Sunlight

now browsing by category

Posted by: admin | Posted on: September 17, 2026

Brighter Daytime Light Is Linked to a Lower Dementia Risk

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/09/17/brighter-daytime-light.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph MercolaS eptember 17, 2026

Story at-a-glance

Research suggests that spending more time in bright daytime light was linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, with measurable brightness targets that are often reached outdoors. However, the researchers caution these thresholds may not transfer directly to other populations
In the study’s machine-learning analysis, bright daytime light ranked as a stronger predictor of future dementia risk than several familiar factors, including alcohol consumption, obesity, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injury
The strongest association between brighter daytime light and lower dementia risk was found in people already at higher risk, including those with an evening chronotype and people who carry the APOE4 gene variant
Research suggests sunlight supports your body in ways that extend beyond vitamin D, influencing compounds involved in circulation, mood, sleep, immune function, and your body’s natural daily rhythm
Building simple habits such as spending time outdoors in the morning, taking daylight breaks during the day, and reducing dependence on dim indoor lighting may be a practical way to support long-term brain health

Dementia is characterized by progressive loss of memory, thinking, judgment, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks. This means the brain gradually loses the ability to process information normally, making familiar conversations, appointments, and even simple daily routines increasingly difficult. In advanced stages, it can lead to dependence on others for daily care, which is exactly why the modifiable factors discussed in the featured research below are worth your attention.

Yet research points to a surprisingly simple factor tied to your future brain health — the amount of bright light you receive during the day.

A large prospective cohort study of 87,577 U.K. Biobank adults (with an average age of 62.36 years) followed participants for a 8.1 years after measuring their daily bright-light exposure with wrist-worn devices for seven days, and found a consistent pattern linking brighter days to lower dementia risk.¹

The associations held across the study’s adjusted models, and the specific brightness targets the researchers identified give you something more concrete to aim for than vague advice to simply “get outside more.” However, keep in mind that the effect sizes were modest and the design was observational, so the study shows association rather than cause.

Meanwhile, decades of research show that sunlight does much more than support vitamin D production. Natural daylight also appears to influence your internal body clock, blood vessel function, circulation, mood, and sleep — systems that research links to brain health as you age. This matters because modern life keeps so many of us indoors beneath artificial lighting that rarely approaches the brightness found outdoors.

Researchers Identified Specific Daylight Targets Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

For the General Psychiatry study, investigators wanted to determine whether the amount of bright light received during an ordinary day influences long-term dementia risk. They equipped dementia-free adults with wrist-worn devices that continuously measured light exposure for seven days.

The participants, whose average age was just over 62, were then followed for a median of 8.1 years. During that time, 741 people developed dementia. Because the study used objective measurements rather than personal estimates, the findings provide a more reliable picture than self-report studies — though the authors note that wrist-worn sensors are only a coarse representation for the light actually reaching your eyes.

• Brighter daytime light was consistently linked to lower dementia risk — People whose average daytime light exposure exceeded 1,000 lux, roughly the brightness near a sunny window or outdoors on an overcast day (a practical comparison rather than a figure reported in the study), had a 16% lower risk of developing dementia than those who remained below that level, even after researchers adjusted for age, education, physical activity, smoking, diet, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, hearing loss, and other important risk factors.

Researchers also identified practical brightness targets. Spending more than 1.4 hours each day above 3,000 lux, more than 0.7 hours above 5,000 lux, or more than 0.45 hours above 7,000 lux was each associated with roughly 17% to 18% lower dementia risk than shorter exposure times. One caveat worth knowing: The wrist sensors used in this study had an approximately linear response only up to about 5,500 lux, so the 7,000-lux threshold should be read with more caution than the lower two.

• The greatest reductions appeared in people who already faced higher risk — The strongest protective associations were found among individuals exposed to higher nighttime light levels, people with an evening chronotype — meaning they naturally prefer later bedtimes and wake times — and those who carry the APOE4 gene variant, one of the strongest inherited risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.

Depending on the group and the amount of daytime light received, brighter daytime light was associated with a 19% to 41% lower dementia risk. Researchers also found that the relationship between brighter daytime light and lower dementia risk remained consistent across different ages and between men and women, though they caution that the U.K.

Biobank cohort is healthier and less socioeconomically deprived than the general population, which limits how broadly the risk estimates translate to real life application.

• Daytime light outperformed several familiar dementia predictors — Using a single machine-learning model (XGBoost), researchers compared four daytime light measurements with 15 established dementia risk factors using the SHapley Additive exPlanations method.

Spending less than 0.70 hours each day above 5,000 lux ranked 10th of the 19 factors examined — a stronger predictor than alcohol consumption, obesity, air pollution, vitamin D supplement use, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injury. That doesn’t mean those factors are unimportant.

Instead, it highlights that daytime light has received far less attention than its predictive value deserves. Unlike many health markers that require laboratory testing, light exposure is also easy to measure with wearable devices, making it a practical way to identify people whose future dementia risk warrants closer attention.

• Healthier daily body rhythms explained part of the association — Researchers investigated whether brighter daytime light supported the body’s internal 24-hour timing system, known as circadian rest-activity rhythms. This system controls your sleep-wake cycle, hormone release, alertness, and many other biological functions.

Their analyses suggested these rhythms explained roughly 6% to 33% of the relationship between brighter daytime light and lower dementia risk, although these rest-activity mediation effects were no longer statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons, so the authors classify them as exploratory. These results suggest that a stronger daily rhythm may be one pathway through which brighter daylight relates to long-term brain health.

•The benefits extended beyond vitamin D alone — Brain imaging showed that brighter daytime light was associated with healthier characteristics in several brain regions. The clearest of these findings involved the fusiform cortex — an area that helps recognize faces and process complex visual information — which mediated about 9% of the association. It was also the only brain-structure mediator to survive correction for multiple comparisons.

Researchers also examined whether vitamin D explained the relationship between daylight and dementia but found no significant mediation effect. That finding suggests bright daytime light may influence brain health through pathways beyond raising vitamin D levels, though the study did not identify which ones.

If vitamin D alone doesn’t account for what the researchers observed, the question becomes which biological pathways do, and decades of research point to a set of responses that begin the moment sunlight reaches your body.

Sunlight Starts Powerful Biological Processes Beyond Vitamin D

Daylight is more than a vitamin D delivery system. It acts as an environmental signal that research links to circulation, hormone release, immune activity, sleep quality, and cellular energy production. An analysis by A Midwestern Doctor argues that modern indoor living has separated many people from the level of natural light the human body evolved to receive, making sunlight an often-overlooked part of overall health.²

• Your body creates compounds that supplements don’t provide — Ultraviolet light does much more than start vitamin D production. As sunlight reaches your skin, it also produces photoproducts such as lumisterol and tachysterol, which researchers continue to investigate for their biological roles.³

Research by Dr. Michael Holick suggests that sunlight stimulates the production of compounds that may support immune function, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being. He has also reported that vitamin D produced in your skin remains in your bloodstream two to three times longer than vitamin D taken by mouth because nearly all of it binds to transport proteins, whereas only about 60% of supplemental vitamin D does.⁴

• Sunlight includes its own built-in safety system — According to Holick, your body naturally limits vitamin D production during sun exposure. Once enough vitamin D precursor forms in your skin, continued ultraviolet exposure converts additional precursor into other photoproducts instead of endlessly producing vitamin D.

As he explains, “Mother Nature designed us” with a self-regulating system that prevents excessive vitamin D production through ordinary sun exposure. This differs from supplements, where excessively high doses can raise vitamin D levels beyond the body’s normal regulatory process.⁵

• Natural daylight is linked to better circulation throughout your body — One of the fastest responses described in the article involves nitric oxide, a signaling molecule released from your skin almost immediately after sun exposure. Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels, allowing blood to move more freely throughout your body. Holick explains that sunlight “immediately release[s] nitric oxide” while also stimulating additional nitric oxide production, extending that effect.

Research also suggests sunlight supports cholesterol sulfate production and healthy fluid movement through tissues.⁶ For example, In a 20-year study of 29,518 Swedish women, those who avoided the sun had roughly 1.6 times the all-cause mortality of women with the highest sun exposure, and nonsmoking sun-avoiders had a life expectancy similar to smokers who got the most sun. The study was observational, so it cannot establish cause.⁷*

• Morning daylight helps set your body clock, mood, and sleep — Sunlight influences “clock genes” and “period genes,” which synchronize your body’s internal timing system.⁸ A well-aligned daily rhythm supports daytime alertness and deeper sleep at night.

Ultraviolet light also appears to stimulate beta-endorphins, your body’s natural mood-supporting chemicals, which researchers have proposed as one reason many people feel calmer and happier after spending time outdoors.⁹ Artificial indoor lighting doesn’t provide the full range of wavelengths found in natural sunlight, leaving your body without many of the biological signals that evolved alongside daylight exposure.

