Why the Obesity Trend Continues to Climb Unabated in the U.S.

By Dr. Mercola

Last year, an analysis revealed that more than half of the world's obese people congregate in 10 countries: United States, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

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Madu dan Kayu Manis - siapa pernah terfikir?

Madu merupakan satu-satunya makanan atas muka bumi yang tidak akan basi mahupun rosak. Apa yang terjadi hanyalah ianya ''bertukar jadi gula''. Realiti sebenarnya, madu tetap madu.Bagaimanapun, bila ditinggalkan di tempat yang gelap dan sejuk pada waktu yang lama ianya akan men''hablur'' atau kristallized.

Obesity May Speed Aging of the Liver

By Dr. Mercola

Obesity is associated with a significant number of health problems, including insulin resistance, cancer, and others, and now researchers may have uncovered a reason why. While most of your tissues and organs age at the same rate, certain factors may cause aging to accelerate.

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The Link Between Obesity and Cancer

By Dr. Mercola

Obesity is a frequently overlooked factor that can contribute to an increased cancer risk, yet less than 10 percent of Americans are aware of this link.1 According to the National Cancer Institute,2 an estimated 84,000 annual cancer cases are linked to obesity.

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Inspiring: Man Loses 125+ Pounds with Hiking and Vegetables

If you’ve ever lost weight, you know how good it feels when people start to notice your hard work paying off. But when that weight loss involves more than 100 pounds, the response can be overwhelming, as Emil Oprisa of Austria is discovering.

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Cereal Killers—The Movie

By Dr. Mercola

The persistent myth that dietary fat causes obesity and promotes heart disease has undoubtedly ruined the health of millions of people. It's difficult to know just how many people have succumbed to chronic poor health from following conventional low-fat, high-carb recommendations, but I'm sure the number is significant.

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The Health Benefits of Cranberries

Cranberries are tart little globes of goodness that have been used for food, medicine, and even dyes for centuries. They are considered by many to be a superfood and are loaded with high nutrient and antioxidant content. In other words, they worth-while health boosters. Right now, cranberries are in season. So, if you’re looking for a reason to indulge in these sour berries, check out these health benefits of cranberries.

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Obesity Epidemic Goes Global: One-in-Three Is Now Overweight or Obese

By Dr. Mercola

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 110,000 Americans die as a result of obesity each year, and that one-third of all cancers are directly related to excess weight.

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7 Nasty Effects of BPA – The Plastic Chemical

Bisphenol a (BPA) is the widely used chemical found in many plastics, food can linings, and even on US dollars and receipts. Known as an endocrine-disrupting chemical that mimics the hormone estrogen, BPA has been linked to numerous negative health effects in countless studies. The worst part? While the Food and Drug Administration considered banning the chemical in March of 2012, the ban was denied, and BPA continues to be ubiquitous. So what exactly does mean? It means the entire U.S. is still subjected to the chemical’s negative effects. >

Unplug! Too Much Light at Night May Lead to Depression

By Dr. Mercola

When you climb into bed for the night, is your bedroom “littered” with dim light from streetlights, passing traffic, a computer, night-light or television set?

Even if the light is so dim that you can easily sleep through it, light pollution can prompt biological changes that have a very significant, and potentially serious, impact on your physical and mental health.

Obvious examples would be the glow that can be seen from miles outside of a big city, or the absence of stars in the night sky if you live in an urban environment.

More subtle examples of light pollution are the strips of light that come in around your curtains at night, or even the glow from your clock radio.

All of these light sources disrupt the natural rhythms of nature, as like most other creatures, humans need darkness. When this natural rule is violated, the consequences can be steep …

Dim Light at Night May Lead to Depression

A study done with hamsters at Ohio State University Medical Center has found that chronic exposure to dim light at night can cause signs of depression after just a few weeks.1 The study also showed changes in the hamsters’ hippocampus similar to brain changes seen in depressed people. They pointed out that rates of depression have risen along with exposure to artificial light at night:

“Exposure to artificial light at night (LAN) has surged in prevalence during the past 50 years, coinciding with rising rates of depression.”

The link could be due to the production of the hormone melatonin, which is interrupted when you’re exposed to light at night. There are many studies that suggest melatonin levels (and by proxy light exposures) control mood-related symptoms, such as those associated with depression -- especially winter depression (aka, seasonal affective disorder, or SAD).

In a study published by researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), it was found that melatonin relieved SAD.2 The study found insomniacs have a circadian misalignment in which they are “out of phase” with natural sleeping times.

This misalignment can be corrected either by exposure to bright lights (during daylight hours), or by taking a melatonin supplement at a certain time of day. While your body will begin to produce melatonin only after it’s dark outside, the level of melatonin produced is related to the amount of exposure you have had to bright sunshine the previous day; the less bright light exposure the lower your melatonin levels.

Yet another study about melatonin and circadian phase misalignment found a correlation between circadian misalignment and severity of depression symptoms.3

Studies have also linked low melatonin levels to depression in a variety of populations, including multiple sclerosis patients4 and post-menopausal women.5 Clearly, anything that negatively effects melatonin production is likely to have a detrimental effect on your mood. Melatonin’s immediate precursor is the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is a major player in uplifting your mood.

Too Much Light at Night May Also Contribute to Cancer

Normally, your brain starts secreting melatonin around 9 or 10 pm, which makes you sleepy. These regularly occurring secretions thus help regulate your sleep cycle.

The good news is the condition appears to be reversible by simply going back to regular light-dark cycles and minimizing exposure to artificial light at night. But when light receptors in your eyes are triggered, such as by the glow from your television set, they signal your brain to 'stay awake.' To do that, your brain stops secreting melatonin, which is not only a hormone but also a potent antioxidant against cancer.

Melatonin is secreted primarily in your brain and at night it triggers a host of biochemical activities, including a nocturnal reduction in your body's estrogen levels. It’s thought that chronically decreasing your melatonin production at night -- as occurs when you’re exposed to nighttime light – thereby allows your body to be exposed to higher estrogen levels, which increases your risk of developing estrogen-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer.6 >

More to read:-

• Turn Out the Light! It May Be Making You Moody