassessment
Some patients remain on psychiatric drugs long-term without regular checks on risks, benefits, or quality-of-life improvements. Learn more.
Exercise was removed from treatment plans

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published June 28, 2020.

Tyler W. LeBaron, founder of the science-based nonprofit Molecular Hydrogen Institute, is one of the most knowledgeable people about molecular hydrogen and its benefits. There are so many benefits we can learn from him and many other researchers from universities around the world. For starters, H2 is a potent selective antioxidant. This is important, as many other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E are not selective, and when taken in excess, can be counterproductive.

Hydrogen doesn’t have that downside, which is one of the reasons why it’s one of my favorites. Now, when we talk about molecular hydrogen, we are talking about the gas, the H2 molecule, which is two hydrogen atoms bound together.
The H2 molecule is the smallest in the universe, which allows it to diffuse through all cell membranes, including the blood-brain barrier and subcellular compartments, and into the mitochondria. It doesn’t need any transporter protein.
It also has no charge or polarity. As explained by LeBaron, that’s critical, because charged molecules cannot easily penetrate cell membranes. Charged molecules need to go through a protein channel. All of this gives it superior cellular bioavailability.
Health Benefits of H2

Among the many health benefits of H2 is its ability to decrease excessive oxidative stress, inflammation and perturbations from normal homeostasis. The key word here is “excess,” because some oxidative stress and some free radicals are actually beneficial. For example, you metabolize food through the process of oxidation, and that oxidation is necessary for life to exist.
So, what we’re looking for in terms of health is the ability to inhibit excessive oxidative stress and damage. LeBaron reviews this in greater detail in the interview so, for more information, please listen to it in its entirety, or read through the transcript.
As just one example, certain therapies such as photobiomodulation, exercise and sauna bathing mildly increase oxidation in the body, and that oxidation is what induces various beneficial effects such as the induction of heat shock proteins (HSP). This process is known as hormesis.

“This is an important word … when we talk about the benefits of molecular hydrogen because it seems to work through some similar processes of hormesis,” LeBaron says.

H2 Is a Selective Antioxidant

When it comes to oxidative stress, all you really want is a return to homeostasis. You don’t want to neutralize all free radicals. Many antioxidants have a high number of electrons that can easily and indiscriminately scavenge, react with and neutralize a wide range of radicals or oxidants. Molecular hydrogen, on the other hand, is selective, and thus only eliminates the excess, so that homeostasis is restored.

“Sometimes antioxidants can even exacerbate oxidative stress because they can increase Fenton reaction cycles and redox cycling, and end up being potent pro-oxidants. So, it is very complicated, and we have to be very cautious,” LeBaron says, adding:
“One of the reasons we know H2 [is] safe is because it simply does not have the reductive power or potential to neutralize or react with some of these critical important signaling oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radicals and nitric oxide. It just does not have the ability to react with these, even in vitro. If you just put the two together, they don’t react.”

On the other hand, H2 readily reacts with the toxic hydroxyl radical — the most reactive and oxidative radical in the body — turning it into harmless water. Studies suggest H2 may be very helpful in cases of heart attack or stroke, for example, protecting against the oxidative damage from hydroxyl radicals that occur during reperfusion.1 In my view, molecular hydrogen should be implemented ASAP in all cases of heart attack and stroke for this reason.
There’s no risk, it’s very inexpensive and the upside potential is enormous. LeBaron cites animal research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association2 showing H2 administration increased the post-cardiac arrest syndrome survival rate from 43% in the control group to 92% in the H2 group. When combined with therapeutic hypothermia, which inhibits the creation of free radicals, the survival rate shot up to 100%. It simply doesn’t get any better than that.

