Actualités Watchman

If you’re tired all the time, gaining weight despite eating healthy, or struggling through brain fog that won’t lift, your thyroid could be the main problem. Thyroid issues like hypothyroidism are far more common than most people realize. In the United States alone, more than 20 million people have a thyroid disorder, and about 60% are not even aware that they have it.1

A sluggish thyroid can present in surprisingly common ways, and having a basic understanding of what the thyroid does and why it matters can make a big difference in recognizing when something feels off and addressing it early, especially now that researchers are uncovering how simple, structured movement practices may help support healthier thyroid function.

A Small Gland with a Big Impact

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck. But despite its size, it plays a big role in nearly every physiological process in your body. To do its job, the thyroid uses iodine, an essential mineral, to produce thyroid hormones, the primary ones being triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).2,3 These hormones set the pace of your metabolism — they tell every cell in your body how fast to burn fuel and produce energy.

Because energy production underlies nearly every biological process, thyroid hormones influence metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, mood, and digestion. When the thyroid falls out of balance, the effects can ripple across your entire body — and that imbalance can go in either direction. So when the thyroid stops working smoothly, it can affect your well-being in many ways, either by becoming underactive or overactive.

• Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder — Nearly five out of 100 Americans age 12 and older have hypothyroidism,4 a condition wherein the thyroid is underactive and not producing enough T3 and T4.5 Symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, hair thinning, feeling cold, brain fog, and low mood.

• The brain tries to compensate — When thyroid hormone levels drop, your pituitary gland releases more thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), essentially signaling the thyroid to pick up the pace. Elevated TSH levels on a blood test often signal hypothyroidism. Women are at higher risk of this condition because of hormonal shifts during pregnancy, menopause, and autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

• Hyperthyroidism is the opposite problem — Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, happens when your thyroid makes too much hormone. It speeds everything up in the body, which can lead to symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, weight loss, increased hunger, and feeling on edge. The good news: it’s usually very treatable with medication.6

• Untreated thyroid disease can affect the entire body — Because symptoms like fatigue, weight changes, and mood shifts are so common, thyroid disorders frequently get mistaken for stress, aging, or depression. Over time, untreated low thyroid function may contribute to heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, bone thinning, and severe metabolic slowdown. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include:7

◦ Sensitivity to cold
◦ Hoarse voice
◦ Thinning hair
◦ Constipation
◦ Coarse hair and skin
◦ Depression

◦ Dry skin
◦ Muscle weakness, aches, and stiffness
◦ Memory problems
◦ Puffy face
◦ Irregular or heavy menstrual cycles

To better understand how deeply thyroid signaling shapes metabolism, mood, and long-term health, read “Your Thyroid Is the Regulator of Your Entire Existence.” With the importance of optimal thyroid health in mind, the next question becomes: What can you actually do to support it? Emerging evidence suggests yoga may be part of that answer.

Yoga May Improve Thyroid Health and Hypothyroidism Symptoms

A 2024 systematic review published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine explored whether yoga influences thyroid function, symptoms, and overall well-being in people with hypothyroidism. The researchers analyzed 11 clinical trials involving 516 adults ages 18 to 65, with interventions lasting one to six months, to assess which structured yoga protocols were associated with measurable improvements.8

• Participants followed structured routines — Depending on the study, sessions included yoga postures (asanas), Sun Salutations (Suryanamaskar), breathing practices (pranayama), meditation, relaxation techniques, energy locks (bandhas), hand gestures (mudras), and in one case, a yoga-based bio-energy method. These practices were performed several times per week, with consistency emphasized across all studies.

• Researchers measured more than just thyroid labs — They also looked at hormone levels, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, mood, sleep, breathing function, and even medication use. This provided a more comprehensive picture of how yoga affects the whole body.

• Yoga helped improve thyroid hormone balance — Most of the studies found that TSH decreased toward healthier ranges after regular yoga practice, suggesting the thyroid was working better on its own and the brain no longer needed to push it as hard. T3 and T4 levels also stabilized.

• There were also reduced levels of antithyroid antibodies — In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland over time. One trial found that markers of this immune attack (called antithyroid peroxidase antibodies) decreased after yoga sessions. This suggests yoga could influence the underlying autoimmune process on the gland.

• Cholesterol and blood fat levels improved as well — Markers of heart disease, such as total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol), and triglycerides decreased with yoga. On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the “good” cholesterol that helps clear excess fat from the bloodstream) increased. Because hypothyroidism often disrupts fat metabolism, these shifts reflect healthier cardiovascular function.

• Body weight and abdominal measurements decreased — Body mass index (BMI), weight, and waist circumference were reduced with consistent yoga practice. Since hypothyroidism commonly slows metabolism and contributes to weight gain, these changes suggest improved metabolic efficiency.

• Improved blood sugar control — One randomized trial found a meaningful drop in fasting blood sugar, even though hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) — the three-month average of blood sugar — didn’t change much. This is important because hypothyroidism can slow metabolism and impair glucose regulation, so even early improvements may help overall balance.

• Participants needed less thyroid medication — One study reported that some participants were able to reduce their dosage of levothyroxine (LT4), the synthetic thyroid hormone prescribed for hypothyroidism, after six months of yoga. In contrast, medication use increased in comparison groups that did not practice yoga.

This is important because reduced medication use suggests that the body may be using thyroid hormone more efficiently rather than relying entirely on a higher replacement dose.

• Multiple studies also reported other positive changes — Researchers observed reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress, along with improvements in energy, daily functioning, and emotional well-being. One trial also reported better sleep and decreases in specific symptoms many hypothyroid patients find most disruptive, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, dry skin, and constipation.

Yoga’s breathing practices (pranayama) also appeared to strengthen both lung capacity and the body’s ability to shift between stress mode and recovery mode — a balance that tends to be off in people with hypothyroidism.

While this review focused on health changes observed after yoga practice, the next review examines how yoga may affect stress levels, nervous system balance, and long-term metabolic health in individuals with hypothyroidism.

Yoga May Support Thyroid Health by Regulating Stress and Metabolism

Another systematic review published in Annals of Neurosciences9,10 analyzed eight interventional studies on yoga and hypothyroidism. Rather than focusing only on thyroid lab values, this analysis emphasized how yoga may influence the nervous system, breathing capacity, and broader physiological regulation.

• Yoga helped the body handle stress more easily — After practicing yoga, participants showed better heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of how smoothly the body can shift between stress mode and relaxation mode. In simple terms, their bodies became better at calming down after stress and returning to a steady, relaxed state.

• Breathing strength and lung function improved — People who practiced structured breathing exercises had stronger lungs and could take in and move air more effectively. These improvements suggest better oxygen flow, stronger breathing muscles, and easier, more efficient breathing overall.

• Stress response systems may be modulated — The review found that yoga may help regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s main stress-response pathway. This system works like an internal stress thermostat, controlling how much cortisol — the stress hormone — the body releases.

When the HPA axis is better balanced, cortisol levels tend to drop, and the body can shift out of “stress mode” more easily, leading to steadier mood, calmer reactions, and a more stable nervous system.

• Inflammatory and immune markers may shift toward balance — Yoga has been associated with reductions in inflammatory signals and improved immune cell activity, which may be relevant because autoimmune dysfunction is a common driver of hypothyroidism.

By highlighting the autonomic and hormonal pathways yoga appears to influence, this review reframes it not just as therapy but as a preventive tool. The next review takes that broader lens even further — examining how yoga affects not only hypothyroidism but multiple thyroid conditions.

How Different Thyroid Conditions Respond to Different Yoga Practices

While the previously discussed studies focused mainly on hypothyroidism, this 2022 review published in the BLDE University Journal of Health Sciences11,12 asked a broader question: Can yoga change thyroid hormone levels — T3, T4, and TSH — in different thyroid conditions? To answer this, researchers reviewed 11 experimental studies, which included participants with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and low T3 syndrome.

• People with hyperthyroidism had lower T4 levels — In the study on overactive thyroid, yoga was linked to a reduction in elevated T4 levels. This suggests yoga may help calm excess thyroid activity.

• Those with low T3 syndrome showed improved T3 levels — People with low T3 syndrome, a condition often triggered by illness or stress, showed improvements in T3 after practicing yoga.

• Participants with hypothyroidism showed reduced TSH levels — As seen in earlier reviews, people dealing with an underactive thyroid often experienced decreases in TSH after yoga practice.

• Neck-focused poses and slow breathing were commonly used — Studies that reported hormone changes often included poses where the neck is bent or extended, such as lying on the back with the legs lifted overhead or the chin tucked toward the chest.

Some also included a slow, controlled breathing technique that slightly narrows the throat to regulate airflow. One study using only a repeated hand gesture also reported measurable hormone shifts.

Taken together, these three reviews suggest that yoga may help support thyroid hormone balance across different thyroid states. The evidence is encouraging, but not yet definitive; larger, well-designed clinical trials are still needed before yoga can be formally integrated into thyroid treatment guidelines.

Beginner-Friendly Yoga Poses to Support Thyroid Health

While no pose can “fix” a thyroid condition on its own, certain movements improve posture, circulation, breathing patterns, and nervous system balance. The following poses from an article by Medical News Today13 can help with thyroid function. They may support healthy blood flow, reduce tension, and can be practiced at home with minimal equipment.

• Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) — This gentle backbend strengthens your back and opens the front of your neck and chest, helping improve posture and reduce tightness around the throat area.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Press your feet into the mat and slowly lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Keep your chin gently tucked and your neck long.
4. Hold for three slow breaths.
5. Lower your hips slowly back down.

• Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) — This pose gently stretches the front of the neck and encourages spinal flexibility.

1. Lie face down with your palms under your shoulders and your legs extended behind you.
2. Press gently into your hands and lift your chest off the mat.
3. Keep your elbows slightly bent and shoulders relaxed.
4. Lift only as high as feels comfortable.
5. Take three slow breaths, then lower down.

• Fish Pose (Modified Matsyasana) — This is a mild chest opener that can be done without deep back bending.

1. Sit with legs extended or cross-legged.
2. Place your hands behind you on the floor.
3. Gently lift your chest and tilt your head back slightly.
4. Keep the movement small and controlled.
5. Take five slow breaths, then return upright.

• Boat Pose (Modified Navasana) — This strengthens your core and supports upright posture, reducing strain on the neck and upper spine.

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Roll your shoulders back to open your chest.
2. Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the floor, keeping your knees bent.
3. Extend your arms forward, parallel to the floor.
4. Keep your chest lifted and your back straight — avoid rounding your spine.
5. Hold for five breaths, then lower your feet back down.

• Gentle Neck Stretch (Simple Seated Variation) — This reduces tension in the muscles surrounding the thyroid area and improves mobility.

1. Sit upright in a chair or on the floor.
2. Slowly tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder.
3. Hold for three slow breaths.
4. Return to center, then repeat on the other side.

Supporting your thyroid doesn’t require mastering complicated poses or dramatic inversions. It’s about consistency, circulation, and calming the systems that quietly influence hormone balance every day. Gentle movement, steady breathing, and better posture may seem simple — but simple practices, done regularly, create meaningful change.

Safe and Natural Ways to Support Metabolic and Thyroid Function

Understanding the effects of yoga on thyroid health points to something deeper: Thyroid function doesn’t operate in isolation. It depends on how well-fueled, how calm, and how balanced the rest of your body is. Improving thyroid function isn’t about chasing lab numbers or piling on supplements — it’s about removing the roadblocks to energy production and giving your body steady, appropriate fuel. When you consistently address those root causes, meaningful progress follows.

• What are metabolic “brakes”? These so-called “brakes” are lifestyle, dietary, hormonal, or environmental factors that slow thyroid hormone activation and reduce cellular energy production. They increase reverse T3 (rT3) — an inactive form of thyroid hormone that blocks T3 from doing its job — reduce active T3 and signal the body to conserve energy instead of producing it. Before rebuilding metabolism, these brakes need to be identified and lowered.

• Release the metabolic brakes — Several common factors can blunt thyroid signaling and energy production. Systematically lowering these stressors helps T3 reach your cells:

◦ Manage stress — Chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis raises cortisol, which impairs T4-to-T3 conversion and elevates rT3. Reduce unnecessary stressors (over-exercising, under-fueling, frequent fasting, and daily ice baths) and schedule recovery so you spend time in a parasympathetic, “rest-and-digest” state.

◦ Eat properly and nourish your body — If your body is suppressing T3, there’s usually a reason — low-quality food, chronic undereating, or stressors your system reads as “famine.” Start with what you’re currently doing. If you’ve been under-eating, increase calories gradually.

◦ Get some steps in — Maintain daily activity at approximately 7,000 to 8,000 steps, up to 12,000 if well tolerated, and include two to three strength-training sessions per week. Build gradually instead of making extreme changes. The first step is identifying what’s blocking proper thyroid signaling.

◦ Limit polyunsaturated fats (PUFs) — High intake of PUFs, especially linoleic acid (LA) commonly found in seed oils, may interfere with thyroid hormone transport proteins and reduce efficient delivery of active triiodothyronine (T3) to cells. Excess PUFs can also disrupt estrogen detoxification pathways, which may further impair thyroid signaling.

Limit industrial seed oils, including olive and avocado oils, as well as nuts and seeds, and conventional chicken and pork. Prioritize stable fats like butter, beef tallow, and pasture-raised options when available. If lower-PUF poultry and eggs aren’t accessible, limit eggs to two per day and choose leaner cuts of chicken and pork.

◦ Address estrogen dominance — Excess estrogen raises thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG),14 which ties up T3 and lowers the free, active fraction.15 Reduce exposures by choosing cleaner personal-care products and foods, and by keeping PUF intake in check to support estrogen detox.

◦ Reduce phytoestrogen intake — Phytoestrogens (notably from soy and flax) can mimic estrogen and may disrupt thyroid function16,17 and hormone availability. Limit soy milks and tofu, flax-heavy breads and supplements.

◦ Improve gut health — Roughly one-fifth of T4-to-T3 conversion occurs in the gut. Minimize additives, gums, and hard-to-digest foods; emphasize simple, well-tolerated, minimally processed meals and cooking methods that work for you.

• Equip your body with the right tools — Once brakes are reduced, your thyroid needs steady inputs.

◦ Adequate calories and micronutrients — Your cells produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) inside mitochondria — the tiny power plants in every cell. This process requires sufficient calories plus minerals such as selenium, iodine, zinc, and vitamins including B vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. Chronic calorie restriction slows energy production.

◦ Dietary carbohydrates — Carbohydrates support conversion of T4 into active T3 and prevent chronically low blood sugar, which increases reverse T3. Include carbohydrates you digest well each day.

◦ Balanced protein intake — Protein is essential, but relying heavily on muscle meat alone may create amino acid imbalance. Include glycine-rich sources such as collagen, gelatin, bone broth, or gelatin-rich cuts (oxtail, beef shank) alongside nutrient-dense proteins like eggs and dairy.18

In short, eat enough, eat well, manage stress, reduce inflammatory fats, and give your gut the conditions it needs to convert T4 into active T3. These steps help create an internal environment where thyroid hormones can do their work. To know more about how you can improve your thyroid function, read “A Comprehensive Guide to Thyroid Function and Metabolic Wellness.”

With these metabolic roadblocks addressed, the yoga practices described earlier in this article become even more effective; the body is better positioned to benefit from improved circulation, posture, and nervous system balance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Thyroid Health and Yoga

Q: What is hypothyroidism?
A: Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid, a small gland at the base of your neck, doesn’t produce enough T3 and T4, the hormones that regulate metabolism. Common symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and feeling cold.

Q: How common is hypothyroidism?
A: Thyroid problems like hypothyroidism are far more common than most people realize. In the United States alone, more than 20 million people have a thyroid disorder, and about 60% don’t even know they have it.

Q: What did the 2024 Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine review find?
A: A systematic review published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine found yoga improved thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), cholesterol markers, heart rate variability (HRV), and sometimes reduced levothyroxine dosage, though study quality was mixed.

Q: What type of yoga is best for thyroid support?
A: The studies reviewed included a mix of gentle postures (asanas), breathing practices (pranayama), relaxation techniques, meditation, and in some cases hand mudras. Programs that combined movement with slow breathing and stress-reduction techniques appeared to produce broader benefits than posture alone. Neck-focused poses and structured breathing exercises were commonly included in protocols associated with hormonal improvements.

Q: What are metabolic “brakes”?
A: Metabolic brakes are stressors like chronic under-eating, elevated cortisol, high polyunsaturated fats (PUFs), estrogen dominance, gut dysfunction, or certain medications that increase reverse T3 (rT3) and reduce active T3 at the cellular level.

If you’ve embraced a high-fat or ketogenic diet to protect your metabolism, research, published in The Journal of Nutrition, challenges that assumption.1 Within just two weeks, mice fed fat-heavy diets showed the first signs of metabolic damage — and the harm only deepened from there.

Metabolic dysfunction is characterized by rising fasting blood glucose, weight gain, elevated triglycerides, and fatty liver disease — meaning fat builds up inside your liver cells. Over time, that process drives inflammation, insulin resistance and scarring of liver tissue. What makes the Penn State results so striking is that all dietary groups consumed similar calories. The macronutrient ratio, not the calorie count, made the difference.

A separate investigation published in Molecular Cell adds another layer: high-fat feeding doesn’t just alter body composition — it rewires the chemical machinery inside your cells, disrupting the systems that govern energy production and oxidative stress, with effects that differ meaningfully between males and females.2

These findings raise a direct question: if high fat intake rapidly disrupts glucose control, liver health and cellular energy systems, what does that mean for the way you structure your plate? The controlled feeding data provide a clear starting point.

Fat-Heavy Diets Strained the Liver and Blood Sugar Control

For The Journal of Nutrition study, researchers designed three experimental diets with identical protein content but very different carbohydrate-to-fat ratios: a high-carbohydrate diet (70% carbohydrate, 11% fat), a high-fat diet (42% carbohydrate, 40% fat), and a ketogenic diet (1% carbohydrate, 81% fat).3 A whole-grain-rich chow diet served as the control. By holding protein steady, the researchers isolated the effect of swapping carbohydrates for fat.

• Normal-weight mice experienced rapid metabolic decline on high-fat and ketogenic diets — In lean mice, both the high-fat and ketogenic diets drove continuous weight gain and hyperglycemia, meaning elevated blood sugar levels.
Despite similar calorie intake across groups, mice on fat-rich diets nearly doubled their body weight over 16 weeks, while control mice gained only about 10%, which is typical growth for that age. Adverse changes began as early as week two. That short window underscores how rapidly dietary composition alters metabolic signaling.
• Liver damage appeared early and worsened over time — Within just two weeks, mice on high-fat and ketogenic diets showed impaired glucose tolerance and signs of compromised liver function. By 16 weeks, fat-rich diets promoted fat buildup inside liver cells, along with inflammation and fibrosis, which is scar tissue formation.
The high-carbohydrate group didn’t show the same pattern of liver injury. If you picture your liver as a metabolic control center, this level of fat accumulation slows its ability to regulate blood sugar and lipids efficiently.
• Triglycerides and inflammatory markers rose sharply under ketogenic conditions — Mice on the ketogenic diet developed elevated triglycerides, a blood fat linked to heart disease risk. They also expressed genes associated with inflammation and liver scarring. That shift matters because inflammation accelerates metabolic dysfunction. The study makes clear that nutritional ketosis didn’t shield the liver from harm in this model.
• Whole-grain chow produced the strongest health markers — Among all groups, the whole-grain-based chow resulted in the best metabolic profile, including stable weight gain and healthier liver markers.
Even the high-carbohydrate diet outperformed both fat-rich diets in preserving liver integrity. In obese mice, switching to chow or a high-carbohydrate diet improved markers of inflammation, liver health and metabolic stress within two weeks. If your goal is metabolic stability, this comparison highlights how extreme fat intake stacks up against carbohydrate-dominant patterns.
• Fiber softened the metabolic blow of a ketogenic diet in obese mice — In a second phase, researchers tested obese mice that had already developed metabolic dysfunction. When inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber, was added to the ketogenic diet, some adverse immunometabolic markers improved compared to ketogenic or high-fat feeding alone. Importantly, fiber enrichment did not block ketone production.
That finding gives you a practical takeaway: gut-supportive carbohydrates influence how your body responds to fat-heavy diets.

High-Fat Diets Change How Your Cells Run at the Smallest Level

Those visible metabolic injuries — the fatty liver, the spiking blood sugar — have roots at a much deeper level. A second study, published in Molecular Cell, reveals what’s happening inside the cell itself.4 It examined how eating a high-fat diet alters tiny chemical tags on proteins in mice.

These tags work like dimmer switches on your cellular machinery — they don’t just turn processes on or off, they fine-tune how intensely each one runs. The researchers studied these switches to see how too much fat changes how cells make and use energy. Their goal was to show how excess fat reshapes the way your cells function.

• Male and female bodies reacted differently — Both male and female mice gained weight on a high-fat diet, but males gained more body fat overall. Their blood sugar rose more sharply, and their insulin levels increased significantly, which signals stronger insulin resistance. Females also gained weight and had higher blood sugar, but the damage wasn’t as severe.
• Hundreds of chemical markers inside the liver shifted — The researchers measured 260 different small molecules in the liver and found hundreds of protein switch changes linked to metabolism. Diet explained a large portion of these shifts, and sex explained another significant portion. In simple terms, what the mice ate and whether they were male or female strongly influenced how their cells processed fuel.
• The body’s stress and antioxidant systems were hit hard — Many of the altered switches involved enzymes that control glutathione, one of your body’s main antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by excess fuel and stress.
The study found that high-fat feeding changed the position of these switches near key working areas of the enzymes. When these switches are flipped by excess fat, your cells lose some of their ability to neutralize damage and process fuel cleanly — leaving them more vulnerable to the very stress that high-fat diets create.
When researchers added an antioxidant to the high-fat diet, body weight dropped by about 47%, blood sugar fell by about 47%, and insulin levels decreased nearly 10-fold compared to high-fat feeding alone. Many of the disturbed chemical markers shifted back toward healthier patterns. This shows that oxidative stress plays a major role in the damage caused by excess fat.
• Certain enzyme switches created traffic jams inside cells — Some of the chemical switches slowed down important energy pathways. For example, one switch boosted a backup energy pathway used when mitochondria are strained. Another switch slowed the production of building blocks needed for DNA and cell repair. When these processes slow down or reroute, your cells lose efficiency and stability.
Lab experiments confirmed that changing these protein switches directly altered how enzymes worked. Some switches reduced enzyme activity by 20% to 30%. Others boosted certain stress-driven energy pathways. This means high-fat diets do more than increase body fat. They change how your cells produce and protect energy at the molecular level.

Restore Metabolic Balance by Lowering Excess Fat and Rebuilding Cellular Energy

High fat intake disrupts blood sugar control, strains your liver and rewires the chemical switches that govern cellular energy. If you want to reverse that trajectory, you need to correct the root driver: excessive dietary fat overwhelming your metabolic system. Focus first on reducing that burden while restoring the nutrients and signals that allow your mitochondria — the energy engines inside your cells — to function efficiently. Here is how you begin.

1. Optimize your macronutrient balance — lower fat, restore carbs — The research shows that when fat intake climbs too high, metabolic stress markers rise and cellular energy systems shift in harmful ways. When your cells burn mostly fat for fuel, the process generates more oxidative byproducts and sidelines the cleaner glucose-burning pathways your mitochondria prefer. I recommend keeping your total fat intake between 30% and 40% of your daily calories.

2. Eliminate seed oils and excess linoleic acid (LA) completely — The bigger issue isn’t just total fat — it’s LA, a polyunsaturated fat concentrated in seed oils. Excess LA intake disrupts mitochondrial function, drives oxidative stress and strains your liver. Remove canola, corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and grapeseed oils from your kitchen. Eliminate nuts, seeds, and nut butters, which are also high in LA. Replace those fats with saturated fats such as grass fed butter, ghee or tallow.
Even olive and avocado oil deserve moderation. They’re often diluted with cheaper seed oils and are rich in monounsaturated fats that still burden mitochondrial energy systems when consumed in excess. Lowering your LA intake reduces inflammatory stress and restores more stable cellular fuel processing.
The goal is to get your LA intake below 5 grams, and ideally closer to 2 grams, daily. To track your intake, download the upcoming Mercola Health Coach app, which includes the Seed Oil Sleuth feature that calculates LA exposure with precise accuracy.

3. Increase carbohydrates to about 250 grams per day — Under normal conditions, your cells generate energy most efficiently when glucose is available as a primary fuel. Most adults thrive on 250 grams of carbohydrates daily, more if you’re active. Start with easily digested carbs like fruit and white rice, especially if your gut health is compromised.
Then, gradually add in root vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, starchy vegetables like squash or sweet potatoes, beans and legumes, and finally minimally processed whole grains — only if your gut can handle them.

4. Rebuild your gut environment before increasing fiber aggressively — The first study showed that fiber improved outcomes in high-fat feeding. However, if your microbiome is damaged, fiber feeds the wrong bacteria, increasing endotoxin load. That’s why it’s important to repair your gut lining first before increasing fiber.
Start by removing the main irritants. Eliminate seed oils, processed foods, alcohol and excessive fat. These disrupt your intestinal barrier and increase oxidative stress. Your gut lining is a thin layer of cells held together by tight junctions. When those junctions loosen, bacterial toxins enter your bloodstream and trigger inflammation.
Next, support the cells that line your colon. These cells rely on stable energy production. Gradually increase easily digested carbohydrates like whole fruit and white rice to restore mitochondrial function. Adequate glucose supports proper cell turnover and strengthens your intestinal barrier.
Short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, play a central role here. Butyrate is produced when beneficial bacteria ferment certain fibers. It serves as the primary fuel for colon cells and helps tighten the junctions between them. When butyrate levels are low, your gut barrier weakens. As your digestion improves, introducing small amounts of the right fibers encourages healthy bacteria to produce butyrate, which reinforces the lining from the inside out.
Then rebuild protective mucus and beneficial bacteria. Collagen-rich protein like bone broth helps provide glycine, which supports tissue repair and glutathione production. Consider introducing small amounts of targeted prebiotic fiber such as inulin only after fat intake is reduced and digestion improves. Increase fiber slowly. If bloating, pain or loose stools appear, back down and proceed gradually.

5. Support redox balance with sunlight and cellular energy tools — Redox balance refers to the tug-of-war between damaging molecules and the protective antioxidants that neutralize them. It depends on efficient mitochondrial function. Sunlight stimulates nitric oxide release and supports mitochondrial energy production, improving your cells’ ability to manage oxidative stress.
Gradual, consistent sun exposure strengthens this system. However, if your body is full of LA from years of seed oil consumption, your skin is more prone to burning during midday sun. Avoid sunlight from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until you’ve reduced seed oils for at least six months, focusing instead on morning and late afternoon light. Once your tissues are free from these unstable fats, you’ll tolerate more sun safely.

If you’ve relied on high-fat dietary strategies for weight control, this transition to lower fat, higher carbs restores metabolic flexibility rather than suppressing it. Each small adjustment builds momentum. Your liver and cellular energy systems respond quickly when the overload is removed.

FAQs About High-Fat Diets and Metabolic Health

Q: Did the research show that high-fat diets caused more harm than high-carbohydrate diets?
A: Yes. In The Journal of Nutrition study, mice consuming high-fat and ketogenic diets developed rapid weight gain, elevated blood sugar and measurable liver damage, while the high-carbohydrate group didn’t show the same degree of liver injury.5 All groups consumed similar calories. The difference came from the macronutrient ratio, not calorie intake.

Q: How quickly did metabolic damage appear on high-fat diets?
A: Signs of metabolic dysfunction appeared within just two weeks. Mice on high-fat and ketogenic diets showed impaired glucose tolerance and early liver stress at that point. By 16 weeks, fat accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis were clearly present in the liver. The damage developed quickly and deepened over time.

Q: What happened inside the cells on a high-fat diet?
A: The second study, published in Molecular Cell, showed that high-fat feeding altered chemical “switches” on metabolic enzymes.6 These switches control how your cells produce energy and manage oxidative stress. High fat intake disrupted antioxidant systems, redox balance and key energy pathways, especially in male mice. This means excess fat changes how your cells function at the molecular level, not just how much body fat you store.

Q: Did anything reverse the damage caused by high-fat feeding?
A: Yes. When researchers added an antioxidant to the high-fat diet in the second study, body weight dropped by about 47%, fasting blood glucose fell by roughly 47%, and insulin levels decreased nearly 10-fold compared to high-fat feeding alone. Many disrupted metabolic markers shifted back toward healthier patterns, showing that oxidative stress played a central role in the damage.

Q: What practical steps help protect metabolic health?
A: The core strategy is lowering excessive fat intake while restoring balanced carbohydrate intake. Keeping total fat between 30% and 40% of daily calories, eliminating seed oils and reducing LA intake help reduce oxidative stress. Increasing carbohydrates to around 250 grams per day for most adults supports mitochondrial energy production. Supporting gut health and regular sunlight exposure further stabilizes redox balance and cellular energy systems.

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What does your body need to make butyrate effectively?

High daily sugar intake
A healthy balance of gut bacteria
Butyrate production relies on a healthy balance of gut bacteria. When that balance is disrupted, fiber fermentation drops along with many of butyrate’s protective benefits. Learn more.
Increased stomach acid production
Large amounts of dietary fat

A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way

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A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way
Our team has been working behind the scenes to prepare new research and practical health strategies for our readers. While we finish preparing what’s coming next, we invite you to explore one of the most-read articles from our library below. See exactly what’s changing →

For decades, olive oil has been marketed as the gold standard of healthy fats — central to the Mediterranean diet and praised for its heart-protective benefits. It’s become a staple in health-conscious kitchens, drizzled over salads, blended into dressings, and splashed into sauté pans without a second thought.

But sometimes what’s widely accepted isn’t the whole story. Behind olive oil’s reputation is a single dominant fat: oleic acid. It’s a monounsaturated fat you’ll find not only in olive oil, but also in avocado oil and high-oleic seed oils. And it doesn’t just pass through your system unnoticed. Your body listens to it — and responds.

The story you’re about to read breaks open a new chapter in our understanding of dietary fat. What you pour on your plate goes beyond adding flavor. It sends a signal. And depending on the oil, that signal could be telling your body to store more fat, whether you’re overeating or not.

Oleic Acid Triggers New Fat Cell Growth

In a 2025 study published in Cell Reports, researchers tested different types of fats to see which ones led to more body fat — not just from eating too much, but from the fat itself acting like a trigger.1 They found that one fat in particular — oleic acid — stood out. The goal was to figure out if certain fats tell your body to create more fat cells, not just fill up the ones you already have.

• This study wasn’t about fat cells getting bigger — it was about your body making new ones — Most people think gaining fat means your current fat cells just get puffier. But this research looked at something more permanent: your body actually making more fat cells. Once that happens, those new cells don’t disappear when you lose weight. They stick around and make it easier to gain weight again later.

• Only oleic acid had this fat-boosting effect in both animals and humans — Mice fed oleic-acid-rich diets showed a sharp increase in precursor fat cells, the ones that turn into mature fat-storing cells. Human fat cells exposed to oleic acid in lab settings did the same thing. Other fats like coconut oil and stearic acid didn’t cause this change — only oleic acid did. Still, we need more replicated science to confirm that oleic acid does, in fact, cause obesity to a greater extent than other fats.

• Even with the same calories, olive oil caused more fat buildup — In one part of the study, mice were fed the same number of calories but from different types of fat. Those that got oleic-acid-heavy fats like olive oil gained significantly more fat — not because they ate more, but because their fat cells multiplied faster. That means fat variety, not just quantity, matters a lot.

• More oleic acid in your blood means more fat cells created — Blood tests showed a direct connection between oleic acid levels in the blood and how many new fat cells were created. The more oleic acid that showed up, the more new fat cells the body made. In other words, this fat acts like a signal telling your body to grow more storage space for fat.

Oleic Acid Flips Metabolic Switches That Tell Your Body to Store More Fat

Inside your cells, there’s a control system that decides whether to build new fat tissue. Oleic acid throws that switch to “on,” sending a signal that tells your body it’s time to grow more fat cells. When that switch isn’t working, this process doesn’t happen, showing that oleic acid relies on this internal command to get the fat-storing process moving.2

• Oleic acid shuts off your natural fat-limiting controls — Your body also has a built-in safety system that’s supposed to slow down or stop unnecessary fat cell growth. Think of it like a brake pedal that prevents you from creating more fat than you need. Oleic acid disables that brake, allowing fat cell development to go unchecked. The result is a steady stream of new fat cells being created, even when they’re not needed.

• Without that brake, fat cells multiply fast — In one part of the study, researchers looked at mice that had this fat-limiting brake permanently turned off. When those mice consumed oleic acid, they experienced an explosion of new fat cell growth, much more than normal mice. This shows that oleic acid doesn’t just promote fat storage, it also removes your body’s ability to say “enough.”

• Human studies confirmed what the animal studies showed — Using data from the UK Biobank, one of the largest health databases in the world, researchers found that high levels of monounsaturated fats in the blood, mostly oleic acid, were strongly linked to higher obesity risk. Out of 249 different blood markers tested, oleic acid had the strongest link to being overweight.

Why Healthy-Sounding Oils Aren’t Always Helping You

The study shows that oleic acid plays a bigger role in fat gain than most people realize. But there’s another layer to this problem — one that’s hidden in plain sight. The oils you trust as “healthy,” like olive and avocado oils, are sabotaging your metabolism in more ways than one.

• Let’s start with what’s actually in the bottle — Most people assume that if they’re buying olive oil, they’re getting the real deal. But research has repeatedly shown that many olive oils on the market are diluted or adulterated, often with cheap, highly refined vegetable oils like soybean or canola. So, unless you know your source, you’re likely getting a cocktail of inflammatory industrial fats with every pour.

• Concerns over olive oil aren’t new — I previously interviewed Brad Marshall, who’s done excellent work on reductive stress and has warned about the metabolic problems associated with oleic acid in olive oil, including increased risk of obesity and energy imbalance. That’s a huge red flag for anyone struggling with metabolic issues, energy dips, or weight that won’t budge.

• Too much oleic acid disrupts your mitochondria in similar ways as linoleic acid (LA) — While it isn’t a polyunsaturated fat like LA, oleic acid still embeds itself into your mitochondrial membrane and crowds out cardiolipin, a key fat that your mitochondria need to make energy efficiently.

When cardiolipin is displaced, the electron transport chain becomes unstable, leading to reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and increased oxidative stress. This same underlying mechanism is detailed in my 2025 Advances in Redox Research review, where I explain how both oxidative and reductive stress from fats like LA push mitochondria toward dysfunction and eventual breakdown.3

• Still holding onto the idea that olive oil is heart-healthy? This is partly true. It contains antioxidant-rich polyphenols that offer some protection. But those benefits don’t cancel out the downsides when you’re using olive oil liberally. When you strip away the antioxidants, oleic acid becomes a metabolic disruptor.

If olive oil is in your kitchen, it doesn’t mean you need to throw it out immediately. But it does mean you should stop treating it like a health food to pour freely. Your cells are listening to the signals you send them — make sure those signals are helping, not hurting.

How to Adjust Your Dietary Oils to Boost Your Well-Being

If you’ve been relying on olive oil as your go-to “healthy fat,” it’s time to rethink that habit. I used to recommend it too — until the research became too clear to ignore. Oleic acid has been shown to drive the creation of new fat cells, even without overeating. That means your body could be stockpiling fat just from the type of oil you use, not how much food you eat.

Here’s how you start undoing that damage by removing the cause, rebalancing your fat intake, and restoring your mitochondrial energy. The goal is to reduce oleic acid buildup and get your metabolism functioning the way it was designed to. If you’re struggling with stubborn belly fat, feel like your energy has flatlined, or notice fat creeping on even when you’re eating healthy, here’s what I recommend:

1. Don’t replace olive oil with vegetable oils — ditch both — You might think swapping olive oil for something labeled “vegetable oil” is a step in the right direction, but it’s not. Industrial vegetable oils like soybean, corn, canola, and safflower are worse than olive oil because they’re packed with LA, a highly inflammatory polyunsaturated fat that damages your mitochondria, drives oxidative stress, and stays in your body for years.

These oils break down into toxic byproducts that interfere with hormone signaling and fat metabolism. So don’t just replace one problem oil with another — remove both oleic- and LA-rich oils from your kitchen entirely.

2. Switch to metabolically stable fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter — These traditional fats are lower in both oleic acid and LA and much more stable when heated. Use grass fed butter and ghee for cooking and keep tallow on hand for sautéing and roasting. These fats support mitochondrial energy production instead of disrupting it. They’re also more satisfying, which naturally helps regulate your appetite.

3. Eat meats from animals fed natural diets, not industrial feed — If you’re eating pork or chicken raised on high-LA feeds (like soy and corn), you’re still getting large doses of unhealthy fats. I recommend switching to ruminant meats like grass fed beef and lamb. These animals convert the fats in their feed differently and don’t store excess oleic acid the same way. Instead of chicken and pork, stick with wild game and grass fed beef.

4. Prioritize carbs and collagen — One of the biggest mistakes people make when removing olive oil is replacing it with more fat. That only compounds the problem. What your cells actually need is fuel in the form of easy-to-digest carbs like fruit, root vegetables, and white rice, alongside a steady supply of collagen-rich protein like bone broth or slow-cooked meats. This combo helps rebuild your cell membranes and repair fat-driven metabolic damage.

5. Track your fat intake like you track your carbs or protein — Most people don’t think twice about the kinds of fats they use day to day, but your body does. Start paying closer attention to how much oleic acid you’re getting, not just from olive oil but from foods like salad dressings.

Treat it like any other macro: something to monitor and balance. Use a simple food journal or app to log your daily fat sources for two weeks. You’ll quickly spot patterns — like how often olive oil or avocado oil sneaks into your meals.

Once you see it, you can start swapping it out with fats that actually support your metabolism. Awareness is the first step to change, and this simple tracking habit helps reconnect you with how your body responds to what’s on your plate. Fat is not the enemy. But the wrong fat, even in a “healthy” form, creates the wrong signals. Reset those signals, and your body will finally respond the way it’s supposed to.

FAQs About Olive Oil

Q: Is olive oil really causing weight gain, even if I eat healthy?

A: Yes, according to a 2025 study in Cell Reports, oleic acid — the main fat in olive oil — triggers the creation of new fat cells even without overeating.4 This helps explain why some people gain weight despite clean eating and calorie control.

Q: What makes oleic acid different from other fats?

A: Oleic acid doesn’t just store energy. It sends signals to your cells to make more fat-storing cells. Other fats, like stearic acid or coconut oil, didn’t have the same effect in studies. The issue isn’t just how much fat you eat, but what type.

Q: Isn’t olive oil part of the healthy Mediterranean diet?

A: It is, but moderation is key. Olive oil does contain protective polyphenols, but in excess, its main fat disrupts mitochondria, promotes fat storage, and interferes with metabolic health.