• Scientists continue to investigate how light communicates with your cells — Historical work by Alexander Gurwitsch proposed that living cells emit extremely faint ultraviolet light, sometimes called mitogenic radiation or biophotons, as part of cellular communication during growth and repair.¹⁰

Observations by A Midwestern Doctor also suggest blood and other tissues conduct light energy throughout the body, offering one explanation for why light exposure sometimes produces widespread effects instead of remaining limited to the skin. These concepts extend beyond established mainstream scientific consensus and remain areas of ongoing investigation, but together they reinforce the notion that sunlight influences far more than vitamin D production alone.

*These findings are from research conducted in clinical settings. Results may not apply to all individuals.

Increase Your Daily Bright Light Exposure for Optimal Health

One of the practical takeaways from the featured research is that your daily light environment may matter more than it seems. Bright daytime light isn’t a luxury. It’s a biological signal involved in many of the systems that research associates with long-term brain health. The good news is that this is one area where small, consistent habits add up. Instead of waiting until memory problems appear, you have the opportunity to build a daily routine that supports your brain now.

1. Make bright natural light part of your morning routine — If you spend most of your day indoors, start by stepping outside shortly after you wake up. Eat breakfast on a patio, walk the dog, take a short walk, or simply sit outside while you drink your coffee. If your schedule allows, build additional outdoor time into the middle of your day. The goal is to spend meaningful time in bright natural daylight instead of relying on dim indoor lighting from morning until evening.

2. Spend less of your day under dim indoor lighting — Many homes and offices provide only a fraction of the brightness found outdoors. If you work inside, move closer to windows whenever possible and take brief outdoor breaks throughout the day. Even a few scheduled daylight breaks are easier to maintain than trying to spend several uninterrupted hours outside. Each break adds to your daily bright-light total.

3. Protect your body’s natural daily rhythm — Your body clock appears to work best when it receives a strong contrast between bright days and dark nights. Flood your mornings with bright light, then dial down artificial light after sunset, especially overhead light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and screens, which are heavy in the blue wavelengths that delay sleep.

If you’re an evening person or work indoors most of the day, staying consistent with daytime light becomes even more important because the research found some of the strongest associations in higher-risk groups.

4. Support sunlight instead of trying to replace it — Whole-body sun exposure appears to offer benefits that extend beyond vitamin D alone. According to the research discussed earlier, sunlight also stimulates nitric oxide and other biologically active compounds that may influence circulation, mood, and your internal body clock.

Aim for regular, sensible sun exposure whenever conditions allow. If you still consume significant amounts of seed oils, such as corn, soybean, safflower, or canola oils, and other sources of linoleic acid (LA), avoid intense midday sun exposure (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) until you have reduced those foods for four to six months, then begin building up your exposure around solar noon.

This is because LA is a polyunsaturated fat that oxidizes easily, accumulates in your skin, and may increase your susceptibility to sunburn and skin damage. During that transition, build your sun exposure gradually. If your vitamin D level is low, I recommend working toward a blood level between 60 and 80 nanograms per milliliter (150 to 200 nanomoles per liter), with sunlight as your primary source whenever practical.

Talk to your health care provider about whether this testing is appropriate for you.

5. Support cellular energy every day — Bright light is most useful as part of a lifestyle that supports mitochondrial function. Eat enough carbohydrates to maintain healthy energy production instead of relying on very-low-carbohydrate eating patterns. For most adults, that means roughly 250 grams of targeted carbohydrates daily, adjusted upward if you’re very active.

Choose whole fruit and white rice first, followed by root vegetables and other minimally processed carbohydrate sources that fit your digestive tolerance.

Keep protein at about 0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound (1.32 to 1.76 grams per kilogram) of your ideal body weight, with roughly one-third coming from collagen-rich foods. Eliminate seed oils whenever possible and prepare food with tallow, ghee, or grass fed butter instead.

Pair those nutrition habits with regular movement to support the circadian and cellular-energy systems discussed above. To be clear, the dementia study measured light exposure only — it did not test diet or exercise as interventions.

FAQs About Daytime Light Exposure and Dementia

Q: What did the study find about daytime light and dementia risk?

A: The study found that people who received more bright light during the day had a lower risk of developing dementia over the next eight years. Those whose average daytime light exposure exceeded 1,000 lux had a 16% lower dementia risk than those exposed to dimmer light.

Q: Why does bright daylight benefit my brain beyond vitamin D?

A: Bright daylight does much more than help your body produce vitamin D. The featured research indicates that sunlight also stimulates nitric oxide and other biologically active compounds involved in circulation, mood, sleep, immune function, and your body’s internal clock. In the dementia study, vitamin D did not explain the association between daytime light and dementia risk, which suggests other pathways are involved. However, the study did not identify which ones.

Q: How much bright light should I aim for each day?

A: The research suggests aiming for regular exposure to bright natural daylight throughout the day rather than remaining indoors under dim artificial lighting. Practical targets included more than 1.4 hours above 3,000 lux, more than 0.7 hours above 5,000 lux, or more than 0.45 hours above 7,000 lux. Those light levels are often reached outdoors, though the researchers caution that the specific thresholds may not transfer directly to other populations.

Q: Who appeared to benefit the most from brighter daytime light?

A: The strongest associations were seen in people already considered at higher risk for dementia, including those with an evening chronotype, individuals exposed to higher nighttime light levels, and people who carry the APOE4 gene variant. Depending on the group, brighter daytime light was associated with a 19% to 41% lower dementia risk.

Q: What are the simplest ways to increase my daytime light exposure?

A: Build bright daylight into your daily routine. Step outside shortly after waking, eat breakfast outdoors when possible, take walks during the day, work near windows, and schedule short outdoor breaks instead of spending the entire day under indoor lighting. Pair regular sunlight with healthy eating, movement, and good sleep habits to support long-term brain health.

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

– Sources and References

Posted in Dementia, Sunlight | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: July 25, 2026

The Role of Sun Exposure in Optimizing Your Cellular Health

Reproduced from original article:
“https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/07/25/sun-exposure-cellular-health.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola July 25, 2026

Story at-a-glance

Just like plants, you need sunlight to thrive, as there’s a biological mechanism in your body that transforms sunlight into cellular energy
When the sun’s rays touch your skin, your body captures the red and near-infrared light and converts them into electrons. Your body then uses these electrons to feed the electron transport chain and create ATP in your mitochondria
Reductive stress is a biological mechanism that could be hampering your ability to create sufficient cellular energy. If going out in the sun makes you feel worse, you may need to first resolve reductive stress in your body
Grounding to the earth and using methylene blue can help get rid of the excessive electrons that have accumulated in your mitochondria. However, it is crucial to address the root causes of reductive stress
Beyond vitamin D production, sunlight exposure helps optimize melatonin production and anchors the circadian rhythm for better sleep, making it a crucial but underrated factor in overall health maintenance

The role of sun exposure for your well-being is a topic that’s close to my heart, and for more than two decades it’s one of the top recommendations that I stand firm on. One of the benefits, of course, is that it allows you to optimize your vitamin D levels — however, the benefits far surpass that, as it actually awakens the essence of your biology.

In this podcast, I go into the details on why getting optimal sun exposure is one of the cornerstones of health, particularly the role it plays in optimizing your cellular energy. I encourage you to listen to it in its entirety as it will help you understand this groundbreaking information that will help you reach optimal health.

Just Like Plants, You Cannot Thrive Without Sunlight

There’s no question that the sun powers every form of life on the planet. Plants, for example, cannot survive without sunlight, as they need it for photosynthesis. When the sun’s rays shine on a plant, the electrons in the chloroplasts, a sac-like organelle that contains chlorophyll molecules, convert the solar energy to structural energy in the form of glucose. This then fuels the biological processes in the plant.

You, on the other hand, mostly rely on the foods you eat as an energy source. Take note that I said “mostly,” because did you know that you also have the capacity to use sunlight to produce cellular energy?

In low light, a plant can survive for a time. However, it will not thrive — its leaves will not become green and lush, it will not produce beautiful flowers, and its growth will be stunted. The same can happen to humans. You cannot reach your full health potential unless you’re getting regular sun exposure.

There is one caveat to this, however. If you’ve been eating a diet high in vegetable oils or seed oils, you need to approach sun exposure with caution, as these oils increase your risk of sunburn. That’s why I recommend avoiding high-intensity sun exposure unless you’ve been off these oils for at least four to six months. I’ll explain why further below.

Sunlight Is the Unrecognized Nutrient You Cannot Live Without

Just like plants, you need sunlight to thrive, as there’s a biological mechanism in your body that transforms sunlight into cellular energy. I’m actually in the process of doing some experiments and have set up a mitochondrial research lab to study this theory more closely.