H2 readily reacts with the toxic hydroxyl radical — the most reactive and oxidative radical in the body — turning it into harmless water. H2 may be very helpful in cases of heart attack or stroke, protecting against the oxidative damage from hydroxyl radicals that occur during reperfusion.
According to LeBaron, the Japanese government has now approved the inhalation of H2 gas as an advanced medicine for the treatment of post-cardiac arrest syndrome.3 He also reviews some of the studies that are currently underway to investigate the benefits of molecular hydrogen inhalation during heart surgery and other instances.

H2 Is a Signal Modulator

Aside from being a selective antioxidant, H2 acts as a gaseous-signal modulator, and thus is able to influence gene expression and protein phosphorylation cascades involved in signal transduction, all of which help explain its therapeutic effects. One of the primary pathways that H2 activates is the Nrf2 pathway. LeBaron explains:

“The Nrf2 is this protein that’s bound to another protein, Keap1, and when there’s an assault of oxidative stress, those two separate. Then the Nrf2 is able to diffuse into the nucleus of the DNA. It binds to the electrophile response or ARE, the antioxidant response element, portion of the DNA.

When it does that, that ends up leading to the production of a whole bunch of endogenous antioxidants like glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase … When we talk about antioxidation and detoxification, a lot of that is regulated and controlled by Nrf2. That is the master regulator. So, it is a key protein involved in many processes [and] hydrogen gas is able to activate the Nrf2 pathway.”
Importantly, though, contrary to other Nrf2 activators, H2 only activates Nrf2 if it’s actually needed. In this way, the risk of it suppressing beneficial free radicals like nitric oxide is minimized. Indeed, H2 appears to be one of the safest therapeutic options available. It’s downside potential is almost nonexistent.
“It tends to bring things back to homeostasis,” LeBaron says. “The further something is away from homeostasis, the higher the probability that hydrogen gas will be able to help bring that back into homeostasis. If something is already at a perfect level, well, then, you may see that hydrogen gas didn’t do anything …

Again, hydrogen gas has this dual role where it can both protect against the oxidative stress, as well as act as this mild hormetic effector in the mitochondria to increase mild amounts of free radicals, similar to an easy bout of exercise for example, which can then induce these protective effects.”

How to Administer H2

The easiest way to get hydrogen gas into your system is to dissolve a molecular hydrogen tablet in water and drink it. In the interview, LeBaron warns us why we need to be skeptical and cautious about electrolysis machines, as they often don’t produce anywhere near the concentrations required. In clinical studies this is often 1.6 mg/L and above, which at first doesn’t sound like very much, but it is significant as LeBaron further explains:

“There are a couple of things to consider when you drink hydrogen gas. No. 1, 1.6 mg/L as a solubility doesn’t sound like very much … [but remember] that hydrogen gas is the smallest molecule in the universe. Of course, 1.6 mg doesn’t weigh very much because it’s hydrogen gas … but it’s actually a lot of molecules. In fact, there are more molecules in 1.6 mg of hydrogen than there are molecules of vitamin C in a 100-mg dose.

You have to compare molecules to molecules or moles to moles, not just weight to weight. What weighs more, a pound of gold or a pound of feathers? Right? They weigh the same … So, when we look at molecular hydrogen, there is actually quite a bit.

Now, get this. When you inhale, say, a 3% hydrogen gas, then that’s going to increase the cellular concentration to a certain level. That exact same level, if we can calculate it based on Henry’s law and the dose you’re ingesting from drinking hydrogen water, that concentration in the cell can also be reached by just drinking hydrogen water.

Because if you drink all of it at once … [it] immediately increases the cellular concentration to the same level that you would get if you were inhaling hydrogen gas at 2% or 3% level … You’re also able enact various second messenger systems that maybe you’re not getting with inhalation.”

Research has shown H2 water can improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease4 and metabolic syndrome,5 both of which are diet-driven conditions. In a 2020 study6 looking at metabolic syndrome, a high dose of H2 was used using hydrogen-producing tablets.
The study involved 60 subjects and lasted for six months and “significantly reduced blood cholesterol and glucose levels, attenuated serum hemoglobin A-1c, and improved biomarkers of inflammation and redox homeostasis.” It even “tended to promote a mild reduction and body mass index and hip-to-waist ratio,” the study authors added.