Q: Should I stop using olive oil completely?

A: Not necessarily, but you should stop treating it like a free-pour health food. Many store-bought olive oils are adulterated, and even pure versions are problematic in large amounts. Track how often you’re using it and consider switching to more stable fats like ghee, tallow, or grass fed butter.

Q: What’s the best way to fix this if I’ve been using olive oil for years?

A: Start by removing high-oleic oils from your kitchen and replacing them with metabolically supportive fats. Prioritize easy-to-digest carbs and collagen-rich proteins, and monitor your fat intake like you would any other nutrient. Over time, this shift restores mitochondrial function and helps normalize weight and energy levels.

According to recent estimates, around 1 in 6 people in the United Kingdom (U.K.) have vitamin D levels that fall below the government’s set standards.1 When this becomes chronic, health problems eventually appear, such as respiratory tract infections that can lead to lengthy hospitalizations.2

Acute respiratory tract infection is characterized by symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, difficulty breathing, fatigue, and in severe cases, chest pain or shortness of breath.3 Left unaddressed, these infections contribute to significant global morbidity4 and can escalate into life-threatening complications like respiratory failure.5

To combat respiratory tract infections, U.K. researchers are now sounding the alarm, linking low serum vitamin D levels to a higher risk of these health problems. As noted in other published studies, adequate levels of vitamin D help maintain immune system homeostasis — strong enough to fight off infections but regulated enough to avoid inflammation.6 In the featured study below, they show just how much your vitamin D levels can influence your chances of being hospitalized.

Increased Vitamin D Intake Helps Protect Your Respiratory Health

In a 2026 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers performed an unmatched case-control study using data taken from the U.K. Biobank. A total of 36,258 participants were selected, which included different ethnic backgrounds — White, Asian, Black, and mixed ethnicities.

The overall goal of the study was to establish a link between serum vitamin D levels, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the form measured in standard blood tests, and its effect on hospitalization rates of respiratory tract infections like pneumonia and bronchitis.7

• Demographics at risk — The researchers noted that middle- and older-aged adults are at a higher risk of these conditions.8 Lead researcher Abi Bournot, Ph.D., argues that supplementation can help:9

“Supplementation of the vitamin, especially in the winter months when our exposure to sunlight is limited, is an effective way of increasing vitamin D and reducing the risk of serious respiratory tract infections. This is particularly important for older people who are at higher risk of death from such infections, and ethnic minority communities in the U.K., who are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.”

• The impact of vitamin D levels on hospitalization rates — The researchers took existing vitamin D levels and hospital admission records from the dataset and used different analytical models to determine the connection between the two.

Participants with serum vitamin D levels below 15 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) had a 33% risk of hospitalization compared to adults with an average vitamin D level of 75 nmol/L or more. Note that this is the unit of measurement for U.K. In America, 75 nmol/L is equivalent to 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).

• A look at other vitamin D ranges — Findings show that vitamin D levels above 15 nmol/L (6 ng/mL) generally had lower hospitalization rates. For example, those who had an intermediate range (15 to 74 nmol/L; 6 to 29.6 ng/mL) “were not associated with a statistically significant increase in risk.” Moreover, every increase of 10 nmol/L (4 ng/mL) in serum vitamin D was linked to a generally significant reduction in hospitalizations.10

“Our findings of a significant association between increased vitamin D levels in our bodies and reduced hospital admission rates warrants further study, and points to the potential for vitamin D supplementation and consumption of vitamin D fortified foods to reduce the risk of hospitalization with respiratory infections in the future, and therefore mitigate pressures on the NHS [National Health Service],” The researchers noted.11

Daily Vitamin D Intake Shows a Noticeable Advantage Against Respiratory Infections

In a related study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, researchers performed a meta-analysis from 40 randomized controlled trials to determine the impact of vitamin D supplementation on lowering the risk of acute respiratory infection.12

The study population involved a total of 61,589 participants across a wide range of countries and health backgrounds. Children to older adults were included, both healthy individuals and those with chronic conditions. This mix gives you a realistic sense of how vitamin D levels impact public health.

• Key findings of the study — The researchers reported that daily dosing produced a statistically significant reduction in acute respiratory infection risk, with a 16% lower risk of developing a respiratory tract infection compared with those who took a placebo.

However, bolus dosing — giving vitamin D in large, intermittent doses — did not have this effect. Only daily intake produced an advantage.

• Certain subgroups improved more than others — The researchers reported that baseline vitamin D status, age, and dose size did not significantly modify the overall statistical outcome at the meta-analysis level, but the subgroup that showed clear significance was, again, the daily intake group. This shows that the frequency of intake plays an important role in determining the impact of vitamin D on your health.

Another point worth noting is how consistent the findings were across different populations in the daily dosing subgroup. Whether participants were young, older, living with chronic illness, or generally healthy, the protective effect remained statistically reliable inside the daily-dose category. That means your background health status does not prevent you from gaining protection by vitamin D. Again, the main factor depends on a steady intake to support your immune system.

• A look at the safety outcomes — Serious adverse events were almost identical between vitamin D and placebo with an odds ratio of 0.96, which means that there is no meaningful increase in safety concerns from supplementation. Thus, there are close to no downsides when boosting your vitamin D levels.

More Data Show the Effectiveness of Daily Vitamin D

In another meta-analysis published in Nutrition Journal, researchers reviewed 43 randomized controlled trials with a total of 49,320 participants. Their goal was to figure out which vitamin D strategies work best for preventing acute respiratory infections. Similar to the previous study above, this one also involved children, adults, and older adults, people in good health, and others living with chronic issues.13

• Daily dosing produced a measurable improvement — The study reported “significant preventive effects of vitamin D supplementation” for daily users. This means that integrating vitamin D optimization into your routine every day offers a noticeable advantage. Even short-duration trials produced positive results.

• Dosing outcomes — The research included a dose-response analysis, which estimates how much vitamin D produces the best outcomes across different environments. According to the authors, the optimal range sits between 400 and 1,200 International Units (IU) per day, and this held true in both seasonal categories they evaluated.

Higher or very infrequent doses did not outperform this modest daily range, meaning more is not better when it comes to oral vitamin D supplementation. Instead, sticking to a moderate, steady intake yields the most consistent return.

• Group-specific effects — Exploring group-specific effects revealed even more insights. For example, daily dosing helped people across a wide age range, but the greatest benefits showed up in groups exposed to seasonal shortages of sunlight and those living in regions with long winter cycles. These are demographics most likely to face prolonged vitamin D insufficiency.

• The downside of bolus dosing — Similar to the previous study, this one also investigated bolus dosing and found similar results. Across the selected dataset, irregular dosing frequencies consistently failed to show significant benefit.

Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels with These Practical Strategies

In addition to reducing your risk of respiratory infections, increasing your vitamin D levels also benefits your health in different ways. In previous articles, I’ve highlighted how vitamin D supports metabolic health by improving insulin resistance and lowers blood pressure. These benefits offer a compelling reason to optimize your vitamin D production regularly, ideally every day.

The studies above focused on supplements because they’re easier to standardize in research — but your body was designed to make its own vitamin D. Supplementation is only something to consider when blood tests make it clear that you’re falling short.

1. Make sunlight your main vitamin D source — Your skin produces vitamin D the moment sunlight hits it. To maximize vitamin D production, expose as much skin as practical — arms and legs at minimum, torso if privacy allows. More skin surface means more vitamin D synthesis in less time, reducing your UV exposure while achieving the same benefit.

Now, how do you know if you’ve produced enough vitamin D for the day? If you notice redness or burning, you’ve gone past your safe limit. When your skin tone looks unchanged, you’re still within a safe range. This built-in feedback mechanism accounts for the current season, your latitude, and your natural skin pigmentation. However, before heading out, it’s important to read the next point.

2. Clear vegetable oils from your diet before ramping up sun exposure — As mentioned earlier, sunlight is the ideal way to produce vitamin D. However, if your diet has included canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, or other seed oils, the linoleic acid (LA) from them has already built up in your tissues.

When LA absorbs ultraviolet light, it oxidizes, drives inflammation, and damages DNA. It also increases your sunburn risk, especially during the midday window when the ultraviolet B rays required for vitamin D production are strongest. To protect yourself, start by lowering your LA intake below 5 grams per day, and swap seed oils for traditional animal fats like tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter. If you can get it below 2 grams per day, that’s even better.

To help you track your daily LA intake, sign up for the upcoming Mercola Health Coach app. It contains a feature called the Seed Oil Sleuth, which calculates the LA in your food down to a tenth of a gram. This makes it far easier to stay within a healthy range.

Note that your body needs about six months of avoidance from seed oils to start clearing LA from tissues. As LA levels fall, your skin becomes more resilient to sunlight, and your sunburn threshold rises. This also increases your ability to safely benefit from midday sunlight.

Here’s another helpful tip — take C15:0 (pentadecanoic acid), which is normally found in grass fed dairy. In a previous article, I went into detail into how it accelerates the removal of LA from tissues.

3. Choose vitamin D3, and pair it with magnesium and K2 — If you need to take a supplement, choose D3 — this is the same form your skin makes. Interestingly, taking D2 reduces the availability of usable D3, disrupting the balance you’re trying to restore. To make D3 work properly, support it with magnesium and vitamin K2. Magnesium activates vitamin D so your tissues can use it, and K2 ensures that calcium moves into your bones instead of settling in arteries or other soft tissues.

These nutrients operate as a team. Without magnesium and K2, your body struggles to activate vitamin D, forcing you to take higher doses just to achieve the same effect. That approach creates more problems than it solves, specifically vitamin D toxicity.

4. Test your vitamin D levels twice a year — Knowing your baseline is important. So, I recommend keeping your vitamin D level between 60 and 80 ng/mL. If your results fall short, refocus on lowering your LA intake and gradually increasing safe sun exposure. Done right, you won’t even have the need to spend on supplements. Regular testing also helps you adjust your approach over time, ensuring that your strategy matches your actual physiology, so you’re not guessing all the time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Vitamin D and Respiratory Tract Infections

Q: How does vitamin D help protect against respiratory infections?
A: Vitamin D helps keep your immune system balanced and strong enough to fight infections while preventing excessive inflammation. Research shows people with severely low vitamin D face a 33% higher risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections like pneumonia and bronchitis compared to those with optimal levels.

Q: Should I take vitamin D daily or in larger weekly doses?
A: Daily dosing is far more effective. Multiple studies found that daily supplementation reduced respiratory infection risk by about 16%, while weekly or monthly bolus doses provided no meaningful protection. If you’re currently taking a large weekly supplement, consider switching to smaller daily amounts.

Q: How much vitamin D should I take each day?
A: Research indicates the optimal supplemental range is between 400 and 1,200 IU per day, with higher doses showing no additional benefit. Aim to maintain blood levels between 60 and 80 ng/mL, using sunlight as your primary source whenever possible.

Q: What supplements should I take alongside vitamin D?
A: Choose the D3 form and pair it with magnesium and vitamin K2. Magnesium activates vitamin D so your body can use it, while K2 directs calcium into bones rather than arteries. Without these cofactors, you may need higher doses that increase toxicity risk.

Q: How quickly will I see benefits from improving my vitamin D levels?
A: Benefits appear within a few months. Studies lasting less than four months showed noticeable improvements in respiratory infection rates, and the protective effects were consistent across all age groups and health backgrounds.

Your gut shapes more than just digestion — it’s a densely populated microbial hub where trillions of organisms break down food components. In doing so, they generate bioactive compounds that influence nearly every aspect of your health. One of the most important is butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that serves as the main energy source for the cells lining your colon (colonocytes).1

Your ability to make butyrate depends on a stable population of beneficial gut bacteria. When this balance is disrupted by dietary choices or environmental toxins, your gut loses its ability to ferment fiber efficiently, and butyrate production decreases. The protective effects that butyrate provides fade with it. To regain those benefits, you have to support your body’s capacity to produce it.

Health Benefits of Butyrate

When your gut produces adequate butyrate, the benefits extend far beyond your digestive health. Understanding what butyrate does helps explain why supporting its production matters so much for long-term health. Its benefits include:2

• Reinforcing your gut barrier — Butyrate provides up to 70% of the energy that colonocytes need to function properly, allowing these cells to maintain tight junctions between them and producing the protective mucus layer that keeps harmful substances from crossing into your bloodstream.

When butyrate levels drop, your gut lining becomes more permeable, allowing partially digested food particles and bacterial components to trigger immune responses.3

• Lowering inflammation — Butyrate inhibits nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a protein complex that activates inflammatory pathways throughout your body. NF-κB is often chronically activated in people with autoimmune conditions, gut disorders, and metabolic disease.4 Butyrate also inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome, another key driver of inflammation that responds to cellular stress and injury.5

In addition to blocking inflammatory signals, it also boosts the production of interleukin-10 (IL-10), a powerful anti-inflammatory cytokine that tells immune cells to stand down.6 Moreover, studies show that butyrate reduces circulating C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation that’s elevated in a wide range of chronic diseases.7

• Regulating immune activity — Your immune system needs to strike a delicate balance — stay alert to real threats without overreacting to harmless stimuli. Butyrate plays an important role in maintaining this balance. When produced in sufficient amounts, it influences the behavior of immune cells, encouraging the growth of regulatory T cells (Tregs) that promote tolerance and suppress overactive responses.8,9

• Protecting brain health — Butyrate supports the gut-brain axis by reducing neuroinflammation and preserving the physical integrity of the blood-brain barrier. This barrier is a specialized structure that keeps harmful substances in the bloodstream from reaching the brain.

It also acts on microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, helping to suppress their overactivation. Chronic microglial activation has been implicated in anxiety, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, butyrate influences the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which help regulate sleep. Animal studies suggest that increasing butyrate levels may improve symptoms of anxiety and support recovery from chronic stress and inflammation that affect the central nervous system.10

• Improving insulin sensitivity and metabolism — Butyrate plays a direct role in metabolic regulation by enhancing insulin sensitivity and supporting stable blood sugar control. It also stimulates the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that slows gastric emptying, reduces appetite, and improves blood sugar control after meals.11,12

• Supporting a healthy weight — Butyrate helps regulate hunger signals and metabolic efficiency, both of which influence how your body stores or burns fat. Its ability to stimulate GLP-1 not only improves blood sugar regulation, but also helps curb appetite, reduce food intake, and delay hunger between meals.13,14

• Lowering colorectal cancer risk — In the colon, butyrate promotes apoptosis (cell self-destruction) in precancerous and cancerous cells, helping reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. It also supports healthy cell turnover and differentiation, both of which are necessary to prevent abnormal growths in the intestinal lining.15

Learn more about the benefits of butyrate to your health in “Butyrate — A Tiny Molecule with Big Potential for Health and Healing.”

Foods That Enhance Butyrate Production

The most effective way to increase butyrate is to provide the raw materials your gut bacteria need to make it. Key producers like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia, and Eubacterium rely on specific dietary inputs to thrive. However, not all fibers ferment the same way, and not every gut can handle them equally. You’ll learn how to prepare your gut in the next section, but these are the foods that form the foundation of butyrate production:

• Begin with simple, well-tolerated carbs — In a disrupted gut, easily digested starches, such as cooked and cooled white rice and sweet potatoes as well as ripe, whole fruits, offer the gentlest way to support butyrate production. They help regulate digestion, stabilize blood sugar, and nourish both your colon lining and beneficial microbes without triggering gas, bloating, or discomfort.

• Gradually expand to prebiotic-rich foods — Once simple carbs are well tolerated, you can start layering in foods that offer more complex fermentable fibers and oligosaccharides. These act as prebiotics, which are nondigestible food components that selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria.16

◦Garlic
◦Onions
◦Asparagus
◦Chicory root
◦Jerusalem artichokes
◦Green bananas

◦Turnip greens
◦Broccoli
◦Carrots
◦Cooked oats
◦Seaweed and microalgae
◦Legumes (soaked or pressure-cooked peas, lentils, and beans)

• Add fermented foods to support microbial stability — Fermented foods don’t produce butyrate themselves, but they help shape the terrain that makes it possible. By delivering live organisms and metabolic byproducts, they strengthen your gut lining and help crowd out problematic strains. These include:

◦Sauerkraut
◦Kimchi
◦Kefir
◦Plain, full-fat yogurt
◦Fermented pickles

Introduce these into your diet slowly and in small amounts. Their microbial density makes them highly active, so monitor how you respond to each one individually.

• Include direct food sources of butyrate — While building up fermentation capacity, it also helps to supply butyrate directly through food. Full-fat dairy naturally contains small amounts of butyric acid, which supports colon cell energy and barrier strength. Good sources include:

◦Grass fed butter
◦Ghee
◦Aged cheeses like Parmesan
◦Whole milk, cream, or yogurt

Aim for 30 grams of fiber each day, but don’t rush the process. Your gut needs to be ready before you introduce larger or more complex sources. While dietary fiber is the primary raw material, the type, form, and timing of fiber introduction all matter. For your body to use dietary fiber properly, you need to heal your gut first.

Why You Can’t Just Add Fiber — The Terrain Has To Be Ready

Fiber is often treated as a one-size-fits-all solution for gut health, but its impact depends entirely on the state of your microbiome. In a balanced system, fiber feeds bacteria that convert it into butyrate and other protective compounds. But when the microbial terrain has been altered, the same fiber that should support healing can worsen symptoms instead.

• Polyunsaturated fats (PUFs) shift the microbial landscape — Linoleic acid (LA), the dominant PUF in vegetable oils like soybean, corn, safflower, sunflower, and canola oils, and a primary ingredient in ultraprocessed foods, is one of the biggest drivers of microbial disruption. These oils oxidize easily, generating reactive compounds that damage the cells lining your colon and promote low-grade inflammation.

• Fiber can backfire when the wrong microbes take over — When fiber enters a disrupted gut, its effects are unpredictable. Instead of being fermented into SCFAs, it may be broken down into gas, lactic acid, ethanol, or other irritants, provoking bloating, urgency, and discomfort — not because fiber is inherently problematic, but because opportunistic microbes are fermenting it.

• Oxygen levels rise when colon cells lose access to butyrate — As colonocytes metabolize butyrate, they help maintain a low-oxygen environment that favors beneficial anaerobic bacteria. When butyrate becomes scarce, colonocytes switch to glucose and lose this oxygen-lowering function.

Oxygen accumulates, making the environment more hospitable to inflammatory microbes that wouldn’t otherwise thrive. This shift reinforces the loss of butyrate producers and accelerates microbial imbalance.

• Removing LA sources is the first decisive step — Replace industrial seed oils with healthy, stable fats, such as butter, ghee, tallow, and coconut oil. These fats resist oxidation during digestion and do not contribute to the inflammatory shifts associated with industrial oils.

C15:0, a nutrient found in trace amounts in full-fat dairy, is especially beneficial at this stage. It has been shown to promote mitochondrial function, reduce inflammatory signaling, and support metabolic resilience.17 Adding these fats helps reestablish the conditions needed for microbial repair.

• Clear markers signal when the gut is ready for fermentable inputs — Stable bowel movements, reduced bloating and urgency, steadier energy, and improved tolerance to previously troublesome foods show that microbial balance is shifting. Better sleep, clearer skin, and more consistent appetite cues often accompany this transition and suggest stronger barrier integrity.

By setting the stage for butyrate production first, you establish the conditions needed to rebuild fermentation capacity in the next stage. For an in-depth understanding of this approach, read “Butyrate — The Metabolic Powerhouse Fueling the Gut and Beyond.”

More Strategies to Support Butyrate Production

In addition to dietary shifts, certain lifestyle habits can help stabilize your gut environment and enhance your body’s ability to generate butyrate consistently. Here are some of my recommendations:

• Prioritize consistent, quality sleep — Butyrate helps regulate circadian rhythm and sleep quality, but the relationship is bidirectional. Poor sleep alters microbial composition, while good sleep supports gut health.18

• Use movement strategically — Regular physical activity increases microbial diversity and supports SCFA production.19 Walking after meals also helps regulate blood sugar and improve motility.

• Manage stress consistently — Chronic stress disrupts gut permeability and shifts microbial balance in a way that lowers butyrate output.20 Breathing exercises, meditation, time in nature, and structured downtime help bring the system back to equilibrium.

• Reduce toxic exposures — These include electromagnetic fields (EMFs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, and other gut-damaging compounds.

When Do You Need to Supplement?

Even with the right foods and a steady dietary routine, there are situations where your gut may still fall short of producing enough butyrate. In those cases, supplementation can act as a bridge, supporting your colon while you work on restoring microbial balance.21,22

• Long-term dysbiosis — If your gut has been disrupted for years, the microbes that convert fiber into butyrate may be missing or underactive. Short-term supplementation is especially useful when colonocytes are struggling and the system hasn’t yet regained its fermentation capacity.

• Underlying conditions that impair butyrate production — Autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and neurological disorders often correlate with reduced levels of butyrate-producing microbes.23 In these situations, butyrate supplementation supports colonocyte energy, calms inflammation, and eases systemic stress while longer-term terrain repair unfolds.

• Exposure to acute stressor — Travel, antibiotics, infections, and periods of high stress can tilt the microbiome toward strains that don’t produce butyrate. Short-term supplementation helps stabilize the gut, protect the barrier, and prevent flare-ups during recovery.

However, it’s important to note that most butyrate supplements release too early in the digestive tract, dissolving in the small intestine before reaching the colon. To get its benefits, you need to choose a formula designed for targeted delivery throughout the entire colon.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Butyrate

Q: What is butyrate?
A: Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid your gut microbes produce when they break down fiber. It powers your colonocytes, strengthens your gut barrier, lowers inflammation, and supports everything from blood sugar regulation to mood stability. When your gut isn’t making enough, many systems in your body feel the effects.

Q: What foods should I eat first to support butyrate?
A: Start with simple, easy-to-digest carbohydrates like cooked and cooled rice and peeled and cooked root vegetables. These stabilize your system without overwhelming it. Once tolerated, you can expand to a variety of foods, including garlic, leeks, chicory root, berries, and soaked legumes.

Q: How much fiber should I be eating every day?
A: Aim for 30 grams per day, but don’t rush it. You need to match your fiber intake to your gut’s current capacity.

Q: What fats help with butyrate production?
A: Stable, saturated fats support a gut environment that favors butyrate-producing microbes. These include grass fed butter, ghee, tallow, and coconut oil. C15:0, a fatty acid found in full-fat dairy, is especially helpful. It supports mitochondrial health and reduces inflammatory signaling. Avoid seed oils like soybean, corn, and canola, which disrupt microbial balance and inflame the gut lining.

Q: When should I consider taking a butyrate supplement?
A: You may need to supplement if your gut has been chronically dysbiotic, if you’re managing a condition that lowers butyrate production, or if you’re recovering from antibiotics or infections. Butyrate supplements can help stabilize your gut and protect the colon while your microbiome recovers.

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 is the most common reason people stop taking statins?

Rising blood sugar after meals
Ongoing digestive issues
Concern about long-term liver strain
Muscle symptoms linked to statin use
Statin‑associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) affect up to 29% of users and are the leading reason the use of these drugs is discontinued. Learn more.

A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way

IMPORTANT

A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way
Our team has been working behind the scenes to prepare new research and practical health strategies for our readers. While we finish preparing what’s coming next, we invite you to explore one of the most-read articles from our library below. See exactly what’s changing →

Most people train muscles. Far fewer think about the tissue that holds everything together — your tendons, ligaments, and fascia. But if you’ve hit a strength plateau, feel like your grip gives out too soon or deal with chronic shoulder tightness, it’s not your muscles holding you back. It’s the scaffolding they pull against and how well your nervous system knows how to use it.

That’s where weighted dead hangs come in. Simple, short and brutally effective, this movement does more than build grip strength. It rewires how your body stabilizes itself under stress. And unlike conventional strength training, it targets the slowest-adapting tissue in your body, which most workouts ignore entirely.

This overlooked exercise is gaining new attention from researchers, trainers and elite athletes for its ability to improve posture, reduce pain and unlock lasting full-body strength. Grip experts and military strength coaches now use it as a key tool for building resilience from the hands up.

Dead Hangs Strengthen Tendons Without Heavy Workouts

You don’t need a gym or a barbell to start rebuilding the connective tissue that supports your shoulders, spine, and grip. A simple bodyweight dead hang — just holding onto a bar and letting your body stretch — is one of the most effective ways to reinforce the tendons and ligaments that protect your joints.
Over time, these low-tech, high-impact holds help your body remodel collagen, improve posture and prevent the injuries that come from weak stabilizers. And unlike intense weight training, you can do them daily without burning out.

• Bodyweight hangs trigger collagen remodeling without added weight — When you hang from a bar, your body senses the stretch and responds by strengthening the tissues under tension. This process, called mechanotransduction, helps your tendons grow thicker and more resilient. You don’t need added resistance to get this benefit — just consistent practice and good form.

• The real gains come from consistency, not intensity — A daily bodyweight hang of 30 to 60 seconds signals your body to start reinforcing connective tissue. Over time, this adds up. Your shoulders become more stable, your grip gets stronger and you move with better alignment. There’s no need to go to failure or chase exhaustion. Your goal is repeatable, high-quality reps that build strength gradually.

• Once you can hang for 60 to 90 seconds, you’ll have options — If and only if you’ve built that base, begin experimenting with added weight. Start slow with a 5- or 10-pound dumbbell clipped to a dip belt or tucked in a backpack. The goal isn’t to max out — it’s to apply just enough load to deepen the tendon response, without stressing your joints.

• Weighted hangs show what’s possible, but they’re not where you begin — A 20-second hang with 100 extra pounds triggers intense collagen remodeling, but that’s not a starting point — it’s a destination. If you’re not prepared, jumping to weighted hangs risks tendon injury and nerve strain. Always master bodyweight hangs first.

• You’re training the muscles that protect your joints, not just the ones you see — Even without weights, dead hangs activate deep stabilizer muscles in your shoulders, back, and spine. These are the support systems that keep your joints aligned, improve your posture and prevent chronic pain. Strong stabilizers don’t just help in workouts; they change how you move through daily life.

Thick Bars Supercharge the Results — and Protect Your Hands

Switching from a 1-inch to a 3-inch grip drastically increases the muscular demand on your hands, forearms and wrists. This happens because your fingers have to spread wider and recruit more motor units — the nerve-muscle pairs that control strength and endurance. The larger diameter also increases passive tension in your tendons, giving them a stronger adaptive signal.

• A thick bar changes how the weight feels and challenges your grip more — It’s not just about the size. Because your hand is farther from the center of the bar, the mechanical leverage changes. This increases the torque, meaning your grip has to work harder to stabilize the same weight. You feel it instantly in your forearms and finger joints, even though the plate weight hasn’t changed.

• Thicker bars reduce pain, which lets you hang heavier — The surface area on a 3-inch bar is wider, which spreads out pressure across your palms. That means less skin shear, fewer hot spots and less pain. For many people, pain — not strength — is the limiting factor in dead hangs. This subtle change often makes the difference between hitting a training plateau and breaking through it.

• You shouldn’t add weight right away — Again, start with just your body weight until you can hold a hang for at least one or two minutes with good form. From there, add weight in 10 to 15-pound increments. Rushing into 100-pound hangs isn’t just unwise — it increases your risk of bruising your abdominal soft tissue, especially around the belt. Always pad the belt and listen to your body.

• A little bit each day goes a long way — You don’t have to schedule an entire workout around this. The stimulus is so compact that you can layer it into your day with minimal effort. One hard hang in the morning, another in the evening — done consistently, this alone could restructure how your connective tissues hold up under load.

Grip Strength Starts with Tendon Density, Not Muscles

In the video above, personal trainer Michael Eckert broke down the often-overlooked foundation of grip strength: tendon density. While most people associate grip power with how strong their hand muscles are, Eckert emphasized that “the stronger and more dense your tendons are, the more load your muscles can put on those tendons to create force.”1

• Tendons limit how strong your grip gets, unless you train them directly — Eckert pointed out that your body naturally “caps” how much tension it allows muscles to generate if the tendons they attach to are too weak. That cap protects you from injury, but it also limits how much strength you build. “Your body recognizes when you have weak tendons,” he explained, which is why developing dense, resilient tendons is key to reaching your true potential.

• Training tendons is slow, but consistent loading works — Because tendons have limited blood flow, they adapt far more slowly than muscles. That’s why building grip strength isn’t about blasting your forearms once a week. Instead, Eckert stressed the importance of doing “a little bit every day” to get long-term results. He stated, “The process takes a long time to improve your grip strength. If you want long-term quality results, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time doing it.”

• Basic dead hangs still have a place in advanced training — Eckert described dead hangs as “more of a beginner exercise,” but also acknowledged that even elite climbers and athletes return to them regularly. When his hands are fatigued or he’s looking to maintain tendon health with low strain, dead hangs become his go-to. “You can always revert back to the basics to get the most out of your workout,” he said.

• Form matters more than complexity — Instead of chasing new gadgets or advanced techniques, Eckert encouraged sticking to foundational movements with great form. He builds much of his routine around simple isometrics — static holds — because they’re easy to repeat, scale and fit into a daily schedule without wrecking your hands. His message was simple: complexity doesn’t equal effectiveness.

• You don’t need a gym to train grip — Part of Eckert’s strategy is accessibility. He showed how he built his own spring-loaded hangboard using wood, resistance bands and minimal equipment. You can mimic the same effect with a piece of wood on a pull-up bar, a gallon of water or any weighted object that challenges your grip position. The goal isn’t perfect equipment — it’s regular practice.

No-Hangs Offer a Powerful Way to Load Tendons Directly

One of the standout techniques in the video was the “no-hang” — where you grip a ledge and simply pick up a weight with your fingers, without hanging fully from a bar. “All that is,” he explained, “is grabbing onto a ledge, picking up some amount of resistance, and holding it for a random amount of time or a set amount of time.” This method avoids the full strain of bodyweight but still delivers a powerful load to your tendons.

• These can be tailored to your strength level — No-hangs work whether you’re brand new or advanced. The amount of resistance and the ledge size are scaled to match your current capacity. He demonstrated options ranging from a 38-millimeter (mm) edge (easy) to a 15-mm edge (very hard), each with corresponding grip challenges. This helps you progress gradually and track improvements over time.

• Short sessions spread throughout the day are more effective than one big workout — Eckert explained that grip strength improves faster when you train it throughout the day rather than loading everything into a single session. “I feel a lot more benefit coming from that and the consistent effort than I do just dedicating like once a week to a grip strength workout,” he said. This matches what we know about tendon remodeling: consistent, low-volume loading wins.

• You need to train more than just squeezing — According to Eckert, grip strength isn’t just about crushing things with your whole hand. It involves all the different ways your wrist and fingers can move: pinching, pulling, flexing, twisting. “Anytime you’re moving, you’re pulling on a muscle,” he said, and to build full grip strength, you want to be training every action the hand can do.

• Movements like pronation and supination are often ignored, but essential — Two key movements Eckert demonstrated were pronation (rotating your hand palm-down) and supination (rotating palm-up). These motions use deep forearm muscles that stabilize your grip, especially under awkward or rotational loads. He showed how to train these using rubber bands or even a hammer to apply torque while your wrist fights back.

• Pinch and crimp strength are two separate skill sets — Eckert pointed out that even experienced athletes have hand asymmetries. His own weak spot was in the pointer finger and thumb, key for pinching and crimping. To fix this, he demonstrated an exercise where he grabs a 25-pound calibrated weight plate by the lip and performs micro reps, targeting his thumb and index finger with surgical precision. “This helps increase your overall hand strength and it’s an insane forearm flex,” he said.

Train Like a Soldier, Move Like an Athlete

In an interview between author and podcaster Tim Ferriss and strength expert Pavel Tsatsouline, he explains the principles behind his minimalist yet highly effective strength protocols, along with hands-on strategies to build grip and core strength without conventional weightlifting routines.2 Tsatsouline, credited with introducing kettlebell training to the U.S., is a former physical training instructor for the Soviet Special Forces and trains elite military units, athletes and civilians.

Tsatsouline emphasizes that most people overcomplicate training, relying on gimmicks and exhaustive routines instead of principle-based strength building. “The whole world of fitness is very confused,” he tells Ferriss. His approach strips everything down to the fundamentals: low-rep, high-frequency, nervous system-focused training that builds power without burnout.

• His strategies are built for environments where failure is not an option — Unlike athletes with the luxury of full-time recovery and carefully timed meals, soldiers must train for strength that holds up under extreme pressure. Tsatsouline says his methods are “antifragile” — they improve under stress, as effective programming must still work when nutrition, sleep, and comfort fall apart.

• You can instantly lift more weight using this one trick — Tsatsouline shares a technique for amplifying your strength during any lift: white-knuckle grip tension. When a lift gets difficult, crush the bar or weight in your hand as tightly as possible. This recruits more muscle fibers through a principle called irradiation, where muscle tension in one area spills over into neighboring muscles, increasing total force output. You’ll get several more reps out, he promises.

• Add your abs and glutes for even more power — Once you’ve mastered grip tension, Tsatsouline adds two more elements: tighten your abs as if someone’s about to punch you and contract your glutes like someone’s going to kick you. Doing all three at once — grip, glutes, abs — supercharges your whole body’s output.

• Train grip and core to improve everything else — If you don’t know what to focus on, Tsatsouline advises training your grip and your core. Why? Because both areas have an outsized impact on total body strength. Your grip has dense nerve connections to your brain, and when it’s engaged, your whole body follows. Your core amplifies your strength by increasing intra-abdominal pressure, like turning up the volume on your nervous system’s signals.

• Use ‘grease the groove’ to get stronger without fatiguing yourself — For grip strength, Tsatsouline recommends using a method he calls “grease the groove,” based on Soviet Olympic training protocols. Use a load or variation that feels challenging but controlled, and perform only half the number of reps you could do at maximum effort.

Then rest and repeat the same movement later — ideally every hour or two. The key is consistency without fatigue, which builds strength over time without risking burnout or injury.

Start with Bodyweight Hangs and Build from There

If you’re looking to fix weak grip, poor posture or nagging shoulder tightness, the best place to start is by strengthening the tendons and retraining your nervous system. That’s the real root of the problem — not muscle size, but fragile connective tissue and poor motor recruitment that limits how much force your body allows you to use. And the fastest way to reverse both is through dead hangs and neural priming techniques. But the way you do them matters.
You don’t need a gym or expensive equipment. Just something to hang from, consistent practice and a plan that’s smart enough to work with your body’s current strength. These are the steps I recommend if you want real results — stronger hands, better posture and pain-free movement — without injury or burnout. In the video above, calisthenics coach Pat Chadwick also walks you through how to master the dead hang and use four powerful variations to boost grip, posture and core strength, and ease shoulder pain.

1. Start with bodyweight-only hangs for 30 to 60 seconds per set — If you’re not comfortable holding your bodyweight yet, work up to it using resistance bands or partial hangs with your feet on the ground. The goal is to load your joints, not max out your muscles.

Two sets a day — morning and evening — is enough. And always stop before failure. Maintain tension in your shoulders by pulling them down slightly and engaging your lats. This primes your nervous system and protects your rotator cuffs.

2. Use a thicker grip to activate more nerves and protect your hands — Wrap a towel or foam pad around your pull-up bar. This makes your hand spread out more and activates more muscles without needing to add extra weight. A thick grip also spreads pressure across your palm and fingers, reducing the risk of blisters or nerve compression. This aligns with Tsatsouline’s principle of irradiation — activating one area (your grip) spills tension into nearby muscles, creating full-body strength.

3. Once you can hold 60 seconds, start adding weight, but keep reps short — Clip 5 to 10 pounds to a dip belt or use a backpack. Keep the load light and the form strict: shoulders engaged, core tight, steady breath. Aim for 20- to 30-second hangs. Adding glute and abdominal contraction during the hang, just as Tsatsouline recommends — will amplify your strength and protect your spine.

4. Use “grease the groove” to train smarter, not harder — You don’t have to train to exhaustion. Grease the groove means doing frequent submaximal sets throughout the day — just enough to signal adaptation, not enough to cause fatigue. For example, if you can hold a hang for 60 seconds, do sets of 20 to 30 seconds spaced out every hour or two. Over time, your grip, shoulders and nervous system will adapt, without needing to “recover” from a workout.

5. Train every movement your hand and wrist make, not just grip — Strong hands aren’t just about squeezing hard. You need wrist control in every direction. Use resistance bands, a bucket filled with dry rice or simple tools like hammers to train your hands and wrists in all directions. These targeted movements build balanced strength, lower your risk of injury and help you move more powerfully in sports, workouts or everyday tasks.

FAQs About Dead Hangs

Q: What are weighted dead hangs and how do they help?

A: Weighted dead hangs are short, high-tension holds where you hang from a bar, sometimes with added weight. They target tendons and ligaments, not just muscles, triggering collagen remodeling and strengthening the connective tissues that support your joints and posture.

Q: Do I need to add weight right away?

A: No. You should always start with bodyweight-only hangs until you can comfortably hold for 60 to 90 seconds. Starting with added weight too soon increases your risk of tendon strain or nerve compression. Build a strong foundation first.

Q: Why are dead hangs more effective than long workouts for tendon health?

A: Dead hangs apply targeted stress that your tendons recognize as a signal to rebuild. This process, called mechanotransduction, doesn’t require long workouts — just short, consistent effort that your body adapts to over time without burning out.

Q: What tools strengthen my grip and wrists at home?

A: Simple items like resistance bands, a bucket filled with dry rice or even a hammer can train different wrist and hand movements. These tools help strengthen your grip in all directions — pinch, twist, pull — creating resilience and preventing injury.

Q: How often should I do dead hangs or grip work?

A: Daily practice is ideal. Try a method like “grease the groove,” where you do short, submaximal sets throughout the day. Just one or two sets in the morning and evening creates lasting strength gains without fatigue or soreness.

Many Americans today are willing to spend money on a good night’s sleep. Case in point: In 2023, the U.S. home-bedding market reached $25.7 billion,1 a sign of just how important bedtime comfort has become, and pillows play a big role in it. They’re easy to replace, and with specialty and luxury options costing $30 to $300,2 it’s no surprise that people try different types to see what helps them rest better.

But even seemingly harmless habits can have unintended consequences. When something as simple as a pillow starts affecting the body in ways most people never consider, it’s worth paying attention — especially for older adults who are keeping an “eye” on their health.

A Closer Look at Glaucoma

Glaucoma, often called a “silent thief,” is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, affecting about 80 million people and rising3 with aging populations. Most people do not notice early changes because glaucoma usually develops without pain or overtly visible symptoms.

• How glaucoma starts — The disease progresses when fluid pressure rises inside the eye — a condition called ocular hypertension — and gradually crushes the delicate fibers of the optic nerve. Peripheral vision declines first, followed by central vision as glaucoma advances.