But basically, here’s how it works — your body, when exposed to the sun, collects electrons from solar energy that are used for mitochondrial energy production. This is why failing to get enough sun exposure can have severe consequences for your health.

Your body primarily gets its energy from the foods you eat. When you digest food in your intestine, it is ultimately metabolized to tiny molecules called acetyl-Coenzyme A.

As acetyl-Coenzyme A enters the mitochondria and goes through the Krebs cycle, it is converted into electrons, which are then carried by NADH and FADH2 into the electron transport chain (ETC). This final stage of cellular respiration is where the electrons are transformed by your body into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — the fuel on which your body runs. To help you understand, here’s an illustration of how cellular energy is created.

Your Cellular Health Also Relies on Sun Exposure

In the case of sun exposure, when the sun’s rays touch your skin, your body captures the red and near-infrared light and converts them into electrons. Your body then uses these electrons to feed the ETC and create ATP in your mitochondria.

A single electron transport chain can produce 100 ATPs per second. Considering that every single mitochondrion contains 100,000 electron chains, that means you’re producing 10 million ATP molecules per second.

And when you multiply that by 40 quadrillion — that’s the number of mitochondria you have in your body — that means you’re producing 400 million quadrillion ATPs per second.

If you’re optimally healthy, then typically you’re producing enough ATP per day to fuel all the cellular functions of your entire body. But if you’re not creating enough ATPs, then you won’t have enough cellular energy for all processes. The result? Some “nonessential” processes are then downregulated to conserve energy. The available fuel goes to essential life-preserving processes and little else.

Not only will you feel miserable and experience fatigue as a result of this, but it will also put you at high risk of basically every chronic degenerative disease known to man today, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. That’s why I call this my unified theory of cellular health.

This is why you need sunlight. Although it follows a different yet equally complex series of steps as when you use energy from food, it ultimately leads to the same result — the transfer of electrons into the ETC of your mitochondria, which boosts your cellular health.

To help you better understand the difference between how your body creates cellular energy from your food versus from the sun and the complex steps involved, I created the 2-D illustration below.

Most People Hide from the Sun

Getting enough sun exposure is one of the most beneficial yet underrated strategies to help achieve optimal health. Apart from exposing you to beneficial red and near-infrared light that contributes to cellular energy production and other health benefits, it also helps optimize your vitamin D levels and melatonin production, which helps anchor your circadian rhythm to help you better sleep at night.

Unfortunately, a significant portion of the population isn’t getting enough sun exposure. According to a survey published in Medium,¹ 58.8% of Americans say they spend one hour or less outdoors daily, while one-third are only getting 30 minutes of outdoor time, or less. Women and young adults in particular spend more time indoors.

The Keys to Safer Sun Exposure

There’s no doubt that spending time outdoors in bright sunlight is one of the fundamental strategies to regain and maintain your health, so whenever you have an opportunity to go outdoors, do it. It is really important for you to get your one hour of sun exposure around solar noon (12 noon, or 1 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time) to reap the maximum solar benefits.

Wear as little clothing as possible to expose large areas of your skin. Consider doing outdoor activities as well, such as walking or engaging in a regular exercise routine. However, as mentioned earlier, it’s important to avoid high-intensity sun exposure until you’ve been off seed oils for about six months, as these oils significantly raise your risk of sunburn.

These oils are rich in linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fat that is highly prone to oxidation when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. When sunlight interacts with skin containing these oils, it causes the oils to break down, leading to inflammation and DNA damage.

So, while you’re reducing vegetable oils in your diet, temporarily avoid peak sunlight hours, which are typically an hour before and after solar noon. In most of the U.S. during summer, this means staying out of direct sun from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time, or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Standard Time.

Over time, as your body detoxes the accumulated seed oils, you can gradually increase your time in the sun. Eventually, you will be able to enjoy an hour or more of peak sunlight hours.

The Importance of Addressing Reductive Stress

I’ve been practicing medicine for four decades now, and back when I still used to see patients, I’ve encountered those who say that when they go out in the sun, they end up feeling worse, as if their body is warning them to stop doing what they’re doing and get out of the sun.

The fact is that your body will never lie to you. If it’s telling you to get out of the sun, then there could be something else you need to pay attention to. So, if you experience this paradox, then it boils down to resolving reductive stress — this biological mechanism could be hampering your ability to create sufficient cellular energy.

Reductive stress, to put it simply, means you have too many electrons backed up in your electron transport chain in your mitochondria. In my interview with molecular biologist Brad Marshall, he explains:

“The calories in food are just electrons between the carbon and the hydrocarbon bonds … Those electrons between the carbon and the hydrogen, that’s where the energy is. And so, we have these systems where the electrons flow through the cell, and we use that electron flow to create ATP, and the ATP moves our body.

The electrons move on electron carriers, which are things like NAD. NAD, when it has electrons, is NADH, and when it loses the electrons, it’s NAD+. You want a balance of NAD+ and NADH. Then the electron flow works.

What happens is, we get too many electrons in the system. We get too many NADH and not enough NAD+. And that can happen because we’re allowing too much fuel into the system. That’s usually why it happens. To use an analogy, cars used to have carburetors. A carburetor takes in fuel and air and mixes the fuel and the air together.”

When there’s a surplus of electrons in your body, it can clog up the series of complexes that are occurring in your electron transport chain. Think of it like pouring a liquid from a big bottle into a small funnel — if there’s too much and you pour too quickly, it will overflow and spill, becoming unusable.

Reductive stress can cause damage, as the surplus of electrons prevent the ETC from transferring them down to Complex IV and they prematurely combine with oxygen to create reactive oxygen species.

Reductive stress also slows down your metabolism and energy production. It’s like your body’s systems are overwhelmed with energy they can’t properly use, which leads to decreased efficiency and damage over time. Molecular biology can be complicated, so I encourage you to watch my interview with Marshall to get a better understanding of this topic.

Grounding Can Help Address Reductive Stress

Addressing reductive stress means getting rid of the excess electrons that have accumulated in your mitochondria as a result of your inability to create sufficient cellular energy. Fortunately, there are two methods you can use that I highly recommend. One is being connected to the earth.

Have you ever tried walking on a carpet in a low-humidity environment, such as during a cold winter morning, then touching a metal doorknob? You’ll get an electric shock. But contrary to common belief, it’s not the electrons coming from the doorknob into your hand; rather, it’s the other way around.

The reductive stress that you built out is grounded to that doorknob because the humidity is low and not acting as an insulation. So, when your finger connects to the metal, you discharge the electrons as a spark. This can be surprising, but it’s a good thing, as you’re releasing your surplus of electrons and not slowing down your mitochondrial energy production.

Another way for you to release your surplus of electrons is by grounding — this is basically being electrically reconnected to the earth’s surface. You can do this by walking barefoot, lying on the ground, or being submerged in water.

However, if you live in North America, as I do, then grounding may not do you much good, as you’re being exposed to “dirty electricity” brought about by distortions of high voltage transients in the electricity supplied to homes and buildings. Modern electronic devices are the main reason why these distortions occur. So, if you do grounding, you may discharge your surplus of electrons but you’re also gaining unhealthy frequencies from the earth.

There are a couple of exceptions, though — if you live in a really remote area and if you ground to the ocean. In mountain areas where there’s no power and the nearest substation is miles away, the ground is most likely healthy and you can connect to the earth there.

As for the ocean, it is such a massive sink that it will accept those electrons. Aside from having salt, which is a good conductor, it gives you a continuous and stable connection to the earth’s natural electrical state, allowing an efficient transfer of surplus electrons in your ETC back to the earth.

Using Methylene Blue

I don’t particularly recommend resorting to drugs, but I believe methylene blue, said to be the oldest drug in existence today, can be a great alternative to grounding in helping you create enough cellular energy. Developed in 1876 by German chemist Heinrich Caro,² it is the first synthesized drug and has a rich history as both a dye and drug — in the textile industry, it is used as a dye for blue jeans.

When scientists discovered its medical properties, it became the first synthetic compound to be used as a drug, and was used to treat malaria, methemoglobinemia (a condition where hemoglobin cannot release oxygen effectively to body tissues), and as an antidote to cyanide poisoning.

This medicine has powerful metabolic effects, and in reductive stress, it can provide benefits by acting as a powerful electron acceptor that temporarily removes the bottleneck created by faulty metabolism so it can function again and continue producing cellular energy. If there’s a block anywhere in the electron transport chain, methylene blue simply transfers the electrons straight to oxygen, bypassing the obstruction.

The only concern about methylene blue is you need a prescription to purchase it. For human use, the safest option is pharmaceutical grade methylene blue, for which you need a prescription.