“It appears we had some very prominent effects, and even more effective compared to the previous studies leading to this trend that at least in some cases, a higher dose or a higher concentration of hydrogen is more effective than the lower dose, lower concentrations,” LeBaron says.

Concentration and Frequency Matter

Aside from making sure the concentration is sufficiently high, you also want to pulse your intake, as the more continuous the exposure, the less effective it is. LeBaron further explains:

“Let’s say [you take] 6 mg of hydrogen and you’re going to take all 6 mg evenly in a 24-hour period. That means you’re essentially sipping on hydrogen water throughout the day.

If you do that, you may not get as good of benefits because you’re not getting a high enough dose of hydrogen in the body in order to reach the cellular concentrations required to induce those changes at the cellular level that you need.

Now, if in contrast, if you were to just take the full 6 mg all at once, that is probably going to be more effective than taking it throughout the entire day. So, I will say if you are going to get hydrogen and try to get the benefits, then you would want to get as high of a dose you can all at once, and then you could probably do that multiple times a day.

I don’t know if it’s better to take 6 mg or 10 mg of hydrogen once a day or six times a day. Maybe the six or 10 times a day is going to be more effective, or just as effective, because you’re still getting spikes. But then again maybe not.”

Clearly, the studies need to be done to determine the best frequency, but until then, it would seem that customizing the dose to your personal circumstances might be more appropriate. So, if you’re in normal, nonstressful circumstances at home, not exercising much at all, then maybe once day is sufficient.
On the other hand, if you exercise vigorously then it might be more appropriate to take it a couple of times a day. If you travel by airplane, taking it every two hours while flying might be appropriate. The good news is, H2 is quite safe, so you’re unlikely to do harm.
Another benefit when using hydrogen tablets is that they contain highly bioavailable unbound magnesium ions. Each tablet will provide about 80 mg of ionic magnesium, which is about 20% of the RDA.

Synergistic Effects with Other Therapies

H2 gas can also be used together with other supplements and therapies for a potential synergistic effect. For example, you can take it along with a sauna, both of which produce heat shock proteins, or with nutritional ketosis or exogenous ketones. Another example is hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“When it comes to the sauna, I think that’s great,” LeBaron says. “I probably would do the hydrogen before anything … Again, [we’re] talking about this preconditioning hydrogen effect.

If I can just back up and talk about one study that I think helps at this stage, about NAD+ and NADH. These are very important molecules. The higher the ratio of the NAD+ to NADH, the better … In this interesting study,7 they used a toxin in a cell culture, and as would be expected, that NAD+ to NADH ratio decreased, and that ends up causing all of these pathological problems and cell death.

When they administered the hydrogen gas, it helped maintain those levels up higher. Now, this is part of the issue: For part of the study, they just did it in cell cultures, so you can imagine this little Petri dish, and you add hydrogen gas in there.

Well, that hydrogen gas will only be in there for 20 minutes, half an hour or 40 minutes, depending on the concentration. It’s not going to be there for very long. They found there was a therapeutic protective effect against that toxin for about 24 hours. It maintained that effect …

Then there was a clinical study on rheumatoid arthritis8 where they used high-dose hydrogen water for four weeks. After four weeks, there was still a protective effect of molecular hydrogen. There were still decreases in the disease rating score and oxidative stress. So, it really had an effect on gene expression, epigenetics and signal modulation. Much more is going on here than just a radical scavenging activity.

Taking these together, when we look at other things such as the sauna, the sauna really is quite a mild thing … [but] I still like the idea of taking the hydrogen before. When you’re talking about hyperbaric oxygen, then I think there’s even more rationale of taking the molecular hydrogen [30 to 60 minutes] before as a pretreatment, preconditioning …

Ketones, whether they’re endogenous or exogenous, are very beneficial for the mitochondria, as long as the mitochondria are ready for them. Ketones can also increase free radicals, at least initially, but this is also what’s very good, because in the long run they can decrease oxidative stress. Part of this is why you can upregulate the Nrf2 pathway.