• Groups who face higher risk — The risk rises for individuals over age 40, especially those with Black or Hispanic heritage, and with a family history of glaucoma or ocular hypertension, diabetes, high blood pressure, myopia, prolonged steroid use, previous eye injuries or surgeries, and conditions such as pigment dispersion syndrome.

• Available treatment options — Aside from relieving pressure in the eye, treatment options include prescription eyedrops or oral medications, laser procedures, surgical drainage techniques, and supportive nutritional approaches. Regular eye exams are also important, because optic nerve damage cannot be reversed.

Can Sleeping with Fewer Pillows Be Good for Your Eyes?

A 2024 observational study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology4 examined how sleeping position affects intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular blood flow in people with glaucoma.

Researchers followed 144 adults with various types of glaucoma and measured their intraocular pressure (IOP) every two hours over a 24-hour period while sitting, lying flat, and lying down with two pillows (also labeled as the high-pillow position) elevating the head by an angle between 20 and 35 degrees. The study evaluated changes in IOP, ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), which refers to the net blood pressure driving oxygen into the eye, and jugular vein blood flow to assess how pillow use influences nighttime eye health.5,6

• Stacked pillows significantly increased eye pressure — When participants slept with two pillows, average IOP rose from 16.62 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) to 17.42 mmHg, an increase of approximately 1.6 mmHg; 67% of patients experienced a measurable increase in pressure, and IOP fluctuations were greater during pillow use.

• Pillow use reduced blood flow to the eye — OPP dropped from 58.71 to 54.57 mmHg when participants used the high-pillow position. That means less fuel reaching the optic nerve precisely when nighttime repair should be happening.

Lower OPP indicates reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients to eye tissues, which increases vulnerability to tissue damage from poor blood supply.

• Neck flexion from pillows impaired venous drainage — Imaging studies in 20 healthy volunteers showed that stacked pillows narrowed the jugular vein and altered blood flow dynamics. This suggests that neck bending compresses venous outflow pathways, thereby limiting drainage of aqueous humor — the clear fluid that nourishes the eye and maintains pressure balance — and venous blood from the eye, contributing to IOP elevation.

• Younger adults and primary open-angle glaucoma patients were most affected — Subgroup analysis revealed that younger participants and individuals with primary open-angle glaucoma experienced greater increases in IOP with pillow use. This indicates that certain patient populations may be more sensitive to postural changes during sleep.

• Sleep posture matters — For glaucoma patients, avoiding sleeping positions that flex the neck or compress the jugular veins may help reduce nighttime IOP spikes. While further research is needed, these findings suggest that modifying a simple nightly habit could support long-term eye health and serve as an easy, nondrug strategy for protecting the optic nerve.

• Findings are preliminary and require confirmation — As an observational study, causality cannot be completely established, and researchers recommend conducting more research on this topic.

“Traditional strategies of nocturnal IOP management are primarily limited to increasing the types and frequency of IOP-lowering medications or supplementary laser therapy. Given the well-documented influence of postural changes on IOP, positional modification emerges as a plausible strategy warranting further investigation,” the authors noted.7

The featured study shows that how you sleep matters — but additional research also suggests that how long you sleep, especially if you carry excess weight, may independently affect eye pressure.

Too Much Sleep or Extra Weight May Strain Your Eyes

A population-based study published in Medicine8 examined whether nightly sleep duration is associated with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and whether body weight modifies this association. Researchers used data from Korea’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and looked at 9,410 adults aged 40 and older who completed health interviews, medical testing, and comprehensive eye examinations.

The subjects were grouped based on their sleep duration: less than five hours, five to six, six to seven, seven to eight, eight to nine, and nine or more hours. The researchers also diagnosed OAG using international criteria focused on optic-nerve structure and visual-field loss.

• Short and long sleep were tied to higher glaucoma prevalence — The data showed a U-shaped pattern, meaning risk is higher at both extremes and lower in the middle. In plain terms, people sleeping less than five hours had the highest prevalence, followed by those sleeping nine or more hours. Adults in the seven-to-nine-hour range had the lowest prevalence.

• Overweight adults faced the strongest association — Among participants with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, sleeping less than seven hours or nine or more hours significantly increased the odds of glaucoma compared to adults with a lower weight.

• Abdominal obesity followed the same U-shaped curve — In people with larger waistlines, glaucoma prevalence was highest among very short and very long sleepers, especially at nine or more hours. The pattern was not observed among participants without abdominal obesity, suggesting that central adiposity is a key amplifier of sleep-related eye risk.

• Melatonin disruption may be a key factor — The authors propose that abnormal sleep duration may reduce melatonin, a hormone that regulates circadian rhythms, protects retinal cells from oxidative stress, and has been shown to lower IOP. Reduced melatonin may impair optic nerve resilience, especially in metabolically vulnerable individuals.

• Long sleep may increase nighttime blood pressure drops — Extended sleep may worsen nocturnal hypotension, which has been linked to the progression of normal-tension glaucoma by reducing blood flow to the optic nerve during sleep.

• The results can be a wake-up call — Despite the study’s limitations, the authors acknowledged that self-awareness about your sleeping patterns may help mitigate your glaucoma risk. “These findings suggest that approaches specific to individual sleep patterns and body types may be helpful in the management of glaucoma,” they concluded.9

What You Should Know About Statins and Eye Health

Statins are widely prescribed for lowering cholesterol levels, and millions of adults take them daily to supposedly reduce cardiovascular risk. But emerging research suggests these medications have unintended effects on eye health, particularly when it comes to glaucoma.

• Statin use was linked to more glaucoma diagnoses — A 2024 study published in Ophthalmology Glaucoma analyzed health records from 79,742 adults age 40 and older with high cholesterol in the All of Us (AoU) Research Program. After accounting for age, sex, and medical factors, the researchers found that statin users had a 13% higher likelihood of having glaucoma than non-users.10

• The increased risk was most pronounced even when LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) was well-controlled — Statin users with optimal LDL levels (less than 100 milligrams per deciliter) had a 39% higher likelihood of glaucoma, while those with high LDL levels (160 to 189 mg/dL) had a 37% higher likelihood. This pattern suggests that the elevated glaucoma risk may stem from the statins themselves, not from poorly managed cholesterol.

• Age amplified the association — Adults aged 60 to 69 who used statins showed a 28% higher likelihood of glaucoma, indicating mid-to-late adulthood may be a particularly sensitive window for eye-related effects.

• What this may mean for patients — The findings suggest that statins, cholesterol levels, and age may interact in ways that influence glaucoma risk. While statins remain popular for managing cardiovascular health — a practice I don’t recommend due to its well-documented side effects — the study highlights the need for individualized monitoring, especially in older adults or those with additional glaucoma risk factors.

As concerns grow about medication-related eye effects, many people are exploring nondrug approaches to visual health, including relaxation-based methods and solutions that involve improving one’s nutrition.

The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses

The Bates Method11 is one of the most enduring approaches to natural vision improvement. First introduced in 1919 by Dr. William H. Bates, an American ophthalmologist, the method was based on his belief that eye strain and not structural defects caused most vision problems.

Today, this method continues to attract interest from those exploring alternatives to glasses, especially among advocates of relaxation-based wellness. Many natural health teachers and vision coaches continue to adapt Bates’ ideas today. In fact, author Aldous Huxley famously credited the method with helping his vision.

• The method focuses on tension, not eye strength — Rather than treating blurry vision as a problem of weak muscles, the Bates Method encourages mental and physical relaxation to reduce chronic eye tension. Core practices aim to soften focus habits, restore natural eye movement, and build visual awareness without relying on corrective lenses.

• Palming is a foundational relaxation technique — One of the most well-known Bates practices, palming involves gently covering the closed eyes with the palms to block out light and encourage relaxation. Practitioners typically hold this position for a few minutes, allowing eye muscles and the nervous system to settle before returning to visual tasks.

• It’s often confused with vision therapy — The Bates Method emphasizes “eye exercises,” particularly eye movement and shifting focus, which superficially resemble techniques used in vision therapy. However, vision therapy is a clinically supervised, medically supervised approach used to treat conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye) or convergence insufficiency.

• This method is still taught today through Bates Method International — Bates’ ideas carry on through organizations such as Bates Method International,12 which teaches relaxation-based techniques derived from his original work and from his book “The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses.”

While controlled studies have not confirmed that the Bates Method can reverse myopia or astigmatism, many people report subjective improvements in visual comfort, reduced strain, and greater awareness of visual habits.

Using DMSO for Your Eyes

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an “umbrella remedy” with a unique affinity for the eyes. It has been used to treat a range of visual disorders — even cases of vision loss where conventional therapies have failed. DMSO’s potent anti-inflammatory effects make it useful for difficult eye conditions like iridocyclitis13 and uveitis,14 while also breaking up adhesions (synechia) that worsen these issues.

• It may reduce IOP and protect the optic nerve — Glaucoma involves progressive optic nerve degeneration, commonly linked to elevated IOP, impaired fluid drainage — including within the cornea15 — or elevated intracranial pressure.

• It may work when eyedrops or surgeries don’t — DMSO can stabilize proteins and solubilize misfolded ones, allowing it to reduce pathologic deposits such as floaters and cataracts.

• DMSO is supported by animal studies — In rabbits, a DMSO-brinzolamide gel lowered IOP without toxicity.16 Another study found that DMSO alone was effective in lowering pressure as well.17

In their Substack page, “The Forgotten Side of Medicine,” A Midwestern Doctor shares numerous testimonies from patients who’ve benefitted from using DMSO,18 many of whom had reported eyesight improvements after using this compound.

“I am two months into using 99.9% pharmaceutical-grade DMSO for loss of vision due to glaucoma … I haven’t been able to read letters in over two years with that eye. This week, I can now begin to see specific letters and numbers on my computer and the television screen,” one patient reported.19

Note: DMSO needs to be used responsibly. Only 99.9% pharmaceutical-grade DMSO should be used near the eyes and always diluted to safe concentrations. Always consult a knowledgeable practitioner before beginning use.

Other Ways to Protect Your Vision

While conventional treatments like glasses and eyedrops remain essential in many cases, there are also simple, research-backed strategies you can start using today to further support your eye health. In addition to rethinking your pillow choices, also consider the following strategies:

1. Cut out harmful seed oils from your diet — Seed oils — soybean, canola, safflower, sunflower — are loaded with linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat (PUF) that, in excess, can impair mitochondrial energy production. Since the optic nerve is one of the most energy-demanding tissues in the body, mitochondrial dysfunction there may accelerate damage.

You can lower your exposure by replacing seed oils with more stable, nourishing fats such as beef tallow, grass fed butter, coconut oil, or ghee. For optimal health, aim to keep daily LA intake below 5 grams, ideally closer to 2 grams. To easily track your intake, sign up for the Mercola Health Coach app when it becomes available. It includes the Seed Oil Sleuth feature, which helps monitor your LA consumption to a tenth of a gram.

2. Get enough safe sunlight — Early-morning sunlight helps your mitochondria generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fuel every cell in your body depends on. Try to expose your skin and eyes to gentle morning light each day. Hold off on midday sun until you’ve removed seed oils from your diet for at least six months.

3. Recover with rest and routine — Your eyes manage stress, including pressure changes, more effectively when your daily routines are steady. Maintaining a regular sleep and meal schedule helps maintain circadian rhythm, which affects IOP stability and nighttime repair processes in the optic nerve.

In the evening, dim the lights after sunset and limit screen time. Gentle lighting prompts your body to relax, boosts melatonin production, and promotes better sleep quality.

4. Explore vision-friendly herbs — Bilberry and ginkgo biloba20 have both shown promise in supporting circulation to the eye, strengthening capillaries, and fighting oxidative stress.

5. Quit smoking — Cigarette smoke creates high levels of oxidative stress and damages retinal blood vessels. Smoking significantly increases your risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration, optic nerve damage, and even heart disease. Quitting is one of the best things you can do for your eyes and your entire body.

6. Stay active — Avoiding prolonged sitting and adding regular activity improves circulation, flexibility, and metabolic health. Brisk walking, gentle cycling, or swimming at least three times per week can help support optic-nerve resilience and reduce glaucoma-related risk factors.21

7. Boost your melatonin levels — In addition to regulating sleep, this hormone is also involved in regulating eye pressure. In a small 1988 study,22 doses as low as 0.2 mg of melatonin reduced eye pressure for up to four hours. While this remains early evidence, it aligns with the broader finding that healthy melatonin rhythms support nighttime eye repair.

If you’re considering supplementation, discuss low-dose melatonin use with your eye care provider, as most commercially available supplements are formulated at higher doses for sleep support rather than eye-specific outcomes.

8. Take lutein and zeaxanthin — These carotenoids concentrate in the retina and lens, filtering harmful blue light and protecting against oxidative stress. They’ve been shown to reduce the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.23 Leafy greens, bell peppers, and pastured egg yolks are great sources.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Glaucoma Risk and Eye Health

Q: Why is glaucoma often called the “silent thief of sight”?
A: Glaucoma usually develops without pain or early visual symptoms. Optic nerve damage often progresses slowly, affecting peripheral vision first, which many people don’t notice until irreversible vision loss has already occurred.

Q: Can sleeping position really influence eye pressure?
A: Yes. A study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that sleeping with two pillows raised IOP and reduced blood flow to the eyes in people with glaucoma. Neck flexion may impair venous drainage, allowing pressure to build overnight.

Q: How does body weight affect glaucoma risk?
A: Excess body weight and abdominal obesity appear to amplify the effects of abnormal sleep on eye pressure and optic nerve stress. In overweight individuals, both short and long sleep durations were strongly linked to higher glaucoma prevalence.

Q: What role does melatonin play in eye pressure?
A: Melatonin helps regulate circadian rhythms and has been shown to lower IOP. Research indicates that small doses of melatonin can reduce eye pressure for several hours, while disrupted sleep or excessive light exposure may impair this protective effect.

Q: Can lifestyle changes really help protect vision?
A: Yes. Reducing seed oil intake, quitting smoking, getting regular exercise, supporting circadian rhythms with morning sunlight, and eating nutrient-dense foods rich in lutein all support optic nerve health and blood flow to the eyes.

1 Which option refers to live microbes that have been shown to support health?

Enzymes
Minerals
Prebiotics
Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits. They are found in fermented foods, though not all fermented foods contain probiotics. Learn more.

2 What protective compound decreases when a high-fat diet disrupts gut balance?

Digestive enzymes
Short-chain fatty acids
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyrate, fuel colon cells and support immune function. High-fat diets can reduce these compounds, weakening the gut barrier. Learn more.

Electrolytes such as sodium
Fat-soluble vitamins

3 Which of the following factors significantly raise cancer risk in women?

Low sunlight and low protein
Stress and late-night eating
Infections and alcohol intake
Infections such as human papilloma virus (HPV) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), along with alcohol intake, contribute significantly to cancer risk in women. Learn more.

High-carb diets and dehydration

4 What naturally stimulates your body to release the hormone GLP-1 after meals?

Natural sweeteners
Balanced gut bacteria
Healthy gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber, activating the intestine’s L-cells to release GLP-1. This natural process helps regulate appetite, blood sugar, and fat metabolism. Learn more.

High-fat meals
Skipping breakfast

5 What creates the quick mental boost from resistance exercise?

Reduced muscle tension
Bigger oxygen demands while running
Stronger appetite signals after squats
A rise in systolic blood pressure
A brief rise in systolic blood pressure boosts brain blood flow and helps the brain process information more efficiently. Learn more.

6 What’s the most widely prescribed type of anxiety medication today?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro are often used as first-line treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. Learn more.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

7 What percentage of the global population may have insulin resistance?

80%
Estimates presented in the documentary film Human OS: Health and Wellness in 2026 suggest insulin resistance may affect up to 80% of people worldwide. Learn more.

20%
5%
40%

Test Your Knowledge with
The Master Level Quiz

1 How do fermented foods help the gut defend itself against harmful microbes?

Higher pH levels make the intestines more neutral
Lower pH levels create an environment hostile to pathogens
Fermentation produces acids that lower gut pH, creating an environment where harmful microbes struggle to survive while beneficial species thrive. Learn more.

Complete removal of gut bacteria prevents any microbes from staying
Faster sugar absorption changes how the small intestine works

2 About how many people in the U.S. experience a stroke each year?

795,000
More than 795,000 Americans experience a stroke each year, making it a leading cause of long-term disability, particularly in older adults. Learn more.

520,000
610,000
430,000

3 How does fermentation improve the availability of nutrients in foods?

It removes all natural acids from food
It reduces the food’s calorie content
It makes vitamins easier for the body to absorb and use
Fermentation breaks food components into forms your body can absorb more easily, boosting the bioavailability of nutrients, such as vitamins C, B12, and K. Learn more.

It replaces nutrients with microbial byproducts

4 What percentage of daily calories from fats supports healthy hormone production?

10% to 15%
20% to 25%
45% to 55%
30% to 40%
Keeping fat at about 30% to 40% of daily calories supports hormone production and nutrient absorption while avoiding the metabolic strain caused by excessive fat intake. Learn more.

5 Which condition is characterized by episodes of mania alternating with periods of depression?

Panic disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder involves mood swings between highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (bipolar depression). Depressive episodes may include persistent sadness, low motivation, slowed thinking, and brain fog. Learn more.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

6 Which of the following is a serious side effect of long-term stomach acid suppression?

Increased vitamin C levels
Elevated glaucoma risk
Reduced magnesium levels
Long-term stomach acid suppression can lower magnesium levels and impair nutrient absorption, while also raising the risk of fractures, infections, and other health complications. Learn more.

Higher oxygen levels

7 How does excess body fat raise your cancer risk?

It prevents vitamins from being absorbed properly in the gut
It releases inflammatory signals that support tumor growth
Fat tissue releases inflammatory chemicals and disrupts metabolic function, creating conditions that support tumor growth. Learn more.

It blocks protein from reaching muscle cells, causing sarcopenia
It stops the body from making new mitochondria

8 Which statement best describes pink noise?

A softer, deeper static sound similar to steady rushing water
Pink noise concentrates more sound energy in lower frequencies, creating a gentle, water-like static often used in sleep sound devices. Learn more.

High-pitched bursts that resemble electronic beeps
Random volume spikes that change through the night
Sharp rhythmic pulses designed to mimic fast heartbeats

9 Which hormone helps protect the brain from inflammation and oxidative stress?

Cortisol
Melatonin
DHEA-S
DHEA-S acts as a long-lasting buffer against chronic stress, helping the brain stay resilient when cortisol levels remain elevated. Learn more.

Insulin

10 Which process does butyrate help suppress to protect brain cells?

Rapid neuron firing during stress
Neuroinflammation driven by NF-κB activity
Butyrate helps suppress nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a key regulator of inflammation, helping protect neurons and support healthy brain signaling. Learn more.

Blood flow changes in the frontal cortex
Loss of electrolytes during digestion

11 How does obesity affect macrophage activity during an infection?

Faster responses that create excess strain in lung tissues
Slower clearing of pathogens as macrophages lose efficiency
Obesity-related inflammation pushes macrophages into a low-efficiency state, slowing pathogen removal and prolonging infection. Learn more.

Reduced engagement with infected areas during respiratory stress
Increased targeting of healthy tissues rather than invading microbes

12 What is the recommended daily intake of vitamin K2 for adults?

15 to 30 mcg
45 to 60 mcg
200 to 300 mcg
90 to 180 mcg
For adults, the suggested daily range is 90 to 180 micrograms. Vitamin K2 helps direct calcium into bones, keeping it from accumulating in the arteries. Learn more.

13 Do children gain cognitive benefits from resistance training?

Only if they train two hours daily at moderate intensity
Only after early adulthood when muscle begins to form
Yes, with small but steady improvements
Children and teens experience modest but consistent improvements in cognition, behavior, and academic performance, with the greatest gains often seen in those with lower baseline muscular fitness. Learn more.

No, benefits appear only in older adults

14 Which brain region showed inflammation-driven cell death after 5G exposure?

Amygdala
5G-related pyroptosis (an inflammatory form of cell death) was found in the amygdala, a region that helps regulate emotion, memory, and behavior. Learn more.

Hippocampus
Cerebellum
Prefrontal cortex

15 What matters more than liver fat when predicting serious liver risk?

Steatosis
Fibrosis
Fibrosis, or liver scarring, is the stronger warning sign because it reflects declining function and a higher risk of complications such as liver cancer better than fat accumulation alone. Learn more.

Bile flow
Hydration

16 Which age group saw the fastest rise in anxiety medication use?

35 to 49 years old
18 to 34 years old
Young adults had the sharpest increase between 2019 and 2024, a shift linked to pandemic-related stress, financial pressure, and constant social media comparison. Learn more.

50 to 64 years old
65 years and older

17 How many adults in the U.S. aren’t getting enough sleep?

6 out of 10
Data from the National Sleep Foundation show that 6 in 10 American adults do not get sufficient sleep, a pattern linked to gut disruption and higher metabolic risk. Learn more.

3 out of 10
1 out of 10
8 out of 10

18 What is the most convenient and effective way to use molecular hydrogen?

Using hydrogen products steadily throughout the entire day
Drinking hydrogen-rich water immediately after preparation
Hydrogen-rich water, especially from tablets, works best when used right away because the hydrogen level falls quickly after preparation. Learn more.

Taking hydrogen only after eating a large heavy meal
Saving hydrogen water and drinking it much later on

19 What’s the best way to use information from wearables?

Check and beat every score obsessively
Treat the data as short-term feedback
Wearable data is most useful as temporary guidance to learn your patterns, not as something to micromanage your day. Learn more.

Let the device decide your daily schedule
Compare your results to strangers online

20 How many grams (g) of protein per pound of ideal body weight are recommended for daily intake to support muscle growth?

0.3 g
0.8 g
About 0.8 g per pound of ideal body weight is a practical daily target for muscle growth, especially when meals provides 2 to 3 g of leucine from high-quality protein sources like grass fed beef. Learn more.

1.6 g
2.5 g

21 Which of the following is not a common source of excess iodine?

Conventionally raised animal foods
Regular dairy products
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Conventionally raised animal foods, dairy products, processed foods, and some supplements contain hidden iodine. These sources contribute to widespread iodine overexposure. Learn more.

Processed packaged foods

If you’re among the tens of millions of Americans taking statin drugs, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced muscle pain, weakness, or fatigue. These are side effects that afflicts up to 29% of statin users. You may have been told to take CoQ10 to help with these symptoms — advice that sounds reasonable but, according to the published research, rarely works.

For years, I’ve been searching for a real solution to this problem, and I’ve found it. It’s called geranylgeraniol, or GG for short, and the science behind it explains not only why statin muscle problems occur but also why CoQ10 has failed so many people.

The $50 Billion Statin Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

Statins are among the most prescribed drugs in the world. In the United States alone, approximately 40 million people take them. The pharmaceutical industry has built an empire around these cholesterol-lowering medications, generating tens of billions in revenue annually.

But there’s a dirty secret that undermines this entire enterprise: statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are so prevalent and debilitating that they represent the primary reason patients stop taking these drugs. When patients can’t tolerate the medication, they discontinue it — and the supposed cardiovascular “protection” vanishes along with the prescription.

The symptoms range from mild muscle aches and weakness to severe myopathy and, in rare cases, life-threatening rhabdomyolysis where muscle tissue breaks down and releases proteins into the bloodstream that can damage the kidneys.

For decades, the conventional solution has been CoQ10 supplementation. The reasoning seemed logical: statins inhibit the mevalonate pathway, which is the same pathway your body uses to produce CoQ10. Therefore, replacing the depleted CoQ10 should solve the problem. It was a tidy hypothesis — except it doesn’t actually work.

The CoQ10 Failure: What Multiple Meta-Analyses Reveal

A 2015 meta-analysis published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings1 evaluated randomized controlled trials investigating CoQ10 supplementation for statin-induced myopathy. The conclusion was clear: “The results of this meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials do not suggest any significant benefit of CoQ10 supplementation in improving statin-induced myopathy.”

This wasn’t an isolated finding. A 2022 meta-analysis in the Irish Journal of Medical Science2 reached the same conclusion: “The outcomes of this meta-analysis of existing randomized controlled trials showed that supplementation with CoQ10 did not have any significant benefit in improving statin-induced myopathy.”

These aren’t fringe studies. These are comprehensive reviews of the best available evidence, and they consistently show that CoQ10 — the supplement doctors have been recommending for years — doesn’t actually solve the problem.

Why? Because CoQ10 isn’t the root cause of statin myopathy. It’s a downstream effect of a more fundamental disruption in cellular biochemistry.

The Mevalonate Pathway: Understanding Where the Real Problem Lies

To understand why GG works where CoQ10 fails, you need to understand the mevalonate pathway — the biochemical assembly line that statins disrupt.

Statins work by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which sits at the very top of the mevalonate pathway. This enzyme is the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis, which is why blocking it lowers cholesterol. But here’s what the statin manufacturers don’t emphasize: the mevalonate pathway doesn’t just make cholesterol. It produces numerous essential compounds your body needs to function.

When you block HMG-CoA reductase, you don’t just reduce cholesterol production. You reduce the production of everything downstream — including farnesyl pyrophosphate, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), CoQ10, and vitamin K2.

Here’s where it gets critical: GGPP, the activated form of geranylgeraniol, is an obligatory substrate for the synthesis of CoQ10. In other words, your body cannot make CoQ10 without first having adequate GG. This means that trying to replace CoQ10 directly — while the GG deficiency persists — is like trying to fill a bathtub with the drain open.

But there’s an even more fundamental problem. GGPP is required for a process called protein prenylation, which is essential for muscle cell survival, function, and repair. When statin drugs deplete GG, they directly impair your muscles’ ability to maintain themselves at the cellular level.

The Science: GG Reverses Statin Myopathy at the Source

A landmark 2004 study published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology3 demonstrated something remarkable. Researchers found that statin-induced apoptosis (cell death) in muscle cells was completely prevented by mevalonate or geranylgeraniol. Even more striking, they found no correlation between ubiquinone (CoQ10) levels and apoptosis.

The conclusion was clear: statins cause muscle cell death by inhibiting protein geranylgeranylation, not by suppressing CoQ10 concentration. This finding turned the conventional CoQ10 hypothesis on its head and pointed directly to GG as the real solution.

Subsequent research has confirmed and expanded these findings. A 2018 study in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity4 found that GG “fully reverted the statin-mediated cell viability loss in proliferating myoblasts.” Water-soluble cholesterol, by contrast, only rescued toxicity caused by direct cholesterol depletion — proving that statin myotoxicity results from mevalonate pathway intermediate deficiency, not from lower cholesterol levels.

A 2019 in vivo study published in Translational Research5 took these findings from the laboratory into living animals. Researchers administered simvastatin to rats and found that it caused significant reduction in force production in fast-twitch muscle fibers — exactly what statin patients experience as muscle weakness and fatigue. When the rats were given GG along with the statin, this effect was completely eliminated.

Even more encouraging, the researchers found that GG improved muscle performance even in muscles not adversely affected by statins. And critically, neither control nor statin-treated animals given GG showed any adverse changes in cardiac function or blood vessel relaxation. GG appears to selectively protect and enhance skeletal muscle without negative cardiovascular consequences.

A 2023 Opinion Paper Calls for a Paradigm Shift

A November 2023 opinion paper published in Frontiers in Physiology6 synthesized the evidence and made the case explicitly. The authors noted that “myopathy is the most common side effect of statins, but it has not been addressed effectively.” They explained that while both CoQ10 and GG syntheses are reduced by statin use, “CoQ10 supplementation has not been shown to reverse SAMS.”

The paper emphasized that “GG is an obligatory substrate for CoQ10 synthesis, an endogenous nutrient critical for skeletal muscle protein synthesis.” Multiple studies, they noted, “showed GG supplementation is effective in reversing SAMS.”

This represents a fundamental shift in how we should approach statin side effects. Rather than trying to replace a downstream product (CoQ10) that the body can’t properly use anyway due to the underlying GG deficiency, we should replenish the upstream substrate (GG) that allows all the downstream processes — including CoQ10 production — to proceed normally.

What Is Geranylgeraniol and Where Does It Come From?

Geranylgeraniol is a 20-carbon isoprenoid alcohol that occurs naturally in the human body and in various plants. It’s a diterpene — a class of compounds that includes other biologically important molecules like retinol (vitamin A) and phytol (a component of chlorophyll).

In nature, GG is found in olive oil, sunflower oil, and annatto seeds. The annatto plant (Bixa orellana), native to South America, is a particularly rich source and is where most supplemental GG is extracted from.

When you consume GG, it enters the mevalonate pathway and is converted to its activated form, GGPP. From there, it can be used for protein prenylation — the process that’s essential for muscle cell function — and as a building block for CoQ10, vitamin K2 (MK-4), and other essential compounds.

Importantly, taking GG does not interfere with statins’ ability to lower cholesterol. The cholesterol synthesis branch of the mevalonate pathway uses farnesyl pyrophosphate, not geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. This means you can support your muscle health with GG while maintaining whatever cholesterol-lowering effect your doctor is trying to achieve with the statin.

Practical Recommendations

Based on the available research, GG supplementation appears to be a safe and effective strategy for preventing or reversing statin-associated muscle symptoms. Here are some practical considerations:

• Dosing — Most commercial GG supplements provide 150 mg to 300 mg per softgel. The research suggests that daily supplementation at these doses can help replenish GG stores depleted by statin use.

• Form — Look for supplements containing “GG-Gold” or similar branded forms of trans-geranylgeraniol derived from annatto seeds. These are the most studied forms.

• Timing — GG can be taken with or without food. Some practitioners recommend taking it at a different time than your statin to ensure optimal absorption of both.

• Combination with CoQ10 — While CoQ10 alone has not been shown to reverse statin myopathy, there may be value in combining it with GG. Once GG replenishes the upstream pathway, CoQ10 supplementation might provide additional support. However, the priority should be GG.

• Safety — GG has an excellent safety profile. No adverse effects on cardiac function or blood vessels have been observed. That said, always consult with a healthcare provider familiar with your medical history before starting any new supplement.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters

The GG story illustrates a broader truth about modern medicine: when we don’t understand the root cause of a problem, our solutions often miss the mark. For years, millions of statin patients have been told to take CoQ10 for their muscle pain. Many dutifully bought the supplements, took them faithfully, and experienced little or no benefit.

The failure wasn’t their fault. They were given incomplete information based on an incomplete understanding of the biochemistry. Now that we know GG depletion — not CoQ10 depletion — is the primary driver of statin muscle problems, we can finally offer people a solution that actually works.

If you’re experiencing statin-associated muscle symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider about geranylgeraniol. The science is clear, the mechanism is understood, and the evidence supports its effectiveness. After decades of failed CoQ10 recommendations, it’s time for a real solution.

FAQ

Q: Why do doctors often recommend CoQ10 for statin muscle pain?
A: Statins block the mevalonate pathway, which contributes to CoQ10 production. Clinicians assumed CoQ10 replacement would ease muscle symptoms caused by statins. That hypothesis did not hold up under clinical testing.

Q: What causes statin-related muscle damage if not CoQ10 deficiency?
A: Evidence points to depletion of geranylgeraniol (GG), a key intermediate in the mevalonate pathway. GG supports protein prenylation, a process required for muscle cell survival, repair, and function. Statins reduce GG availability by blocking HMG-CoA reductase.

Q: Why does GG address the root problem better than CoQ10?
A: GG sits upstream in the mevalonate pathway. Without GG, the body cannot synthesize CoQ10 or maintain normal protein prenylation in muscle cells. Replacing CoQ10 alone does not correct this upstream deficiency.

Q: What does research show about GG and statin myopathy?
A: Cell and animal studies report that GG prevents statin-induced muscle cell death and fully reverses statin-related muscle weakness. A rat study found GG eliminated simvastatin-related loss of muscle force without harming heart or blood vessel function.

Q: What is the key takeaway for you if statins cause muscle pain?
A: Evidence suggests statin muscle symptoms stem from GG depletion rather than CoQ10 loss alone. GG supplementation targets the upstream biochemical disruption responsible for muscle dysfunction. Discuss this option with your health care provider before changes to supplements or medications.

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

Which habit can help your body regulate cortisol, your main stress hormone?

Fixing your sleep routine
Consistent, high-quality sleep lowers cortisol, which helps stabilize blood sugar and improve insulin response. Learn more.

Drinking moderate amounts of caffeine
Exercising only at night
Skipping high-carb foods during breakfast

You sleep eight hours but wake up tired. You eat reasonably well but can’t lose the weight around your middle. Your doctor says your labs look fine, but something feels off — and it has for a while. Health doesn’t fail all at once. It erodes quietly, and that quiet erosion is exactly what the documentary Human OS: Health and Wellness in 2026 sets out to explain.

In the film, doctors and researchers describe a global shift away from symptom-driven medicine toward early detection, prevention, and personalization.1 They highlight the scale of metabolic dysfunction: current estimates place insulin resistance at up to 80% of the global population. Insulin resistance, meaning your cells stop responding normally to insulin, shows up as fatigue, weight gain around your midsection, unstable energy, poor sleep, and reduced exercise tolerance.

Left unaddressed, it sets the stage for diabetes, heart disease, cognitive decline, and shortened healthspan, often decades before a formal diagnosis appears. For decades, the standard medical playbook has been simple: wait until something breaks, then treat it. That’s not health care — it’s sick care, and it leaves millions of people stuck in a gray zone between “not yet diagnosed” and “not actually well.”

Chronic disease begins long before symptoms force attention — a point the cardiologists, functional medicine physicians, and performance specialists in the film return to repeatedly.

Subtle changes in sleep quality, stress tolerance, appetite, and recovery signal trouble early. Fasting insulin, heart rhythm monitoring, and basic imaging can identify risk in your 20s and 30s, not after a collapse or hospital admission. This approach reframes health as a system, not a series of isolated events, and places daily habits at the center of prevention.

What makes this shift different is practicality. Wearables, AI tools, and simple screening either reduce confusion or increase stress depending on how you use them. The documentary makes one point clear: data supports awareness, not obsession. Sleep consistency, hydration, movement, and recovery form the foundation, while personalized insights guide adjustments before damage accumulates. That sets the stage for a closer look at how predictive care works when applied to real lives, not abstract models.

From Sick Care to Self-Care: How Prevention Is Replacing Reaction

Instead of tracking disease after symptoms appear, the documentary explores how modern health care identifies risk earlier through sleep patterns, metabolic markers, movement capacity, and recovery habits.2 The central question stays practical: how do you stay functional and resilient long before a diagnosis forces change?

The discussions span young adults, working professionals, athletes, and people with no formal diagnosis who still experience fatigue, poor sleep, stress overload, and declining performance. The focus stays on people who appear healthy on the surface yet carry hidden risk beneath it.

• Sleep is the single most important habit you can fix — Tennis player Fares Al Janahi puts it plainly: “If you fix your sleep, everything will come with it.” There’s a direct mechanism behind this: inconsistent sleep elevates cortisol, your primary stress hormone, which raises blood sugar, increases fat storage around your midsection, and blunts your response to insulin. Fix the timing, and that entire cascade quiets down.

• Most people don’t get screened until something goes wrong — That’s backwards. The cardiologists in this documentary explain that simple health tests like fasting insulin, ECG monitoring, and basic cardiac imaging catch problems decades before a collapse or a hospital visit.
They describe active, apparently healthy people walking around with conditions like atrial fibrillation — an irregular heart rhythm that raises stroke risk — or structural heart issues, such as an enlarged heart chamber, that nobody thought to look for. A short, targeted screening in your 20s or 30s costs almost nothing compared to what happens when you wait.

• Wearables are useful until they aren’t — Athletes and clinicians in the film agree that tracking sleep, stress, and recovery gives you real insight — but only when you treat it as a short-term feedback tool. The moment you start obsessing over every score or letting a fitness tracker tell you how to feel about your day, the data works against you. Use it to learn patterns. Then trust what your body is already telling you.

• Stop chasing intensity — The documentary makes this point repeatedly: extremes don’t last. Overtraining breaks you down. Inactivity lets you decay. What actually protects long-term function is moderate, repeatable movement you sustain without burnout. Do the basics, like walking, well. Do them often. That’s the whole strategy.

• Insulin resistance is not a diagnosis you wait for — It’s a warning signal your body sends early — through fatigue, belly fat, unstable energy, and poor sleep — long before diabetes, heart disease, or cognitive decline show up on a chart.

The physicians in this documentary are clear: once you identify insulin resistance, daily walking, strength training, better sleep, and stress reduction reverse the trajectory by restoring insulin sensitivity — your cells’ ability to respond to insulin efficiently, which is the opposite of insulin resistance. This is actionable information, not a life sentence.

Recovery, Hydration, and the System That Holds It All Together

Recovery starts the moment you finish moving, not the moment something hurts. Physiotherapist Marcela Henao and the performance experts in the film stress that hydration, nutrition, and rest function as daily repair tools for your joints, muscles, and nervous system. If you wait for pain to tell you it’s time to recover, you’ve already fallen behind.

• You’re losing water right now. Not just when you sweat — Thinking, breathing, basic metabolic function — all of it depletes your reserves. The experts in this film emphasize hydrating before exertion, not after breakdown.
Nutritionist Lina Shibib and others describe adding Himalayan pink salt to water for natural electrolyte support and getting water through whole fruits and vegetables, not just drinking more glasses. To stay well hydrated, let your thirst be your guide and aim for clear, pale-yellow urine throughout the day.
• Your health doesn’t exist in isolation — Family, workplace culture, coaches, health care practitioners — they all shape your outcomes. As noted in the documentary, when one person in the system breaks down, everyone around them absorbs the cost. Your daily habits protect more than just you. They protect the people who depend on you.
• Chronic disease doesn’t appear overnight — It builds through years of ignored signals — poor sleep, unmanaged stress, skipped recovery, dehydration. But the reverse is also true. Small, consistent actions compound over time. You don’t need a dramatic intervention. You need repetition.
• The goal is not to live longer. It’s to live better — Lifespan means nothing without daily function, mental clarity, and physical energy. The real target is healthspan — staying capable, adaptable, and resilient for decades, not just adding years to a calendar.
• Fear doesn’t drive lasting change. Understanding does — The documentary closes exactly where it should: on fundamentals. Sleep at consistent times. Move daily. Hydrate. Recover. Screen early. Complexity is a distraction. The basics, done well and done often, deliver the largest return on your health.

Build Health Before Symptoms Force Action

This approach speaks to anyone who feels mostly fine yet senses something underneath is drifting off course. The objective stays clear: correct the upstream breakdown that drives fatigue, poor sleep, metabolic strain, and long-term disease risk. Every step below targets causes rather than surface markers, so progress builds steadily instead of reacting under pressure.

1. Make sleep timing the nonnegotiable foundation — Going to bed and waking up within a 30-minute window every day — meaning if you typically sleep at 10:30 p.m., you stay between 10:15 and 10:45 — stabilizes appetite signals, stress hormones, and daily energy. On weekends, resist the urge to shift by more than an hour. That consistency matters more than total hours. Once timing stays steady, other habits fall into place with far less effort.