Never use industrial grade methylene blue (which is often used for cleaning fish tanks), as it is frequently contaminated with heavy metals. Instead, have your physician write you a prescription to a compounding pharmacy. One of the better ones I have found is Town & Country compounding pharmacy.

These compounded pills can easily be made into 50-milligram capsules, but since you only need 5 mg once a day, one 50 mg pill can be enough for 10 doses. Take a 50-milligram pill (be careful when opening it, as the dye can stain your hands and countertop) and put it into 50 cubic centimeters (cc) of water, or just under 2 ounces.

Measure out 5 cc, which would be about a tablespoon, and then save the rest. If you are using it to optimize the benefits of sun exposure, it is best to take it approximately 30 minutes before going out into the sun.

Get to the Root Cause of Reductive Stress

All of that said, when it comes to optimizing your cellular health, I advise going to the root cause instead of just relying on methylene blue and grounding. Although helpful, you cannot achieve your body’s full potential if you do not address your excessive LA intake, optimize your gut microbiome, lower your estrogen burden, and get rid of EMFs.

These four key culprits wreak havoc on your mitochondrial function, so addressing them is a crucial step to successfully bring back your cellular health. Once you’ve taken control of these four factors, your body will start to recover, repair, and regenerate, and you’ll regain the ability to increase your mitochondrial function and the ability to increase cellular energy.

I urge you to listen to this podcast until the end. You may need to listen to it several times to fully grasp these complex processes, as they can be quite complicated — it took me almost 50 years to fully comprehend these concepts, but I guarantee that once you implement them, you will be far closer to taking control of your health.

– Sources and References

Posted in Linoleic Acid, Methylene Blue, Sunlight, Vitamins | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: April 14, 2026

Simple Ways to Flush Out Damaging Excess Cortisol

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/04/14/simple-ways-to-flush-cortisol.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola April 14, 2026

Story at-a-glance

Chronically high cortisol disrupts your metabolism, weakens your immune system, triggers blood sugar spikes, and leads to stubborn belly fat, poor sleep, and constant fatigue
Simple daily habits like slow breathing, early morning sunlight, and eating healthy carbs reset your cortisol rhythm and help your body recover from stress overload
Caffeine on an empty stomach, late-night screen exposure, and overtraining all send the wrong signals to your nervous system, keeping cortisol elevated when it should be winding down
Enjoyable activities like laughter and time with pets aren’t just mood boosters — they trigger biochemical changes that lower cortisol and signal safety to your brain
Natural progesterone is one of the safest and most effective ways to block cortisol and restore calm

Cortisol is built for emergencies, but modern life keeps it switched on 24/7. Designed to help you react fast in moments of danger, this hormone floods your system with energy when you need to fight or flee. But when the stress rarely stops, your cortisol doesn’t either. That’s when the very system meant to protect you begins to do damage.

You’re probably not sprinting from wild animals, but your body reacts the same way to constant deadlines, poor sleep, and emotional stress. Over time, that daily grind trains your body to live in survival mode. You stop recovering properly. Your energy dips. Your digestion slows. You store more fat, especially around your belly, and lose muscle even when you’re trying to stay active.

What makes this worse is how invisible it often is at first. You might feel tired, edgy, or wired at night. But underneath, your body is running on empty while cortisol stays elevated. And the longer that goes on, the more your hormone rhythms, metabolic function, and immune defenses unravel.

This isn’t about managing stress in the abstract — it’s about restoring your body’s ability to reset. If you’re feeling burned out, inflamed, or like your system is stuck in overdrive, there are simple, science-backed ways to flush out the excess and bring things back into balance.

Simple Habits That Help Flush Cortisol Naturally

A featured article in Vogue highlights advice from physician Dr. Liza Osagie-Clouard and registered dietitian Jodie Relf.¹ It explores how to support your body’s natural cortisol-clearing processes through lifestyle changes, not medication. Their approach is built around simple tools — breathwork, sleep, movement, and blood sugar balance — that anyone can apply, even if you’re overwhelmed or short on time.

• People dealing with chronic stress symptoms benefit most from these changes — This information is aimed at people who feel “wired but tired,” have trouble sleeping, gain weight around the midsection, or struggle with irritability and sugar cravings. These signs point to cortisol overload, which is often worsened by morning coffee on an empty stomach or overtraining without proper rest.

• Breathwork stands out as a fast, drug-free tool to bring cortisol down — Dr. Osagie-Clouard recommends lengthening your exhale to shift your body into a parasympathetic state — the “rest and digest” mode that opposes stress activation. A quick version of this is the “parasympathetic sigh,” where you inhale, then take a second sip of air before slowly releasing it. This practice gives your nervous system the green light to relax and helps your body flush out excess cortisol naturally.

• Caffeine is a silent contributor to cortisol overload but timing matters — There’s a downside to relying on coffee to get through the morning fog, especially on an empty stomach. “Coffee is a stimulant which will raise cortisol levels,” says Relf. Having it before eating keeps you stuck in the stress cycle. Instead, wait until after breakfast, or reduce intake altogether if you already feel overstimulated. You don’t have to eliminate caffeine entirely, just shift when and how you drink it.

• Gentle exercise like walking reduces cortisol more effectively than high-intensity workouts — Forget marathon gym sessions. Regular, moderate movement helps balance cortisol levels without triggering more stress. The key is consistency, not intensity. People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or adrenal imbalances often see the greatest benefit from low-impact activities, which also improve insulin sensitivity and emotional resilience.

Reset Your Hormones by Fixing Sleep, Stabilizing Blood Sugar, and Finding Joy

If you’re tossing and turning at night, your cortisol rhythm is likely reversed — too high in the evening and too low in the morning. The solution isn’t just sleep quantity but bedtime rituals. A consistent sleep-wake time, along with calming wind-down habits like dim lights or reading, help your cortisol follow its natural cycle again.

• Blood sugar swings worsen cortisol imbalances — balanced meals are key — Spiking your glucose leads to more cortisol as your body scrambles to restore balance. Try pairing carbs with healthy fats and protein to slow absorption. Instead of eating fruit alone, combine it with raw, grass fed yogurt to reduce the sugar spike. That simple change lessens the hormonal stress response and leaves you with steadier energy.

• Ashwagandha supports cortisol regulation if used consistently and wisely — As an adaptogen, ashwagandha helps your body become more resilient to stress. Research shows that 250 milligrams (mg) to 800 mg daily for eight weeks led to measurable drops in cortisol.² But sourcing matters. Look for 100% organic ashwagandha root, free of fillers, additives, and excipients. Unfortunately, adulterated ashwagandha products have been found on the market, so buyer beware.

• Spirituality, laughter, and fun are underrated cortisol detoxifiers — For people with a spiritual practice, prayer has been shown to lower cortisol and increase calm during life stress.³ If you’re not spiritual, the same benefits show up through meditation, community connection, or simple pleasures like laughter.⁴

Chronically Elevated Cortisol Throws Off Nearly Every Major Body System

Often labeled merely as a stress hormone, cortisol fulfills many other functions within your body. Its main role is to act as a vital defense mechanism, ensuring that your blood glucose levels don’t plummet to hazardous lows. By maintaining these levels, cortisol safeguards you against the severe danger of a hypoglycemic coma.⁵

Although cortisol’s actions are beneficial in the short term, consistently high levels negatively impact your health. As noted by the Cleveland Clinic, cortisol is a master regulator that affects your metabolism, sleep rhythm, blood pressure, inflammation, and immune defense.⁶ Chronic high cortisol damages these systems one by one. When left unchecked, the result is often accelerated aging, insulin resistance, and persistent fatigue that no amount of rest can fix.

• This is especially dangerous for people with hormonal imbalances or metabolic issues — Cortisol’s wide-ranging effects become especially harmful when your body’s regulatory loop — managed by your brain and adrenal glands — breaks down. Your hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands work as a team to keep cortisol in balance. But chronic stress overrides this system, causing dysfunction that leads to everything from sleep disruption to hormone depletion.

• Cortisol pushes blood sugar up, then blocks insulin from doing its job — When you’re stressed, cortisol signals your liver to release glucose so you have immediate energy. That part is normal. The problem comes when that stress doesn’t end. Cortisol also suppresses insulin — the hormone that helps move sugar into your cells for fuel. That double action creates blood sugar spikes followed by crashes, which leave you wired, hungry, moody, and ultimately insulin resistant over time.

• Over time, your immune system stops responding to cortisol at all — Short bursts of cortisol help tamp down inflammation, which is how your body prevents overreaction to stress or infection. But with constant elevation, your immune system becomes desensitized to cortisol’s signal. That means more inflammation, more infections, and slower recovery from illness. You feel run down, get sick more often, and take longer to heal, even from minor cuts or colds.