Well, hydrogen gas being able to both suppress excessive oxidative damage as well as improve and activate the function of the mitochondria, improving the mitochondrial resting membrane potential, it will have influence in the mitochondria transition pore, so you don’t have pathological problems …
So, there are some areas where ketones seem to work, as does hydrogen gas … Hydrogen [can also] induce and actually enhance autophagy9,10 … By so doing, you’re going to get therapeutic protective effects from the hydrogen gas. However, there are other studies showing that hydrogen gas inhibits excessive autophagy.11,12

So, that’s how cells die, right? You have necrosis, you have apoptosis, and you have autophagic cell death. When you have too much going on — and a lot of drugs or interventions can potentially cause an excessive amount of autophagy — then that’s bad. Hydrogen gas … was able to prevent the excessive amount of autophagy being produced.”

Similarly, H2 gas can both increase and decrease mTOR activation,13,14 depending on what your body needs. Ditto for IgF1.15,16 What this means is that if you’re fasting or doing time-restricted eating, which activates autophagy, taking molecular hydrogen not only can optimize autophagy, but also lower it if too much is taking place. That could make long-term fasting much safer. What’s more:

“When you take hydrogen, you increase gastric ghrelin secretion.17 Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. One of the first things [that happens] when you fast is you increase ghrelin. Ghrelin is extremely neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory and has a whole bunch of benefits.18

Well, hydrogen also increases ghrelin. So, in a lot of ways, hydrogen mimics fasting from autophagy to ghrelin, to a lot of other pathways that are activated, but it depends on the condition.”19

Dosing Basics
The normal dose is one tablet — which is considered an appropriately high dose — in 500 mL or 16 ounces of water. That will give you a concentration of about 10 mg of H2 per liter (10 mg/L), which means you’re getting a dose of 5 mg. As soon as the tablet has dissolved, you’ll want to drink the whole glass before the cloud of H2 gas dissipates.
The rate at which it dissolves can vary from anywhere from one to two or three minutes, depending on how cold the water is. If you put it in iced water, it’s going to take even longer. Ideally, use room temperature water, as the colder it is, the longer it takes for the tablet to dissolve, and the longer it takes, the less of the gas will remain by the time the tablet is fully dissolved.
Also, use still water, not sparkling water, which has CO2 dissolved in it, as that will disperse the H2 gas out faster. You want to drink it quickly while it still has that milky look. The white cloudiness is the suspended hydrogen. If you wait until the water turns clear, the hydrogen gas has evaporated away. Again, if your body is under serious stress, you may take four or five tablets a day. If not, a single tablet a day would probably be sufficient.
For more information about molecular hydrogen research, visit the National Institutes of Health library20 and search for molecular hydrogen. Also be sure to check out the Molecular Hydrogen Institute’s website.

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published January 24, 2021.

In this interview, Rodney Dietert, Professor Emeritus of immunotoxicology at Cornell University, reviews the interrelationship between your immune system and your gut microbiome.

He’s spent several decades researching and teaching students about the immune system. As noted by Dietert, your gut microbiome is crucial not just for immune function, but also for your health status in general, as it affects nearly all other physiological systems.

He first became aware of the importance of the gut when given the opportunity to write a research paper about which biomarker would be the best to predict the future health of a baby.

“I thought that was a really intriguing question to develop a paper around,” he says. “And, I was pretty sure decades of work on the immune system in the young, prenatal and neonatal, meant that I had an answer.

I became very frustrated because I wrote a couple of paragraphs and it was unpersuasive, and went to bed extremely frustrated. I woke up in the middle of the night from a dream with what to me was an answer.

