Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Dental amalgam is approximately 50% mercury by weight, and it releases a vapor that can be inhaled and absorbed, with children's developing neurological systems potentially more sensitive to its effects
Since 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised dentists to avoid mercury fillings in children under 6 and other higher-risk patients, but the recommendation carries no obligation and no penalty for ignoring it
Access to mercury-free care remains unequal, with low-income children, children of color, indigenous communities, Medicaid patients, service members, and institutionalized people often having fewer choices about the materials used
Forty-six countries have banned amalgam by law, the European Union (EU) barred it for children under 15 in 2018, and the Minamata Convention set December 31, 2034 as the global end date
Consumers for Dental Choice is leading the effort to end amalgam use in children, and I will match every donation dollar for dollar through August 22, 2026, up to $150,000

The supplement aisle runs on a single promise — that bigger numbers are better — but past a point, "more" stops translating into more that your body actually keeps
The neon-yellow urine after a big multivitamin is mostly riboflavin passing straight through; it's a daily receipt for the part you paid for and didn't absorb
Absorption is dose-dependent: the fraction your body takes up tends to fall as the dose climbs, so doubling the dose doesn't double what reaches your cells
With some nutrients the body actively limits how much it admits at once, so how and when you take a supplement can matter as much as the amount
The form a nutrient comes in can change how much you absorb, which is why the delivery method often matters more than how much you take

Chronic kidney disease affects 844 million people worldwide, yet women are less likely than men to be tested, diagnosed, referred to specialists, or receive treatments that have been adequately studied in female patients
Up to 30% to 50% of chronic kidney disease cases go undiagnosed in high-income countries, and women are up to twice as likely as white men to remain undiagnosed even when kidney damage is present
Women account for about 55% of the global chronic kidney disease population but represented only 45.4% of participants in kidney disease clinical trials, creating major gaps in knowledge about how treatments affect women
Social and economic factors, including caregiving responsibilities, financial barriers, and delayed access to specialist care, contribute to poorer kidney disease outcomes for many women as the condition progresses
Protecting kidney health includes addressing contributing factors, such as high blood pressure, poor mineral balance, vitamin D deficiency, physical inactivity, and ultraprocessed food consumption, while using routine blood and urine testing to detect problems before permanent damage occurs

August 16 through 22, 2026, we celebrate our 16th Mercury-Free Dentistry Week. Consumers for Dental Choice has engineered a tectonic shift in dentistry — modern dentists no longer place mercury-based dental fillings (amalgam) — and aware consumers shun them Unlike a decade ago, neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor the World Health Organization defends amalgam, and major dental products companies have stopped making it
During the last 16 years, I have watched my friend Charlie Brown, executive director for Consumers for Dental Choice, build a powerhouse national and international force that is changing dentistry 180-degrees, from mercury-based to mercury-free
In early February 2026, the U.S. Indian Health Service announced it will "end the use of mercury-containing dental amalgam in its facilities by 2027, transitioning to mercury-free restorative materials across IHS and tribal dental program"
In July 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent a notification urging – but not requiring – all state Medicaid directors to phase out the use of mercury-containing dental fillings by restricting or ending their state's Medicaid coverage for amalgam
But the fight is far from over. Amalgam is still routinely used in government programs serving our military, the institutionalized, and low-income families. To end this morally unacceptable system of choice for the rich and mercury for the poor, once again I put my money where my mouth is. Until midnight on August 22, 2026, I will match your gift to Consumers for Dental Choice, dollar for dollar. I'm all in with this cause and ask you to join me!

Microplastics and nanoplastics are now found in food, water, and air, and research suggests they accumulate in organs such as the liver, pancreas, kidneys, and brain. Laboratory and animal studies indicate they may contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance in these areas
The same biological changes linked to microplastic exposure are also associated with Type 2 diabetes, including impaired blood sugar control, disrupted gut bacteria, and metabolic dysfunction that develops long before symptoms appear
In animal studies, nanoplastics, which are microscopic, crossed the blood-brain barrier, where they triggered inflammation, interfered with how brain cells use glucose for energy, and contributed to memory and learning problems associated with cognitive decline
Your body has a built-in defense system called Nrf2 that helps neutralize oxidative stress and repair cellular damage, and many nutrients found in colorful fruits, herbs, spices, and other plant foods help activate this protective pathway
While eliminating all microplastic exposure is no longer realistic, reducing everyday plastic use, supporting healthy metabolism, tracking HOMA-IR, and eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich whole foods help strengthen your body's resilience against plastic-related damage