• Cortisol throws off blood pressure regulation and muscle metabolism — Cortisol influences blood pressure, though the exact mechanics aren’t fully understood. What is known is that people with chronically high cortisol often have high blood pressure. Additionally, cortisol breaks down muscle tissue to free up amino acids for emergency energy use. In a prolonged stress state, this leads to muscle wasting, physical weakness, and slower metabolic function.

• Without action, elevated cortisol creates long-term metabolic damage — The longer cortisol remains out of balance, the more entrenched the damage becomes. Chronically high cortisol leads to conditions like Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, immune dysfunction, and in extreme cases, Cushing’s syndrome — a hormonal disorder marked by fat accumulation in the face and abdomen, muscle loss, and stretch marks.

Enjoyment, Breathwork, and Light Movement Lower Cortisol Fast

You don’t need expensive programs or clinical interventions to reduce cortisol — just daily behaviors that align with how your body naturally resets stress. Fun, healthy food, and movement are among the most underused remedies for stress overload.⁷

• Breathwork methods like the 4-7-8 technique directly influence the vagus nerve — This technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight. Doing just a few rounds shifts your nervous system out of the “fight or flight” state and into the relaxation zone. Activating the vagus nerve — your body’s command switch for rest — lowers cortisol almost immediately and helps prevent your brain from getting stuck in stress loops.⁸

• Spending time with pets lowers stress markers through oxytocin release — Even a few minutes of petting a friendly dog or cat is enough to lower cortisol and increase oxytocin — a hormone linked to bonding, calmness, and trust.⁹ This is one of the fastest and most accessible ways to buffer cortisol spikes, especially if you feel isolated or overstimulated by daily demands.¹⁰

• Blue light exposure after sunset disrupts your body’s hormonal clock — Staring at phones or tablets at night keeps your brain locked in daytime mode. Blue light suppresses melatonin (your sleep hormone) and increases cortisol at exactly the wrong time. Shut off screens at least 60 minutes before bed or use blue-light blocking glasses to minimize the damage. Also opt for warmer, dimmer lighting in your home as it gets dark.

• Even food choices influence your cortisol rhythm — Fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut are helpful for stress because they support gut health. Gut bacteria are directly linked to your brain’s emotional center, so improving your digestion improves how you process stress. Staying hydrated also helps — dehydration is a common trigger for temporary cortisol spikes, especially in the afternoon slump.

• Doing what you enjoy resets your stress response naturally — Whether it’s gardening, painting, or listening to music, joy acts as a cortisol buffer. Your body isn’t wired to stay in survival mode when you’re actively engaged in something meaningful. Fun isn’t optional — it’s a necessary signal that tells your brain you’re safe again.

Simple Steps to Reset Cortisol and Calm Your Stress System

If your stress feels like it’s running the show, you’re not imagining things — chronically high cortisol throws off everything from your mood to your metabolism. But it’s not permanent. You can reset your body’s stress response by making small, consistent changes that address the root cause: a nervous system stuck in overdrive, poor blood sugar control, and an overloaded lifestyle.

Whether you’re exhausted, wired, or feeling like your body just isn’t recovering like it used to, these are the steps I recommend to restore balance and help your body flush excess cortisol naturally. Here’s how to start:

1. Eat enough healthy carbs to stop cortisol spikes — If you’ve been cutting carbohydrates, your body is stuck in a stress pattern. Cortisol rises every time your blood sugar dips too low, so increasing healthy carbohydrate intake helps lower cortisol levels. Start by aiming for 250 grams of carbs per day, which supports sustained metabolic health and ensures that your mitochondria function efficiently.

Prioritize easy-to-digest options like fruit and white rice. When your gut is ready, meaning no bloating and no irregular bowel movements, gradually add in root vegetables, then legumes, additional vegetables, and well-tolerated whole grains.

2. Cut back on endurance exercise and overtraining — If you’re doing long cardio sessions, distance running, or frequent high-intensity interval training, you’re telling your body it’s constantly under threat. That pushes cortisol higher. Switch to shorter, gentle strength training, walking, dancing, or swimming. If you feel worse after a workout instead of better, that’s your body telling you it’s time to pull back.

3. Reset your nervous system with breathwork and rhythm — Use breathing techniques like the 4-7-8 method or a parasympathetic sigh to shift your body out of fight-or-flight mode. The 4-8 breathing technique — inhale for four seconds, pause, then exhale slowly for eight — also stimulates your vagus nerve and quickly lowers cortisol, guiding your body into a calmer, more restorative state.

This isn’t just mental — it’s physical. The longer your exhale, the more your vagus nerve activates, which tells your whole body, “You’re safe.” Do this before bed, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, or after meals to support digestion and hormone balance.

4. Make sleep non-negotiable — and fix your light exposure — Your cortisol rhythm depends on your circadian clock. That means getting bright morning sunlight and avoiding screens and dimming lights after sunset. Keep your bedtime and wake-up time as consistent as possible. If you’re dragging during the day, don’t depend on coffee — look at your sleep first. Rest is not a luxury. It’s how your body resets and clears out stress hormones.

5. Use natural progesterone to calm your brain and body — Natural progesterone is one of the most effective and affordable ways to bring your stress hormones back under control. Unlike synthetic progestins, natural progesterone is a hormone your body already recognizes and responds to. It acts directly as a cortisol blocker, helping lower the amount of cortisol circulating in your bloodstream and dialing down the stress response at its source.

FAQs About Cortisol

Q: What is cortisol, and why is it harmful when it’s too high for too long?

A: Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone. It’s designed to help you respond to immediate danger by raising blood sugar, blood pressure, and alertness. But when cortisol stays high for extended periods — due to ongoing stress, poor sleep, or overtraining — it disrupts nearly every system in your body. Long-term high cortisol contributes to belly fat, blood sugar imbalances, weakened immunity, sleep problems, and even muscle loss.

Q: How do I know if my cortisol is too high?

A: Common signs of chronically high cortisol include feeling wired but tired, difficulty falling asleep, belly fat that won’t budge, sugar and salt cravings, frequent illness, and irritability. You might also notice thinning hair, blood sugar crashes, or anxiety. These symptoms often worsen over time if the underlying stress isn’t addressed.

Q: What lifestyle habits help lower cortisol naturally?

A: Gentle daily habits like walking, breathwork (such as the 4-7-8 method), consistent sleep routines, and eating healthy carbohydrates all help your body reset cortisol levels. Avoiding blue light at night, reducing caffeine, and making time for joy or relaxation — like spending time with pets or enjoying hobbies — are also effective tools to calm your stress response.

Q: Why is sleep so important for cortisol balance?

A: Cortisol follows a daily rhythm — it should be highest in the morning and lowest at night. Poor or irregular sleep reverses that rhythm, making it harder for your body to recover and regulate inflammation. A fixed bedtime, morning sunlight, and avoiding screens at night help restore this natural cycle so cortisol doesn’t stay elevated after dark.

Q: How does natural progesterone help bring stress hormones back into balance?

A: Natural progesterone is a safe, effective, and affordable way to lower excess cortisol. It works as a direct cortisol blocker, reducing the amount of this stress hormone circulating in your system. Unlike synthetic progestins, natural progesterone supports your body’s own hormone rhythms without adding to the burden.

– Sources and References

¹ Vogue June 24, 2025
² Cureus. 2019 Dec 25;11(12):e6466
³ Front Psychol. 2020 Jan 21;10:2933
⁴ Nurs Health Sci. 2018 Sep;20(3):304-312
⁵ StatPearls [Internet], Physiology, Cortisol
⁶ Cleveland Clinic, Cortisol
^7, ^8, ¹⁰ Mutual of Omaha June 20, 2024
⁹ Johns Hopkins Medicine, The Friend Who Keeps You Young

Posted in Cortisol, Sleep, Sunlight | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: April 10, 2026

Molecular Hydrogen as a Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/04/09/molecular-hydrogen-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola April 09, 2026

Story at-a-glance

Chronic fatigue syndrome occurs when your body’s energy-producing mitochondria stop working efficiently, leaving you exhausted even after minimal physical or mental activity
Research shows molecular hydrogen protects mitochondria from oxidative stress, helping restore the cellular energy production that chronic fatigue disrupts
Studies in both animals and humans show hydrogen-rich water improves endurance, reduces muscle fatigue markers like lactate, and lowers subjective feelings of exhaustion during physical stress
Scientists also found hydrogen stabilizes mitochondrial electron transport and activates your body’s internal antioxidant defenses, which helps protect cells from the chemical damage that drives fatigue
Supporting mitochondrial health by reducing seed oils, eating adequate carbohydrates, and getting regular sunlight works together with hydrogen therapy to improve cellular energy and resilience

Imagine waking up after eight hours of sleep feeling like you just ran a marathon. Now imagine that happening every single day for months. Chronic fatigue syndrome — known in medical literature as myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS, drains your body’s energy systems in a way few illnesses do. This disorder is characterized by profound exhaustion that lasts longer than six months, brain fog, sleep disruption, poor concentration, and muscle pain that rest doesn’t relieve.