The answer was that it was the extent to which the newborn became complete or completed itself, and that that self-completion is really the installation of the microbiome, largely from the mother, but both parents contributing; vaginal delivery when possible, skin-skin contact, and then of course, followed up with prolonged breastfeeding when possible.”

Ancestral Microbiomes

He points out that “more than 99% of your genes are from microbes, not from your chromosomes.” You have approximately 3.3 million microbial genes, mainly bacterial. Across the entire population of humans, there are just under 10 million different microbial genes, so you won’t necessarily have all of them.

You also have 22,000 to 25,000 chromosomal genes (these genes are what were analyzed through the Human Genome Project), which means you only have about 2,000 more chromosomal genes than an earthworm. As noted by Dietert, since we have about 3.3 million microbial genes, that means we’re more than 99% microbial, genetically.

This is why he concluded that the gut microbiome at birth would be the best predictor of future health. Granted, your microbiome is altered through diet and environmental exposures, and that will impact and influence your health throughout your life. But initially, the infant microbiome is the best overall predictor of future health.

“That led to a whole host of other lectures, books, scientific journal articles and an appearance in the documentary movie, ‘MicroBirth,’ which is a wonderful film. It won the life science award in 2014 for documentary films. That launched a second career, really, as a result of a dream, and paying attention to that versus the linear progression of 30-plus years of research.”

According to Dietert, there’s really no single measure of any particular bacterial species that will give you a definitive answer to what your health will be like. Rather, the most important predictive aspect is the seeding process. If the baby goes through an ideal seeding process at birth, he or she stands a greater chance of experiencing good health.

Healthy microbiomes are more connected to what your ancestors had that has been lost through short-sighted practices and technology installations. Trying to head toward that is much more constructive than trying to completely overhaul something to a group of microbes your ancestors never saw. ~ Rodney Dietert

For example, elective cesarean and antibiotic regimens — both in the mother and the baby — are known to degrade the baby’s microbiome. Since 2012, when he had that dream, he’s been able to map out more specifics, but there’s no single ideal microbiome per se. There are many different healthy microbiomes.

“These [microbiomes] arose in our ancestors depending on their geography, diet and a whole host of factors that were honed over thousands of years,” he explains.

“For example, I have in my 60s tried to modify my health constructively by modifying my microbiome, and in my case, it would’ve been a long reach to get an ideal Asian microbiome because that’s not really my ancestry. It’s not where I grew up, or the soil I lived on and the food I ate.

So, healthy microbiomes are more connected to what your ancestors had that has been lost through short-sighted practices and technology installations. Trying to head toward that is much more constructive than trying to completely overhaul something to a group of microbes your ancestors never saw.”

Compensatory Practices

Past dogma stated that the infant’s immune system was complete at birth with little to no maturation or adjustment required in the infant. Now we realize that this is not true. The baby’s immune development in utero is not uniform. It is skewed to protect maintenance of the pregnancy. This skewing then needs to be adjusted in the newborn/infant and the immune system needs to be expanded, redistributed, and rebalanced.

The best way to do this is by ensuring that rebalancing the baby’s microbiome is complete and that a healthy infant microbiome can drive necessary post-natal immune maturation. If microbially driven, infant immune maturation does not happen, then immune dysfunction-driven disease is an increased likelihood for that child.

Remember that 60% to 70% of your immune cells are located in your gut and these immune cells are in close proximity to your gut microbiome. So, gut microbiome status and immune status are intimately intertwined.

As mentioned, having a C-section puts your newborn at serious risk for developing a less than optimal microbial population. However, in some cases, a C-section is necessary, and the good news is you can compensate for the loss of microbial seeding that would have occurred during vaginal birth.

Gloria Dominguez Bello, Ph.D., at Rutgers University, who has pioneered much of this work, uses a vaginal swab technique where the microbes from the mother’s vagina are manually transferred to the baby immediately after birth. “While it’s not 100% equivalent, it is very good,” Dietert says.