2. Look for early warning signs instead of waiting for labels — Action begins long before pain or dramatic lab results appear. Tracking early markers — fasting insulin, HOMA-IR (a simple but powerful way to gauge how efficiently your body is responding to insulin), exercise tolerance, recovery speed, daily energy — reveals risk years ahead of diagnosis. Stubborn fatigue, belly weight, or declining stamina signals the moment to intervene, while change still carries momentum.

3. Keep movement regular and remove extremes — Daily walking and consistent strength training twice a week support insulin sensitivity, circulation, and mental clarity. Excessive exercise intensity drains your system and blunts progress. Persistent soreness, flat energy, or loss of motivation point to overload and greater need for recovery.

4. Remove seed oils from your diet — Linoleic acid (LA) from industrially processed seed oils — soybean, canola, corn, sunflower, safflower — accumulates in your tissues and drives chronic inflammation at the cellular level. It disrupts mitochondrial function — your mitochondria are the structures inside each cell that produce energy — worsens insulin resistance, and amplifies the metabolic damage that the documentary’s experts are warning you about.
Replacing these oils with stable fats like grass fed butter, ghee, and tallow reduces oxidative stress — the cellular equivalent of rust building up inside your engine — and supports the recovery and energy production your body depends on daily.

5. Support recovery and hydration every single day — Hydration and rest function as daily repair tools, not afterthoughts. Fluid intake matters before stress builds, not only after exertion. Consistent recovery prevents small stressors from accumulating into chronic breakdown, keeping tissues resilient and energy steady.

FAQs About Predictive Health Care

Q: What is “predictive and preventive” health care?
A: Predictive and preventive care shifts the focus from treating disease after diagnosis to identifying risk early and correcting it before damage accumulates. Instead of waiting for diabetes, heart disease, or cognitive decline, you track early signals like fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, sleep quality, and recovery patterns. The goal is to extend your healthspan — the years you feel strong and capable — not just your lifespan.

Q: Why is insulin resistance such a big concern?
A: Insulin resistance means your cells stop responding efficiently to insulin, the hormone that helps move sugar from your blood into your cells for energy. Early signs include fatigue, belly fat, unstable energy, cravings, and poor sleep. Left unaddressed, it increases your risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline. The good news is that consistent sleep, strength training, daily walking, and removing inflammatory seed oils directly improve insulin sensitivity.

Q: Are wearables and health trackers necessary?
A: They’re tools, not requirements. Short-term use helps you see patterns in sleep, stress, and recovery. Problems arise when you obsess over daily scores or let the device dictate how you feel. Use technology to learn about your body, then step back once you understand your rhythms. Awareness supports progress. Obsession disrupts it.

Q: Why does sleep matter more than diet or exercise?
A: Sleep regulates your metabolism, appetite hormones, stress response, and tissue repair. When sleep timing is consistent, your body stabilizes energy production and recovery. When it’s irregular, cravings increase, stress hormones rise, and metabolic dysfunction accelerates. Fixing sleep first makes every other habit easier and more effective.

Q: What’s the simplest place to start today?
A: Start with three fundamentals: consistent sleep timing, daily walking plus strength training twice weekly, and removing seed oils from your diet. Add proper hydration and regular screening like HOMA-IR. These steps address root causes — metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and poor recovery — instead of chasing symptoms after they appear.

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After a workout, you probably already know to reach for protein. It’s one of the most common pieces of fitness advice, and for good reason. Protein provides the amino acids your muscles need to recover and grow, and getting it soon after training helps make the most of that recovery window. But there’s more to the story than just hitting a certain number of grams.

A recent randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois tested whether the fat packaged with your protein changes the muscle-building signal in the hours that follow exercise. Their findings revealed that not all protein-rich meals perform equally, even if the protein content is the same.1

How Fat Content Determines the Muscle-Building Response to Protein

The featured trial, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, enrolled 16 physically active adults who completed a resistance training session involving leg press and leg extension exercises. Immediately afterward, participants consumed one of three test meals, and researchers collected muscle and blood samples over the next five hours to measure the post-exercise muscle-building response.2

• Three meals, one key difference: fat content — Participants were randomly assigned to consume either a low-fat pork (LFP) meal, a high-fat pork (HFP) meal, or a carbohydrate-only (CHO) drink. All meals were precisely formulated. The LFP meal provided 20 grams of protein, 4.4 grams of fat, and 120 kilocalories.

The HFP meal also delivered 20 grams of protein, but with 20.6 grams of fat and 266 kilocalories. The CHO drink supplied 73.3 grams of carbohydrate and 266 kilocalories, with no protein or fat. The study design allowed for within-subject comparisons between pork meals and a parallel comparison to the carb-only condition.

• Lean pork produced the strongest muscle-building effect — Myofibrillar protein synthesis increased to 0.106% per hour after the low-fat pork meal, more than double the baseline rate of 0.047%. High-fat pork raised synthesis to 0.072% per hour, a modest increase that was significantly lower than the lean pork response.

The carbohydrate drink raised synthesis only slightly, from 0.040% to 0.056% per hour, with no significant effect. In head-to-head comparisons, lean pork outperformed both alternatives. Most notably, high-fat pork showed no significant difference from carbohydrate alone, meaning that the added protein failed to deliver a muscle-building benefit when it came packaged with a high-fat load.

• Slower amino acid delivery explains the outcome — Plasma levels of leucine, an amino acid essential for stimulating muscle protein synthesis, rose higher and peaked faster after the low-fat meal than after the high-fat meal. Essential amino acid concentrations followed the same pattern.

The researchers concluded that fat delayed or reduced the appearance of amino acids in the bloodstream, likely weakening the anabolic signal during the early window of recovery. Several mechanisms were proposed to explain this result:

“[T]he most straightforward answer is that differences in the lipid content of the pork conditions are known to result in slowed gastric emptying. The latter likely impacted the differential postprandial aminoacidemia observed and the subsequent enhancement of the anabolic properties of ingesting LFP compared with HFP,” the study authors reported.

“For example, past efforts have demonstrated that fast-digested proteins that contain a higher proportion of leucine are particularly effective at stimulating a postprandial rise in muscle protein synthesis rates. This concept has been coined the leucine trigger hypothesis and has largely only been pertinent when comparing isolated protein sources such as whey or casein.

Here, we demonstrated a more rapid and greater postprandial rise in plasma leucine concentrations in the LFP compared with the HFP condition … Hence, the enhanced anabolic effectiveness of the LFP condition may have simply been related to the leucine trigger, particularly because both LFP and HFP demonstrated a similar total net exposure to postprandial amino acids.”3

What Earlier Research Shows About Higher Protein and Muscle Growth

The featured study aligns with the findings of a 2020 review published in Nutrients, which examined current literature to determine how increasing protein intake affects body composition when combined with regular resistance training.4

• Higher protein intakes support increases in lean mass in trained individuals — Several trials included in the review reported that consuming protein well above the recommended daily amount (RDA) improved body composition during resistance training. In one 10-week study, resistance-trained men taking whey and casein gained more lean mass than those consuming carbohydrate alone.

Other trials found that intakes of 2 to 3 grams per kilogram per day (g/kg/day) during structured training programs supported either greater lean mass gains or more pronounced reductions in fat mass compared to lower-protein diets. These benefits appeared consistently in individuals who maintained regular resistance training.

• Not all studies found additional benefits, highlighting individual and training-related variables — While many trials showed improvements, others reported no difference between higher-protein and moderate-protein groups.

For example, some resistance-trained men consuming 2.6 to 3.3 g/kg/day showed no further advantage in lean mass or strength over individuals consuming roughly half that amount. These discrepancies suggest that training status, program design, baseline protein intake, and study duration influence outcomes.

• Pre-sleep protein meaningfully increases overnight muscle protein synthesis — One of the clearest findings in the review is that consuming casein before bed boosts overnight muscle protein synthesis. This response occurs in both younger and older adults and is even stronger when resistance exercise takes place in the evening. Casein is digested slowly, allowing a steady release of amino acids throughout the night, which supports muscle repair and adaptation.

• Long-term training programs combined with pre-sleep protein also improved muscle size and strength — In a 12-week evening resistance-training study, participants who consumed casein before bedtime increased quadriceps size and strength more than those receiving an isocaloric placebo.

Other long-term studies using morning or afternoon exercise showed mixed results, suggesting that timing relative to the training session influences how effectively pre-sleep protein supports adaptation.

• Higher protein intake does not increase fat mass — Across all trials included in the review, increasing daily protein intake did not lead to fat gain, even when total calories were higher. Some studies even reported reductions in fat mass in high-protein groups. The evidence consistently shows that protein overfeeding does not contribute to excess fat accumulation in trained individuals.

How Protein Source Shapes Recovery After Intense Training

Another study published in Nutrients in May 2025 provides additional evidence that animal protein offers a strong recovery advantage after intense exercise. The trial used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design in military cadets completing the Army Combat Fitness Test, a demanding assessment that includes sprints, drag pulls, lifting tasks, and other high-output movements.5

• Researchers compared pork- and plant-based meals after maximal effort — Twenty-three men and women aged 18 to 40 completed clinical assessments, soreness ratings, dietary questionnaires, and blood and urine sampling at each visit.

Participants consumed either a pork- or plant-based MRE for three days after the fitness test, with meals similar in total daily protein but differing in amino acid density and creatine content. The crossover design allowed each participant to serve as their own control.

• Animal protein produced stronger recovery signals — Across the 72-hour recovery period, the pork-based meals led to lower muscle soreness in multiple thigh regions, a sharper reduction in cortisol at 48 and 72 hours, a higher testosterone-to-cortisol ratio within the pork condition, and reduced urinary urea nitrogen, indicating less protein breakdown.

These responses point to a more favorable recovery environment after consuming the animal-based meals, although testosterone itself did not differ between diets, and inflammatory markers showed mixed patterns rather than a uniform improvement.

• Amino acid density and creatine explained the advantage — The pork meals delivered substantially higher essential amino acids and nearly 10 times more creatine than the plant-based meals, as shown in the study’s nutrient tables.

The authors note that this richer nutrient profile may help explain improvements in soreness ratings, cortisol reduction, and nitrogen retention. The study did not test mechanisms directly but concludes that the plant-based meals would require targeted fortification with essential amino acids and creatine to match the recovery support seen with pork.

• Protein combining improves plant-based outcomes — Although the plant-based meals in this study contained less creatine and fewer essential amino acids, the authors emphasize that these limitations are correctable. They recommend fortifying plant-based MREs with additional essential amino acids and creatine to support post-exercise recovery on par with animal-based options.

This reflects the broader principle that protein quality depends on amino acid completeness and bioactive compounds. Combining plant sources like legumes and grains balances limiting amino acids and creates a more effective protein profile.

As long as you reach 2 to 3 grams of leucine per meal, plant-based meals can still promote muscle protein synthesis, provided total protein intake is high enough and timed to meet your recovery window.

These findings reinforce a consistent theme — after strenuous exercise, protein quality matters. Read more about the importance of protein quality in “Eating Animal Protein After Training Improves Recovery, According to Study.”

Setting the Right Daily Protein Target for Your Body

Daily protein needs depend on your ideal body weight, not the number you see on the scale alone. Ideal weight reflects what is appropriate for your height, age, and sex. Using current weight often inflates targets in people carrying excess body fat or sets them too low in those who are underweight, which leads to inaccurate and unhelpful protein goals.

• Start with a clear target based on ideal body weight — Most adults do well with about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight, or 1.76 grams per kilogram. This generally places protein at about 15% of daily calories. Roughly a third of that intake (about 5% of your daily protein) needs to come from collagen-rich sources such as bone broth, oxtail, shank, or other connective tissue cuts.

• Calculate your ideal weight before setting your intake — Use any reputable ideal body weight calculator and enter your height, age, and gender. Once you have that number, multiply it by 0.8 to find your daily protein goal. For example, if your ideal weight is 128 pounds, your daily target becomes about 102 grams. This method applies across body types and ages, including older adults, who often benefit from the higher end of the range.

• Spread protein evenly through the day — Dividing your intake across meals makes it easier to reach your target and improves how your body uses those amino acids. If you’re aiming for 100 grams per day, you can take in about 33 grams for each of your three meals.

A person with an ideal weight of 135 pounds would need about 108 grams daily, which breaks down to roughly 54 grams if eating twice a day. As a guide, one ounce of steak supplies about 7 grams of protein, so a 5-ounce serving gives you around 35 grams.

• Needs shift with age, activity, and health — Children require only 5 to 10 grams per meal, while young adults need about 20 grams. Most adults need at least 30 grams per meal to support muscle tissue. Older adults, athletes, and those recovering from illness often need more to overcome reduced anabolic sensitivity or increased training demands.

• Aim for balance rather than excess — Protein is essential, yet routinely going far above your requirement strains your organs and skews your amino acid balance, especially when collagen intake is low.6 Staying within your calculated range and using a mix of muscle and collagen-rich proteins supports strength, recovery, and long-term metabolic health.

For a deeper look at how to match your protein intake to your daily rhythm, read “When Is the Best Time to Eat Protein?”

What to Eat After Training for Muscle Recovery

Once you know your daily protein target, the next step is making sure each meal delivers enough leucine to trigger muscle repair. Aim for about 2 to 3 grams of leucine in your post-workout meal. Hitting this threshold ensures your protein actually stimulates recovery rather than simply adding to your daily total.

• Animal proteins are the most efficient way to meet this threshold — Grass fed beef, wild-caught fish, pastured eggs, and dairy all provide complete amino acid profiles and naturally high amounts of leucine in realistic serving sizes. Whey protein isolate is also highly concentrated, delivering close to 3 grams of leucine per scoop.

• Tempeh is a reliable plant-based option when portioned correctly — A 150-gram serving offers 28 to 30 grams of protein and a little over 2 grams of leucine, making it one of the few whole-food, plant-based choices that meet the post-workout recovery threshold without requiring additional powders or blends.

• Avoid unfermented soy products like tofu — While some sources include tofu as a plant-based protein option, unfermented soy has been linked to several health concerns. Tempeh remains the better choice, as fermentation helps break down many of soy’s harmful compounds. For more information on soy’s risks, read “Soybean Oil Linked to Genetic and Neurological Damage.”

• If you’re eating pork and poultry, choose pasture-raised varieties — The pork used in the studies above was part of a controlled research protocol, but for real-world use, sourcing matters. Conventional pork and chicken are often raised on feed high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFs), which alters the fat profile of the meat.

When possible, choose pasture-raised options. Organic, pasture-raised pork delivers high-quality protein and is one of the richest dietary sources of thiamine (vitamin B1), which supports mitochondrial energy production. Here’s a quick leucine breakdown for common post-workout protein choices:

Food (serving)
Protein (g)
Est. leucine (g)

Lean beef, cooked, 3 oz
22 to 26
2.3

Pork loin, cooked, 3 oz
24 to 26
2.1

Whey isolate, 25 to 30 g
23 to 27
2.5 to 3.0

Cottage cheese, 1 cup
25 to 28
2.0 to 2.5

Eggs, 2 large
12 to 14
1.0 to 1.2

Tempeh, 150 g
28 to 30
2.0 to 2.1

Milk, 16 oz
16
1.4 to 1.6

No matter which protein sources you rely on, make sure your meals still include high-quality fats (especially outside the post-training window), clean carbs, and colorful fruits and vegetables. When protein is integrated into a balanced plate, it supports daily recovery and long-term health without crowding out other essentials.

Animal Protein Remains Necessary Until Better Alternatives Exist

At this time, I firmly agree with the assertion that animal protein is required to optimize human biology. Yet after five decades of studying the issue, I’ve concluded that relying on animal sources is far from ideal.

That is why I am engaged in research to solve this dilemma — developing healthier, cost-effective alternatives from plants and microbial fermentation that can supply the dozen essential nutrients found only in animal foods, such as creatine, carnitine, choline, carnosine, vitamin B12, taurine, anserine, and others.

I am fully committed to this path, and once a practical replacement exists, I will no longer consume animal flesh. For now, there is no truly pragmatic alternative for most people, but creating one is my deepest commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Post-Workout Protein Intake

Q: Why does the amount of fat in my post-workout meal matter?
A: The featured study showed that meals with the same protein content produced very different muscle-building responses depending on how much fat they contained. The low-fat meal triggered a much stronger rise in muscle protein synthesis, while the high-fat meal produced a weaker signal that wasn’t any better than carbohydrates alone.

Fat appears to blunt this response because it slows gastric emptying and delays the rise in amino acids, especially leucine, during the early recovery window when your muscles are most responsive.

Q: If high-fat protein blunts muscle building, do I need to avoid fat entirely?
A: You don’t need to avoid fat altogether, but the findings suggest it’s ideal to keep it low in your immediate post-workout meal. Save richer fats for meals later in the day, when digestion speed doesn’t affect recovery as much.

Q: Can plant-based protein work as well as animal protein after training?
A: Yes, but it takes more planning. To match the recovery effect of animal protein, you need enough essential amino acids like leucine, and you may need to combine plant sources. Plant proteins also lack creatine, so adding creatine separately helps close the gap.

Q: How much protein do I need to eat each day?
A: Your target depends on your ideal body weight. Multiply your ideal weight (in pounds) by 0.8 to find your daily intake in grams. This gives you a more accurate number than using your current weight, especially if you’re overweight or underweight.

Q: How much leucine do I need after a workout?
A: Aim for 2 to 3 grams of leucine in your post-workout meal. This level reliably triggers muscle protein synthesis. Lean meats, pastured eggs, grass fed dairy, and whey protein make it easy to hit that threshold.

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published January 12, 2025.

I interviewed Dr. Alan Christianson, widely regarded as a premier expert on thyroid issues, and Ashley Armstrong, a regenerative farmer and founder of Angel Acres. Our discussion explored the intricate relationship between iodine intake and thyroid health, uncovering a paradox that has significant implications for your health.

To understand the current iodine dilemma, we need to rewind to the early 20th century. In the 1920s, iodine was added to table salt as a public health measure to prevent goiters — a swelling of the thyroid gland. Christianson explained that before iodine fortification, autoimmune thyroid disease was a rarity in medicine. However, within a decade of adding iodine to foods, rates among adult women skyrocketed, increasing up to 26-fold.

This historical intervention, intended to correct deficiencies, inadvertently set the stage for widespread thyroid issues. Armstrong emphasized the interconnectedness of iodine fortification across the food chain, including the mistaken belief that “if humans are deficient in iodine, then animals must be deficient too.”1 So, iodine was added not just to human salt but also to animal feed, resulting in significantly higher iodine levels in animal products and processed foods.

Iodine Overload Is a Modern Epidemic

Fast forward to today, and the narrative around iodine has taken a troubling turn. While there was once a legitimate concern about iodine deficiency, modern food production systems have transformed iodine into a stealthy toxin.

• Excess iodine is disrupting thyroid health — Armstrong highlighted, “The iodine content, which impacts thyroid health, has significantly increased in our food production system over the last 20 to 30 years.” This over-supplementation has led to an epidemic of thyroid dysfunction, including autoimmune thyroid disease, where your body attacks its own thyroid gland.

• Iodine accumulation is a growing crisis — Christianson added, “Iodine accumulation is a really big problem that our nation is facing. It’s one of those government interventions — oops — that have unintended consequences.”2 The excessive iodine intake is pervasive, stemming from various sources beyond fortified salt, making it difficult for individuals to control their iodine levels.

To learn more about the connection between iodine and thyroid health, read “Unmasking Thyroid Health via the Iodine Connection.”

5 Sources of Excess Iodine Beyond Table Salt

The underlying sources of modern iodine overload isn’t limited to fortified table salt. Christianson and Armstrong shed light on various sources contributing to excessive iodine intake:

1. Animal feed — Conventionally raised livestock are routinely supplemented with iodine, significantly increasing iodine levels in animal products. Armstrong emphasized that if animals are supplemented with iodine, the iodine levels in products like eggs increase five to 10-fold.

2. Dairy cleaning practices — The dairy industry commonly uses iodine-based disinfectants to clean teats and equipment. Although a hot water rinse helps mitigate iodine residues, the pervasive use of iodine teat dips introduces an additional, often unnoticed source of iodine into dairy products.

3. Processed foods — Iodine additives in processed grains and salt heavily fortify the food supply, making it challenging to control individual iodine intake if you consume processed foods. Christianson noted that many processed grains contain iodized dough conditioners. Even those that don’t explicitly list iodine often have significant levels when tested.

4. Personal care products — Iodine is prevalent in numerous personal care products, including some acne treatments, contributing to daily iodine exposure without consumers’ awareness. Armstrong pointed out, “Many common acne treatments contain a lot of iodine because of its antifungal and antimicrobial properties.”

5. Seafood and kelp supplements — While ocean-based seafood is a natural iodine source, fishmeal is also a common protein source for cattle feed, which increases iodine levels in eggs and dairy products.

These hidden sources of iodine make it increasingly difficult to regulate intake, contributing to widespread overexposure that negatively impacts your thyroid health.

What Are the Benefits and Risks of Thyroid Hormone Supplementation?

The conversation naturally transitioned to thyroid hormone supplementation, a common treatment for hypothyroidism. Christianson provided an important perspective that taking thyroid hormones from outside your body, even in bioidentical forms, isn’t the same as your body producing them naturally. As a result, this often leads to long-term complications.

• T4-only vs. combination therapies — Christianson distinguished between T4-only medications and combination therapies (T4 plus T3), noting that the latter often yield better patient outcomes. However, both forms present challenges, especially given the variability in iodine content of natural desiccated thyroid products.

• The impact of iodine levels on natural desiccated thyroid — Armstrong raised concerns about historical and modern practices, including the fact that in the early 1900s, cattle weren’t supplemented with iodine, so their thyroids had low levels.

• Regulatory concerns with NDT supplements — Today, livestock are overloaded with iodine, making natural desiccated thyroid supplements likely much higher in iodine than historical counterparts. Christianson explained the regulatory landscape, in that prescription forms of natural desiccated thyroid are standardized for iodine content, but over-the-counter versions often lack this quality control, leading to unpredictable iodine levels.

To explore ways to improve thyroid function without relying on thyroid hormone supplements, check out “Key Nutrients to Support Optimal Thyroid Health.”

What’s the Connection Between Iodine and Breast Health?

Our discussion also touched upon the role of iodine in breast tissue health. Christianson elaborated on studies linking high iodine intake to increased breast cancer risk, particularly in populations with overexpressed sodium iodide symporters in breast tissue.

• Iodine overexpression and cellular damage — He explained that in pathologic breast tissue, the sodium iodide symporter is overexpressed, leading to heightened iodine uptake and cellular damage. This overexpression correlates with higher breast cancer rates, debunking earlier theories that iodine supplementation might be protective.

• Iodine supplementation is not a protective factor — Christianson clarified that while high-dose iodine temporarily reduces iodine uptake in fibroadenomatous breast disease, population studies indicate that higher iodine intake is associated with increased breast cancer risk. Thus, iodine is not a protective factor for breast tissue. He explains:
“In the case of breast cancers, there have been assays looking at Japanese women and contrasting their iodine excretion, their urinary iodine in groups with their overall breast cancer risk. And those in the highest quintiles and quartiles have proportionately higher risks for breast cancer. And there’s a linear relationship. So, the more they’re consuming, the greater their risks are.”

These findings debunk the myth that iodine protects breast health and emphasize the need to reevaluate iodine intake in the context of disease risk.

What’s the Link Between Thyroid Antibodies, Autoimmunity, and Epigenetics?

Our conversation also focused on the role of thyroid antibodies in autoimmune thyroid disease. Christianson emphasized that thyroid antibodies, such as antithyroid peroxidase and antithyroglobulin, are more predictive of thyroid symptoms and risks than T4 or thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels alone.

• Thyroid antibodies indicate autoimmunity — Elevated thyroid antibodies indicate an autoimmune response, which is the primary driver of thyroid dysfunction today.

• Epigenetics and generational iodine exposure — Epigenetics are also involved, as early iodine exposure affects thyroid health across generations. Armstrong noted, imagine being born into a womb with higher iodine levels, then supplementing with iodine throughout life and consuming a high-iodine diet. This exposure leads to accumulated iodine generation over generation.

• Genetic variations impact iodine metabolism — Christianson agreed, explaining that genetic variations significantly influence how individuals metabolize iodine. Those adapted to lower iodine environments are particularly susceptible to thyroid dysfunction when exposed to excess iodine. This epigenetic and genetic interplay complicates the iodine-thyroid relationship.

• Basal body temperature as a thyroid metric — The conversation also addressed basal body temperature, which is sometimes used as a metric for thyroid health, a practice championed by Dr. Broda Barnes. However, Christianson pointed out that the development of high-sensitive TSH assays and understanding of T3 metabolism shifted thyroid assessment away from basal body temperature.

While it’s true that many overtly hypothyroid individuals have lower body temperatures, the relationship isn’t as linear or reliable as once thought. Christianson noted:3

“Since Barnes’ time, we’ve learned that the thyroid basal body temperature connections are very real, but they’re not as linear, they’re not as tight as one might think. So many who are overtly hypothyroid will have a lower basal body temperature.

And during hyperthyroid storm, people often elicit a febrile response, but there’s not a linear increase in basal body temperature as one moves further into hyperthyroidism. That wasn’t understood during Barnes’ time.”

To dive deeper into the complexities of thyroid function and autoimmunity, read “Unraveling the Mysteries of Thyroid Health.”

How Does Cellular Energy Impact Thyroid Function?

Armstrong emphasized a holistic view of thyroid health, highlighting the multiple steps involved in cellular energy production:

• Thyroid hormone utilization involves four key steps — The process doesn’t stop at the thyroid gland. After T4 is produced, it needs to be transported, converted, and utilized at the cellular level.
“Metabolic health and cellular energy aren’t just about the thyroid gland. There are four different steps after the thyroid produces thyroid hormones — T4 is produced. Then there’s transporter proteins that have to take those thyroid hormones throughout the body.
That T4 must be converted to T3, cells must be able to accept that T3 and utilize it as the spark plug for energy production. So, there are a number of things that get in the way of cellular utilization of active thyroid hormone. Even if your thyroid is functioning well, using active thyroid hormone at various other parts of your body can be hindered.”

• Thyroid function varies at the cellular level — Christianson expanded on this, explaining that different body tissues have their own thyroid hormone ecosystem with different balances of thyronamines. This means that thyroid function at the cellular level is highly individualized and influenced by various factors like insulin levels, stress, and nutrient intake.

• Dietary factors impact thyroid hormone metabolism — Armstrong connected this to modern dietary practices, explaining that low-carb diets downregulate thyroid hormones, increasing reverse T3, and impairing cellular utilization of T3. High omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) consumption and stress further complicate this picture, reducing your body’s ability to use thyroid hormones effectively.

• Thyroid health is deeply interconnected with metabolic function — Thyroid hormone metabolism is influenced by many factors, including insulin levels, nutrient availability, and overall metabolic health. So, addressing thyroid issues requires a comprehensive approach that considers these interconnected systems.

• Photobiomodulation as a thyroid support tool — In a personal revelation, I also discussed my use of photobiomodulation (previously known as low-level laser therapy) to support thyroid health during my transition off thyroid medication. Christianson acknowledged the benefits, explaining that photobiomodulation helps improve antioxidant status in your thyroid, which is necessary for processing iodine without cellular damage.

Learn more about how photobiomodulation supports overall health and cellular function in “How Red Light Therapy Benefits Neuropathy, Myopathy and More.”

Managing Iodine Intake Is Key to Thyroid Health

The interplay between iodine intake and thyroid function is complex and often misunderstood. Excess iodine, a byproduct of historical fortification efforts and modern agricultural practices, poses a significant threat to thyroid health, contributing to autoimmune diseases and other dysfunctions.

• The role of a low-iodine reset in thyroid recovery — Christianson wrote “The Thyroid Reset Diet,” emphasizing a low-iodine regimen for one to three months to detoxify your body.

While Armstrong shared her concerns about maintaining nutritional balance during this phase, particularly regarding nutrients like choline, biotin, and calcium, Christianson suggested that selecting high-quality eggs and dairy that are low in iodine helps meet these nutritional needs without introducing excess iodine.

• Strategies to reduce iodine intake — Armstrong elaborated on practical strategies to reduce your iodine intake, stating:
“Don’t eat out as much, don’t eat food with an ingredient list, prioritize home-cooked meals … assess your supplements, stop iodine supplementation and evaluate your personal care products.”

By implementing strategic dietary changes, choosing high-quality food sources, and staying informed about iodine’s role in your body, you reclaim your ability to reach optimal thyroid health.

5 Practical Tips to Avoid Excess Iodine

Here are additional practical strategies to avoid excess iodine and protect your thyroid health:

1. Limit processed foods — Processed grains and packaged foods often contain high levels of iodine due to salt iodization and iodine-based additives. Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods to better control iodine intake. Further, a balanced diet rich in the right carbohydrates — and free of processed foods — supports cellular energy production, which is necessary for thyroid health.

Excess PUFA intake, including linoleic acid in seed oils, is a major culprit, as PUFAs interfere with your cell’s ability to use active thyroid hormone.

2. Choose high-quality dairy and eggs — Source dairy and eggs from farmers who do not supplement livestock with iodine or use iodine-based disinfectants. Pasture-raised and organic options are more likely to have lower iodine levels.

Armstrong noted that eggs from pasture-raised chickens without iodine in their diet have as low as 5 micrograms per egg, compared to eggs from chickens supplemented with iodine, which have up to 100 micrograms per egg.

3. Assess personal care products, supplements, and medications — Review all supplements and medications for iodine content. Avoid iodine-rich supplements unless medically necessary. Many personal care items, such as acne treatments, contain iodine. Opt for iodine-free alternatives to reduce iodine exposure.

4. Conduct an iodine inventory — Utilize tools like Christianson’s iodineinventory.com to track your iodine intake from all sources, including diet, supplements, and personal care products.

5. Explore additional therapies — Consider therapies like photobiomodulation to support thyroid health in conjunction with dietary adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Iodine and Thyroid Health

Q: How does iodine affect thyroid health?
A: While iodine is essential for thyroid function, excessive intake leads to thyroid dysfunction, including autoimmune thyroid disease. Research shows that iodine fortification, initially meant to prevent goiters, has contributed to a rise in thyroid disorders.

Q: What are the hidden sources of excess iodine?
A: Beyond iodized salt, common sources include conventionally raised animal products, dairy (due to iodine-based disinfectants), processed foods, personal care products, and seafood or kelp supplements. These sources contribute to widespread iodine overexposure.

Q: Is there a link between iodine and breast cancer?
A: Studies suggest that high iodine intake may increase breast cancer risk, especially in individuals with certain genetic factors. Excess iodine leads to cellular damage in breast tissue.

Q: How do I lower my iodine intake?
A: Reduce or remove processed foods from your diet, choose dairy and eggs from farms that don’t supplement with iodine, check supplements and personal care products for iodine, and focus on whole, home-cooked meals.

Anxiety has become one of the defining health challenges of modern American life, and the medical system’s primary answer remains a prescription pad. Federal data show that millions more adults now take anxiety medication than just five years ago, a trend that has drawn both public attention and political scrutiny.

The medications at the center of this debate work by altering brain chemistry to quiet the persistent worry, racing thoughts, and tension that define anxiety disorders. For some patients, the drugs deliver relief. But they also carry side effects that push a significant number of people to stop treatment, and growing questions about dependency, safety, and overprescription have reached the highest levels of government.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to identify powerful lifestyle and social forces — from digital overload to deepening isolation — that fuel anxiety at its source. That raises an uncomfortable question: Are we treating a medical condition, or medicating our way around problems that demand a different kind of solution?

RFK Jr. Challenges Widespread Anxiety Medication Use

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly questioned the expanding use of psychiatric medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

As reported by CBS News, anxiety medications have become increasingly common, with federal survey data showing the share of U.S. adults taking these drugs increased from 11.7% in 2019 to 14.3% in 2024.1 That jump represents roughly 8 million additional Americans starting anxiety medication during that period, bringing the total to about 38 million adults nationwide.

• Young adults drive the fastest growth in anxiety medication prescriptions — Among Americans ages 18 to 34, the proportion taking anxiety medication rose from 8.8% in 2019 to 14.6% in 2024. Researchers believe multiple social forces are behind this increase, including pandemic stress, economic uncertainty, and growing social media exposure.

These pressures create constant mental stimulation and comparison that feed worry and insecurity, which leads more people to seek pharmaceutical treatment.

• SSRIs remain the most widely prescribed anxiety medications — Drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro fall into this category. They work by altering how brain cells handle serotonin, a chemical messenger involved in mood regulation and emotional stability.

By slowing the brain’s reabsorption of serotonin, these drugs increase the amount of the chemical circulating between nerve cells. Doctors frequently prescribe SSRIs as first-line treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

• Side effects remain a common reason people discontinue treatment — SSRIs come with drawbacks that affect many users. The report identified several common side effects, including upset stomach, fatigue, mental fog, and sexual dysfunction. For some patients these issues become difficult to tolerate in daily life. Data cited in the article show about 1 in 12 people stop taking SSRIs because of side effects.

• RFK Jr. argues withdrawal from SSRIs is difficult for some people — Kennedy emerged as one of the most prominent critics of expanding psychiatric medication use. During his January 29, 2026 confirmation hearing, Kennedy described cases where people struggled to stop taking SSRIs after long-term use. He stated that he personally knows individuals, including family members, who had “a tougher time quitting SSRIs than people have quitting heroin.”

• Federal officials are examining behavioral risks linked to psychiatric drugs — Kennedy has also directed his agency to study whether psychiatric medications such as SSRIs play a role in violent behavior. Federal health officials are examining links between psychiatric drug use and acts such as school shootings. This investigation reflects broader concerns among policymakers that certain medications alter emotional regulation in ways that require deeper study.

How Medication Risks and Modern Social Pressures Shape the Anxiety Treatment Debate

CBS News also reported comments from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, who suggested that SSRI use during pregnancy could contribute to poor birth outcomes. These statements have intensified discussion about the safety of psychiatric medications in vulnerable populations.

Some patients also experience withdrawal symptoms when stopping antidepressants abruptly, while other anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines including Xanax, carry clearer dependency risks.

Benzodiazepines work quickly to calm the nervous system and relieve acute anxiety. However, they create tolerance over time, meaning your body requires higher doses to achieve the same effect. Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effect of GABA, your brain’s main calming chemical. With repeated use, your brain compensates by reducing its own GABA sensitivity, so you need a higher dose to get the same relief.

This adaptation is what makes stopping the drug so difficult. Psychiatrist Emily Wood explained that daily use often leads to dependence and requires careful tapering when stopping the medication. “If you’re taking them on a daily basis, you’ll need more and more to get the same effect,” she said.

• Social and cultural shifts play a major role in the anxiety epidemic — The report also examined broader forces behind rising anxiety rates, including increased social media use, economic stress and declining participation in community activities.

Sociologist Jason Schnittker of the University of Pennsylvania explained that anxiety levels have gradually increased across generations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Growing distrust, economic pressure and social isolation all contribute to a persistent sense of unease in modern life.

• Social media increasingly shapes how young people approach mental health treatment — One striking trend described in the report involves the role of digital platforms in mental health decisions. Many influencers openly discuss anxiety and medication online, which has reduced stigma around seeking treatment.

However, this environment also fuels self-diagnosis and quick access to prescriptions through telehealth services. A study cited in the article found that about one-third of teenagers now obtain mental health information from social media.2 For many young people, the internet has become their first stop when they try to understand anxiety symptoms.

How to Address Lifestyle Drivers of Anxiety

Whether the policy debate leads to changes or not, the practical question remains the same for anyone living with anxiety: What can you do today that addresses the root of the problem rather than just suppressing the symptoms? The answer starts with six evidence-based habits that target the same brain systems these drugs affect.

Anxiety rarely appears out of nowhere. It often grows from daily habits that push your nervous system into a constant fight-or-flight state. Endless social media scrolling, physical inactivity, poor sleep habits and chronic stress overload your brain’s threat detection system. Medication quiets symptoms, yet the root causes remain untouched if lifestyle patterns stay the same.

If anxiety dominates your thoughts or drains your energy, your first goal involves restoring balance in the systems that regulate mood and stress. Your brain responds strongly to movement, breathing patterns, digital input, and daily habits. When you adjust these factors, your nervous system settles and your mind becomes clearer and calmer.

1. Move your body every day and treat exercise as medicine — Physical activity ranks among the most powerful anxiety and depression remedies available. Research consistently shows that regular exercise reduces depression symptoms as effectively as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy for many adults, yet it does so without the burden of prescription side effects.3

Movement increases endorphins and other brain chemicals that stabilize mood and lower stress hormones. If you’re new to exercise, start with a brisk 10-minute walk daily — fast enough that you can talk but not sing. Add five minutes each week until you reach 60 minutes. Add in strength training twice a week and mind-body exercise, such as yoga, as well. Track your activity like a challenge and watch your confidence grow as your stamina improves.

2. Train your nervous system with slow breathing — Anxiety speeds up your breathing and keeps your body trapped in a stress loop. Slow breathing interrupts that loop and helps manage anxiety.4 When you inhale through your nose and extend your exhale, your nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight mode.

Try a simple pattern: inhale slowly for four seconds, pause briefly, then exhale for six seconds. Repeat for five minutes. If your mind races during stressful moments or before sleep, this breathing rhythm quickly settles your nervous system.

3. Limit your exposure to social media and constant digital stimulation — Modern anxiety often begins with the endless stream of alarming headlines, arguments and comparisons on social media. Your brain treats those signals as threats even though they appear on a screen. If you notice anxiety spikes after scrolling, reduce exposure.

Set a strict time window for social media once or twice per day — or less. When you feel the urge to scroll, replace it with a five-minute walk outside, a few pages of a book, or a text to a friend making plans to meet in person.

4. Support your gut health to calm your nervous system — Your gut and brain are in constant two-way communication through the vagus nerve — a direct line that carries signals about inflammation, stress and immune activity from your digestive tract straight to your brain’s anxiety centers. When your gut environment is disrupted, those signals shift toward alarm, and your nervous system stays locked in a heightened state.

This gut-brain axis explains why digestive problems and anxiety so frequently appear together, and why fixing your gut often quiets your mind. The foundation of gut repair starts with removing what’s damaging it. If you eat out frequently or consume processed foods, you’re likely taking in excessive amounts of linoleic acid (LA) from seed oils like sunflower, safflower, soybean and canola. These oils disrupt mitochondrial function and wreck your gut environment.

Avoid processed foods and switch to grass fed butter, ghee or tallow instead. From there, optimize your carbohydrate intake — your body needs about 250 grams daily to maintain cellular energy production.

Start with easily digestible sources like whole fruit or white rice, especially if your gut is compromised, and add fiber gradually to avoid triggering endotoxin release. Once the foundation is stable, add fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and plain yogurt to further support a gut environment that keeps your brain’s threat signals in check.