In severe cases, ordinary activities such as walking, reading, or holding a conversation feel overwhelming. Researchers estimate the condition affects roughly 0.1% to 0.5% of the population, which translates to about 836,000 to 2.5 million people in the U.S. alone.¹ The economic burden reaches an estimated $17 billion to $24 billion annually.

Despite those staggering numbers, most treatments available focus on managing symptoms rather than correcting the underlying biology. That gap has pushed researchers to look deeper — past the fatigue itself and into the cellular machinery that produces energy in the first place. What they found points to a common thread running through ME/CFS, post-viral fatigue, and long COVID: the body’s energy-producing systems are under constant biological assault.

Out of that search, one surprisingly simple candidate has attracted serious scientific attention — molecular hydrogen, a tiny gas molecule already familiar to chemists but only recently explored as a medical therapy. The next section explains what researchers discovered when they tested whether this molecule could reach the damaged structures inside your cells and restore the energy production that chronic fatigue disrupts.

Hydrogen Protects the Energy Factories That Fail in Chronic Fatigue

A scientific review published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology investigated whether molecular hydrogen could address the biological causes of ME/CFS rather than simply easing symptoms.²

The authors analyzed evidence from animal experiments, human trials, and prior scientific reviews that examined fatigue, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress — the chemical damage that occurs when highly reactive molecules accumulate inside cells. Their central question focused on a simple but powerful idea: if mitochondrial damage drives chronic fatigue syndrome, could hydrogen protect those energy-producing structures and restore function?

• The research connected chronic fatigue to a breakdown in mitochondrial energy production — Mitochondria — the tiny structures inside your cells that produce energy — behave abnormally in many people with ME/CFS. Researchers have documented structural changes in mitochondria, altered metabolic pathways, and irregular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, which is the molecule your body uses as cellular fuel.

When ATP production falters, muscles tire faster, mental clarity drops, and recovery from exertion becomes extremely slow. That biological failure explains why people with chronic fatigue syndrome experience intense exhaustion even after minimal physical or mental effort.

• Hydrogen improves fatigue and physical endurance in animals and humans — Researchers observed benefits when hydrogen was delivered through hydrogen-rich water, hydrogen gas inhalation, or hydrogen-infused saline solutions. Key improvements reported in these studies included:

◦ Increased endurance capacity during physical stress tests in animals such as mice and racehorses

◦ Lower blood lactate levels, which indicates reduced muscle fatigue during exercise

◦ Improved peak torque and muscle power during physical testing in humans

◦ Reduced subjective fatigue scores during exercise trials

• Some experiments documented measurable improvements in energy metabolism markers — Animals that received hydrogen-rich water showed higher liver glycogen levels, which means their bodies preserved more stored energy during physical stress. At the same time, markers linked to metabolic strain — including blood lactate and blood urea nitrogen, which rises when your body breaks down muscle protein for emergency fuel — dropped significantly.

These changes show that the animals produced energy more efficiently instead of exhausting their metabolic reserves. The review also documented clear reductions in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers after hydrogen exposure.

• Hydrogen’s small size allows it to reach the deepest parts of cells — Hydrogen is an extremely small molecule that diffuses easily through biological membranes and crosses your blood-brain barrier. That means it travels directly into mitochondria, the location where oxidative damage accumulates during fatigue and chronic illness. Few therapeutic molecules reach this location as efficiently.

• Inside mitochondria hydrogen neutralizes the most destructive free radicals — Your body produces several types of these damaging molecules, but they vary in destructiveness. Hydroxyl radicals sit at the top — they’re the most aggressive, and they’re the ones hydrogen specifically targets. Hydroxyl radicals attack DNA, lipids, and proteins indiscriminately.

Unlike conventional antioxidants that neutralize free radicals indiscriminately, hydrogen targets only hydroxyl radicals, while leaving beneficial signaling molecules intact. Hydrogen converts these radicals into harmless water molecules, which removes the source of mitochondrial damage without disrupting beneficial metabolic reactions.

Beyond neutralizing free radicals, hydrogen activates pathways that strengthen antioxidant defenses and support mitochondrial repair processes. In simple terms, hydrogen does not only neutralize damage — it also stimulates the cell’s internal repair tools.

Researchers concluded that hydrogen’s ability to protect mitochondria, reduce oxidative stress, and calm inflammation places it among the most promising emerging strategies for fatigue disorders, including chronic fatigue syndrome and post-viral fatigue states.

Hydrogen Strengthens Your Body’s Natural Defense Against Fatigue

While the first review focused on hydrogen’s direct effects on fatigue markers, a second analysis examines why mitochondria fail in the first place. The study, published in the journal Archiv der Pharmazie, investigated why fatigue appears in so many different situations and whether molecular hydrogen offers a biological solution.³

Researchers explained that fatigue, whether from exercise, illness, or alcohol exposure, often traces back to disruptions in mitochondrial function caused by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. These unstable molecules interfere with the biochemical reactions that generate cellular energy.

The review discussed fatigue in several populations, including people recovering from intense exercise, individuals with viral infections such as influenza or COVID-19, and patients living with chronic neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The authors highlighted how widespread fatigue has become.

During COVID-19 infections, for example, fatigue appeared in more than 70% of patients during the acute illness, and more than half continued to experience long-lasting exhaustion afterward. These observations show that fatigue represents a systemic biological stress response rather than a simple feeling of tiredness.

• How oxidative stress damages energy production — When muscles contract during exercise, your body produces higher amounts of reactive oxygen molecules such as hydrogen peroxide.

At the same time, nitric oxide produced in muscle tissue reacts with superoxide molecules to form peroxynitrite, an extremely destructive oxidant. Together these reactions disrupt cellular metabolism. Once oxidative stress overwhelms your body’s protective systems, the result is reduced energy and increasing fatigue.

• Alcohol exposure revealed how quickly mitochondrial stress produces exhaustion — The paper described experiments in mice that demonstrated dramatic mitochondrial damage after ethanol exposure. Researchers observed multiple biochemical changes that reflect severe oxidative stress:

◦ Hydrogen peroxide production increased threefold

◦ Activity of the protective enzyme catalase dropped by about 40%

◦ Levels of cardiolipin, a mitochondrial membrane component required for energy production, declined by 55%

Together, these changes cripple the mitochondria’s ability to produce energy — which is exactly why fatigue ranks among the most reported hangover symptoms. In fact, surveys report that about 95% of people experiencing a hangover describe fatigue as a dominant complaint.

• Hydrogen-rich water improved fatigue markers during exercise trials — In one double-blind placebo-controlled trial, participants consumed about 500 milliliters (ml) of hydrogen-rich water before activity.⁴ Two groups were studied. One group consisted of untrained individuals performing light exercise. Another included trained participants completing moderate exercise tests. The results showed:

◦ A measurable reduction in psychological fatigue among untrained participants

◦ Increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in trained individuals, indicating stronger aerobic performance

These outcomes demonstrate that hydrogen intake improves both physical endurance and subjective fatigue perception.

Another experiment cited in the paper studied male soccer players who consumed hydrogen-enriched water before training.⁵ Researchers measured blood lactate levels and muscle fatigue markers. Lactate accumulates when muscles shift into emergency energy production during intense effort.

Lower lactate levels after hydrogen intake indicated improved metabolic efficiency and less muscle fatigue during performance. If hydrogen reduces metabolic strain in elite athletes, imagine the potential for someone whose baseline energy production is already compromised.

• Hydrogen activates your body’s internal antioxidant defense system — The paper highlighted another important biological mechanism involving a transcription factor known as Nrf2. In simple terms, transcription factors act like switches that turn genes on or off.

Nrf2 controls the genes responsible for producing antioxidant enzymes that defend your cells against oxidative stress. Hydrogen stimulates this protective pathway, which strengthens your body’s ability to neutralize harmful molecules before they damage cellular energy systems.

Researchers also described an additional mechanism involving the electron transport chain — the molecular machinery that produces ATP inside mitochondria.⁶ Think of the electron transport chain as an assembly line inside your mitochondria. Occasionally a component flies off the line and causes damage. Hydrogen helps keep everything moving in the right direction so fewer of those damaging fragments escape.

• Safety data show hydrogen exposure occurs at extremely small therapeutic doses — Hydrogen has a long safety record and is already recognized as a food additive in several regulatory systems. Therapeutic doses used in fatigue research involve only tiny amounts of hydrogen gas — roughly 80 ml per day.