“Those types of strategies are the direction we need to head in to really aid parents in being able to deliver the majority of the baby’s genetics. Those microbial genes are making proteins and enzymes, they’re modifying what we see from the external environment, they’re modifying our diet [via microbial metabolism] before our mammalian human cells ever see anything.

In effect, if you look at interference with seeding the [baby’s complete] microbiome, to me, that is like a birth defect. If you were missing an organ or a limb, that would be a birth defect. Here, you’re missing the majority of your genetics [the microbiome as a virtual organ containing most of the baby’s genes].

Yet, that is a correctable birth defect and we need to keep that in mind. That would really be the push and the goal — to ensure the baby is able to have, as soon after birth as possible, the robust microbiome that would normally be there …

We know from experience that status of the microbiome dramatically impacts things like risk of asthma at age 7, and then subsequent health risks as well. Even picking up atherosclerosis markers, which you now can measure in children even though the disease onset will probably be decades off …

If you’re growing up on a farm and having raw milk, and are exposed to animals and the microbes that go with that environment, it turns out that’s rather protective against asthma and allergy later in childhood, as long as you’re not directly encountering pesticides. That [encountering pesticides] will eliminate the benefit [of the early life microbial exposures].

Those microbial exposures early in life are really what our ancestors had to develop an appropriately balanced immune system, a well-regulated immune system. If we don’t do that, then you’re shifted toward a proinflammatory state and your regulation of immunity is off [producing an increased risk of later-life diseases].

Nature tells us that the microbiome has to have some compatibility with the immune system as they co-mature. When you get microbiomes that are really foreign to an immune system, the immune system [rather than developing self-tolerance] responds with a massive inflammatory response, so there’s a self-attack …”

Aside from the vaginal tract, the baby also receives valuable microbes via skin-to-skin contact, including oral contact with breast tissue, as well as from the breast milk itself, which is why breastfeeding is so important and impacts your child’s health well into the future. As mentioned above, environmental exposures from soil, food and animals also play a role.

Epigenetic Interactions

Your microbiome (in addition to directly metabolizing your food, drugs, and chemicals) also influences the epigenetic expression of your (chromosomal) genes. For example, Dietert cites the work of Curtis Klaassen, former president of the Society of Toxicology and an expert on liver metabolism, who years ago shifted focus to microbiome metabolism because, epigenetically, microbes influence liver metabolism.

“The microbes [encounter and respond to] our food first. They see our environmental chemicals first. They see drugs through most routes of administration first, and what they do with those determine what your body sees. So, they’re our gatekeeper, they’re our filter for our whole environmental existence.

As a result, it’s important to know what happens there. An example is cancer therapeutics. Most of those have to be metabolized by the microbiome. If we manage the microbiome more effectively in patients, we very likely could increase the efficacy of those drugs across a population of patients.

I think the U.K. said they’re about 50% effective. That could be increased because we’ve ignored the microbiome and its role, even though these drugs don’t work unless they’re metabolized by the microbiome. [We now have more capability to manage microbial metabolism and should be doing that as part of sustainable health care.]”

How Your Gut Microbiome Impacts Immunosenescence

Historically, the thymus gland has been known to be really important for the development of the immune system, and in older individuals, the deterioration of the immune system is frequently related to thymic deterioration. The good news is this can to some extent be compensated for by improving your gut microbiome. Dietert explains:

“Aging of the immune system is really dependent upon your lifetime diet in large part. So, you don’t have to buy into the fact that there is only one end for an 80-year-old’s immune system — senescence, lower responses to certain infectious disease agents and greater risk of auto-reactivity. You really don’t have to buy that, because it is largely influenced by diet and microbial metabolism.”

One factor that plays a significant role in the destruction of your gut microbiome is the use of medications. According to Dietert, 25% to 50% of all drugs, including over-the-counter medications, damage your microbiome in predictable ways. Other drugs interact with the microbiome modifying drug treatment outcomes. We ignore these drug-microbiome interactions at our own peril.