5. Protect your sleep and restore your daily rhythm — Poor sleep destabilizes the brain systems that regulate mood and emotional control. When sleep becomes fragmented or shortened, your brain’s threat centers become more reactive and anxiety intensifies.

Protect your sleep by keeping a consistent bedtime, turning off screens at least an hour before bed and exposing your eyes to natural daylight early in the morning. That daily light signal resets your internal clock and improves both sleep quality and emotional resilience.

6. Strengthen your real-world connections and reduce isolation — Human connection acts as a natural buffer against anxiety. Isolation, which increased sharply during pandemic lockdowns and through heavy digital engagement, amplifies stress signals in your brain.

If you spend large portions of the day alone or online, make deliberate changes. Schedule regular in-person conversations, join group activities, walk with a friend or participate in community events. These interactions provide emotional grounding that stabilizes your nervous system and lowers chronic anxiety.

FAQs About Anxiety Medications and Natural Ways to Manage Anxiety

Q: Why are more Americans taking anxiety medications today?

A: Federal survey data show the share of U.S. adults taking anxiety medications increased from 11.7% in 2019 to 14.3% in 2024, which means roughly 38 million Americans now use them. The largest increases appear among young adults ages 18 to 34.

Researchers attribute the surge to several modern pressures, including pandemic stress, social media exposure, economic uncertainty and increased social isolation. Easier access to telehealth and growing public discussion about mental health also make prescriptions more common.

Q: Why are young adults experiencing the largest increase in anxiety medication use?

A: Young adults ages 18 to 34 are driving much of the recent surge in anxiety medication use. Federal survey data show the share of people in this age group taking anxiety medications rose from 8.8% in 2019 to 14.6% in 2024.

Researchers point to several factors behind this shift, including pandemic disruptions, financial uncertainty and growing reliance on digital communication instead of in-person social interaction. Heavy social media use also exposes younger adults to constant comparison, negative news and social pressure, which increases stress and makes anxiety symptoms more common.

Q: What side effects are associated with anxiety medications?

A: SSRIs carry side effects that cause many people to stop treatment. Common complaints include stomach upset, fatigue, brain fog and sexual dysfunction. Data cited in the report show about 1 in 12 patients discontinue SSRIs because of side effects. Other anxiety medications, particularly benzodiazepines such as Xanax, also carry a risk of dependence because the body builds tolerance over time.

Q: Why has Kennedy questioned widespread anxiety medication use?

A: Kennedy has raised concerns about the growing reliance on psychiatric medications. During his 2026 confirmation hearing, he stated that some individuals have struggled to stop taking SSRIs after long-term use and said he knows people who found quitting them extremely difficult. Kennedy has also directed federal health agencies to examine whether certain psychiatric drugs influence behavior in ways that require closer scientific investigation.

Q: What natural lifestyle strategies help reduce anxiety?

A: Regular exercise improves mood and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Slow breathing techniques shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode. Reducing social media exposure limits constant stress signals to your brain. Consistent sleep routines restore emotional stability, and strong social connections provide psychological support that buffers everyday stress. These habits address the root causes of anxiety rather than simply suppressing symptoms.

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

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Lower body temperature
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Reduced attention span

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Water is an important building block of life. Without it, human life would cease to exist. That said, not all water is created equally.

In an interview with Isabel Friend for The Water Is Life podcast, Tyler LeBaron, Ph.D., founder of the Molecular Hydrogen Institute, shares how molecular hydrogen works to benefit your health in different ways. I encourage you to listen to the entire episode, as it contains many nuggets of wisdom about this fascinating subject. I’ve summarized the most pertinent points below.1

From Alkaline Believer to Hydrogen Researcher

LeBaron begins his interview with Friend by explaining how he got into molecular hydrogen. He was fascinated by health, reading every naturopathic book he could find. Upon encountering the concept of hydrogen water and its potential for optimizing human health, everything clicked for him.

• A curiosity for wellness — LeBaron’s journey into molecular hydrogen started at a young age. He developed an interest in naturopathic topics, like iridology. As his thirst for knowledge grew, he began to discover many fascinating notions about health and the human body. One thing he learned about was the concept that the body is slightly alkaline.

“And so, it’s important to have an alkaline pH. And again, this was — we’ll go into the science later on, but this is my understanding at the time. And I first came across alkaline water and I was like, ‘That’s so perfect’ because that’s exactly what we need. So, this is right after I basically got out of high school, and it just made a lot of sense to me.”

• Like other pioneers, there was initial pushback — As a university student, LeBaron brought these ideas to his professors, who quickly challenged the premise:

“[O]n the one hand they were kind of dismissive and like laughing about it. But on the other hand, they were helpful. And it would explain, ‘Well, this is the reason why alkaline water alone wouldn’t benefit your body, basically.’

You know, yes, it’s true that the body needs to have a slightly alkaline pH, but the body already can do that really well by regulating the kidneys, by breathing, and water alone does not have the buffering capacity or the alkalinity needed to maintain this pH.”

• The eureka moment — LeBaron’s biochemistry professor pointed him toward molecular hydrogen as the real bioactive agent in these waters.

“[I]t was actually my biochemistry professor at the time when we were reviewing an article together on molecular hydrogen that can be dissolved in the water, where he said, ‘Tyler, I think there’s something here.’

When he said that, that’s when I was like, ‘Wow, this is what I’m missing. This is what I need to research.’ And as I’ve continued research in molecular hydrogen, whether it’s dissolved in water or inhalation as you’re doing right now, just the hydrogen molecule is really so amazing. But you can just dissolve it into water. And so now my passion has continued expanding upon hydrogen in all its different forms and modalities and the benefits of water in general.”

What Happens When People Start Drinking Hydrogen Water?

LeBaron frames the benefits of hydrogen that he has dubbed the Four H’s. The detailed explanations are below:

• Hydrogen — Many products labeled “hydrogen water” don’t actually contain enough H2 to be therapeutic by the time you drink it. According to LeBaron:

“[N]umber one, hopefully that there’s hydrogen gas present in the water because that’s not always the case. There are some products that are often promoted as hydrogen water or can have hydrogen water. But by the time somebody ingests it, the concentration of molecular hydrogen is very low.”

• Health — Once people become interested in hydrogen water, they often ditch soda, alcohol, or junk food. Thus, their health improves subconsciously:

“They’re also learning about health in general. And they’re starting to make changes, dietary changes. Maybe they’re stopping drinking so many soda or energy drinks or alcoholic beverages or other things that are very damaging for them. So, they improve their health. And obviously, as you improve your health and make those major lifestyle changes, then that’s going to provide a lot of benefits, right?”

• Hydration — Just drinking more water — especially clean, filtered water — makes a big difference to your health, LeBaron says:

“A lot of people, they probably don’t drink enough water, right? When you’re slightly thirsty you’re probably a little bit dehydrated. And so, by just drinking more water and preferentially water instead of an alcoholic beverage or a sugary drink or something, right? That’s going to be better for you as well.”

• Hype — Belief in a new remedy can trigger physiological changes. LeBaron explains the thought process behind this phenomenon:

“[H]ype has reference to the placebo effect which is actually extremely powerful and really amazing. And it’s not sometimes people think that the placebo effect is just — it’s only something that you think in your mind something is happening, but it’s not really happening.

Or they think, ‘Well, I don’t believe in it. And so therefore the placebo effect won’t help me’ or something. But actually that’s not true. The placebo effect has a true physiological biological basis.”

The Science Is Catching Up — Human Trials Show Real Results

While testimonials and anecdotal reports are helpful, science helps solidify and confirm the claims. And now, LeBaron is sharing the latest updates in this regard.

• Hydrogen water benefits rheumatoid arthritis — One of the most powerful studies came from a placebo-controlled, crossover trial on early-stage rheumatoid arthritis. Participants drank hydrogen-rich water for a few weeks. Even better, some of the participants had their condition go into remission:2

“[F]or the first four weeks, they would drink hydrogen water or placebo water, and then they would have a washout period of, say, four weeks, and then they would switch and then they would drink hydrogen water or placebo water and they had these subjects with rheumatoid arthritis and those with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis.

[S]ome of them entered into remission of the condition. So, they didn’t have that disease score high enough to even satisfy the requirement to say they had the disease, and their symptomology went down a lot. The oxidative stress went down a lot. So that was very impressive.”

• Your metabolic health also benefits from hydrogen water — LeBaron also shares a study that he conducted with other researchers, a six-month, double-blind, randomized trial of 60 people with metabolic syndrome.3 The participants drinking hydrogen-producing tablets saw improvements in different biomarkers, such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol ratio, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, and reduction in body mass index (BMI).

• Blood lipid profiles are also better — LeBaron mentioned that molecular hydrogen benefits your blood lipid profiles.4 He noted:

“Sometimes, some clinical studies will show some pretty prominent effects. But when you look at the meta-analysis with an additional statistical power on it, you don’t really see statistically significant effects anymore because everything’s kind of averaged out. But in this case, there was still a statistically significant benefit showing that hydrogen had the suggested to have improvements with blood lipid profiles.”

A Deeper Dive Into the Functions of Hydrogen

LeBaron has extensive knowledge of molecular hydrogen. Below, he explains how it works and how it supports your health in different ways:

• Hydrogen gas is selective in how it interacts in the body — It only targets the most dangerous free radicals, like hydroxyl radicals, and leaves helpful signaling molecules alone. LeBaron explains:

“[H]ydrogen is a very stable molecule. And so, it can’t easily react with very many free radicals. It can only react with radicals that are extremely dangerous and harmful and oxidative, such as the hydroxyl radical. And that’s what makes it a selective antioxidant. And also, because it is so small and its physical chemical properties, it makes it largely biologically inert.”

• On a deeper level, H2 acts like a messenger — It can influence gene expression and protein signaling, and even the behavior of microRNAs:

“So, it has a pleiotropic effect that influences gene expression, protein phosphorylation cascades. MicroRNA, which we published on as well. All of those together is what allows it to have critical downstream effects that, later on, have very important health beneficial effects, okay? So, it’s not again, it’s not a strong potent drug like that, but its benefits for the energy production like you’re talking about with the mitochondria.”

• Hydrogen supports energy production — LeBaron touches upon the impact of molecular hydrogen in the context of mitochondrial health:

“[M]olecular hydrogen has been shown to maintain the mitochondrial membrane potential. It can also help prevent the opening of this mitochondrial — there’s a pore or a protein channel that causes the gradient to be lost.

And it prevents that from opening prematurely when things that can be compromised during times of pollutions or ischemic reperfusion or like just damage that can happen like during a stroke or something or other types of closings of the blood vessels. So, hydrogen can do all these things as well as it can activate PGC-1 to increase PGC-1α, which is a marker of mitochondrial biogenesis.”

How to Incorporate Molecular Hydrogen Into Your Routine

All that said, I highly recommend consider adding molecular hydrogen into your regimen because of its benefits and relatively safe profile. I’ve interviewed LeBaron myself, and here are our recommendations on how to take advantage of this revolutionary particle:

1. Consider daily supplementation — While not everyone may need it, the potential benefits and lack of side effects make hydrogen a low-risk, high-reward option.
2. Choose the right delivery method — Hydrogen-rich water, particularly from tablets, offers a convenient and effective way to supplement.
3. Timing matters — Consume hydrogen-rich water immediately after preparation to ensure maximum benefit.
4. Embrace other healthy habits — Hydrogen therapy is most effective when combined with a healthy diet, regular daily movement, and other positive lifestyle factors.
5. Stay informed — As research in this field continues to evolve, staying up-to-date with the latest findings can help you optimize your use of hydrogen therapy.

Less Is More When It Comes to Benefits

Given the benefits of molecular hydrogen, it’s tempting to constantly do it and think you’re always maximizing the benefits. However, our discussion yielded an important takeaway — molecular hydrogen therapy works better when it is pulsed. In other words, you’ll get diminishing returns when you always do it.

• Pulsing recommendations — Here are some recommended strategies to effectively use molecular hydrogen:

◦Drinking hydrogen-rich water at specific times during the day is more effective than sipping it constantly.
◦Short sessions (1 to 3 h) of hydrogen inhalation may be preferable to longer (20+ h), continuous exposure.
◦Allowing at least some hours without hydrogen supplementation could possibly enhance your body’s response when it’s reintroduced.

• Additional words of caution — LeBaron noted that one problem in molecular hydrogen therapy is measuring the concentration of hydrogen in water or gas. That said, he uses gas chromatography to record accurate figures during his research.

This means that for those using molecular hydrogen at home, you’ll need to be cautious about product claims. The most reliable way to verify claims is to cross-reference methods verified in clinical trials. These include certain hydrogen-generating tablets that have been shown to produce therapeutic levels of hydrogen.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Molecular Hydrogen

Q: What led Tyler LeBaron, Ph.D., to research molecular hydrogen?
A: LeBaron’s journey began with a strong fascination for natural health and an early belief in the benefits of alkaline ionized water. Initially, the alkaline theory made intuitive sense to him, but his professors explained that the body’s pH is tightly regulated by the lungs and kidneys, and that water alone does not have enough buffering capacity to change internal pH.

The turning point came when a biochemistry professor introduced him to molecular hydrogen dissolved in water, which turned out to be the actual bioactive component producing benefits in some “alkaline water” products.

Q: What are the “Four H’s” that explain why people feel better when starting hydrogen water?
A: LeBaron describes four main reasons people often report benefits:

1. The presence of hydrogen itself, as many products labeled as hydrogen water may not contain therapeutic levels by the time they are consumed.
2. People who start using hydrogen water often make positive health behavior changes, such as reducing soda, alcohol, and junk food intake.
3. The simple act of increasing hydration improves health.
4. The hype effect, or placebo response, can cause real physiological changes that contribute to how people feel.

Q: What does the research say about hydrogen water’s health benefits?
A: Controlled human trials have demonstrated encouraging outcomes. In one study on individuals with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis, some participants experienced remission and reduced oxidative stress.

Another double-blind trial involving people with metabolic syndrome found improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol ratios, inflammation, oxidative stress, and modest weight loss. Furthermore, a meta-analysis confirmed statistically significant improvements in lipid profiles, supporting the idea that hydrogen has measurable effects on metabolic health.

Q: How does molecular hydrogen work in the body?
A: Molecular hydrogen functions as a selective antioxidant, targeting only the most harmful free radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals, while leaving beneficial signaling molecules untouched. It influences biological processes by modulating gene expression, protein signaling pathways, and microRNA activity.

It also supports mitochondrial health by maintaining membrane potential, preventing premature pore opening under stress, and stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis through PGC-1α activation.

Q: What are the best practices for using molecular hydrogen?
A: The most convenient and effective delivery method is often hydrogen-rich water, especially from tablets. It should be consumed immediately after preparation to ensure maximum potency. Rather than constant use, pulsing hydrogen intake at specific times during the day or using short inhalation sessions appears to maintain better responsiveness.

Users should also be cautious of exaggerated product claims and seek products that match the concentrations used in clinical research. For best results, hydrogen therapy should be integrated into an overall healthy lifestyle that includes good nutrition, regular physical activity, and other positive habits.

Have you been getting enough sleep lately? According to the latest statistics gathered by the National Sleep Foundation, six out of 10 adults in America don’t get enough sleep. Furthermore, almost half of all adults have trouble staying asleep three or more nights per week.1

Simply put, sleep deprivation is a serious yet growing health concern. In previous articles, I have discussed how it can affect different aspects of your health, such as overall shorter life expectancy and deteriorating eye health. Now, new research shows that it also affects another foundational aspect of your health, namely your gut. Specifically, your gut’s self-repair mechanisms become disrupted when you don’t get enough sleep.2

But that’s not all. Additional research shows that sleep deprivation affects the actual bacteria living in your gut. When the balance of the microbiota is disrupted, your risk for various metabolic and cardiovascular diseases goes up.

Sleep Loss Hits Your Gut Repair System Faster Than You Expect

In a study published in Stem Cell, researchers set out to determine how even brief periods of sleep deprivation affect the repair capabilities of intestinal stem cells (ISCs).3 For context, ISCs live deep inside the crypts along your small intestine and act as the body’s internal construction crew. When they falter, the entire lining loses its ability to regenerate.4

Using a mouse model, the researchers created a controlled setup of acute sleep deprivation and then examined structural changes in the gut, stem cell activity, and the signaling pathways that either protect or damage gut repair.

• Even a short window of sleep deprivation impairs ISC function — This results in altered gut architecture, which matters because your gut lining replaces itself roughly every three to five days, and intestinal stem cells drive that turnover.5

When those foundational cells lose function, the gut’s absorptive surface shrinks, the barrier weakens, and your digestive stability drops. Specifically, the study documented shorter villi, reduced crypt depth, and loss of Paneth cells, which are specialized cells that help defend your gut against harmful microbes.

Villi are the small hairlike projections that increase surface area for nutrient absorption. As expected, when they shorten, your ability to absorb nutrients drops.

Meanwhile, Paneth cells release antimicrobial compounds that protect you from harmful bacteria and losing them weakens your intestinal defense. If you have ever noticed sudden bloating, loose stools, or abdominal discomfort after a night of poor sleep, this offers a strong, probable reason why those issues manifested.

• The damage begins inside a specific region of the brainstem called the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) — The DMV helps regulate digestion through the vagus nerve. When you lose sleep, this region becomes overactive and sends too many signals to your gut, releasing excess acetylcholine — a chemical messenger that tells cells to switch on. That surge overstimulates specialized gut cells called enterochromaffin cells, which then release large amounts of serotonin.

While serotonin normally helps coordinate digestion, too much of it overwhelms nearby ISCs by activating certain receptors. Instead of supporting repair, this overload acts like a stress signal, triggering oxidative damage inside the stem cells. As that stress builds, your gut’s ability to repair and maintain its lining begins to weaken.

• The researchers observed a clear decrease in stem cell proliferation — ISCs exposed to the sleep-disrupted environment entered a state of diminished activity that directly contributed to the smaller crypt-villus structure. Your crypts house the stem cells, and if crypt depth decreases, the stem cell population becomes more vulnerable to further stressors like alcohol, ultraprocessed foods, and infections.

Published literature reviewed within the paper compared different variables to map out exactly how this chain reaction unfolds. In one example, when vagal signaling was blocked, the gut damage was sharply reduced. When researchers blocked serotonin signaling at a particular receptor, oxidative stress inside the stem cells decreased.

The findings show how interwoven your brain and gut truly are. The DMV responds to your sleep patterns, circadian rhythm, and daily stress exposure. When sleep becomes fragmented, the DMV begins sending distorted messages through the vagus nerve. This distorted communication causes the gut to suffer the consequences.

Sleep Deprivation Leads to Further Dysbiosis in Your Gut

In a related study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers examined how sleep deprivation reshapes the gut microbiome and why these shifts drive digestive problems and body-wide inflammation. Pulling from a mix of human and animal research, they mapped out a full picture of what happens inside your gut when your sleep habits aren’t optimal.6

Rather than focusing on gut structure, which the first featured study covered, this study concentrated on other aspects such as microbial balance, barrier function, immune activation, and chemical messengers that determine how healthy — or inflamed — your digestive system becomes.

• Sleep loss shifts the microbiome into a pattern associated with digestive distress, weight gain, and reduced microbial diversity — All of these issues point to a gut environment under strain. These findings matter because your microbiome helps regulate inflammation, digestion, mood, and metabolic health. When sleep deprivation disrupts that ecosystem, the effects ripple across your entire body.

• Sleep deprivation lowers levels of beneficial gut bacteria, including Akkermansia, Bacteroides, and Faecalibacterium — These microbes are known for strengthening the gut barrier and producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate that support colon health.

These compounds calm inflammation and help nourish the colon lining. In fact, increased levels of butyrate “have been found to be negatively correlated with cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation,” the researchers reported. At the same time, sleep-deprived animals showed increases in bacteria linked to digestive irritation and immune activation.

• Sleep-deprived animals produce fewer goblet cells — These are cells that create mucus along your intestinal lining. Mucus acts as the gut’s protective coating, keeping irritants and microbes from coming into direct contact with your gut wall. Without enough mucus, the lining becomes more exposed and more reactive.

• Microbial shifts do not require long-term sleep deprivation — In other words, even short-term sleep disruption altered the microbiome composition, reduced SCFA levels, and triggered inflammatory patterns within hours to days.

• Sleep deprivation triggers the TLR4-NF-kappa B pathway, which acts like a molecular alarm system — According to the paper, sleep deprivation increases intestinal permeability, allowing endotoxins to enter the bloodstream and trigger this pathway. Now, TLR4 is a receptor that detects these bacterial fragments, and NF-kappa B is a genetic switch that turns on inflammation.

Once activated, immune cells release cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 (IL-1), which drive digestive discomfort and body-wide inflammation.

• Changes in secondary bile metabolism occur due to sleep deprivation — Secondary bile acids, which form due to interaction between intestinal bacteria and primary bile acids, help prevent harmful bacteria from taking over, so losing them weakens your natural defense system. This shift reduces colonization resistance, meaning your gut becomes easier for inflammatory or pathogenic microbes to inhabit.

• Gene expression disruptions occurred within the context of gut function — The microbiome follows a daily rhythm, and when sleep cycles break down, microbial activity becomes irregular and mistimed. When sleep patterns return to normal, gut function improves:7

“It has been shown that melatonin, a hormone that plays a key role in maintaining the circadian rhythm, can effectively reverse harmful SD [sleep deprivation]-induced effects,” the researchers noted.

Correct Your Sleep Habits with These Strategies and Get Proper Rest

The findings are clear: Having your sleep constantly disrupted undermines your health in different ways, and this includes your gut. Considering this, optimizing your sleep habits requires a multifaceted approach to maximize results. Here are my recommendations:

1. Step outside early to reset your body clock — Your brain needs a clear morning signal that the day has begun, and outdoor light provides it. Getting sunlight within the first hour after waking anchors your internal timing system (circadian rhythm) and sets the schedule for melatonin production later that night. If you miss this window, your clock drifts, and bedtime slides later even if you feel tired.

Just 10 to 20 minutes of natural morning light gives your brain the cue it needs to place sleep in its proper slot.

2. Create an inviting environment in your bedroom that signals sleeping time — Your brain sleeps best when your environment tells it the world is quiet and safe. A cool, silent, and fully dark room supports that message.

Use blackout curtains or an eye mask and remove glowing electronics from your room. Shut off Wi-Fi, keep your phone out of reach, and avoid charging devices near your bed. These changes lower nighttime stimulation and silence cues that keep your nervous system on alert when it is supposed to ease into rest.

In addition, minimize artificial light exposure after sunset. Once the sun goes down, indoor lighting and screens work against your sleep rhythms. Artificial light suppresses melatonin production and tricks your brain into thinking the day isn’t over. So, after sundown, dim your environment, avoid overhead lighting, and turn off screens at least an hour before bed to let your brain transition into nighttime mode.

3. Practice proper sleep posture — The very form your body takes while sleeping also influences the overall rest you’re getting. If you fall asleep in an uncomfortable position, you’ll eventually wake up due to the low levels of stress that’s keeping your nervous system up.

To ensure continuous, deep sleep, get a high-quality pillow that supports the natural curvature of your neck while keeping your spine neutral. This reduces muscular tension, allowing your body to completely relax.

4. Stick to a predictable sleep schedule — Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day teaches your brain when to power down. Staying up late and sleeping in — even on weekends — throws off that rhythm. Consistency strengthens your natural sleep drive and improves your ability to fall asleep naturally.

5. Other tips to help you create a proper wind-down routine — When your brain runs wild at night, the groundwork usually starts earlier in the day. Too much stimulation, back-to-back tasks, and late-evening mental effort push your nervous system into overdrive.

Build short breaks into your day, move your body regularly, and avoid heavy cognitive work close to bedtime. When your nervous system gets recovery during daylight hours, it no longer demands attention once you’re trying to sleep. For more practical strategies to get restful sleep every night, read “Top 33 Tips to Optimize Your Sleep Routine.”

Frequently Asked Questions About Sleep Disruption and Its Effects on Digestive Health

Q: How does sleep deprivation damage the gut lining?
A: Even short-term sleep loss triggers hyperactivity in a brainstem region called the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), which sends abnormal signals through the vagus nerve to the gut. This causes a surge of serotonin that creates oxidative stress in intestinal stem cells (ISCs) — the cells that rebuild your gut lining every three to five days. The result is impaired nutrient absorption and gut defense.

Q: How does poor sleep change the bacteria living in your gut?
A: Sleep deprivation reduces beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium, which maintain the gut barrier and produce anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Meanwhile, inflammation-linked bacteria increase. This imbalance happens surprisingly fast, with microbial shifts appearing within hours to days of disrupted sleep.

Q: Why does poor sleep lead to body-wide inflammation, and not just digestive problems?
A: Sleep deprivation increases intestinal permeability, allowing bacterial fragments to leak into the bloodstream and activate the TLR4-NF-κB inflammatory pathway. This triggers release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, meaning a sleep-deprived gut contributes to systemic inflammation and raises the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

Q: Does the timing of sleep matter, or just the total hours?
A: Timing matters significantly. Circadian misalignment from irregular bedtimes, shift work, or late-night screens produced some of the strongest inflammatory and metabolic disturbances — even when total sleep hours were adequate. Your gut microbiome follows a daily rhythm synced to your sleep cycle, so irregular timing throws it out of sync.

Q: What are the most effective strategies for protecting sleep and gut health?
A: Get outdoor sunlight within the first hour of waking, keep your bedroom dark and electronics-free, avoid screens after sunset, maintain a consistent daily sleep-wake schedule, and manage daytime stress through regular movement and built-in breaks.

Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published April 14, 2024.

Over the past decade, I’ve written many articles discussing the evidence of biological harm from non-ionizing electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation and radiofrequency radiation (RFR) from wireless technologies.

The video above features an interview I did with Siim Land in February 2020 for his Body Mind Empowerment podcast in which I discuss EMF — what it is, your greatest sources of exposure, how it affects your biology, and how to minimize your exposure. I also review how the telecommunications industry manipulates the truth to keep you unaware of the hazards.

While the wireless industry is built on the premise that the only type of radiation capable of causing harm is ionizing — X-rays being one example — researchers have for a long time warned that even non-ionizing and non-heating radiation can jeopardize your health. This includes not only human health, but also that of plants and animals.

Over time, I became so convinced of the deleterious effects of EMF, I took three years to write “EMF*D” which was published in 2020. In it, I reviewed the overwhelming evidence showing EMFs are a hidden health hazard that simply cannot be ignored any longer.

During the pandemic, we also witnessed the rollout and installation of 5G across the country, which has exponentially increased exposures, as it’s added on top of the already existing wireless infrastructure.

The short video below, published by Investigative Europe in January 2019, gives a quick overview of how 5G differs from previous wireless technology. At the time, little if any research had been done on 5G specifically, but between 2022 and 2024, 10 studies have been published that shed more light on this fifth-generation technology.1

5G Appeals for Moratorium Ignored Despite Evidence

The first of these, published in September 2022 in the journal Reviews on Environmental Health,2 provides a good overview of the hazards 5G poses. The authors pointed out that, since September 2017, over 400 scientists and doctors have collectively submitted six appeals to the European Union, calling for a moratorium on 5G technology. All have been ignored.

The September 2021 appeal included an “extensive cover letter” in which experts argued that the EU’s reliance on guidelines by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) places public health at risk because the guidelines only consider “heating and no other health relevant biological effects from RFR.”

The letter countered the ICNIRP’s guidance with research from European and international expert groups detailing myriad adverse biological effects of RFR on humans and the environment. According to the authors:3

“Evidence to establish this position is drawn from studies showing changes to neurotransmitters and receptors, damage to cells, proteins, DNA, sperm, the immune system, and human health, including cancer.

The 2021 Appeal goes on to warn that 5G signals are likely to additionally alter the behavior of oxygen and water molecules at the quantum level, unfold proteins, damage skin, and cause harm to insects, birds, frogs, plants, and animals.”

Aggregation of Signals Pose Serious Concerns

Under the subhead “Great Plans, Great Promises but False Claims,” the authors go on to highlight the government’s own findings:

“… the potential health and safety risks associated with RFR have been exposed in a recent EU-commissioned review of the currently available scientific evidence, the 2021 European Parliamentary Research Service’s EPRS/STOA Health impact of 5G report.4

The conclusions of the comprehensive review declared sufficient evidence for cancer from RFR in animals, sufficient evidence for adverse effects from RFR on the fertility of men, male rats and mice, and that RFR is probably carcinogenic to humans.

In short, the EPRS/STOA report shows that RFR is harmful for health. The report subsequently calls for measures to incentivize the reduction of RF-EMF exposures (p. 153), such as lowering the limit for allowed exposures and the preferential use of wired connections.

Similarly, the EU’s own (ITRE committee) 2019 in-depth analysis, 5G Deployment: State of Play in Europe, USA, and Asia5 warned that, when added to 2G, 3G, 4G, WiFi, WIMAX, DECT, radar etc., 5G will cumulatively lead to dramatically more total radiation: not only from the use of much higher frequencies in 5G but also from the potential for the aggregation of different signals, their dynamic nature, and the complex interference effects that may result, especially in dense urban areas (p 11).

These concerns are based on the complexity of communications signals and the unknowns of their interactions. Electromagnetic signals transmitted by manmade communication devices are not regular waves; rather, they are a complex combination of ultra-high frequency carrier waves, and modulations that encode the messages using extremely-low and ultra-low frequencies.

In addition, the signals are pulsed at ultra-low frequencies (sent in short on-off bursts). This means that although the RFR carrier waves may sit in the high frequency GHz range, their modulations and pulse rates are much closer to brain-wave frequencies; e.g., the 217 Hz pulsing of a GSM phone signal.

Pulsed or modulated RFR signals have been shown to be more bio-active than simple continuous waves of the same intensity and exposure duration. This is of significant concern in relation to public health and is not limited to just the higher 5G frequencies.

Furthermore, as the report noted, the effects of these new complex beam formed signals have unpredictable propagation patterns that could result in unacceptable levels of human exposure to electromagnetic radiation (p. 6) but are yet to be mapped reliably for real situations, outside the laboratory.”

5G Causes Neurological and Psychiatric Problems

The second study,6 published in November 2022, investigated the effects of 4.9 GHz (one of several 5G frequencies) RFR on the emotional behaviors and spatial memory in adult male mice. The exposure was found to induce “depression-like behavior” caused by “neuronal pyroptosis in the amygdala.”

Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death distinct from other forms of apoptosis, characterized by its inflammatory response. It involves the swelling and bursting of the cell, leading to the release of proinflammatory cytokines and intracellular contents that can trigger an immune response in the surrounding tissue.

This process is controlled by gasdermin proteins, which form pores in the cell membrane, and is often initiated in response to infections by pathogens or other signals indicating cellular damage.

5G induces cell death in the amygdala, a region of the brain involved in emotion regulation, memory, and decision-making.

The amygdala is a region of the brain involved in emotion regulation, memory, and decision-making. So, pyroptosis in this area could be indicative of neurological damage or inflammation, affecting emotional regulation, behavior, and cognitive functions.

This could be relevant in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries or infections that impact the central nervous system, leading to various neurological and psychiatric implications.

4 Studies Confirm 5G’s Impact on Neurology

Another four studies published in 2023 also show a variety of damage occurring in the brain:

• 5G increases permeability of the blood-brain barrier7 — In the first, RFR from 5G cellphones at 3.5 GHz or 4.9 GHz for one hour per day for 35 days straight was found to increase the permeability of the BBB in the cerebral cortex of mice.

• RFR impairs neurogenesis and causes neuronal DNA damage8 — In the second, continuous RFR from cellphones at 2115 MHz for eight hours was shown to induce higher levels of lipid peroxidation, carbon-centered lipid radicals, and single-strand DNA damage, resulting in impaired neurogenesis in the hippocampal region and neuronal degeneration in the dentate gyrus region.

Translation: Cellphone radiation causes cognitive impairment and deficits, behavioral changes and dysfunctional mood regulation, neurodegenerative disorders (due to the oxidative stress within neurons) and psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression.

• Electromagnetic radiation associated with anxiety9 — This study found anxiety-like behavior in male mice exposed to electromagnetic radiation at 2650 MHz for four hours a day for 28 days.

• 5G may promote dementia10 — Lastly, a follow-up study on previous research concluded that RFRs at 1.8 GHz to 3.5 GHz:

◦ Inhibit neurosin, an enzyme that plays a role in brain health, including the breakdown of proteins that, if not properly managed, could lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. This finding suggests that cellphone radiation could interfere with the brain’s ability to prevent the buildup of harmful proteins.

◦ Inhibit the electrical activity of neurons in vitro — Neurons communicate with each other using electrical signals and this activity is crucial for everything your brain does, from processing sensory information to controlling muscle movements. Inhibiting electrical activity means disrupting normal brain cell communication, which could impact brain functions.

5G Affects Brain Development

An October 2023 study11 by Bodin et al. investigated the effects of exposure to 5G during the perinatal period — around the time of birth — on the neurodevelopment of rats. The main goal of this study was to explore how being exposed to 5G EMF around the time of birth affects the brain development of rats as they grow into juveniles and adolescents.

Both male and female rat pups exposed to 5G EMF showed delayed incisor (front teeth) eruption. This indicates that EMF exposure could slow down certain aspects of physical development. The study also found notable differences in behavior based on the sex of the rats.

In adolescent female rats, there was a significant reduction (70%) in stereotyped movements, such as repetitive patterns of behavior, in the open field test. This suggests that exposure may reduce certain repetitive behaviors in females. In contrast, male rats exhibited a 50% increase in stereotyped movements, indicating that the same exposure led to an increase in repetitive behaviors.

In short, the research suggests that exposure to 5G EMF at levels below the regulatory threshold during a critical period of development (perinatal period) has the potential to cause disturbances in neurodevelopment. These effects are seen in juvenile and adolescent descendants and manifest differently in males and females.

While it’s difficult to predict what the human health implications of this might be, it’s worth noting that repetitive behaviors are often associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In such cases, these behaviors may signal underlying neurological differences and can impact an individual’s social interactions, learning, and daily functioning.

In some instances, repetitive behaviors can also be symptomatic of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), stress-related disorders, and self-harming behaviors such as skin picking or hair pulling. For some individuals, repetitive behaviors can interfere with attention and focus, affecting academic performance, workplace productivity, and the ability to complete daily tasks efficiently.

It can also affect an individual’s social interactions and relationships, and can lead to social isolation, bullying, or stigma, particularly in children and adolescents, further impacting emotional well-being and self-esteem. Repetitive behaviors, particularly those associated with anxiety or compulsive disorders, can also disrupt sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or poor sleep quality, which in turn affects overall health and well-being.

RFR Decimates Male Fertility — Melatonin Can Help Restore It

A December 2023 study,12 which explored the negative effects of long-term exposure to 2100 MHz RFR on rat sperm characteristics, brought both good and bad news.

On the downside, male rats exposed to RFR at 2100 MHz for 30 minutes a day had a significantly higher percentage of sperm with abnormal shapes. There was also a significant reduction in the total sperm count among the exposed rats.

At a more detailed level, examining the sperm structure under a microscope (the ultrastructural level), damage was observed in critical parts of the sperm, including the:

Acrosome, a cap-like structure that helps the sperm penetrate an egg
Axoneme, the central shaft of the sperm tail
Mitochondrial sheath, which powers the sperm tail’s movement
Outer dense fibers, which are part of the sperm tail

The good news is that melatonin supplementation was able to prevent these problems. Rats given 10 milligrams of melatonin per kilo of bodyweight via subcutaneous administration had increased sperm counts and the proportion of sperms with normal shapes increased. Moreover, the ultrastructural damage to sperm caused by RF exposure was fully reversed. As reported by the authors:

“The percentages of abnormal sperm morphology were significantly increased with RF exposure, while the total sperm count was significantly decreased … The number of total sperms, sperms with normal morphology increased, and ultrastructural appearance returned to normal by melatonin administration.”

Case Study of an 8-Year-Old Boy

In January 2024, Hardell et al. presented a case study13 of an eight-year-old boy experiencing severe headaches and other symptoms while attending a school located near a mobile phone tower equipped with 5G base stations.

The boy’s school is situated 200 meters away from a mobile phone tower with 5G base stations, with his classroom being 285 meters away. Soon after starting school, he began experiencing headaches, which were initially sporadic, not occurring every day or every week.

By autumn 2023, the boy’s headaches intensified, occurring daily and rated as a 10 on a 10-grade scale, where 0 signifies no discomfort and 10 indicates unbearable pain. He also experienced fatigue (rated 5) and occasional dizziness (rated 7), specifically while at school. At home, he occasionally had mild headaches (rated 2) that subsided relatively quickly.

In the autumn of 2023, he started wearing an RF-protective cap and outerwear at school, both indoors and outside, after which the headaches vanished.

This paper also cites epidemiological studies and laboratory research linking RF radiation exposure to cancer through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, mRNA effects and DNA damage, and argues for classifying RF radiation as a Group 1 human carcinogen, noting that “This classification should have a major impact on prevention measures.”

5G Alters Your Microbiome

Lastly, a February 2024 study14 by Wang et al. examined the impact of 5G RFR on the fecal microbiome and metabolome profiles in mice. The results indicated that the mice exposed to RFR experienced significant alterations in their intestinal microbial compositions, characterized by a decrease in microbial diversity and shifts in the microbial community distribution.

Through metabolomics profiling, the researchers identified 258 metabolites that were significantly differentially abundant in the mice exposed to RF fields compared to controls, which suggests it can have a profound impact on metabolic processes.

The authors concluded that exposure to 4.9 GHz RFR can cause intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in mice and hypothesized that the observed imbalances in gut microbiota and metabolism might be linked to depression-like behaviors in mice seen in so many studies. The imbalance in the metabolic profile may also be associated with changes in immune regulation or inflammation.

5G Will Harm Every Living Being

In September 2019, the Minister for Communications, Hon. Paul Fletcher MP asked the Committee to complete an inquiry into the “deployment, adoption, and application of 5G in Australia.”15 In response, Paul Barratt, on behalf of ElectricSense, submitted a document, available as a download from aph.org, stating, in part:

“5G is dangerous and will harm every living being. Thousands of studies link low-level wireless radio frequency radiation exposures to a long list of adverse biological effects, including:

DNA single and double strand breaks
oxidative damage
disruption of cell metabolism
increased blood brain barrier permeability
melatonin reduction
disruption to brain glucose metabolism
generation of stress proteins

Let’s not also forget that in 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) classified radio frequency radiation as a possible 2B carcinogen. More recently the $25 million National Toxicology Program concluded that radio frequency radiation of the type currently used by cell phones can cause cancer.

But where does 5G fit into all this? Given that 5G is set to utilize frequencies above and below existing frequency bands 5G sits in the middle of all this. But the tendency (it varies from country to country) is for 5G to utilize the higher frequency bands. Which brings its own particular concerns.”