For comparison, deep-sea divers routinely inhale gas mixtures containing hydrogen concentrations as high as 50% without toxicity. This large safety margin explains why hydrogen therapy attracts attention as a practical strategy for managing fatigue disorders.

• Early clinical trials show promise in chronic fatigue patients — A mini-review led by Tyler LeBaron, Ph.D., a molecular hydrogen researcher at Southern Utah University whom I’ve previously interviewed, analyzed early clinical studies of hydrogen-rich water in people with ME/CFS.⁷

Moderate daily intake of hydrogen-rich water over extended periods led to improvements in fatigue and physical function in small pilot trials, while also targeting biological drivers of the illness such as oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and impaired mitochondrial energy metabolism.

Restore Cellular Energy by Removing the Drivers of Mitochondrial Stress

Fatigue that refuses to lift rarely begins in your muscles or your mind. The real problem starts much deeper, inside the cellular systems that generate energy. When oxidative stress damages mitochondria, your body loses its ability to maintain steady energy production.

The goal isn’t simply to fight fatigue but to rebuild the environment that allows your cells to produce energy efficiently again. Below are practical steps that address the biological triggers discussed earlier—oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and metabolic imbalance. These actions strengthen your cellular energy systems rather than masking exhaustion.

1. Start with hydrogen-rich water daily to restore cellular balance — If you want the simplest entry point, hydrogen-rich water offers a direct strategy to support mitochondrial function. Drop one hydrogen tablet into a glass of room-temperature water. Once the tablet dissolves completely and the water appears cloudy — a sign that hydrogen gas is actively dissolved — drink it right away, before the gas escapes. Once the gas escapes, the benefit disappears.

Drinking it right away ensures your body receives the hydrogen while it remains active. If you struggle with brain fog, persistent fatigue, or systemic inflammation, taking hydrogen water two or three times daily — spaced at least one hour apart — creates a rhythm that strengthens your cellular defense systems.

2. Use the correct delivery method and timing — Hydrogen therapy works best when your cells receive it in pulses rather than constant exposure. That pattern activates your body’s internal antioxidant systems instead of replacing them. Hydrogen-rich water created from properly formulated tablets offers one of the easiest ways to achieve this pattern.

Drink it immediately after preparation so the hydrogen gas remains dissolved. If you prefer inhalation, keep sessions limited to about one to three hours rather than running continuously. Intermittent exposure trains your cells to activate their own protective systems rather than relying on a constant external supply.

3. Eliminate seed oils to reduce oxidative stress — Even the most powerful antioxidant strategy struggles if daily habits constantly produce oxidative damage. One of the largest drivers of this damage is excessive intake of seed oils.

Soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, and similar vegetable oils flood your cells with linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat that destabilizes mitochondrial membranes and increases oxidative stress. Replace these oils with stable saturated fats such as grass-fed butter, ghee, or tallow.

At the same time, remove ultraprocessed foods and most restaurant meals, since these almost always contain high amounts of seed oils. Your goal is to bring daily LA intake below 5 grams and ideally closer to 2 grams. 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.

4. Feed your cells the carbohydrates required for energy production — When carbohydrate intake drops too low, your body interprets the shortage as a stress signal — shifting into a survival mode that slows energy production and, paradoxically, increases the very oxidative damage you’re trying to reduce. Most adults maintain stable metabolic function with roughly 250 grams of carbohydrates daily. If you exercise regularly, your body requires more.

If your digestion struggles, begin with easy-to-digest foods such as fruit and white rice. As your gut function improves, expand your diet gradually. When your metabolism receives steady fuel, hydrogen therapy works far more effectively.

5. Use sunlight and stress timing to strengthen cellular resilience — Your cells respond to stress more effectively when they receive protective signals beforehand. One useful strategy is to consume hydrogen-rich water about 30 minutes before events that increase oxidative stress. Examples include exercise, travel, demanding workdays, or emotionally intense situations. This pre-loads your cells with hydrogen before the oxidative surge begins.

Daily sunlight exposure also supports this process. Sunlight stimulates mitochondrial energy production and improves cellular signaling that hydrogen therapy strengthens. 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.

FAQs About Molecular Hydrogen for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Q: What causes chronic fatigue syndrome and why is it so difficult to treat?

A: ME/CFS occurs when your body’s energy-producing systems stop working efficiently. Research shows that oxidative stress and inflammation damage mitochondria. When mitochondrial function declines, even simple physical or mental activity becomes exhausting. Most conventional treatments address symptoms such as pain or sleep disruption rather than correcting this underlying cellular energy problem.

Q: How does molecular hydrogen help improve fatigue?

A: Molecular hydrogen works by targeting oxidative stress at the cellular level. Studies show that hydrogen selectively neutralizes highly destructive molecules called hydroxyl radicals inside mitochondria without interfering with beneficial biological reactions.

Hydrogen also activates internal antioxidant defense pathways and stabilizes mitochondrial electron transport, which helps restore normal ATP production. By protecting the cellular machinery that produces energy, hydrogen helps reduce the biological drivers of fatigue rather than masking symptoms.

Q: What evidence supports hydrogen as a therapy for fatigue?

A: Scientific reviews and early clinical research show that hydrogen improves several biological markers related to fatigue. Studies summarized in the journal Frontiers in Neurology report improvements in endurance, lower lactate levels, and reduced subjective fatigue during exercise trials.⁸

A separate review in Archiv der Pharmazie explains that hydrogen helps stabilize mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress associated with fatigue.⁹ Early pilot trials in people with ME/CFS also show improvements in fatigue and physical function when hydrogen-rich water is consumed regularly.

Q: What’s the easiest way to use molecular hydrogen?

A: The most common method is drinking hydrogen-rich water. Hydrogen tablets dissolve in water and release hydrogen gas, which quickly diffuses into tissues and cells. Drinking the water immediately after the tablet dissolves is important because hydrogen gas escapes rapidly once exposed to air. Some people also use hydrogen gas inhalation systems, but hydrogen-rich water is the simplest approach.

Q: What lifestyle habits help support mitochondrial energy along with hydrogen therapy?

A: Supporting mitochondrial health requires more than a single therapy. Reducing dietary seed oils lowers oxidative stress that damages mitochondrial membranes. Eating adequate carbohydrates from whole foods such as fruit helps maintain steady cellular energy production.

Regular sunlight exposure stimulates mitochondrial activity and supports circadian rhythms that control cellular repair. When combined with hydrogen therapy, these lifestyle strategies strengthen the cellular systems responsible for producing energy and help reduce persistent fatigue.

– Sources and References

Posted in Fatigue, Linoleic Acid, Sunlight | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: January 4, 2026

New Research Explains Why Some Minds Stay Awake at Night

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/01/03/why-some-minds-stay-awake-at-night.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola January 03, 2026

Story at-a-glance

Insomnia keeps your mind in daytime problem-solving mode at night, which prevents the natural mental drift that helps you fall asleep
New research shows that people with insomnia have weaker circadian signals, making it harder for the brain to shift from alert thinking into the dream-like patterns that support rest
Sequential thinking stays elevated at night in insomniacs, creating racing thoughts and mental loops that make it difficult to unwind
Strengthening your circadian rhythm through morning light exposure, dim evening lighting, and consistent nighttime cues helps your brain recognize when to power down
Simple practices such as cognitive shuffling, sensory-based grounding during nighttime awakenings, and daily movement — especially walking — support a clearer day-night contrast and more restorative sleep

A growing number of adults describe the same frustrating pattern: they feel worn out, yet their minds refuse to settle when they finally lie down. That experience lines up with a well-defined sleep disorder. Insomnia is a condition marked by trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep after waking. You might recognize the signs yourself — racing thoughts, tension in your chest, early awakenings, or a sense that your mind stays awake even when your body feels drained.

Over time, this disorder affects your mood, your ability to think clearly, and the way your body responds to daily stress. A night of insomnia often follows the same script. Your body wants rest, but your thoughts hold you in a state that feels too alert. Instead of drifting into the loose, dream-like mental space that usually opens the door to sleep, you stay anchored in the same style of thinking you use during the day.

For many people, it feels like their brain keeps sorting, analyzing, or predicting long after they want it to power down. This creates a loop where bedtime triggers more thinking instead of less. Age adds another layer. If you’re an older adult struggling with sleep maintenance — waking and then staying awake — your internal timing signals may already be softer than they once were.

That makes it easier for your brain to slip into daytime patterns at night and harder to transition into restorative sleep. You wake feeling as though you never fully crossed the threshold into rest. All of this points to a deeper issue: something in the brain’s internal timing system keeps certain minds switched on long after the lights go out. A study published in Sleep Medicine sheds light on that exact problem.¹

Why Your Mind Stays Locked in ‘Day Mode’ at Night

The Sleep Medicine study investigated whether people with sleep-maintenance insomnia struggle to shut off their thoughts at night because of underlying circadian rhythm abnormalities.² The research team kept participants awake for 24 hours under controlled laboratory conditions to remove bedtime triggers, allowing them to measure pure, internal mental rhythms.