“For example, here’s just one case that’s historic: Digoxin, a long-standing heart medication, can be metabolized by one specific bacterial species [Eggerthella lenta]. Now, depending on the level of that [specific bacterial] species that you have in your gut, the drug will either be ineffective because of the metabolic level, it will be effective, or it will be toxic and kill the patient.

It’s a bit of a problem in terms of prescribing [a safe and effective personalized dose of Digoxin], even though it can be an effective drug.

Knowing that [the drug-microbiome relationship], and knowing it’s one specific [gut] bacterium [controlling internal drug dose], which could be measured, [the bacterium] could be supplemented and the level [of bacterial metabolism of Digoxin] could be changed or the[administered] drug level could be changed [to ensure that drug metabolization by the gut microbiome results in a safe and effective internal dose for each individual].

Why wouldn’t you do that if you were going to administer this type of drug? [The microbiome and therapeutic drug dose can and should be aligned in each patient].”

So, the more microbe-damaging drugs you use, the greater the degradation of your microbiome will be over time. When combined with a poor diet, you end up with immunosenescence — the gradual deterioration of your immune system — but it’s not a given just because you get old if you protect and support your microbiome and immune system across the life span.

“As always when you’re dealing with the immune system and inflammation, it’s a matter of tissue integrity and the question of whether you’ve so damaged an organ that it’s going to be tough to come back from,” Dietert says.

“You want to make these [inflammation-controlling] corrections [in your microbiome and immune system] before [a point of no return when] you’ve completely lost good [tissue] function due to massive inflammatory damage over decades.”

Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotic Exposure

One simple strategy that will protect your microbiome is to avoid antibiotics. While they may be necessary to combat an active infection, the vast majority of antibiotics you’re exposed to come from food. Animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are routinely fed antibiotics that you then ingest when you eat that animal.

That’s one of the reasons why I strongly support and recommend eating organic, as organically raised animals are not allowed to be given antibiotics unless the animal is actually ill. CAFO animals are also more prone to carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also increased the use of antibacterial products. People think they’re killing harmful germs but, in reality, they’re just killing their immune system. As explained by Dietert:

“You have to support your entire body and you have to support your immune system as well. I’d point out that, for example, glyphosate is an antimicrobial. First, it destroys soil microbes, then plant microbes, and then it gets into animals and into us. We’re exposed directly and we’re exposed through food.

Again, it’s widespread and it’s just one example. You can take the plasticizers, bisphenol-A and others, where these things were never screened properly and the attention to the microbiome was never given. That’s a huge mistake and we need to reverse that immediately.

I’m a big proponent of regenerative agriculture … I look at ecological management of microbes and robust diversity of plants, animals and our food production as critical. I’d like to point out that COVID-19 is in fact a cytokine storm.

It is an improper host immune response that leads to lung pathology and increased risk of death. Yet there’s been almost no attention paid to the multiple factors that influence the immune system, inflammation and what’s called ‘colonization resistance.'”

Colonization Resistance

As explained by Dietert, you carry coronaviruses in your airways. Most have some coronavirus in the airway, but it won’t cause illness as long as you have a healthy airway microbiome. A healthy airway microbiome is supported and promoted by things like physical exercise and spending time outdoors where sun exposure will optimize your vitamin D level.

“To grow our own food, get outside, visit animal farms and have microbial exposures in a healthy way, increase our vitamin D and tend to our immune system and our overall health is absolutely critical,” he says.

“The more robust the microbiome [along with production of anti-pathogen metabolites], the better the colonization resistance we have against these pathogens. [This includes protection against] the secondary bacterial infections that will [frequently] arise during the mix of changing a [healthy] lung environment [to one engulfed in a] proinflammatory state.

We should’ve been doing that from the word go but, unfortunately, we have some scientists and bureaucrats that focused in one place and didn’t really focus, in my opinion, on human health.”