Barratt goes on to list “11 reasons to be concerned about 5G radiation,” including:

Denser electrosmog
Skin diseases and pain, as “analyses of penetration depth show that more than 90% of the transmitted power is absorbed in the epidermis and dermis layer”16
Eye damage
Effects on the heart, including impacts on heart rate variability and arrhythmias
Reduced immune function
Depressed cell growth rates and alterations in cell properties and cell activity
Increased risk of antibiotic-resistant pathogens
Necrosis in plants, and the possibility that plant foods may become unsuitable for human consumption
Atmospheric effects and fossil fuel depletion
Ecosystem disruptions
Misleading 5G study results, as most do not pulse the waves. As noted by Barratt, “This is important because research on microwaves already tells us how pulsed waves have more profound biological effects on our body compared to non-pulsed waves. Previous studies, for instance, show how pulse rates of the frequencies led to gene toxicity and DNA strand breaks”

Protect Yourself and Your Family from Excessive EMF

There’s no doubt in my mind that RF-EMF exposure is a significant hazard that needs to be addressed if you’re concerned about your health. The rollout of 5G certainly makes remedial action more difficult, but the added hazards are all the more reason to get involved and do what we can to minimize exposure.

Here are several suggestions that will help reduce your EMF exposure and help mitigate damage from unavoidable exposures. For even more do’s and don’ts, see the infographic by the Environmental Health Trust below.

• Identify major sources of EMF, such as your cellphone, cordless phones, Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth headsets, and other Bluetooth-equipped items, wireless mice, keyboards, smart thermostats, baby monitors, smart meters, and the microwave in your kitchen. Ideally, address each source and determine how you can best limit their use.

Barring a life-threatening emergency, children should not use a cellphone or a wireless device of any type. Children are far more vulnerable to cellphone radiation than adults due to having thinner skull bones.

Research17 also demonstrates that infants under the age of 1 do not effectively learn language from videos, and do not transfer what they learn from the iPad to the real world, so it’s a mistake to think electronic devices provide valuable education.

• Connect your desktop computer to the internet via a wired Ethernet connection and be sure to put your desktop in airplane mode. Also avoid wireless keyboards, trackballs, mice, game systems, printers, and portable house phones. Opt for the wired versions.

• If you need to use Wi-Fi, shut it off when not in use, especially at night when you’re sleeping. Ideally, work toward hardwiring your house so you can eliminate Wi-Fi altogether. If you have a notebook without any Ethernet ports, a USB Ethernet adapter will allow you to connect to the internet with a wired connection.

• Avoid using wireless chargers for your cellphone, as they too will increase EMFs throughout your home. Wireless charging is also far less energy efficient than using a dongle attached to a power plug, as it draws continuous power (and emits EMF) whether you’re using it or not.

• Shut off the electricity to your bedroom at night. This typically works to reduce electrical fields from the wires in your wall unless there is an adjoining room next to your bedroom. If that is the case, you will need to use a meter to determine if you also need to turn off power in the adjacent room.

• Use a battery-powered alarm clock, ideally one without any light.

• If you still use a microwave oven, consider replacing it with a steam convection oven, which will heat your food as quickly and far more safely.

• Avoid using “smart” appliances and thermostats that depend on wireless signaling. This would include all new “smart” TVs. They are called smart because they emit a Wi-Fi signal and, unlike your computer, you cannot shut the Wi-Fi signal off. Consider using a large computer monitor as your TV instead, as they don’t emit Wi-Fi.

• Refuse a smart meter on your home as long as you can, or add a shield to an existing smart meter, some of which have been shown to reduce radiation by 98% to 99%.18

• Consider moving your baby’s bed into your room instead of using a wireless baby monitor. Alternatively, use a hard-wired monitor.

• Replace CFL bulbs with incandescent bulbs. Ideally remove all fluorescent lights from your house. Not only do they emit unhealthy light, but more importantly, they will actually transfer current to your body just being close to the bulbs.

• Avoid carrying your cellphone on your body unless in airplane mode and never sleep with it in your bedroom unless it is in airplane mode. Even in airplane mode it can emit signals, which is why I put my phone in a Faraday bag.19

• When using your cellphone, use the speaker phone and hold the phone at least 3 feet away from you. Seek to radically decrease your time on the cellphone. Instead, use VoIP software phones that you can use while connected to the internet via a wired connection.

• Avoid using your cellphone and other electronic devices at least an hour (preferably several) before bed, as the blue light from the screen and EMFs both inhibit melatonin production.20,21

Research clearly shows that heavy computer and cellphone users are more prone to insomnia.22 For example, one 2008 study23 revealed that people exposed to radiation from their mobile phones for three hours before bedtime had more trouble falling asleep and staying in a deep sleep.

• The effects of EMFs are reduced by calcium-channel blockers, so make sure you’re getting enough magnesium. Most people are deficient in magnesium, which will worsen the impact of EMFs. As previously noted by EMF expert Dr. Martin Pall:

“When you’re deficient in magnesium, you get excessive activity of the VGCCs. You also get excessive calcium influx through the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, caused by magnesium deficiency, which is also problematic, so it’s important to allay that deficiency.”

• Pall has also published a paper24 suggesting that raising your level of Nrf2 helps ameliorate EMF damage. One simple way to activate Nrf2 is to consume Nrf2-boosting food compounds. Examples include sulforaphane-containing cruciferous vegetables, foods high in phenolic antioxidants, carotenoids (especially lycopene), sulfur compounds from allium vegetables, isothiocyanates from the cabbage group, and terpenoid-rich foods.

• Molecular hydrogen has been shown to target free radicals produced in response to radiation, such as peroxynitrites. Studies have shown molecular hydrogen can mitigate about 80% of this damage.25,26,27,28,29

Molecular hydrogen will also activate Nrf2, a biological hormetic that upregulates superoxide dismutase, catalase, and all the other beneficial intercellular antioxidants. This in turn lowers inflammation, improves your mitochondrial function and stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis.

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Is your ability to process large amounts of information falling behind these days? Are your reaction times slowing down? If you think that this is just part of aging, you’re wrong. According to newly published research, it’s possible that you’re just not getting enough resistance exercise.

The solution? Making weightlifting a part of your health routine. Based on the findings of a recent study, even a single session is enough to make your brain sharper than before.

Resistance Exercise Spurs You to Think Faster Immediately

A study published in Psychophysiology investigated how a single session of moderate-intensity resistance exercise affects your ability to think quickly and stay mentally sharp. Participants were 121 healthy adults between 18 and 50 years old who had no neurological disorders or major health concerns that would interfere with exercise or cognition.1

After a supervised workout that used common resistance exercises at moderate intensity, the participants completed two computerized tests — one that measured inhibitory control and another that tested working memory. The researchers tested how one workout could already shift both behavior and brain signaling in ways that strengthen executive function, which includes skills like staying focused, resisting distractions, and switching between tasks.

• The findings were immediate — Reaction times improved after the resistance session, while accuracy stayed the same. In other words, the participants’ brains thought faster without making more mistakes. This shows that even a single session is enough to sharpen your thinking for tasks you do the same day.

If you face busy work schedules, intense study sessions, or complex projects, starting your workout session earlier in the day to aid in mental performance afterward can be a viable strategy.

• A detailed look at the data — The researchers reported that reaction time on the inhibitory control test improved with an effect size (the magnitude of the difference between groups2) of 0.37, which they described as a moderate improvement in processing speed. That means the workout didn’t only make people feel more alert — they responded faster when the task required them to ignore irrelevant information or manage competing cues.

The working-memory task showed an even larger improvement in reaction time, with an effect size of 0.46, reinforcing the idea that resistance exercise supports quicker mental operations across different executive skills.

• The study explored changes in brain activity, focusing on a signal called the P3 component — This is an electrical marker your brain produces when it evaluates and updates information. The authors noted that after resistance exercise, P3 latency significantly decreased during the inhibitory-control task.

A shorter P3 latency means the brain completed its information-processing step quicker. Since this shift appeared only after exercise and not after rest, it highlights a clear connection between the workout and faster neural timing.

• How the body’s physical responses influenced mental changes — The researchers measured systolic blood pressure and blood lactate, which are two biomarkers that naturally rise during resistance exercise. Their analysis showed that systolic blood pressure partially mediated the relationship between the workout and faster reaction times.

In other words, the temporary rise in blood pressure helped explain why people processed information faster. But this isn’t a sign that high blood pressure is good — it means the normal, short-term increase during exercise help push more oxygen-rich blood to the brain, enabling quicker thinking when the task demands it.

• Comparisons between the different physiological measures also revealed interesting findings — While both lactate and systolic blood pressure increased after exercise, only systolic blood pressure explained part of the cognitive improvement.

Lactate rose sharply — as expected after resistance training — but did not mediate any cognitive benefits. However, the researchers noted that it serves another purpose, which is fuel. In fact, they noted that it supports “up to 75% of the brain’s oxidative metabolism, and acting as an additional fuel source.”

• Improvements appeared across all healthy participants tested — However, the authors did emphasize that faster processing happened without any drop in accuracy, which matters because many activities in daily life require both speed and precision.

Even the Youth Gain Cognitive Benefits from Resistance Exercise

According to a meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine, resistance training positively affects thought processes and school performance in children and teenagers. The researchers pooled together 53 intervention studies and an additional 43 association studies, giving the authors a broad view of how strengthening the body influences the developing brain.3

Participants were school-aged youth between 5 and 18 years old from diverse backgrounds, school systems, and fitness levels. The exercise programs evaluated in the meta-analysis ranged from basic bodyweight routines to structured weightlifting sessions performed two to three times per week.

• The children gained cognitive benefits from weightlifting — Across the reviewed studies, resistance training consistently supports improvements in thinking skills, on-task classroom behavior, and general academic outcomes. The authors described the overall effect as “a small, positive effect on the combined outcomes of cognition, academic achievement, and on-task behaviour in school-aged youth.”

• The rate of improvement across academic-related outcomes showed up clearly in focused-strength programs — When resistance training was the primary intervention, the effect size increased to 0.26, meaning these programs promoted sharper thinking and better academic behaviors more than mixed exercise programs.

• The review also distinguished what improved most — The clearest gains surfaced in “on-task behavior” category, which reflects how well students stay engaged during lessons rather than drifting off or being distracted.

Even small boosts in on-task behavior translate into more learning absorbed per class period, smoother classroom flow, and less frustration for both students and teachers.

• Benefits are apparent right away — Many of the reviewed studies lasted only a few weeks, yet the authors already found measurable improvements in cognitive and academic outcomes. This means that short programs can already drastically benefit students within school timeframes, provided that educators can reasonably implement them.

• Some groups of participants appeared to gain more than others — Programs that targeted children with lower baseline muscular fitness produced more pronounced improvements in cognitive outcomes. As such, improving muscular strength for kids with school problems allows them to break through both physical and cognitive barriers at the same time.

• Strength training alone is more than enough to create cognitive benefits — The review also compared variables across studies to determine which exercise components mattered most. The authors found that resistance training alone produced clearer benefits than concurrent training, where strength and aerobic exercise were combined.

• The hypothesis stands up even when the research parameters were widened — The researchers also included 43 association studies, which showed that young people with higher muscular fitness scores have better cognitive performance and higher academic achievement overall.

While these studies cannot confirm cause and effect, the pattern was strong enough to support a clear link between stronger bodies and sharper minds.

• The theory behind the benefits — The review did not include an analysis of biological mechanisms, but the researchers did outline a hypothesis. Based on the reviewed literature, resistance training facilitates neurogenesis, resulting in improved executive function.4

Strength Training Tips for Beginners

It’s tempting to go all-out so you can gain the cognitive benefits of resistance training right away. However, this is a mistake that many beginners make, as more isn’t always better, especially when it comes to exercising. In fact, overdoing it actually shortens your lifespan.

• Optimal longevity returns top out at about 40 to 60 minutes of lifting per week — In my interview with Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist with the Mid-America Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, he showed me his research5 that pushing yourself too hard in the gym can actually work against you, especially when high-intensity training becomes excessive.

O’Keefe’s data reveals a J-shaped relationship between weekly strength training and overall mortality — benefits rise up to roughly 40 to 60 minutes per week, then level off, and eventually start to decline.

• Why excess training shortens your lifespan — Long sessions of strenuous weightlifting put the body under continuous strain. Over time, this contributes to problems like heart stress, overuse injuries, and a greater likelihood of joint or muscle damage. Overtraining also hampers your ability to recover, leading to persistent fatigue, lower performance, and a weakened immune system.

• More than two hours a week cancels out the gains — Strength training for a total of 130 to 140 minutes of each week erases the longevity edge that exercise is supposed to offer. In other words, if you spend three to four hours lifting weekly, your long-term survival outcomes look no better compared to people who do not lift at all.

• Too much lifting may be worse than doing nothing — While vigorous activity is generally healthier than total inactivity, excessive strength training is an exception. For reasons still not fully understood, going overboard with heavy, high-intensity workouts can leave you in a worse position than staying sedentary.

• Stick to 20 minutes twice weekly and don’t overfocus on lifting — The training takeaway here is simple. Keep strength sessions short and spaced out. Aim for about 20 minutes two times per week on nonconsecutive days, or a single 40-minute session. Think of strength work as a supplement to your routine, not its foundation. Moderate activities like walking deliver far broader longevity benefits.

• Even brief weekly sessions support healthy aging — If you’re having a hard time finding a consistent schedule, even lifting weights weekly is enough to boost your health. This modest level of training is consistent with research6 from Brigham Young University, showing that small weekly doses — as little as 10 to 50 minutes — can positively influence telomere length. In other words, just a little, regular strength work can help slow biological aging without exposing you to the risks of overtraining.

To learn more about the benefits of weight training for older adults and how to incorporate it into your workout routine, read “Strength Training Turns Back the Clock on Your Biological Age.”

Experiment by Incorporating Blood Flow Restriction Training

Resistance exercise already does a great deal for your overall health, and you can amplify its effects further with one simple tweak — wrapping bands around your limbs as you work out. This approach, called blood flow restriction (BFR) training — or KAATSU in Japan — involves partially limiting circulation to the arms or legs during exercise.

• How KAATSU works — Cyclical restriction of blood flow during resistance exercise stimulates the release of anti-inflammatory myokines that promote muscle growth. This is especially valuable for older adults who want to maintain strength without lifting heavy weights. Steven Munatones, a leading figure in the KAATSU community, describes the mechanism this way:

“KAATSU cycle is basically a very clever biohack that will allow the muscles to work and allow the vascular tissue to become more elastic. You don’t perceive the pain of heavy lifting, but your vascular tissue and muscle fibers are being worked out just as effectively, and you can do it for a longer period of time.”

• Your bone mineral density also improves — Research published in Frontiers in Physiology7 found that participants who practiced BFR training three times per week over six weeks experienced improvements in bone formation markers, even while using low-intensity movements. “BFR resistance training was effective for stimulating acute bone formation marker and hormone responses,” they emphasized.

Another study8 mirrored these findings, which involved a group of inactive adolescent girls. Results showed that low-intensity BFR produced benefits comparable to high-intensity routines. Notably, it reduced levels of C-terminal telopeptide (CTX), a biomarker linked with bone breakdown.

• KAATSU can also fit into your daily routine — If you’re struggling to set time aside for regular workouts, you can use KAATSU wherever you go. Munatones notes that you can wear the bands while doing simple, daily activities:

“Putting the KAATSU bands on your legs and walking down to the beach, walking your dog or just walking around the neighborhood, standing, cleaning your windows of your house, folding your clothes, banging out emails, all of these things can be done with the KAATSU bands on your arms or legs. You’re getting the benefit of exercise.”

To learn more, check out my previous article, “How to Stay Fit for Life,” in which I review the science behind KAATSU and explain in greater detail how to use it.

The main difference between KAATSU and BFR is the tool you’re using. BFR can be done with restriction bands, but KAATSU uses a device that also provides intermittent and not just constant pressure. The KAATSU set is ideal as it is far easier to dial in to the correct pressures. You also get the benefit of intermittent pressure automatically, without having to adjust the bands yourself.

I recommend the C4 model, because the C-series doesn’t have Bluetooth (which emits harmful electromagnetic fields). For a limited time, you can get 10% off any KAATSU equipment by using the promo code DRM.

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A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way

Our team has been working behind the scenes to prepare new research and practical health
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I’m currently in the process of publishing a scientific paper and writing a book that takes a deep dive into liver health, including the overlooked root causes of liver dysfunction and what you can do to reverse them.

The fact is, liver disease has become one of the most overlooked public health threats of our time, quietly damaging the organs of millions of people who feel perfectly fine. You could be living with significant liver scarring and have no idea — until symptoms finally emerge, and by then, it’s often too late to reverse course. The real danger isn’t liver fat itself.

It’s the silent buildup of fibrosis — scar tissue that forms when your liver is repeatedly injured and doesn’t have a chance to heal properly. That scarring is what sets the stage for cirrhosis, organ failure, and cancer. This form of liver disease is fueled by common, everyday problems like insulin resistance, excess belly fat, and poor mitochondrial function.

New data published in medical journals show just how common advanced liver damage has become, especially in people over 50.1 What’s more concerning is that conventional lab tests won’t pick it up. You can have “normal” liver enzyme levels and still be progressing toward irreversible fibrosis. And if you have Type 2 diabetes, the risk is exponentially higher.

But you’re not powerless here. Researchers are sounding the alarm and pushing for new, noninvasive screening tools that catch this condition early. Plus, there are lifestyle changes to reverse the trajectory before your liver crosses the point of no return.

Most People at Risk for Liver Failure Are Never Told They Have It
A paper published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe outlined a major gap in liver disease care: most people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis — what the researchers call “at-risk MASH” — don’t know they have it until it’s too late.2
The researchers called for doubling diagnosis rates by 2027, warning that without early detection, millions could progress to irreversible cirrhosis or liver cancer. They focused on expanding diagnostics beyond liver specialists and shifting testing into primary care, where the highest-risk patients are already being seen regularly.

• Older adults with diabetes or obesity are most affected — The study highlighted that MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis is particularly common in people over age 50 and those living with Type 2 diabetes or obesity.

In these groups, the disease often advances without noticeable symptoms, leading to missed opportunities for prevention. By the time these individuals receive a diagnosis — often triggered by unrelated imaging or advanced symptoms — the window for full recovery has usually closed.

• Current diagnostic systems are outdated and missing early-stage disease — Right now, liver disease is often diagnosed using liver enzymes like alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), but the cutoffs are too high and outdated.

According to the paper, many labs still use upper limits that miss early fibrosis. The researchers suggested lowering the thresholds to align with more modern standards of ALT greater than 33 IU/L for men and greater than 25 IU/L for women.

However, in my interview with Dr. Bryan Walsh, a naturopathic physician extensively trained in molecular biological pathways and an associate professor at the University of Western States, he explains that the medical literature “very clearly show that, a) men and women should have a different AST and ALT reference range, and b), [the ideal range] is not much above 20 U/L.”

• Primary care providers are missing clear opportunities to screen — People with cardiometabolic diseases, including prediabetes, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes, typically have frequent doctor visits, which represent missed chances to test for liver fibrosis. The paper recommends using these visits to incorporate routine screening tools into electronic health records. The goal is to make liver checks as common as blood pressure, cholesterol, or A1C testing.

Liver Scarring, Not Fat, Is What Puts You at Risk

While fat in the liver (steatosis) has been the main diagnostic target for decades, The Lancet Regional Health Europe paper emphasized that fibrosis stage — not fat content — is the main predictor of death or progression to cancer.3 Moderate fibrosis marks the point at which your liver begins losing function. Once fibrosis reaches more advanced stages or cirrhosis, the damage is harder — sometimes impossible — to reverse.

• Fibrosis silently progresses due to chronic metabolic dysfunction — The researchers explained that chronic inflammation caused by insulin resistance, toxic fat buildup, and oxidative stress leads to scar tissue forming in the liver. Over time, this scarring disrupts blood flow, stiffens tissue, and triggers a cascade of dysfunction that affects your entire body, from your metabolism to your immune system.

• The earlier fibrosis is found, the more reversible it is — Fibrosis at the minimal scarring stage can often be reversed through diet, lifestyle, and targeted therapies if caught in time. But once fibrosis progresses beyond this point, reversing the damage becomes far more difficult, even with aggressive treatment. Early detection isn’t just helpful — it’s necessary for meaningful recovery.

How Words Affect Whether People Seek Liver Care

An analysis published in Nature Medicine examined how stigma, especially surrounding alcohol use, prevents people from seeking timely diagnosis and treatment for liver disease.4 The authors argued that outdated language, including clinical labels like “alcoholic cirrhosis,” is not only inaccurate but actively harmful. They proposed new person-first terminology that emphasizes health status over blame, with the goal of improving care access and patient engagement.

• Patients delay or avoid care because of shame tied to the disease label — Researchers found that patients with liver conditions often experience guilt, internalized shame, and discrimination from health care providers and insurers, especially when their disease is linked to alcohol. Even people with metabolic liver conditions like MASH, who don’t drink heavily or at all, often fear judgment and delay seeking help. This contributes to late-stage diagnoses and reduced survival.

• Language influences medical bias, policy, and treatment decisions — The paper showed that stigmatizing language has real consequences in care delivery. People with liver disease often receive worse care, are deprioritized for transplants, and face lower-quality pain management simply due to the perceived behavioral causes of their illness. This bias also extends into health care funding and policy, reinforcing a cycle of neglect.

• Reframing liver disease in human terms helps improve outcomes — Instead of labels like “alcoholic” or “fatty liver,” the authors recommend phrases like “person with steatotic liver disease” or “individual managing MASH.” These terms reduce identity-based judgment and shift the focus toward solutions and support. Just as cancer and mental health advocacy have benefited from reframing language, liver care should follow the same path.

• The researchers called for broad changes in global disease classification systems — According to the paper, global coding systems like the International Classification of Diseases still use outdated and stigmatizing terms, reinforcing harm at every level of care. By updating these systems to reflect person-first, nonjudgmental language, health care providers could help increase early screening, reduce treatment delays, and improve survival rates.

Most People with Liver Damage Don’t Know Until It’s Advanced

A 2023 narrative review published in Cureus similarly focused on the silent progression of chronic liver disease and the urgent need for earlier screening, especially in people with metabolic risk factors.5 The paper highlighted how the liver sustains ongoing damage for years without causing symptoms, making early intervention difficult. As a result, many people only get diagnosed when they develop cirrhosis or complications like fluid retention, confusion, or internal bleeding.

• Patients typically remain undiagnosed until severe symptoms appear — Researchers noted that early signs, like fatigue, mild abdominal discomfort, or bloating, are either too vague or too easily dismissed, both by patients and providers. This is especially dangerous for people with underlying metabolic conditions, such as insulin resistance or obesity, who are already at higher risk.

• Common liver disease triggers were categorized into four main types — The review grouped liver disease into four overlapping causes: alcohol use, hepatitis viruses, fatty liver related to metabolic dysfunction, and autoimmune or genetic disorders. In real life, many of these overlap. A person might have mild alcohol intake and also be overweight or diabetic, which accelerates progression. This complexity is part of why the disease goes undetected — it doesn’t follow one clear path or profile.

• Researchers identified the biggest diagnostic blind spots in clinical care — Despite known risk factors, physicians rarely screen for liver fibrosis unless liver enzymes are elevated or symptoms appear. But, as mentioned, liver enzyme tests are often normal in the early stages, so fibrosis silently continues. The review emphasized that relying on enzymes alone is a flawed approach. Noninvasive imaging and biomarker tests are far better tools for early-stage detection.

• Cutting-edge diagnostics are emerging, but underused — The paper introduced newer testing methods gaining ground in research and clinical practice, including elastography — a type of ultrasound that measures liver stiffness — microRNA markers, and polygenic risk scores. These tools catch liver damage before symptoms arise, especially in people with metabolic dysfunction. However, access and awareness remain low, particularly outside specialist settings.

People with Diabetes Are at the Center of the Liver Disease Epidemic

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), about 7 out of 10 people with Type 2 diabetes have some degree of fat buildup in their liver.6 Even more concerning, nearly 1 in 5 already have hidden scarring, which often leads to cirrhosis if left untreated.

• Doctors are being urged to start checking liver health like they check blood sugar — The ADA recommends a simple two-step screening process that starts with a blood test called the fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4). If that’s high, it should be followed by a scan that checks how stiff your liver is. This reveals early signs of liver damage before symptoms ever show up.

• Liver disease in diabetes affects your whole body, not just your liver — When liver damage progresses, it raises your risk for heart disease, kidney problems, cancer, and even early death. People with both diabetes and liver disease are even more likely to die early compared to those without either condition.

• Catching liver issues early gives you the best shot at recovery — The good news is that liver scarring is often reversible — if you catch it in time. Simple lifestyle shifts, like cutting out harmful oils, losing belly fat, and improving your diet, can go a long way toward stopping the damage before it turns into something more serious.7

How to Stop Liver Disease Before It Starts

If you’ve been told your liver enzymes are “a little high,” if you’re dealing with Type 2 diabetes or stubborn belly fat, or if you’re over 50 and have never had your liver checked — now’s the time. The earlier you act, the better your odds of reversing liver scarring and preventing cirrhosis or cancer down the road. Liver disease doesn’t show up on your radar until it’s advanced, but the damage begins years earlier. I want you to be ahead of it. Here’s how:

1. Cut out vegetable oils and alcohol immediately — If you’re eating packaged foods made with soybean oil, canola, corn oil, or anything that says “vegetable oil,” your liver is under attack. These oils are high in linoleic acid (LA), a mitochondrial poison that disrupts cellular energy, promotes fat accumulation in your liver and drives inflammation. Toss out the junk and cook with butter, tallow, ghee, or coconut oil instead.

Cutting back on alcohol is just as important as eliminating vegetable oils. Both alcohol and polyunsaturated fats like LA overwhelm your liver in similar ways. When your body metabolizes vegetable oils, they turn into toxic byproducts called oxidized linoleic acid metabolites, or OXLAMs. These are a type of reactive aldehyde — unstable, highly damaging molecules that disrupt cell membranes and set off chronic inflammation.

Alcohol does something very similar. It’s broken down into acetaldehyde, another reactive aldehyde that harms your mitochondria and accelerates aging at the cellular level. Both types of aldehydes interfere with your liver’s ability to detoxify, regenerate, and store energy. If you already have signs of insulin resistance, belly fat, or elevated liver enzymes, avoiding both vegetable oils and alcohol gives your body the best chance to reverse the damage before it becomes permanent.

2. Add choline-rich foods to help your liver move fat out before it causes damage — Choline is essential for clearing fat from your liver. Without enough of it, fat starts to pile up in your liver cells, eventually leading to inflammation and scarring. Think of choline as the nutrient that keeps your liver’s traffic flowing — without it, everything gets backed up.

The best food source is pastured egg yolks, but be sure to look for low-PUFA eggs. Grass fed beef liver is another option that delivers a highly absorbable form of choline. Choline isn’t optional — it’s required for making phosphatidylcholine, a molecule your liver needs to package and export fats. Without it, those fats get stuck, and that’s when the damage begins.

3. Consider a choline supplement if your diet falls short — If you avoid animal products, getting enough choline becomes a real challenge. Plant-based sources like cruciferous vegetables offer only small amounts, and you’d need to eat unrealistic quantities to meet your needs. In that case, a supplement isn’t just helpful — it’s often necessary to avoid deficiency.

One underrated option is citicoline, a form of choline that’s been largely overlooked because most products use doses that are far too low to have a real effect. But at therapeutic levels — between 500 milligrams (mg) and 2,500 mg per day — citicoline supports your liver’s ability to export fats, while also helping your brain make acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter. If you’re dealing with liver stress, insulin resistance, or brain fog, this is a smart addition to your routine.

4. Move every day and keep your waist in check — I’m not talking about running marathons. Just take a brisk walk after meals, stretch, and do a bodyweight circuit a few times a week. The goal is to keep insulin low and blood flowing through your liver. If your waist is over 40 inches (men) or 35 inches (women), focus on trimming visceral fat — it’s the type that’s directly tied to liver scarring.

FAQs About Liver Disease

Q: What makes liver fibrosis more dangerous than liver fat?

A: Liver fat is often reversible, but fibrosis — scarring caused by repeated liver injury — is what drives disease progression. It disrupts liver function, impairs detoxification, and raises your risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer. Fibrosis, not fat, is the key predictor of poor outcomes.

Q: Why do so many people with liver disease go undiagnosed?

A: Liver disease typically causes no symptoms until it’s advanced. Standard blood tests, like ALT and AST, often miss early fibrosis because the cutoff values are outdated. Many people have “normal” labs despite having significant liver scarring. New research calls for noninvasive tests and earlier screening, especially in those over 50 or with Type 2 diabetes.

Q: How are vegetable oils and alcohol connected to liver damage?

A: Both vegetable oils (high in LA) and alcohol create toxic byproducts called reactive aldehydes when metabolized — OXLAMs from vegetable oils and acetaldehyde from alcohol. These compounds damage mitochondria, disrupt detox pathways, and accelerate liver scarring. Eliminating both is key to recovery.

Q: What nutrients help my liver clear out fat?

A: Choline is essential. It helps your liver package and export fat so it doesn’t get trapped and cause inflammation. Pastured, low-PUFA egg yolks and grass fed liver are rich sources. If you’re not eating these foods, citicoline supplements (500 mg to 2,500 mg daily) help restore choline levels and support both liver and brain health.

Q: What’s the best way to start reversing liver scarring?

A: Begin by cutting out vegetable oils and alcohol completely. Add choline-rich foods like pastured egg yolks or supplements, move your body daily to reduce insulin resistance, and trim belly fat. These steps reduce the metabolic stress that drives liver scarring and give your liver the space it needs to heal.

Obesity continues to be a problem in America. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 73.6% of adults 20 years and older are overweight and obese.1 This staggering number is putting serious strain on the economy, leading to a whopping $1.4 trillion in annual health expenses.2 Having excess body fat causes an assortment of health complications to arise, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, and Type 2 diabetes.3

While these complications have been extensively studied within the context of obesity, they are metabolic in nature. Another part that’s rarely discussed is the impact of obesity on infectious disease — complications caused by microbes. Now, a study published in The Lancet attempts to answer this mystery.

Obesity Drives a Measurable Rise in Severe Infection Risk

The researchers explored how obesity affects your risk of mortality. The rationale for following this line of research was because the metabolic effects of obesity have already been extensively covered, but much less is known about its impact across different types of infectious diseases.4

For the analysis, the researchers selected 67,766 adults from two Finnish cohort studies and 479,498 adults from the United Kingdom (U.K.) Biobank. The participants’ body mass index (BMI) was tracked at baseline — 1998 to 2002 for the Finnish population and 2006 to 2010 for the U.K. population. Infection-related mortality risk due to obesity was analyzed until 2018, 2021, and 2023 — before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Mortality risk steadily climbed as BMI increased — People in the highest obesity class had a 2.75 times higher risk for severe nonfatal infections in the Finnish cohorts and 3.07 in the U.K. Biobank, meaning triple the risk compared to adults at a healthy weight.

For fatal infections, the danger was even higher. The risk reached 3.06 times in Finland and 3.54 times in the U.K., underscoring the magnitude of this problem.

• About 1 in 10 deaths from infectious disease are caused by obesity — After modeling the global impact, the researchers reported that 8.6% of all infection-related deaths in 2018 were attributable to obesity, rising to 15.0% during 2021 and settling at 10.8% (0.6 million out of 5.4 million) in 2023 as global conditions shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another striking detail lies in how consistent the findings were across measurement methods. When the researchers evaluated obesity using waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage, the risk remained almost identical — 1.7 times for severe infection across metrics. In short, excess fat, no matter how it’s measured, puts your health at risk.

• Infection severity was closely linked to obesity — The analyses included long follow-up periods, and captured infection events before, during, and after the COVID pandemic. Across all eras, the pattern held. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic entered the picture, the underlying risk landscape hardly budged.

Some groups experienced even steeper risk elevations than others. While the study reports strong effects across nearly everyone with obesity, individuals with class III obesity faced the largest surge in both hospitalizations and deaths.

• For context, obesity is currently broken down into three classes — Class I is a BMI of 30 to 34.9, and class II is a BMI of 35.0 to 39.9. Lastly, class III refers to a BMI of 40 or higher.5 Moving from overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9) to class I obesity created a measurable rise in risk. However, advancing to class II and class III amplified the danger sharply.

• Excess fat tissue upsets metabolic health by keeping your body in a constant low-grade inflammatory state — As a result, immune function is also affected. According to the researchers, these include “[r]educed T-cell and NK-cell function, neutrophil dysfunction, dysregulated complement and adiponectin signalling, and diminished mucus clearance and lymphatic flow.”

A Deeper Look at How Obesity Affects Your Risk for Infectious Disease

In the previous study, researchers analyzed the risk that obesity poses to your health when it comes to infectious disease. Now, it’s time to look at the biological mechanisms involved. In another study published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers outlined different ways excess body fat reshapes your immune function and becomes vulnerable to infections.6

• Higher body fat percentage equals higher infectious disease risk — The study reported the same pattern seen in The Lancet study — infections did not just simply occur more often in individuals with obesity; they progressed more aggressively.

According to the authors, “obesity has substantial effects on the immune system,” meaning the body’s internal security system struggles to respond effectively once pathogens enter when excess body fat gets in the way. The image below provides a summary of their theories:

Source: International Journal of Obesity volume 46, pages 449 to 465 (2022)

• Excess adipose tissues (body fat) behave like an active endocrine organ — They release inflammatory hormones and chemical signals that disrupt communication between immune cells. In plain terms, the immune system loses coordination. When you live with this imbalance, you face a slower response to viruses and bacteria, which allows these microbes to multiply more easily.

• Obesity alters the architecture and function of the respiratory system — The authors explained that excess fat around the chest wall reduces lung expansion and lowers lung volumes, creating a mechanical disadvantage when the body tries to clear mucus or maintain airflow during an infection.

If you’ve ever felt out of breath walking up a short flight of stairs, this is the same limitation playing out at a microscopic level during a bout of respiratory illness. Bacteria and viruses take advantage of that reduced airflow, settling deeper into lung tissues.

• Inflammation persists for years in many obese individuals — Over time, this constant inflammatory pressure exhausts their immune cells. The review highlights that macrophages — the immune cells responsible for engulfing and clearing pathogens — switch into a less effective mode of activity under the influence of obesity-related inflammation. Instead of clearing invaders quickly, macrophages operate sluggishly, which prolongs infections and increases tissue damage.

• Respiratory infections often worsen the fastest, but skin issues aren’t far behind — Altered circulation reduces the body’s ability to deliver immune cells to the site of injury. However, changes in the skin also slow down wound-healing, allowing bacteria to enter your system faster.

• Excess skin due to obesity increases risk for topical infections — As body fat begins to increase, the skin compensates accordingly and causes more skin folds. The researchers noted that these are factors that increase the risk of fungal and bacterial skin infections.

• Obese individuals usually have existing nutrient deficiencies, which worsen the problem further — For example, vitamin D deficiency is far more common in adults with obesity. This nutrient plays an important role in immune function, especially in controlling inflammation in the respiratory tract.

• Adipose tissue in obesity recruits immune cells into fat stores, diverting them from circulation — This means that your body’s main protectors are pulled away from where infections unfold. As a result, when a pathogen enters through the lungs, skin, or gut, fewer active immune cells are available to meet the threat. Your body ends up fighting with a depleted army:7

“In obesity, visceral adipose tissue produces an excess of cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-6 and 1β that could weaken the response of immune cells during an infectious stimulus,” the researchers explained.

“In addition, in a state of excess weight, a condition of hyperleptinemia is observed that can contribute to immune imbalance.”

How to Restore Your Healthy Metabolism and Stop Fat Storage

As noted in the findings, excess body fat won’t do your health any good, and the best time to start getting rid of it is today. If you’ve been having difficulty losing weight despite your best efforts — be it exercising or modifying your diet — the problem is in your cellular energy function.

When your cells are saturated with polyunsaturated fats (PUFs) like linoleic acid (LA), your body lowers its metabolic rate, shifting into storing fat instead of burning it. Thus, the foundational step isn’t running countless miles because you can’t outrun a bad diet. The answer lies in fixing how your body burns fuel through corrective action by way of eating properly.

1. Remove vegetable oils from your diet — Every time you eat ultraprocessed foods or food cooked in soybean, canola, corn, safflower, or sunflower oil, you push more LA into your tissues, slowing down your cellular energy production and nudging your body toward metabolic hibernation.

Once you reduce and eliminate these unhealthy oils from your diet, your cells stop fighting the inflammatory load and start burning fuel with far less strain. As this shift settles in, you feel more stable because your mitochondria burn energy cleanly.

I recommend keeping your LA intake under 3 grams a day. This amount aligns with the intake that our ancestors had before the rise of industrially made vegetable oils. To help you with accurate monitoring, sign up for the Mercola Health Coach app once it becomes available. It will contain a feature called a Seed Oil Sleuth, which will compile your daily LA intake to a tenth of a gram.

2. Choose stable fats to keep energy steady — Continuing the point above, when you trade out seed oils for healthier saturated fats like grass fed butter, coconut oil, ghee, and beef tallow, you give your metabolism a major advantage. These fats burn cleanly, support oxygen use, and help your cells stay switched on instead of drifting into storage mode. It’s the difference between running your engine on premium fuel versus watered-down gasoline.

3. Choose healthy carbs to maintain metabolic flexibility — Don’t be tempted to cut out carbs in an effort to lose weight because this forces your body into a low-oxygen, low-energy environment. When chosen carefully, carbs, especially healthy ones, protect your metabolism. That means choosing whole fruits, white rice, and root vegetables — foods that help promote proper cellular energy. Don’t choose refined and ultraprocessed carb sources.

4. Dial down stress — Feeling tense, overstimulated, or wired, especially at night, usually means that your cortisol and estrogen are running too high, pushing your system toward fat storage and suppress healthy energy production.

To lower your stress levels, remember to get daily sunlight and restful sleep, and minimize back on alcohol (or remove it entirely). As those stress signals drop, your metabolism burns energy better instead of hoarding it.

5. Teach your body to switch metabolic fuels through exercise — Staying inactive teaches your mitochondria to conserve rather than produce. Doing gentle strength training, daily walking, and light resistance exercise can wake them back up.

Movement tells your cells how to use both fat and carbs for energy, instead of locking into one inefficient mode. You don’t need extreme exercise — you only need consistent motion that challenges your muscles and keeps energy flowing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Obesity-Related Infectious Disease Mortality

Q: How does obesity increase the risk of infectious disease?
A: Obesity creates chronic inflammation that impairs T-cells, NK-cells, and macrophages. Excess fat diverts immune cells into fat stores, while insulin resistance raises blood sugar, helping microbes spread.

Q: How much does obesity raise the risk of severe or fatal infections?
A: Research shows that people in the highest obesity class face up to 3.54 times the risk of fatal infections. Globally, about 1 in 10 infectious disease deaths are attributable to obesity.

Q: Why are respiratory infections especially dangerous for people with obesity?
A: Excess chest fat restricts lung expansion and airflow, making it harder to clear mucus. This allows bacteria and viruses to settle deeper into lung tissue and progress more aggressively.

Q: Does the type of obesity measurement matter when assessing infection risk?
A: No. Whether using BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, or body fat percentage, infection risk remained nearly identical — about 1.7 times higher across all metrics.

Q: What steps can reduce infection risk related to obesity?
A: Eliminating vegetable oils high in linoleic acid (LA), choosing stable fats and healthy carbohydrates, managing stress, and incorporating consistent gentle exercise to restore metabolic function all work together to help reduce excess body fat and protect your health.

A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way

IMPORTANT

A New Series of Health Insights Is on the Way

Our team has been working behind the scenes to prepare new research and practical health
strategies for our readers. While we finish preparing what’s coming next, we invite you to
explore one of the most-read articles from our library below. See exactly what’s changing →

When it comes to vitamins, well-known examples that immediately come to mind include vitamins C and D. While these are certainly important, I believe that other vitamins also deserve their own spotlight, such as vitamin K2.

In this episode of the Wellness by Designs podcast, nutritionist Brad McEwen, Ph.D., explains the role of vitamin K2 in your body, and what happens when you don’t get enough of this nutrient.

How Vascular Calcification Occurs When You’re Deficient in Vitamin K2

One of the most significant benefits of vitamin K2 is its ability to support cardiovascular health. When calcium builds up in your arteries, it leads to stiffening and blockages.

• The importance of vitamin K2 for optimal cardiovascular health — Research shows that it activates biological processes that direct calcium away from your arteries and into your bones and other essential organs, but a deficiency can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

McEwen explains further,1 “One of the areas we’ve been looking at is a deficiency of vitamin K2 has been linked to vascular calcification. Not just coronary, but just overall calcification. And if you think of it this way, you got different mineral deposition, particularly calcium, of course, coming from the calcium hydroxyapatite — and we always say from the bones because that’s the main storage site into the vascular system and then going into the vascular wall because it gets trapped.”

• Blockage occurs due to the molecular weight of calcium — McEwen theorizes that the heaviness of calcium contributes to its propensity to cause arterial blockages.

“So, it’s like a big centrifugal force going through the arteries and then it just gets trapped because it’s, I don’t know, heavier? It’s like a big metal going through and then it embeds and over time, as you know, we talk about foam cells, atherosclerosis, etc., and it starts that calcium, you know, process,” he says.

From there, McEwen describes where the calcium actually embeds in your cardiovascular system, increasing your risk for clots that eventually block blood flow:2

“The biochemistry all combines together leading to this complex which, then, sat in the arteries and it can sit in the basement membrane of the artery. It can be on the inner or outer side of that membrane, leading to an inflammatory process and oxidative process, leading to like a firestorm in there.

The body tries to heal it, you know, by laying down fibrin and different connective tissue to protect it — putting a Band-Aid down, I suppose. And then that’s when you get your atherosclerosis, your plaque formation and then your eventual clot in that area.”

Heavy Metals Increase the Risk of Vascular Calcification Further

It’s not just a lack of vitamin K2 that increases your risk for vascular calcification. Even the very environment you live in influences your risk. McEwen recounts a case study related to this observation, wherein he saw a patient whose previous physicians couldn’t figure out what was happening with her despite trying out “every test under the sun.”3

• Heavy metals embed into your tissues — McEwen discovered that it was due to the presence of heavy metals in her childhood neighborhood, which embedded into her tissues. When she moved out of the area, the heavy metals circulated throughout her system, causing bone pain and increasing cardiovascular risk.

• Nutritional deficiencies contribute to vascular calcification via heavy metal exposure — According to McEwen, bone-related nutrient deficiencies do not direct calcium to where it’s needed the most.

“What I found out was due to her childhood, there was different heavy metals in the area, and that’s what deposited into the tissue. And when she moved around, that tissue left — because she didn’t have enough vitamin D, vitamin K, etc. — and then left the bone, so she had bone pain, and then embedded into her vascular system leading to cardiovascular link,” he says.4

Research Surrounding the Benefits of Vitamin K2

The benefits of vitamin K2 regarding cardiovascular health have been well-studied for many years now.

• Vitamin K2 makes your arteries more elastic — McEwen cited a study that involved 244 healthy postmenopausal women. Split into two groups, the test group (120 participants) took 180 micrograms of vitamin K2, and the control group (124 participants) took a placebo for a total of three years. After the study was completed, McEwen noted that the test group had improved arterial flexibility.5

• Increased vitamin K2 consumption helps improve other metabolic health markers — In another study, researchers followed 36,629 participants for 12 years and monitored their vitamin K2 intake. They found that those with a higher intake of vitamin K2 had a 29% lower risk of developing peripheral artery disease. Other improvements were noticed as well, including a 44% reduction in Type 2 diabetes risk, and a 41% reduction in high blood pressure.6

• The benefits of vitamin K2 on mitochondrial function — A study published in Open Heart journal showed that people with higher levels of K2 in their diet tend to have lower levels of arterial calcification and a reduced risk of heart disease.

Higher K2 levels also had a positive impact on mitochondrial health, particularly for cardiac muscles. “The role of vitamin K2 in mitochondrial function is mediated by its production of mitochondrial ATP, which has direct implications for contractile muscles (i.e., cardiac) that are comprised of abundant mitochondria.

Intake of vitamin K2 has been associated with increased cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate and decreased blood lactate. These effects are consistent with the greater maximal cardiovascular performance seen with oral vitamin K2 supplementation, according to the researchers.”7

How Vitamin K2 Helps Strengthen Your Bones

Vitamin K2 is also essential for maintaining strong and healthy bones. Your bones are constantly breaking down and rebuilding, a process that relies on proper calcium distribution.

• Vitamin K2 activates bone-forming proteins — Research shows vitamin K2 helps promote osteocalcin, which is a protein that binds calcium to your bone matrix. Without enough vitamin K2, your bones will not be as strong as they should be, increasing your risk of fractures and osteoporosis.8

• Osteocalcin serves as the calcium guide — McEwen notes that osteocalcin, a vitamin K-dependent protein, helps promote stronger bones by transporting calcium to where it actually needs to go — your skeleton. Your body needs a constant influx of this all the time because it is always building itself up and removing old, damaged bone cells.9

The Sweet Spot Dosage of Vitamin K2

If you’re considering adding vitamin K2 to your diet, it’s important to get the right amount.

• Vitamin K2 requirements vary for different age groups — According to McEwen, much of the research he has studied had dosages between 90 and 180 micrograms per day, which he believes is the optimal for most adults.10 Youngsters and teenagers (10 to 18 years old) need around 90 micrograms, while children below the age of 10 need 45 micrograms.11

While some studies have explored higher doses, the standard recommendation is based on what has been shown to be effective without unnecessary excess.

• Find the ideal range based on your health needs — While McEwen recommends different ranges, he clarifies further by saying that the dosage will vary from person to person.

McEwen also mentioned another important precaution — taking excessively high doses of vitamin K2 won’t be good for your health because your body won’t be able to use it all:12

“One thing I always want to say when we do podcasts, and everything is it’s always the person in front of you. ‘What is the best dose for that person?’ And if they need 500 IUs of vitamin D and 90 micrograms of vitamin K2 from your determination, that’s the dosage that they need.

If they need a higher dose of, you know, 1,000 IUs of vitamin D3 and 180 micrograms of K2, that’s the dose regimen … [G]oing hard and fast is not always the best way to do it because, to me, it’s trying to push too much through all the time.

We get excited, some studies are very, very high dose and they seem to have the negative impact because, I believe, the regulatory pathways are not able to function effectively to make sure we get the best out of what it is.”

From McEwen’s statement above, you’re thinking, “What does vitamin D have to do with this entire process?” Well, vitamin D has been shown to play a role in calcium absorption. If you’re deficient in this important nutrient, your risk for rickets, a disease marked by skeletal deformities, increases.13 With enough vitamin D and vitamin K2, the calcium you get from your diet will go to the right organs.

Strategies to Ensure Your Body Gets Enough Vitamin K2

Based on McEwen’s findings, it’s clear that vitamin K2 has an important role in your body as it influences a wide range of functions, such as cardiovascular and skeletal health. The good news is that boosting your vitamin K2 levels is inexpensive and practical to implement. Here are my recommendations:

1. Add more K2-rich foods into your diet — The best way to get more vitamin K2 is through your diet, and they’re found in many foods. Nutritious choices include fermented foods like natto, aged cheeses (especially gouda and brie), egg yolks, and grass fed dairy products. Beef ideally organic and grass fed, also contains vitamin K2.14

2. Support your gut health for better vitamin K2 production — Your gut bacteria actually produce some of the vitamin K2 your body uses, but they need the right environment to thrive. If your digestion isn’t working well, or if you’ve been on antibiotics recently, you might not be making enough K2 on your own.

To support your gut, eat more fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir, which provide the right bacteria to help your gut naturally produce K2. Also, make sure you’re eating plenty of fiber from vegetables and whole fruits to nourish the gut bacteria already active in your gut.

3. Pair K2 with vitamin D — As noted by McEwen, vitamin K2 and vitamin D work together to control the flow of calcium in your body — vitamin D helps boost absorption, while K2 makes sure it goes to the right places.

If you’re taking a vitamin D supplement but not getting enough K2, you’re increasing your calcium levels without giving your body the ability to direct it properly. If you’re already supplementing with D3, make sure you’re also getting enough K2, either through food or supplements to maintain proper homeostasis.

4. Stay active to keep your bones strong — Movement is key for keeping your bones in good shape. Weight-bearing exercises like walking, strength training, and bodyweight exercises help signal your body to send calcium into your bones where it belongs.

As noted by McEwen, sitting for long periods without movement also changes your bone mineral density, and all the vitamins K2 and D you’ve been taking will be for nothing.15 If you spend a lot of time sitting, I encourage you to go for a walk outside to boost your fitness levels.

5. Take a high-quality vitamin K2 supplement if needed — If you’re not getting enough K2 from your food, adding a supplement is a viable way to ensure you’re covered. Look for a supplement that contains MK7, as this form stays in your body longer and is more effective than other types. For best results, take it with a meal that contains healthy fat, as K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin.

FAQ — Common Questions About Vitamin K2

Q: What is vitamin K2 and why is it important?

A: Vitamin K2 plays a crucial role in calcium metabolism. It helps prevent vascular calcification by directing calcium away from arteries and into bones, reducing the risk of heart disease and arterial stiffness. Additionally, it supports bone health by strengthening bone density and reducing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.

Q: How does vitamin K2 benefit cardiovascular health?

A: Vitamin K2 activates proteins that prevent calcium buildup in the arteries, reducing the risk of vascular calcification, atherosclerosis, and blood clots. Research shows that people with higher vitamin K2 intake have a 29% lower risk of peripheral artery disease, a 44% reduction in Type 2 diabetes risk, and a 41% reduction in hypertension.16

Q: What are the best dietary sources of vitamin K2?

A: Good sources of vitamin K2 include fermented foods (like natto and aged cheeses), pastured egg yolks, grass fed dairy products, and organic, grass fed beef. Your very own gut bacteria also produce some vitamin K2, which is further supported by consuming probiotics and fiber-rich foods.

Q: What is the recommended daily intake of vitamin K2?

A: The general range for adults is 90 to 180 micrograms per day, while the range for children 10 to 18 years old is 90 micrograms per day. For children up to 10 years old, the dosage is 45 micrograms per day.

Q: How can I ensure optimal vitamin K2 levels?

A: To maintain adequate vitamin K2 levels, support your gut health with fermented foods and fiber and pair it with vitamin D for better calcium absorption. Take a high-quality supplement if dietary intake is insufficient.

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced in your gut when beneficial bacteria ferment dietary fiber that your body cannot digest on its own. As the primary energy source for colonocytes (the cells lining your colon), butyrate provides up to 70% of their energy needs.1

Butyrate directly nourishes the L-cells in your intestinal lining — the same cells that release GLP-1 after meals. GLP-1 is a hormone known for its role as a master regulator of metabolic health. It enhances insulin release after meals, suppresses glucagon, slows gastric emptying, and promotes satiety2,3,4,5 — all of which support blood sugar control and appetite regulation.

The butyrate–GLP-1 axis plays a key role in this natural system by fueling the L-cells that produce GLP-1. In addition to supporting GLP-1 signaling, butyrate also enhances energy expenditure by boosting fat oxidation and thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue.6,7 Animal studies reinforce these benefits: in mice fed a high-fat diet, butyrate supplementation significantly improved glucose metabolism and prevented weight gain.8

Pharmaceutical GLP-1 agonists attempt to mimic this effect, but your body already possesses a mechanism to produce GLP-1 on its own — provided L-cells receive sufficient fuel. Butyrate activates free fatty acid receptors on L-cells, which directly stimulate GLP-1 secretion.

Research shows that reduced butyrate availability leads to lower GLP-1 output, impaired insulin sensitivity, increased appetite, and greater fat accumulation.9 In this framework, obesity reflects a breakdown in microbial fuel delivery rather than a failure of calorie control alone. The steps needed to rebuild and support this natural mechanism is the central topic of my new book, “Weight Loss Cure; Melt Fat Naturally With Your Own GLP-1.”

How Butyrate Supports Your Body’s Built-In GLP-1 System for Weight and Mood

When butyrate is abundant, GLP-1 secretion follows the body’s original blueprint without external intervention:

• It slows gastric emptying, so you feel full longer
• It reduces glucagon, which lowers blood sugar
• It enhances insulin sensitivity and helps your body burn fat
• It sends satiety signals to the brain, curbing cravings and emotional eating
• It activates GLP-1 receptors in the brain, where it helps regulate mood, reduce anxiety, and support cognitive health

Butyrate and GLP-1 Are the Natural Design

Importantly, you don’t need a synthetic GLP-1 agonist to access these benefits. You need butyrate. This is how human metabolism was designed to work — not with synthetic shots, but with internal balance.

Your L-cells are engineered to release GLP-1 in response to butyrate. When the gut microbiome is balanced and well-fed with fermentable fiber, GLP-1 production activates after meals to regulate appetite, support insulin release, and promote fat burning — all without a prescription.

This design evolved to work in harmony with ancestral diets rich in whole foods, fiber, and unprocessed carbohydrates. Disruption to this design breaks the microbial fuel line, not the hormonal hardware.

When you restore butyrate production, you remove the blockages and reactivate the normal regulatory feedback loop, which lets your built-in weight regulation system function again, as intended. Whether you’re exploring medication options or want to support your body’s own systems, restoring butyrate production is foundational to how this hormone was designed to work.

How This System Gets Disrupted

Modern lifestyles disrupt this elegant mechanism. Seed oils, which are high in the omega-6 fat linoleic acid (LA), damage your gut lining and deplete butyrate-producing microbes. Low-fiber, high-sugar diets feed the wrong bacteria. Chronic stress and poor sleep reduce microbial diversity. All of this breaks the link between fiber, butyrate, and GLP-1. The result? Your natural weight regulation system goes offline.

Butyrate and GLP-1 Also Support Brain Health

Butyrate also helps regulate how your gut communicates with your brain, supporting the normal stress, immune, and mood responses your body was designed to manage.

As a key signaling molecule in the gut-brain axis, butyrate helps regulate the stress response, increase pain tolerance, and reduce neuroinflammation. It even crosses the blood-brain barrier, where it supports brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), boosts mitochondrial function, and protects against depression and cognitive decline.

GLP-1 is also more than a metabolic hormone. Like butyrate, it’s a brain-active compound.10 GLP-1 receptors are found in areas of the brain that govern memory, mood, and motivation. Activating them can reduce anxiety, blunt inflammation, and improve neuroplasticity.11,12

Together, butyrate and GLP-1 act as dual messengers — one produced by your gut microbes, the other released in response to it. They work in tandem to support the natural coordination of metabolism, immune function, and mental health, restoring the biological systems your body relies on to stay balanced.

How Butyrate’s and GLP-1 Inhibit Neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation is widely recognized as a key factor in the development and progression of a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

A meta-analysis published in Neuroscience Letters,13 reports that butyrate supports brain health through multiple gut-brain mechanisms, particularly by strengthening mitochondrial function in the brain after fiber fermentation.

Butyrate suppresses major inflammatory pathways, most notably nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB),14 a master regulator of inflammation. In experimental models of Parkinson’s disease, beta-hydroxybutyrate reduced inflammation, protected neurons from endotoxin injury, and improved behavioral outcomes. By limiting NF-κB activity, butyrate lowers inflammatory cytokine release, which helps preserve synaptic function.

Butyrate also inhibits histone deacetylases (HDACs),15 which alters gene expression in brain cells. This epigenetic effect reduces pro-inflammatory signaling while increasing anti-inflammatory pathways, further calming neuroinflammation.16 In animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, butyrate lowered amyloid-beta plaque accumulation by up to 40% and supported cognitive performance.17

Butyrate-driven GLP-1 release adds another layer of protection. Preclinical research shows GLP-1 shields dopamine-producing neurons in Parkinson’s disease by lowering oxidative stress and supporting mitochondrial energy production.18 GLP-1 also promotes autophagy,19,20 which clears damaged proteins such as alpha-synuclein, and enhances insulin sensitivity and cellular energy metabolism in the brain,21 which is often impaired in Parkinson’s disease.

Butyrate, Mood, and the Gut-Brain Connection

Butyrate also influences mood and cognition by acting on key neurotransmitters, brain growth factors, and the vagus nerve. It enhances the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine22 — two crucial messengers that calm the nervous system and promote motivation and emotional balance. Low butyrate levels have been linked to anxiety and depression,23 in part due to disrupted gut-brain signaling.

As mentioned, it also boosts BDNF, a growth factor vital for learning, memory, and neuroplasticity.24,25 By inhibiting HDACs, butyrate increases BDNF in brain regions like the hippocampus, supporting neuron growth and reducing inflammation-driven damage.26 Low BDNF is a common feature in conditions like Alzheimer’s and major depression.27,28

Butyrate further strengthens the gut-brain axis by activating the vagus nerve — a communication superhighway that calms the body, lowers inflammation, and regulates neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA.29 Increased vagal tone is associated with improved mood, better stress tolerance, and enhanced digestion, making butyrate a central player in emotional and cognitive health.30

How to Restore Butyrate Production in Your Gut

To restore your body’s natural weight management and mood regulation systems, you need to restore and support the bacteria in your gut that produce butyrate and other SCFAs. Here’s how:

1. Start with gut terrain repair — If you’re bloated, constipated, or sensitive to high-fiber foods, you need to calm inflammation before you feed the microbiome. That means:

• Avoiding fermentable fibers at first. When your gut is out of balance, high-fiber foods — even the “healthy” ones — can work against you. Foods like beans, lentils, oats and raw greens ferment quickly when the wrong bacteria are in control. This creates gas, pressure and inflammation, and worsens gut lining damage.
• Eliminating seed oils (such as soybean, corn, canola, sunflower). LA damages the exact gut microbes you’re trying to support. If your diet includes fried foods, processed snacks or sauces made with soybean, corn, sunflower, or canola oil, you’re suffocating your good gut bacteria. Replace those fats with ghee, grass fed butter, or tallow — fats your body actually knows how to use. The goal is to shift your internal terrain so your gut bacteria thrive again.
• Using simple carbs like white rice and ripe fruit to stabilize energy without feeding bad bacteria.

2. Reintroduce fiber in phases — Move on to fiber reintroduction only after you meet this criterion: You tolerate three consecutive days of white rice or ripe fruit with no bloating, abdominal pain, excess gas, or bowel urgency. At that point, introduce one resistant starch source at a time, starting with 1/2 cup cooked-and-cooled white potato once daily.

Once you can consume 1/2 cup cooked-and-cooled potato daily for seven consecutive days with no increase in gas, bloating, stool looseness, or abdominal discomfort, advance to inulin-rich foods such as garlic, onions and leeks. These fibers bypass digestion in your small intestine and head straight to your colon, where they fuel beneficial bacteria that make butyrate.

3. Support with optional tools — Once your gut begins to stabilize, these targeted tools can help accelerate butyrate production and improve results:

• Phase 1 — Akkermansia postbiotics — Postbiotics are non-living bacterial components that still deliver biological signals. Pasteurized forms of Akkermansia muciniphila contain Amuc_1100, a protein shown to tighten the gut barrier and reduce inflammation. Look for postbiotic formulas with enteric coating or microencapsulation to ensure they survive stomach acid and reach the colon intact.

Without that protection, less than 5% of Amuc_1100 reaches your colon. You could try megadosing to compensate, but that’s expensive and inefficient. Prioritize coated formats to support your gut barrier more effectively.
• Phase 2 — Live Akkermansia — Begin Phase 2 probiotics only after all of the following occur:

◦Bloating remains minimal or absent
◦Stool form stays consistent for at least 7 days
◦Fiber tolerance expands without symptom return

In this stage, introduce live probiotic Akkermansia alongside gentle prebiotics — like small amounts of resistant starch — to support the growth of butyrate-producing strains and reestablish a healthy, oxygen-sensitive microbial environment.

• Fermented foods — Raw sauerkraut, kefir, and other traditionally fermented foods can boost microbial diversity and support butyrate-producing strains. Go slowly — start with small amounts to test tolerance, especially if your gut is sensitive.

• Gut testing — A stool analysis can reveal which bacteria are present, whether your gut is inflamed, and how well you’re producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. This can guide food choices and supplementation more precisely.

• Resistant starch — Found naturally in cooked-and-cooled potatoes, green bananas, and legumes — or as supplemental powders — resistant starch bypasses digestion in the small intestine and becomes prime fuel for butyrate-producing bacteria in the colon.

4. Adjust your environment — Your gut doesn’t just respond to what you eat. It’s tuned into your entire lifestyle. These daily habits help create the internal rhythm your microbiome needs to thrive:

• Sleep — Align your sleep-wake cycle with natural light exposure. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of high-quality sleep and get morning sun to anchor your circadian rhythm. This helps regulate gut motility and microbial repair.
• Stress — Chronic stress alters your microbiome and shuts down butyrate production. Use daily tools like breathwork, walking outdoors, and nervous system regulation practices to calm your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and support microbial balance.
• Fasting window — Stop eating at least three hours before bed. This gives your migrating motor complex (MMC) — your gut’s internal clean-up crew — time to sweep out bacteria and food debris overnight, reducing fermentation and inflammation.

Signs Your Gut Is Making More Butyrate

The following improvements reflect rising butyrate levels and gut healing in real time:

• Bowel movements become regular and well-formed — A sign of improved colonic motility and mucosal integrity.
• Fiber tolerance improves — Less bloating, gas, or discomfort after meals rich in fermentable fiber.
• Hunger fades between meals — As GLP-1 and PYY production increases, satiety naturally extends.
• Mood feels more stable and stress less overwhelming — Butyrate supports BDNF and modulates the HPA axis.
• You lose fat without trying to eat less — Improved metabolic signaling leads to spontaneous caloric reduction.
• Reduced post-meal blood sugar spikes — A measurable effect tied to improved insulin sensitivity and GLP-1 response.
• Lower fasting insulin and triglycerides (if tested) — Both improve with SCFA restoration and microbiome balance.
• Fewer cravings for processed carbs and snacks — Satiety hormones rise while inflammation-driven hunger decreases.
• Less urgency or discomfort with bowel movements — Improved stool consistency reflects stronger gut barrier and reduced inflammation.
• Improved breath or reduction in sulfur/gas odors — Indicates better fermentation profile in the colon (fewer sulfur-releasing or proteolytic bacteria).

Track Your Progress: How to Know It’s Working

To track your recovery, keep a simple symptom journal for the first four to six weeks. Each day, jot down quick notes on these four markers:

• Bloating — None, mild, moderate, or severe
• Energy — Steady, sluggish, or crashing
• Mood — Calm, tense, irritable, anxious
• Bowel quality — Bristol stool scale (types 3 to 4 are ideal), frequency, urgency, discomfort

Even just a few words per day can help you see patterns clearly, especially when deciding when to add new foods or supplements. Once you begin reintroducing fermentable fiber, use a 1 to 10 scale each week to rate how well you’re tolerating it. If you’re not at a 7 or above, pause before advancing to the next phase.

• 1 = severe gas, bloating, or pain
• 5 = some symptoms, improving
• 10 = no symptoms, excellent digestion

If you want objective data, run these labs at baseline and again around week 8. These markers, while optional, offer biochemical confirmation that your butyrate–GLP-1 axis is restoring normal metabolic function.

• Fasting insulin — Falling levels suggest better GLP-1 signaling
• Triglycerides — Often improve as inflammation and insulin resistance drop
• Post-meal glucose — Ideally stays under 120 mg/dL at the 1-hour mark

Timeline: What to Expect as Your Gut Rebuilds

Your gut already knows how to help you lose weight — by producing butyrate, which fuels the cells that make GLP-1. This is how human metabolism was designed to function. Restore that system, and your cravings shrink, your blood sugar stabilizes, your inflammation calms down, and your body starts releasing excess weight naturally.

These shifts are clear signs that your body’s metabolic software is running the way it was meant to. Your gut doesn’t need to be perfect to start producing butyrate. But there’s a rhythm to recovery, and markers to know it’s working.

Phase
What Happens
Timeframe
Measurable Indicators

Terrain repair
Gas, bloating, and sensitivity begin to calm
1 to 3 weeks
Less urgency, firmer stools, more predictable digestion

Fiber reintroduction
Butyrate-producing strains begin to increase
2 to 4 weeks
Better tolerance of resistant starch, mood uplift

GLP-1 response
Appetite regulates, energy improves, cravings decrease
4 to 8 weeks
Fewer between-meal snacks, better AM energy

Metabolic reset
Satiety increases, fat loss begins, blood sugar stabilizes
6 to 12 weeks
Tighter waistline, reduced post-meal glucose swings

You can start putting these strategies into practice right now with my new book, “Weight Loss Cure; Melt Fat Naturally With Your Own GLP-1,” which provides a step-by-step plan to rebuild butyrate production, restore natural GLP-1 signaling, and correct the root drivers of weight gain. We’re also preparing a butyrate-support product designed to complement these foundational strategies. You can join the waitlist now, and when it becomes available, you’ll receive a $5 off coupon by email.

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Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t begin with memory loss — it begins years earlier with a slow, silent shift in your body’s stress chemistry. Long before neurons die, your brain’s hormonal balance starts to erode under constant pressure from everyday stress. The same hormones that once kept you alert and focused start working against you, wearing down your brain’s repair systems and disrupting the flow of energy your cells depend on.

Cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, plays a central role in this process. When it stays high for too long, it drains your metabolic reserves and interferes with memory formation. Meanwhile, a second hormone called DHEA-S acts as cortisol’s natural counterbalance, helping protect neurons and stabilize brain function.

When the ratio between these two hormones tilts toward cortisol, your brain loses its resilience and becomes more vulnerable to aging and degeneration. This hormonal tug-of-war — shaped by stress, diet, and metabolism — has drawn new attention from researchers exploring why some people develop Alzheimer’s while others do not. The latest findings suggest that long-term hormonal imbalance, not just genetics or plaque buildup, could be one of the earliest warning signs of decline.

Understanding this relationship changes how you think about prevention. By strengthening your metabolism, restoring hormonal balance, and reducing chronic stress, you can support your brain’s ability to heal and adapt — long before symptoms appear. The new research provides a roadmap for how to start.

Stress Hormones Tip the Balance Toward Alzheimer’s

A clinical study published in Cureus examined 85 adults in Serbia — 45 with diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and 40 healthy peers of similar age and sex — to determine how two hormones, cortisol and DHEA-S, relate to brain health.1 Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone, while DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) acts as its built-in counterbalance — a neurosteroid that supports brain resilience and energy metabolism.

Unlike DHEA, which is the fast-acting, active form, DHEA-S is its sulfated storage form that circulates in your blood far longer and provides a more stable picture of long-term stress balance. By focusing on DHEA-S, the researchers could better gauge chronic stress effects on the brain rather than short-term fluctuations. The scientists wanted to know whether Alzheimer’s patients showed measurable differences in these hormones or in their ratio, which indicates how well your body manages prolonged stress.

• People with Alzheimer’s had higher cortisol levels but not lower DHEA-S — Those with Alzheimer’s showed cortisol levels averaging nearly 399 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) — about 20% higher than healthy adults — yet their DHEA-S concentrations stayed roughly the same.

This imbalance means the stress response remains chronically activated without the brain’s natural protection. When cortisol dominates, neurons experience more inflammation and less regeneration. The study also noted that this skewed balance was strongest among participants aged 65 to 75, suggesting that middle-to-late adulthood is when stress hormones begin exerting their most damaging effects.

• The cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio proved to be the real warning sign — Although each hormone alone tells part of the story, the researchers emphasized that their ratio — how much cortisol outweighs DHEA-S — offers a clearer window into chronic stress and brain decline.

In Alzheimer’s patients, that ratio climbed steeply, implying that the body’s defense system against cortisol’s toxicity was failing. This finding helps explain why some people with normal cortisol readings still experience cognitive decline: it’s the imbalance, not just the level, that matters.

• Men and women responded differently, revealing hormonal sensitivity — In healthy adults, men had significantly higher DHEA-S levels than women, meaning their brains could have greater protection from chronic stress. But that sex difference disappeared in those with Alzheimer’s.

The disease seemed to override normal hormonal patterns, flattening DHEA-S levels in both sexes. This means that once neurodegeneration begins, your brain’s ability to maintain hormonal balance — one of its self-defense tools — breaks down.

• Age changed the picture again, suggesting a nonlinear hormonal response — When researchers divided participants by age, they noticed that younger Alzheimer’s patients (60 to 65) had higher DHEA-S levels, which dropped sharply in the 66 to 75 group before rising again after age 75.

This unexpected curve points to a possible window of hormonal collapse, where midlife stress overwhelms the body’s compensatory systems. If you’re in this age range and facing chronic stress, that’s when intervention — stress reduction, adequate rest, and metabolic support — could be most protective for your brain.

Cortisol Acts Like an Overzealous Cleanup Crew That Damages What It’s Meant to Protect

Elevated cortisol increases inflammation and oxidative stress — chemical reactions that corrode neurons and disrupt communication between brain cells. It also suppresses the growth of new neurons in your hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, making it harder to store new information.

In contrast, DHEA-S supports neuronal survival, enhances energy metabolism, and shields brain tissue from the harmful effects of excessive cortisol. When cortisol wins this hormonal tug-of-war, brain networks lose their flexibility and begin to deteriorate.

• Why stress and memory loss are so tightly linked — Chronic cortisol elevation interferes with glucose uptake in brain cells, depriving them of the fuel needed to form memories. It also increases amyloid-beta and tau accumulation — the same proteins that define Alzheimer’s pathology.

Meanwhile, DHEA-S helps counter these effects by enhancing insulin sensitivity and calming overactive immune responses in your brain. In simple terms, one hormone burns your mental circuits, the other repairs them.

• A new biological marker for early intervention — Instead of waiting for memory loss or imaging changes, tracking your cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio could signal early stress damage years before cognitive symptoms arise.

If your cortisol stays high while DHEA-S falls or stagnates, that’s a red flag. Supporting your metabolic health, prioritizing quality sleep, and restoring hormonal balance could help keep your brain’s internal environment stable long before Alzheimer’s develops.

Lowering Cortisol and Raising Metabolic Energy Could Reverse Brain Decline

In a commentary, bioenergetic researcher Georgi Dinkov analyzed the Cureus study showing that people with Alzheimer’s disease had significantly higher cortisol levels and a skewed cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio compared to healthy adults.2 He explained that these results validate decades of bioenergetic research linking chronic stress, low metabolism, and neurodegeneration.

Dinkov emphasized that it’s not just elevated cortisol that drives decline — it’s the imbalance between cortisol and protective steroids such as DHEA, testosterone, and progesterone. When this ratio tips toward cortisol dominance, your body remains in a chronic “fight-or-flight” state that accelerates tissue breakdown and cognitive loss.

• Dinkov connected the findings to thyroid-driven metabolic stress — Building on the Cureus data, Dinkov explained that hypothyroidism — a sluggish thyroid that slows metabolic energy production — creates the same hormonal pattern seen in Alzheimer’s patients: high cortisol and suppressed DHEA-S.

When your metabolism slows, your body compensates by ramping up stress hormones to stay alert and energized. But this backfires over time, leading to chronic brain inflammation, poor glucose uptake, and reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production — the energy currency your brain depends on.

• Your cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio predicts long-term health better than any single hormone — According to Dinkov, this ratio — spotlighted by the Cureus research — is among the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality and neurodegenerative risk. Even when cortisol fluctuates throughout the day, the ratio reveals whether your stress and repair systems are balanced.

Dinkov suggested measuring cortisol and DHEA-S in hair or nails rather than blood, since these tissues reflect long-term hormonal patterns. For anyone trying to gauge chronic stress or cognitive risk, this offers a simple, objective biomarker that’s far more reliable than a one-time blood test.

• Natural compounds help restore hormonal balance and metabolic strength — Dinkov referenced several well-known substances — aspirin, niacinamide (vitamin B3), progesterone, pregnenolone, thyroid support, glycine, and emodin — that help correct the same imbalance observed in the Cureus study. These compounds work by lowering excess cortisol, improving mitochondrial energy output, and supporting the production of protective hormones.

Niacinamide, for instance, increases NAD+, which fuels cellular repair, while aspirin dampens inflammation and cortisol overproduction. Used together, these tools shift your body back into a “rest-and-repair” mode rather than the constant stress chemistry that drives brain aging.

• DHEA acts as a built-in cortisol regulator — Dinkov explained one of the key ways DHEA helps keep cortisol in check: it blocks the enzyme that turns inactive cortisol back “on” and boosts the one that clears excess cortisol from your body. This dual action makes DHEA a natural cortisol buffer that prevents the overactivation of stress pathways.

In other words, DHEA gives your brain a biochemical “cooling system,” stopping cortisol from overheating your neurons. Supporting DHEA through thyroid health, nutrition, and targeted supplementation helps restore this essential balance.

• Stress is a symptom of low energy, not just emotional strain — Dinkov described how the elevated cortisol levels observed in the Cureus Alzheimer’s cohort represent a deeper issue: energy failure. When your cells don’t make enough ATP — whether from poor thyroid output, nutrient deficiencies, or aging — they turn to cortisol to compensate.

The hormone breaks down tissue to release fuel, but that process worsens energy depletion over time. This self-reinforcing loop explains why chronic stress feels endless: it’s a metabolic, not psychological, trap. Dinkov concluded that maintaining a low cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio protects more than memory — it sustains whole-body resilience.

People who keep this ratio balanced experience better sleep, stable mood, and slower biological aging. His message is practical: by restoring thyroid function, eating enough to prevent energy deficits, and lowering chronic inflammation, you directly influence the biochemical environment that determines whether your brain decays or endures.

Rebuild Your Energy System to Lower Cortisol and Protect Your Brain

If you wake up tired, crash midafternoon, or feel wired when you should be asleep, your body’s stress chemistry has taken over. The Cureus study3 and Dinkov’s review4 both point to the same conclusion: your brain suffers when your cells can’t make enough energy.

To fix that, you have to restore steady fuel, retrain your stress response, and help your body recognize that it’s no longer in survival mode. Here’s how to bring your hormones — and your energy — back into balance:

1. Feed your metabolism the fuel it’s been missing — Cutting carbs keeps your body trapped in a constant stress loop because cortisol spikes whenever blood sugar drops too low. Break that pattern by eating enough healthy carbohydrates — around 250 grams daily — to give your mitochondria a steady energy supply.

Start with gentle foods like fruit and white rice. When your digestion feels stable (no bloating or irregularity), add cooked root vegetables, then more vegetables, legumes, and well-tolerated whole grains. Once your body trusts it’s being fed regularly, cortisol naturally declines, and your energy and focus stabilize.

2. Move in ways that restore instead of deplete — Overdoing endurance exercise or high-intensity intervals keeps your body in fight-or-flight mode long after the workout ends. Cortisol stays elevated, recovery slows, and sleep suffers.

Replace long, punishing sessions with physical activities that build energy rather than drain it — strength training, walking outdoors, dancing, or swimming at an easy pace. Use how you feel afterward as your guide: if you finish feeling grounded and calm, you’ve helped your hormones, not hurt them.

3. Train your nervous system to shift out of stress — Your breath is the fastest lever you have to quiet cortisol and activate your parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” system. Try rhythmic breathing patterns like 4-7-8 or 4-8 breathing — inhaling for four seconds, holding briefly, and exhaling slowly for seven to eight seconds.

The extended exhale stimulates your vagus nerve, lowering heart rate and cortisol while signaling safety to every organ. Practice before bed, after meals, or whenever tension rises. Over time, your body learns that it no longer needs to live in emergency mode.

4. Rebuild your circadian rhythm through light and sleep — Cortisol follows your light exposure, not your alarm clock. Get outside within an hour of waking to anchor your body’s circadian rhythm, and dim screens and overhead lighting at night so melatonin can rise naturally.

Keep your bedtime and wake-up times consistent — even on weekends — to lock in hormonal balance. Deep, regular sleep clears stress hormones, strengthens memory, and repairs brain tissue. If you’re dragging through the day, fix your light and sleep first instead of relying on caffeine.

5. Use natural progesterone to quiet the cortisol surge — Bioidentical progesterone acts as your body’s built-in cortisol brake, restoring calm where chronic stress has hijacked balance. Unlike synthetic versions, natural progesterone fits perfectly into your body’s own receptor system, lowering cortisol’s overstimulation and supporting deep rest.

FAQs About Cortisol and Alzheimer’s Disease

Q: What did the new Alzheimer’s study reveal about cortisol and DHEA-S?
A: Researchers found that people with Alzheimer’s disease had cortisol levels roughly 20% higher than healthy adults, while their DHEA-S levels stayed about the same. This created a skewed cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio — meaning stress hormones were overpowering the brain’s natural defenses. That imbalance, not just genetics or amyloid buildup, appears to drive the early stages of brain decline.

Q: How are DHEA and DHEA-S different?
A: DHEA is the fast-acting form of the hormone, while DHEA-S is the stable, long-lasting form stored in your blood. Because DHEA-S changes slowly, it’s a better measure of long-term stress and brain resilience. It also acts as a neurosteroid, helping neurons resist inflammation and oxidative damage while buffering cortisol’s harmful effects.

Q: What did Georgi Dinkov’s analysis add to this research?
A: Dinkov explained that the Cureus study confirms a broader principle: high cortisol and low metabolic energy often go hand in hand. He connected these hormone shifts to thyroid sluggishness, nutrient depletion, and aging — all of which drain cellular energy and raise stress chemistry. He also noted that maintaining a low cortisol-to-DHEA-S ratio predicts not just better memory but longer life and greater overall resilience.