As just one example of how healthy bacteria help prevent infection, Lactobacillus acidophilus has been shown to block salmonella infection and spread in chickens. In the early 1990s, this type of intervention actually ended up saving the poultry industry that was having a massive salmonella problem, yet you never hear about that.

“I think this shows we need to manage how we produce our food. We need to recognize the benefits of a variety of supplements. I think that is what’s going to help get us out of the polypharmacy rut that we’ve been in, quite frankly.”

It’s really a classic example of competitive inhibition, and it works the same way in the human body. According to Dietert, as few as 15 beneficial bacteria are able to create a metabolic environment in the gut that keeps the salmonella bacterium in check, thereby preventing it from multiplying out of control and causing disease.

So, with a robust diversity of beneficial bacteria in your gut, you’re effectively able to block infection from occurring even though you may be exposed to dangerous pathogens. Keep in mind that the composition of your microbiome will also play a significant role in how well you handle dietary “cheating” or the occasional junk food indulgence. As noted by Dietert:

“If you have a particularly robust microbiome, you’re probably more resilient to a junk food weekend. If you are already dysbiotic or you’re weakened in your microbiome because of chronic conditions, polypharmacy or glyphosate exposures, then you probably are pretty vulnerable to further shifts.

Again, it’s how well are you seeded with a robust diversity? It’s like forest management in ecology or coral reef management. If you’ve got a coral reef that’s already damaged and sick, then it isn’t going to take much to really put it over the top in terms of serious changes. This would be the same for us in terms of immune inflammation, pathology and/or an infectious agent getting a foothold, whereas it wouldn’t otherwise.”

From Gut to Brain

One way by which beneficial bacteria protect your health is through the production of butyrate and mucin, the mucous layer that protects the intestine. Gut microbes also make neuroactive peptides and neurotransmitters. There’s a whole field that’s been developed called psychobiotics that focus on using bacteria for neurological and mental health.

Certain bacterial species and strains will produce serotonin, for example. Others produce dopamine. Some produce GABA or acetylcholine. While most of the neurotransmitters produced in the gut cannot penetrate the blood-brain barrier, and therefore will not increase levels in the brain directly, they still have an indirect and measurable effect, Dietert says. The vagus nerve is one path through which the gut microbes influence brain chemistry and physiology.

How to Address Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is now recognized by most conventional physicians as a condition that contributes to other pathologies and chronic diseases. One important strategy to address leaky gut is to optimize your vitamin D, as it helps regulate your innate immune system and increases your body’s ability to repair epithelial cell damage and gaps in the intestinal barrier.

Dietert also recommends supplementing with keystone species bacteria such as the genus Akkermansia, which is involved with mucin regulation. There are only a couple of bacteria that do that. He stresses that while vitamin D is important for gut repair, you also need bacteria to help maintain the mucin layer, as this is what keeps inflammatory bacteria and particles from seeping through the intestinal barrier.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or potassium bicarbonate is also very helpful. I prefer potassium bicarb because most of us have excess sodium and not enough potassium. Your urine pH should be about 7, which is neutral. This will also help prevent the leaching of minerals from your bone.

Your Health Begins in Your Gut

In closing, Dietert reminds and encourages us to “do things that support your whole body, do things that support your immune system, even as you’re focused on a specific disease or a specific pathogen.” The reason for doing this is because everything is connected.

“We’re now realizing that the boundary between infectious or communicable diseases and noncommunicable diseases may not be as rigid as we used to think,” Dietert says.

“People have been able to show that if you install the wrong microbe into your gut microbiome — one that’s dysfunctional and not very robust — you can wind up with a predictably-increased risk of very specific noncommunicable or chronic diseases.

We never thought that was the case, but there’s evidence emerging, really within the last couple of years, that [chronic diseases] are all about microbial management. So, understanding your body, understanding your genetics and taking advantage of that, [can allow you] to be naturally healthy.”