Q: What practical steps help lower cortisol and restore hormonal balance?
A: To calm your stress system, start by fueling your metabolism. Eat enough healthy carbohydrates — about 250 grams per day — to keep blood sugar stable. Cut back on overtraining, use rhythmic breathing to activate your vagus nerve, and rebuild your circadian rhythm by getting morning sunlight and sleeping on a consistent schedule. These changes lower cortisol naturally while improving energy and mental clarity.

Q: How does progesterone fit into this picture?
A: Natural progesterone acts as a built-in cortisol blocker. Your body recognizes it as a calming, balancing hormone that reduces overstimulation, helps you sleep deeply, and stabilizes mood. Natural progesterone effectively blocks cortisol by reducing blood concentrations, helping restore hormonal harmony, protecting your brain and body from the long-term effects of stress.

Most people turn on a sound machine at bedtime because to them it brings comfort. The sound feels like an easy fix for restless nights, and the instant sense of calm makes it even more tempting to depend on night after night. But does that comforting hum actually improve your sleep — or is it secretly working against the brain repair you’re trying to achieve?

A recent study offers a wake-up call: Apparently, sound machines may lead to a noticeable drop in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. To put it simply, the nighttime sound that seems soothing might actually be pressuring your brain to work through constant auditory input instead of repairing itself.

These findings challenge the assumption that any calming sound is automatically helpful and set the stage for a deeper look at how sound machines might be working against the very sleep quality you’re trying to protect. Before we go into the findings of the study, let’s briefly discuss how sound machines work.

A Primer on Sound Machines

Sound machines are devices designed to produce a steady stream of background noise that help “fill in” the silence of a room. Many people use them as part of a nighttime routine, especially in environments where sudden or unpredictable sounds may interfere with rest. Rather than relying on a phone app — which can introduce disruptive blue light — sound machines offer a dedicated way to create soothing audio throughout the night.

• Why does a sound machine affect your sleep quality? The answer lies in how the brain processes noise. The fact is that even when you’re at rest during deep sleep, your brain still continues to register noise all around you. Unexpected sounds such as traffic, snoring, pets moving around, or household creaks can trigger brief awakenings or shifts between sleep stages, even if you don’t fully remember waking up.

• A sound machine helps reduce the impact of these disruptions — It provides a stable auditory backdrop. The steady hum it emits smooths out the chaos of a noisy house, an anxious mind, or the unpredictable sounds of cars passing by on the street.

• Sound machines may include a variety of sound options — Some play nature sounds, like rainfall, thunderstorms, beach waves, or frogs at night. Others play white noise, which resembles static and contains all audible frequencies at equal intensity. There’s also what’s called pink noise, which is a softer, deeper static sound that resembles steady rushing water. White and pink noise, along with other types like brown and blue, are also referred to as broadband noise.1

Most research suggests that sound machines are generally safe. Even the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recognizes that sound machines or “sound conditioners,”2 can help both adults and newborns sleep more soundly. However, if used improperly, pink noise machines may not be completely harmless.

What Does the Newest Research Actually Say About Pink Noise and Sleep?

A more recent report published in the journal Sleep provides more insight into how sound machines may be unknowingly harming your nighttime slumber. Conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, the study looked at how different noise conditions, including pink noise, shaped the way the brain moved through deep sleep and REM sleep during the night.3 According to an article from Science Daily:

“During a typical night, the brain cycles repeatedly through deep sleep and REM sleep. Deep sleep plays a key role in physical recovery, memory processing, and the removal of waste products from the brain. REM sleep, often referred to as dream sleep, supports emotional regulation, motor skill development, and brain growth.”4

The researchers’ goal was to understand whether the sounds many people rely on each night improve sleep architecture (the natural structure and cycling of your sleep stages) or disrupt it in ways most users never notice.

• The study followed 25 healthy adults, ages 21 to 41, in a controlled sleep laboratory — Most of them were women, and none had any sleep disorders or had previously used sound machines. For seven consecutive nights, they slept for eight hours, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

• The participants were exposed to different conditions — As they slept, they were placed under varying noise conditions, such as environment noise (sounds of aircraft, cars, baby crying, and alarms), pink noise alone, a combination of environment and pink noise, and environment noise while wearing earplugs.

There were also participants who were allowed to sleep in a quiet environment without any noise exposure (the control group). The researchers used overnight polysomnography, which is considered the gold standard for sleep measurement, to capture the data. This is a comprehensive overnight test that measures brain waves, oxygen levels, heart rate, and eye movements.

• As expected, environmental noise significantly reduced deep sleep and increased nighttime awakenings — The participants exposed to this type of noise lost an average 23 minutes of “N3” deep sleep (considered the deepest and most restorative sleep stage) per night. Even if they didn’t remember waking up in the middle of their slumber, their brain activity reflected shallower, more disrupted sleep. They also felt more tired, stressed, and mentally drained the next morning.

• But what was surprising was the effect of pink noise on deep sleep — Pink noise alone, which was played at 50 dB (imagine the sound of moderate rainfall), caused a significant reduction in REM sleep — nearly 19 minutes of sleep lost per night. Over a week, that’s more than two hours of REM sleep lost.

According to the researchers’ findings, this type of noise interferes with the brain circuits that normally allow REM sleep to begin and continue, so instead of creating a restful background for sleep, it may act as a continuous stimulus that alters the brain’s ability to cycle naturally into REM. Your brain doesn’t fully “turn off” during sleep — it still monitors your environment. Pink noise may keep the auditory processing centers partially active, preventing the full transition into REM.

• Why disrupted REM sleep has a significant effect on your health — Chronic REM deprivation doesn’t just make you tired; it also impairs emotional regulation, weakens memory consolidation, and may even accelerate cognitive decline over time. Mathias Basner, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Sleep and Chronobiology in Psychiatry and the study lead author, explained:

“REM sleep is important for memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and brain development, so our findings suggest that playing pink noise and other types of broadband noise during sleep could be harmful — especially for children whose brains are still developing and who spend much more time in REM sleep than adults.”5

What’s even more damaging was when pink noise was combined with environment noise — When paired together, the effects became more pronounced. Both deep and REM sleep were significantly reduced, and participants spent about 15 additional minutes awake during the night. Notably, this increase in wakefulness did not occur with aircraft noise alone or pink noise alone.

So, Should You Ditch Your Sound Machine?

These study findings are vital, as many people today use broadband noise not just for sleep, but also as a relaxation tool throughout the day. Case in point: White noise and ambient podcasts now total about 3 million listening hours per day on Spotify. Meanwhile, the top five “white noise” videos on YouTube have collectively been viewed more than 700 million times.6 Even so, research on how broadband noise affects sleep remains limited and inconclusive.

• Consistent REM disruptions are more damaging than you think — People whose REM sleep is always disrupted have a higher risk of developing mental health issues like depression and anxiety and even Parkinson’s disease. What’s more, majority of people today, particularly adults, are sleep deprived. This means that every minute of REM sleep matters.

• Use sound machine as a tool, not a mandate — If sound machines work for you, then use them in a smart and strategic manner. Basner recommends playing it at a low volume and setting a timer instead of letting it play through the night. “I don’t want to discount that there may be something behind it, because so many people are using it,” he added.7

• Wearing earplugs is a better way to improve sleep quality — This is a simpler — and more cost-friendly — strategy to shut off disruptive noise at night. Around 16% of Americans wear earplugs during bedtime to get the restful sleep they need.8

In the featured study, earplugs restored about 72% of the deep sleep that environmental noise had taken away. That’s equivalent to nearly 17 minutes of N3 deep sleep restored. In nearly every measurement, including sleep stages, awakenings, sleep depth, and morning mood, sleeping with earplugs looked far more similar to sleep during the quiet control night than to any noise-exposed condition.

• Earplugs performed well even during repeated noise events throughout the night — Only at the loudest level tested, 65 dB (which is similar to a noisy vacuum cleaner or busy street heard from indoors), did the protective effect begin to weaken.

• Participants also found earplugs comfortable — Even though the researchers used ordinary foam earplugs for this test, the participants still reported that they slept better with them. This is notable, since comfort and usability often limit whether people stick with sleep tools long-term.

“It is likely that both comfort and sound attenuation could be further improved by using high-fidelity or even custom-fit earplugs instead, although this would have to be shown,” the researchers added.9

Are Sound Machines Safe for Babies and Kids?

During the first weeks of life, newborns spend the majority of their time sleeping — In fact, newborns are recommended to get around 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). This means that these young children spend significantly more time in REM sleep than adults.

• Many parents place sound machines beside their newborns’ or toddlers’ beds — They do this with the best of intentions, to help their children fall asleep and stay asleep through the night. However, based on the featured research, this habit could be doing more damage, as they are more susceptible to the possible harms of pink noise exposure.

• REM sleep loss may be more pronounced in young children — Although the study did not observe the effects of broadband noise on these age groups, the researchers still warn parents to be careful in using sound machines until there’s more conclusive research on their effects on younger brains.

“Overall, our results caution against the use of broadband noise, especially for newborns and toddlers, and indicate that we need more research in vulnerable populations, on long-term use, on the different colors of broadband noise, and on safe broadband noise levels in relation to sleep,” Basner said.10

• The volume level of the machine is also a concern — Excessively high volumes can pose risks over time. One study published in the National Library of Medicine reported that white noise played above recommended limits may negatively affect young children’s hearing and language development.11

For context, the safe noise level for hospital nurseries is around 50 decibels (dB). For adults, white noise is typically regarded as safe between 50 and 70 dB. Beyond that range, hearing protection may be necessary to reduce the risk of long-term damage.12

To summarize, below is a comparison of the different types of broadband noises made by sound machines and the recommendations based on the research findings.

Noise type
Sound profile
Effect on sleep
Recommendation

Pink noise
Softer, deeper static (like steady rainfall or rushing water)
Reduced REM sleep by ~19 minutes per night in lab settings
Use cautiously, especially for children whose brains need more REM sleep

White noise
Even static across all frequencies (like TV static or a fan)
Masks disruptive sounds but shows no clear benefit for sleep quality
Keep volume low (50 to 70 dB), use a timer, place device 3+ feet away

Brown noise
Deep, rumbling static (like thunder or strong wind)
Limited research available; effects on sleep architecture unclear
Apply same safety precautions as pink/white noise until more data exists

How to Use a Sound Machine Safely

If you’re not ready to give up your sound machine entirely, you can still minimize the risks. Here’s a practical, research-aligned setup guide you can implement tonight:

1. Use the lowest effective volume — Set your sound machine to the minimum level that still masks your specific trigger noises, like traffic or snoring. Lower loudness means less risk of disrupted sleep over time. Aim for 50 dB or below — roughly the volume of light rainfall.

2. Increase the distance from your bed — Place the device across the room, not on your nightstand. Sound pressure decreases with distance, so moving your machine even 3 to 6 feet farther from your ears significantly reduces exposure while still providing masking benefits.

3. Set a sleep timer or auto-off feature — You don’t need broadband noise running all night. Set a timer for 30 to 60 minutes — enough time to fall asleep. Once you’re in deep sleep, your brain is less sensitive to moderate environmental sounds anyway.

4. Consider earplugs as an alternative — In the featured study, simple foam earplugs restored about 72% of the deep sleep lost to environmental noise, outperforming pink noise in nearly every measurement. Try them instead of, or alongside, your sound machine.

5. Combine with physical noise control — Address noise at the source: heavy curtains, door sweeps, draft stoppers, and soft furnishings all reduce sound transmission. These passive solutions don’t carry the REM-disruption risks of continuous broadband noise.

6. Run a one-week self-experiment — If you wake up groggy despite “sleeping” seven to eight hours, try removing your sound machine for one week. Track your morning alertness, mood, and energy. If you feel more restored without it, that’s your answer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sound Machines and Sleep

Q: Can pink noise disrupt rapid eye movement (REM) sleep?
A: Yes, recent controlled sleep-lab research suggests pink noise may reduce REM sleep, which is the stage associated with dreaming, memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and brain development. In laboratory conditions, participants exposed to pink noise experienced a measurable reduction in REM sleep compared to quiet conditions.

While pink noise is often marketed as calming, continuous broadband sound may act as an ongoing auditory stimulus that subtly interferes with the brain’s natural sleep cycling. The effect may be especially relevant for people already struggling with sleep quality or those who rely on noise all night at moderate volumes.

Q: What is a safe decibel level for sleep?
A: For most adults, sleep experts generally recommend keeping nighttime sound exposure around 50 decibels (dB) or lower — roughly the sound of light rainfall. Some guidance considers 50 to 70 dB acceptable for adults, but lower is better when possible. For infants and young children, caution is even more important, and volume should remain at or below nursery safety standards (around 50 dB).

Q: Are sound machines safe for babies?
A: Parents should use caution. Babies spend significantly more time in REM sleep than adults, and REM plays a critical role in brain development. Emerging research suggesting that certain types of broadband noise may reduce REM sleep raises questions about prolonged overnight use in infants and toddlers. Additionally, excessive volume may pose hearing risks over time.

Environmental fixes — such as blackout curtains, soft furnishings and white-noise alternatives at low levels — may be safer first-line options.

Q: Where should I place a sound machine in the bedroom?
A: Placement significantly affects sound exposure. For safer use, position the device across the room, not on your nightstand. Keep it at least 3 to 6 feet away from your bed or your child’s crib. Use the lowest volume that masks your triggers, and never direct the speaker toward your ears. Sound intensity drops as distance increases, so moving the machine farther away reduces the decibel level reaching your ears while still providing masking benefits.

Q: Do I need a timer or should a sound machine run all night?
A: For many people, running a sound machine all night is unnecessary. Once you fall asleep — especially after entering deeper sleep stages — your brain becomes less sensitive to moderate background sounds. Using a 30- to 60-minute timer may reduce potential REM disruption and limit prolonged noise exposure. Continuous overnight use may not provide added benefit and could increase the risk of sleep-stage interference.

Q: What’s the difference between pink, white and brown noise?
A: The “color” of noise refers to how sound frequencies are distributed:

• White noise — Equal intensity across all audible frequencies; sounds like steady static or a fan.
• Pink noise — Emphasizes lower frequencies; softer and deeper, often compared to rainfall or rushing water.
• Brown noise — Even more weighted toward low frequencies; deeper, rumbling sound similar to thunder.

Pink noise has recently drawn attention due to findings suggesting it may reduce REM sleep in certain lab settings. White and brown noise are widely used for sound masking, but high-quality evidence comparing long-term effects on sleep architecture remains limited.

Q: Are there alternatives to sound machines that are safer?
A: Yes. Depending on the source of nighttime noise, alternatives may better preserve sleep quality:

• Earplugs — In laboratory studies, earplugs protected deep sleep more effectively than pink noise during aircraft noise exposure.
• Physical soundproofing — Door sweeps, draft stoppers, heavy curtains and rugs can reduce environmental noise without continuous auditory stimulation.
• Fans or air purifiers at a distance — Provide gentle masking without placing a speaker near your head.
• Behavioral sleep strategies — Consistent bedtime, light control and stress reduction may reduce the perceived need for artificial noise.

If you wake feeling groggy despite adequate sleep duration, consider a one-week trial without broadband noise to assess how your body responds.

Cancer is often talked about as though it strikes at random — a matter of bad luck or inherited genes. But a sweeping new global analysis suggests otherwise. Published in Nature Medicine, the study from the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) examined how much of the world’s cancer burden traces back to causes that are, in principle, avoidable.1

The findings reframe cancer less as an inevitability and more as a condition shaped by everyday exposures — what you breathe, drink, eat, and absorb over decades. The researchers’ conclusions carry enormous practical weight, because if a risk factor can be identified and measured, it can also be reduced. What follows is a breakdown of exactly how the analysis reached its conclusions, which exposures drive the most harm and what you can do to act on the data.

Global Data Show Where Cancer Risk Starts

For the study, researchers used data covering 36 cancer types across 185 countries and evaluated 30 risk factors that people and governments can address. They applied a statistical method that estimates how many cases would not occur if a risk factor were removed to determine how much of the global cancer burden traces back to specific exposures. This was not a small regional snapshot. It was a global audit of preventable cancer.

• More than one-third of new cancers were tied to modifiable causes — The investigators found that 7.1 million of 18.7 million new cancer cases in 2022 — 37.8% — were attributable to preventable risk factors. Among men, 45.4% of new cases were linked to these exposures, compared to 29.7% in women. That gap alone tells you something powerful: exposure patterns matter.
If nearly half of cancers in men connect to modifiable behaviors or environments, then your daily exposures shape long-term outcomes.
• Smoking dominated the preventable cancer landscape — Tobacco smoking accounted for 15.1% of all new cancer cases globally, making it the single largest contributor identified in the study. In men, smoking was responsible for an estimated 23% of new cancer cases, while in women it accounted for 6%.
This means smoking’s effect in men was nearly four times higher than in women. The numbers reflect cumulative DNA damage caused by carcinogens in tobacco smoke that trigger mutations and drive tumor formation. If smoking were removed, roughly 15% of global cancer cases would not occur.
• Infections and alcohol formed the next major tier of risk — Infections contributed 10.2% of global cancer cases, and alcohol consumption accounted for 3.2%. Among women, infections were responsible for 11% of new cancer cases — higher than smoking in that group.
That figure underscores how viruses and bacteria such as human papilloma virus (HPV) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) reshape cancer risk through chronic inflammation and long-term cellular damage. Alcohol, by contrast, increases exposure to acetaldehyde, a toxic breakdown product that injures DNA and interferes with repair systems.
• Three cancer types made up nearly half of preventable cases — Lung, stomach and cervical cancers represented nearly 50% of preventable cancer cases globally. Lung cancer was linked primarily to smoking and air pollution. Stomach cancer largely traced back to H. pylori infection.
Cervical cancer was linked to HPV, but it’s important to note that, in most cases, only long-term, untreated HPV infections will trigger cervical cancer, and these are typically easily caught and treated with regular Pap smears.
• Regional differences exposed how environment shapes risk — Preventable cancers ranged from 24.6% to 38.2% in women depending on region and from 28.1% to 57.2% in men. East Asia showed the highest preventable cancer burden among men at 57%, while Latin America and the Caribbean showed the lowest at 28%.2

These differences reflect varying exposure to tobacco, infections, occupational hazards, and environmental pollutants. Where you live influences what you inhale, consume and encounter. The researchers concluded that “strengthening efforts to reduce modifiable exposures remains central to global cancer prevention.”

How to Reduce Your Preventable Cancer Risk

The data show that cancer risk is closely associated with what you inhale, drink, absorb, and store in your tissues. That means your strategy need to begin at the source. Focus first on removing metabolic stressors that damage mitochondria and drive inflammation, because cellular energy failure creates the environment where disease spreads. When you correct that terrain, you shift your long-term trajectory in a measurable way. Here are five steps you can take.

1. Shift your macronutrient balance toward carbs and away from excess fat — If your fat intake approaches 60% of daily calories, you force your body to rely heavily on fat for fuel. That metabolic state drives dysfunction and fuels disease spread, including cancer.3 Keep your fat intake between 30% and 40% of daily calories and aim for about 250 grams of healthy carbohydrates daily.
Build your meals around whole fruit, cooked root vegetables, white rice, healthy protein, and small amounts of well-tolerated whole grains if your gut handles them well. If your digestion struggles, begin with easier-to-digest carbohydrates like fruit and white rice and progress slowly. Your goal is steady glucose use, strong mitochondrial function and lower inflammatory signaling — chemical alarm signals that, when chronically elevated, create conditions favorable to tumor growth.

2. Eliminate vegetable oils and drive linoleic acid (LA) under 5 grams per day — The problem is not just fat. It’s LA, a polyunsaturated fat found in seed oils. High LA intake disrupts mitochondrial energy production, weakens your immune system’s ability to detect and destroy abnormal cells, and activates clotting factors that help tumors establish blood supply and spread.
Remove canola, corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and grapeseed oils from your kitchen. Replace them with grass fed butter, ghee or tallow.
For example, instead of sautéing vegetables in canola oil, cook them with ghee. Instead of store-bought salad dressing, use lemon juice and grass fed butter. Use olive oil and avocado oil sparingly, if at all, because they often contain hidden seed oils and high monounsaturated fat that stresses mitochondria.
You’re probably eating more LA than you think. When my Mercola Health Coach app launches, the Seed Oil Sleuth feature will help you track this down to the tenth of a gram. Aim for under 5 grams of LA daily, ideally under 2 grams.

3. Reduce inflammatory drivers by improving body composition and movement — Excess body fat releases inflammatory chemicals that support tumor growth. If you carry weight around your midsection, focus on restoring carbohydrate balance rather than crash dieting. Eat enough protein — about 0.8 grams per pound of ideal body weight, or 1.76 grams per kilogram — with one-third from collagen sources like bone broth.
This protects muscle mass while improving metabolic flexibility, your body’s ability to switch smoothly between burning glucose and fat for fuel. Commit to daily walking and avoid overdoing intense exercise. A sedentary body is a metabolically stagnant one — without regular movement, insulin sensitivity drops, inflammatory markers rise, and mitochondria lose their capacity to burn fuel efficiently.
At the same time, excessive high-intensity training spikes stress hormones and strains recovery. Working your way up to a one-hour brisk walk outdoors daily supports mitochondrial function, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces systemic inflammation.
If you’re starting from minimal activity, begin with 15 to 20 minutes a day and add five minutes per week. Add strength training two or three times per week, but don’t overdo intense sessions. If you feel wired, depleted or unable to recover, you’re pushing too hard. Daily movement builds resilience. Chronic overexertion breaks it down.
Making sure your vitamin D levels are optimized is also important. Multiple large-scale analyses link sufficient vitamin D to lower risk of colorectal, breast and other cancers.4

The mechanisms align with everything discussed in this article — vitamin D modulates immune function, supports your body’s ability to trigger programmed death in abnormal cells and helps regulate the inflammatory signaling that drives tumor growth. Test your blood levels twice a year and aim for 60 to 80 ng/mL (150 to 200 nmol/L).
Many people need supplemental vitamin D3, particularly during winter months or if they spend limited time outdoors. If you supplement, take it with a fat-containing meal to improve absorption, and pair it with magnesium and vitamin K2 to support proper calcium metabolism.

4. Lower chronic stress to protect metabolic function — Chronically high cortisol — your body’s main stress hormone — drives stubborn belly fat, suppresses immune function, and impairs the mitochondrial repair processes your body relies on to prevent abnormal cell growth. Lowering cortisol isn’t a luxury. It’s a metabolic intervention.
Start with slow, deep breathing several times a day and get early morning sunlight to reset your cortisol rhythm. Include healthy carbohydrates with your meals to stabilize energy and calm your nervous system.
Simple pleasures matter, too — laughter, music, time with pets, and doing something you genuinely enjoy all trigger measurable biochemical shifts that lower cortisol and signal safety to your brain. For deeper support, natural progesterone is one of the safest and most effective ways to block cortisol’s harmful effects, helping your body recover from stress overload and reestablish hormonal balance.
In addition, sleep is one of the most overlooked cancer-prevention tools. IARC classifies disrupted circadian rhythms as a probable carcinogen, and the reasons connect directly to the mechanisms discussed throughout this article — sleep deprivation impairs your body’s ability to repair damaged DNA, suppresses natural killer cells that hunt down abnormal cells and elevates the very cortisol you’re working to lower.
Prioritize seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep in a dark, cool room. Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed, dim lights after sunset, and keep a consistent sleep and wake time — even on weekends — to anchor your circadian rhythm.

5. Eliminate alcohol and smoking completely and remove other modifiable exposures — Alcohol acts as a metabolic poison and increases cancer burden, much like LA. When you drink, your liver converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, a toxic aldehyde that damages cell membranes and DNA. LA follows an almost identical route. As LA breaks down, it forms another toxic aldehyde called 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE).
Both acetaldehyde and 4-HNE are highly reactive molecules that attach themselves to proteins, phospholipids, and mitochondrial DNA, disrupting your body’s ability to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the energy currency that powers every function in your body, from heartbeat to DNA repair. Think of acetaldehyde and 4-HNE as molecular rust.
They corrode the very machinery your cells use to produce energy, leaving mitochondria damaged and inefficient. So, if you drink, stop. If you smoke, also stop. Address chronic infections where possible and limit exposure to environmental toxins like air pollution as much as possible. If you live near a busy road or in an area with poor air quality, run a HEPA air purifier in the rooms where you spend the most time, especially your bedroom.
When you walk or exercise outdoors, choose routes away from heavy traffic. Filter your drinking water with a high-quality system that removes chlorine, heavy metals, and industrial contaminants. Switch household cleaning and personal care products to versions free of synthetic fragrances, parabens, and phthalates. You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight — start with the exposures you encounter most frequently and work outward from there.

FAQs About Preventable Cancer Risk

Q: How much of cancer is actually preventable?
A: A large global analysis published in Nature Medicine found that roughly four in 10 new cancer cases worldwide are linked to modifiable risk factors.5 That means a significant share of the global cancer burden is tied to exposures such as smoking, alcohol, infections, excess body fat, and environmental pollutants rather than fate or genetics alone.

Q: What are the biggest preventable drivers of cancer?
A: Tobacco smoking ranks as the leading contributor worldwide. Infections such as HPV and H. pylori follow closely behind. Alcohol consumption also adds measurable risk. Lung, stomach, and cervical cancers account for nearly half of preventable cases globally, largely driven by these exposures.

Q: Why does body fat and metabolic health matter for cancer risk?
A: Excess body fat releases inflammatory chemicals that create a biological environment that supports tumor growth. Metabolic dysfunction also impairs mitochondrial function — your cells’ ability to produce energy efficiently. When your mitochondria can’t produce energy efficiently, your cells shift into a stressed, inflammatory state — and that’s precisely the environment where cancer cells thrive.

Q: How does diet influence cancer risk at the cellular level?
A: High intake of seed oils rich in LA and excess fat intake disrupt mitochondrial function and increase formation of toxic aldehydes that damage proteins, membranes and mitochondrial DNA. In contrast, balancing fat intake, prioritizing digestible carbohydrates and eliminating seed oils reduces metabolic stress and lowers inflammatory signaling.

Q: What practical steps reduce preventable cancer risk?
A: Stop smoking and eliminate alcohol. Remove seed oils to lower total LA intake. Maintain a balanced macronutrient profile with adequate carbohydrates and protein. Improve body composition through daily walking and moderate strength training rather than extreme dieting or overtraining. Address chronic infections and reduce exposure to environmental toxins whenever possible.

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

Which gut cell type ramps up serotonin output during a high-fat diet?

Enterochromaffin cells
Enterochromaffin cells generate most of the body’s serotonin, and high-fat diets push them into overproduction while reducing the serotonin transporter’s clearing capacity. Learn more.

Goblet cells
Paneth cells
Stem cells

You’ve done everything right — scheduled your prenatal vitamins, researched the best stroller, started that nursery registry. But a single blood test at 24 weeks reveals something you didn’t expect: gestational diabetes. What you don’t know yet is that the nonstick pan in your kitchen and the greaseproof wrapper from last week’s takeout may have tipped the scales.

In the U.S., nearly 1 in 10 pregnant women now receive this diagnosis, a figure that has climbed steadily over time and reshaped how pregnancy risk is understood.1 For years, the conversation centered on familiar explanations such as body weight, age, or family history.

However, large-scale research published in eClinicalMedicine points to an overlooked contributor that reaches far beyond personal health habits: widespread exposure to industrial chemicals that linger in the environment and the human body, namely per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).2

These compounds are not rare, not confined to specific jobs, and not limited to isolated communities. They show up in blood samples from nearly everyone. The key variable isn’t whether you’re exposed — it’s when during pregnancy that exposure occurs. Research published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth reveals pregnancy as an exquisitely vulnerable metabolic window, when even modest environmental pressures carry greater weight.3

Subtle disruptions that might pass unnoticed at other life stages take on new significance as the body adapts to support fetal growth. This shifts blame from willpower to water supply, from diet to industrial pollution.

It also raises an urgent question about how everyday chemical exposures interact with pregnancy biology — and why understanding those interactions is essential to protecting long-term metabolic health during pregnancy and in future generations.

Evidence Connects PFAS to Disrupted Blood Sugar Control During Pregnancy

The eClinicalMedicine study examined whether exposure to PFAS affects blood sugar control and diabetes risk, with a specific focus on pregnancy outcomes.4 Researchers systematically reviewed 129 human studies and ran formal meta-analyses using data from up to 111,544 participants, depending on the outcome measured. The goal was to move beyond single studies and see whether consistent patterns emerged across populations, countries, and study designs.

PFAS act as endocrine disruptors — they dock onto cellular receptors meant for natural hormones, sending scrambled signals that disrupt how your body stores fat, responds to insulin, and burns fuel for energy. The paper describes how PFAS activate pathways that regulate fat storage, insulin sensitivity, and energy balance. When these pathways get disrupted, cells burn fuel less efficiently and rely more heavily on insulin-driven control.

• Gestational diabetes showed the clearest and most consistent signal — Exposure to eight different PFAS was linked with higher odds of gestational diabetes, with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) showing a 13% increase in risk for each doubling of exposure. That means as PFAS levels rose, the likelihood of gestational diabetes rose in parallel. For someone planning a pregnancy, this translates into a measurable risk factor that sits completely outside diet or genetics.

• Insulin resistance increased alongside PFAS exposure — Several PFAS were also associated with higher HOMA-IR scores, a standard measure of insulin resistance that reflects how hard your body needs to work to keep blood sugar stable. Insulin resistance means cells stop responding properly to insulin, forcing your pancreas to push out more of it. The analysis found PFOS and another PFAS — PFNA — consistently raised HOMA-IR values in prospective studies.

In practical terms, if you’re planning pregnancy with elevated PFAS exposure, your cells are already struggling to use insulin before you conceive, setting up a metabolic collision when pregnancy hormones further reduce insulin sensitivity around week 20.

• The pancreas responded by overworking — The review also found higher HOMA-β scores linked to PFAS exposure, which signals increased insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. Early on, this looks like compensation, not failure.

The pancreas pushes harder to offset insulin resistance. Over time, that pattern leads to beta-cell exhaustion, a known pathway toward diabetes. This explains why PFAS do not just correlate with blood sugar issues but actively strain the system that regulates glucose.

• Fasting insulin levels rose even before glucose levels changed — Several PFAS were linked with higher fasting insulin in prospective studies, even when fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) — a blood test that reflects your average blood sugar level over the previous two to three months — stayed within normal ranges.

This detail matters because insulin rises first when metabolism breaks down. Blood sugar often looks “normal” until much later. The findings show PFAS exposure shifts metabolism in a hidden way long before standard labs flag a problem.

• Cellular stress and inflammation amplify the damage — PFAS increase oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling in metabolic tissues. Oxidative stress is cellular wear-and-tear caused by unstable molecules, while inflammation disrupts insulin signaling inside cells. Together, these processes make tissues less responsive to insulin, forcing the pancreas into overdrive and pushing the body closer to metabolic failure.

The review emphasizes that PFAS exposures are widespread, persistent, and cumulative. You can’t feel them, taste them, or detect them without testing. Yet the data show they influence insulin resistance, pancreatic workload, and pregnancy-related glucose control. But here’s the key nuance that changes how we think about prevention: PFAS don’t affect pregnancy uniformly. The same exposure has radically different effects depending on when it occurs.

Pregnancy Magnifies the Effects of Chemical Exposure

A study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth examined whether PFAS levels measured at different stages of pregnancy influenced gestational diabetes risk.5 Researchers measured blood PFAS levels in early pregnancy around 14 weeks and again in mid-pregnancy around 20 weeks.

Participants included Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, White, and Black participants, with a mix of first-time and experienced mothers. This diversity matters because PFAS exposure and metabolic risk differ across populations, making the findings more relevant to everyday pregnancies.

• PFAS increase gestational diabetes risk across pregnancy stages — Higher blood levels of certain PFAS were associated with higher gestational diabetes risk when measured in early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy, and across both time points combined. Risk rose by roughly 15% to 40%, depending on the compound and timing. This shows that repeated exposure, not just a single spike, drove risk upward.

• Timing affected risk for some compounds — Some PFAS did not raise risk in a straight line across pregnancy. PFOS was linked to higher gestational diabetes risk only in mid-pregnancy, not earlier, while another PFAS — PFUnDA — showed the opposite pattern, with lower risk early and higher risk later. This shows that pregnancy is not metabolically static — the same exposure can have very different effects depending on when it occurs, as hormone levels and insulin demands shift over time.

• Hormonal shifts during pregnancy amplify chemical effects — Mid-pregnancy brings rising insulin resistance driven by placental hormones. PFAS exposure during this window intensified that natural resistance, pushing glucose regulation past a breaking point.

These forces worsen glucose control precisely when pregnancy already demands metabolic flexibility. Translation: The contaminated water you drank in week 14 may affect your baby differently than the same water in week 20. This knowledge supports practical prevention strategies focused on reducing exposure before and during pregnancy rather than waiting for abnormal glucose tests to appear.

Steps to Reduce PFAS Exposure and Protect Against Gestational Diabetes

If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or supporting someone who is, this is where action matters most. The evidence shows PFAS exposure adds metabolic strain at the exact time your body already works harder to control blood sugar.

Addressing the source of that strain first lowers pressure on glucose regulation instead of reacting after problems show up. PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they resist breakdown in both the environment and your body. The average elimination half-life ranges from two to five years for common PFAS like PFOS and PFOA.

This means if you reduce exposure today, blood levels will drop by only 50% after two to five years. For women planning pregnancy, this timeline matters: starting PFAS reduction at least 12 months before conception allows blood levels to drop meaningfully before the metabolically vulnerable window of pregnancy begins. If you’re already pregnant, start reducing PFAS immediately — every reduction in ongoing exposure matters, even in trimester two or three.

1. Filter your drinking water to reduce daily PFAS intake — Many municipal water supplies contain PFAS from industrial runoff and firefighting foam contamination. Using a high-quality water filtration system designed to remove PFAS reduces a steady background source that accumulates over weeks and months.

2. Reduce contact with grease-resistant food packaging — PFAS are commonly used in fast-food wrappers, takeout boxes, microwave popcorn bags, and other oil-repellent materials. To cut your exposure, choose fresh foods over fast food and takeout, focusing instead on cooking meals at home. Avoid items packaged in grease-resistant paper, since this is a common source of PFAS.

3. Avoid nonstick cookware — Heat increases PFAS migration from nonstick surfaces into food. Cooking with safer materials like stainless steel limits direct transfer into meals, which is especially important during pregnancy when metabolic tolerance narrows.

4. Limit stain-resistant and water-repellent household products — Carpets, furniture, mattresses, and clothing labeled stain-resistant or waterproof often rely on PFAS chemistry. Choosing untreated natural materials and washing new textiles before use lowers ongoing skin contact and household dust exposure, which compounds over time.

5. Use a broader detox strategy that addresses multiple toxins at once — PFAS do not act alone. Some enter your body as hitchhikers on microplastics, which behave like sponges for environmental toxins.6 The universal detox solution detailed in my upcoming book, “Microplastics Cure,” is designed to address far more than plastic particles alone.

The same science-based strategies outlined in the book also support the removal of other persistent pollutants, including PFAS, by reducing overall toxic load and strengthening your body’s natural resilience.

“Microplastics Cure” provides a clear, science-based guide for navigating one of today’s most overlooked health challenges. Rather than dwelling on what can’t be avoided, it shows where meaningful change is possible and how small, informed choices reduce toxic burden. In a world where plastic and chemical exposure have become routine, this approach offers a practical path forward that puts control back in your hands.

6. Rebuild cellular energy to restore insulin sensitivity before pregnancy — Reducing PFAS exposure removes one driver of insulin resistance. But if your cellular energy production is already compromised — often from years of inadequate carbohydrate intake or seed oil damage — your glucose handling will struggle even with low PFAS levels. Both strategies work together: remove the external toxins while rebuilding internal metabolic capacity.

Gestational diabetes develops on a foundation of insulin resistance that often begins years earlier. Insulin allows glucose to enter your cells so it can be used for energy. When cells run low on fuel, that signal weakens and glucose stays in the bloodstream, forcing your body to release more insulin. Restoring cellular energy reverses this breakdown.

For most adults, that means adequate carbohydrates rather than restriction — roughly 250 grams per day — which supports thyroid function, metabolic rate, and stable glucose handling. Chronic carbohydrate restriction raises stress hormones and worsens insulin sensitivity over time. Removing seed oils is just as important.

Linoleic acid (LA) from soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and grapeseed oils disrupts mitochondrial energy production and interferes with insulin signaling. Your mitochondria are cellular power plants — when they function well, cells have ample energy and readily accept glucose.

When seed oils damage mitochondrial membranes, energy production drops, glucose builds up in your bloodstream, and insulin resistance follows. Eliminating packaged foods and restaurant meals cooked in seed oils, while using traditional fats like grass fed butter, ghee, or tallow, reduces metabolic strain and lowers the insulin demand placed on your body before pregnancy begins.

FAQs About PFAS and Gestational Diabetes

Q: What is gestational diabetes and why is it becoming more common?
A: Gestational diabetes occurs when blood sugar rises during pregnancy because the body can’t regulate glucose effectively under increased metabolic demand. In the U.S., it now affects nearly 1 in 10 pregnancies, a rise linked not only to traditional factors like age or weight, but also to environmental exposures that interfere with normal glucose control.

Q: How are PFAS connected to gestational diabetes risk?
A: Large-scale research shows that higher exposure to PFAS aligns with higher odds of gestational diabetes. These chemicals interfere with hormone signaling involved in metabolism, increase insulin resistance, and force your pancreas to work harder to keep blood sugar stable, even before standard lab tests show abnormalities.

Q: Why does the timing of PFAS exposure during pregnancy matter?
A: Pregnancy is a biologically sensitive window. Studies measuring PFAS in early and mid-pregnancy show that risk changes depending on when exposure occurs. Hormonal shifts during mid-pregnancy naturally increase insulin resistance, and PFAS exposure during this period adds extra metabolic strain, pushing glucose regulation past a tipping point.

Q: How can PFAS exposure be reduced during pregnancy or before conception?
A: Key steps include filtering drinking water, limiting contact with grease-resistant food packaging, avoiding nonstick cookware, and reducing use of stain-resistant or water-repellent household products. These changes lower daily exposure to PFAS, which are widespread, persistent, and accumulate over time.

Q: Why is improving insulin sensitivity before pregnancy important?
A: Gestational diabetes often develops on a foundation of insulin resistance that builds for years. Supporting cellular energy production, eating adequate carbohydrates, and removing seed oils that disrupt mitochondrial function strengthen glucose handling before pregnancy begins. Addressing these root causes early reduces metabolic strain during pregnancy and lowers long-term risks for both mother and child.