This setup helped the researchers identify whether insomnia reflects a built-in thinking pattern, a learned response to bedtime, or a timing problem in the brain’s internal clock. The participants were adults over age 55, separated into two groups: those who slept well and those who routinely woke during the night and struggled to return to sleep.

• Insomniacs showed flatter rhythms in key mental areas — For the study, insomnia was defined by at least 30 minutes of staring at the ceiling after waking up and less than 6.5 hours of total sleep time each night. These individuals showed clear differences in how their thoughts shifted throughout the day compared with the healthy sleepers, revealing why your mind might race long after you want it to quiet down.

One of the most important findings was that people with insomnia had weaker fluctuations in thought patterns that normally rise during the day and fall at night. In healthy sleepers, mental activity gradually shifts into more dream-like, disconnected content before sleep.

In contrast, the insomnia group showed smaller day-night swings in reality orientation and volitional control — two metrics that predict how easily your brain releases its grip on daytime problem-solving. The researchers wrote that insomniacs showed less 24-hour variation in these areas, meaning their thoughts didn’t wind down the way they should.

• Sequential thinking stayed elevated at night for those with insomnia — Another standout finding was the dominance of sequential thinking in the insomnia group — thoughts that continue in a logical chain: one idea triggering another, then another. The study found their baseline levels were higher, and the nighttime drop was smaller. This means your mind keeps behaving as if it’s still solving problems, rather than drifting into the random, image-based thoughts that help usher in sleep.

• The timing of mental “quieting” was delayed — The researchers found that the peak times for thought structure and volitional control occurred more than six hours later in the insomnia group. This means your internal switch from alertness to mental quiet doesn’t flip at the right time. When your brain stays locked on daytime settings, sleep feels out of reach no matter how tired your body feels.

Insomniacs Maintained More Real-Like Thinking During the Night

Healthy sleepers naturally shift into thoughts that feel unreal or dream-like as bedtime approaches. Insomniacs, however, showed a reduced drop in reality orientation. According to the study, the amplitude of this mental shift was significantly smaller, indicating their thoughts stayed anchored in real-world concerns instead of loosening into the surreal space that precedes sleep. This creates the feeling of lying in bed replaying conversations, planning tasks, or running through worries instead of drifting off.

• The ability to slow thoughts at night stays stuck in high gear — The study found that the degree of control people felt over their thinking didn’t fall as sharply at night for the insomnia group.

Your ability to direct or stop your thoughts normally dips before sleep. Insomniacs had a flattened rhythm and delayed timing, matching what the authors described as “continuing cognitive engagement.” This pattern aligns with a known mechanism called prefrontal hyperarousal, meaning the front of your brain remains active and goal-driven instead of powering down.

• Circadian mechanisms help explain why your mind refuses to shut off — The researchers identified that weakened circadian rhythms disturb the brain’s ability to shift gears.³ When your circadian amplitude is low, your brain receives a weaker signal telling it to reduce mental activity at night. The study suggests that strengthening circadian cues — like bright daytime light exposure — could help restore a clearer separation between day-mode and night-mode thinking.

• Insomnia isn’t just about worry or habits — It involves measurable disruptions in how your brain organizes thoughts across the day. Because sequential thinking and circadian flattening were key differences, the authors concluded that “modifying sequential thinking” and “strengthening circadian rhythmicity” could form the basis of future interventions.

This means your path forward is not just about calming your mind — it’s about helping your brain reclaim the natural 24-hour rhythm that supports healthy sleep.

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Download PDF

How to Quiet a Mind That Refuses to Power Down

Your mind races at night for a reason. The research shows that the root problem is a weakened circadian rhythm in the parts of your brain that regulate thought patterns. That rhythm is supposed to dim the intensity of daytime thinking and shift your mind toward softer, dream-like mental activity.

When that dimmer switch barely moves, your thoughts stay linear and problem-focused long after you want them to quiet. The solution is to strengthen that rhythm and retrain your mind to release its grip on daytime processing. If you lie awake replaying conversations or solving problems at 2 a.m., these steps will help you take back control.

1. Strengthen your daytime light exposure to boost circadian rhythm strength — The study found that insomniacs had flatter rhythms, which means your brain is not receiving a strong enough signal to distinguish day from night. One way to improve that signal is by getting direct sunlight in your eyes early in the day. This gives your brain a clear message: this is daytime, so later you will shift into night mode.

Start with 10 to 15 minutes outside shortly after waking. To reinforce this contrast even more, dim your lights after sunset and shut off screens in the evening. If you rely on devices, lower the brightness or use warm, low-light settings so your brain doesn’t mistake nighttime for midday.

2. Build a personalized wind-down period that breaks sequential thinking — The research highlighted elevated sequential thinking at night, which is the chain-reaction style of thinking that keeps your mind running, in insomniacs. Dedicate a short period before bed to intentionally interrupting that chain.

One method that works well is cognitive shuffling, which helps transition your mind toward sleep by mimicking the brain’s natural shift from focused thinking into the looser, dream-like patterns that appear as you drift off.

Instead of trying to force your mind to go blank, choose a simple word and think of other words that start with each letter. This gently redirects overthinking without stimulating your brain. The technique offers just enough distraction to pull you out of racing thoughts while keeping your mind relaxed.

Adding light visualization or intentional breathing as you do it engages your senses and activates your body’s natural relaxation response. If you struggle with overactive thinking, this combination gives you a practical way to take control and lower your mental load before bed.

3. Use structured evening cues that tell your brain it’s time to drop into dream-mode — Your circadian system relies on predictable signals. If your evenings are inconsistent, your mind stays alert. Add small rituals that act as environmental cues: dim lights, warm shower, quiet music, or slow stretching. If you’re highly sensitive to stimulation, start with one or two cues and repeat them nightly. Consistency helps restore the rhythm that triggers your mental shift away from daytime cognition.

4. Break the habit of staying mentally “on” when you wake at night — Insomniacs in the study remained cognitively engaged even when they were lying still. If you tend to wake in the night, I recommend giving your brain a simple rule: return to sensory awareness instead of thinking. Notice your breath, the weight of the blanket, or the temperature of the room. This keeps you out of sequential thinking and prevents your mind from re-entering problem-solving mode.

5. Anchor your day with movement to reinforce the contrast between alertness and rest — A flat rhythm means your brain doesn’t feel the difference between day and night. Daily movement increases that difference and strengthens your internal timing. A review of 22 clinical trials found that yoga, tai chi, and walking were the top three forms of exercise for improving sleep quality, duration, and efficiency in people with insomnia, with walking showing the greatest reduction in insomnia severity.⁴

Moderate-intensity walking is especially useful because it’s gentle enough to repeat daily without the health risks tied to excessive vigorous exercise. A walk outdoors works even better because it pairs movement with natural light, which sharpens the day-night contrast your brain depends on.

If you tend to sit for long stretches, break your activity into two or three short walks. The goal is to show your brain through consistent behavior that daytime is active and nighttime is calm, helping you retrain your mental rhythms.

FAQs About Racing Thoughts at Night and Insomnia

Q: Why do some people feel mentally alert at night even when they’re exhausted?

A: Insomnia disrupts your brain’s normal timing cues, so the mental shift from daytime thinking to dream-like drifting doesn’t happen. Instead of quieting down, your thoughts stay structured, analytical, and alert long after you want to sleep.

Q: What did the Sleep Medicine study reveal about thought patterns in insomnia?

A: The study found that people with insomnia have flatter circadian rhythms, higher levels of sequential thinking at night, and delayed mental “quieting.”⁵ Their brains stay in problem-solving mode instead of transitioning toward the kind of loose, disconnected thinking that supports falling asleep.

Q: Why does sequential thinking make it harder to fall asleep?

A: Sequential thinking keeps your mind moving in a logical chain — one thought triggering the next. This creates the feeling of “thinking in loops,” which blocks your brain from shifting into the more random, dreamy patterns that ease you into sleep.

Q: How does weakened circadian rhythm contribute to insomnia?

A: When your circadian signal is weak, your brain doesn’t clearly distinguish day from night. That makes it harder to power down mentally at bedtime, which leads to racing thoughts, alertness at the wrong time, and fragmented sleep.

Q: What steps help restore healthy mental rhythms for better sleep?

A: Strengthen daytime light exposure, dim lights at night, and build consistent evening cues. Use cognitive shuffling to interrupt racing thoughts, avoid mental problem-solving during nighttime awakenings, and anchor your days with movement — especially walking — to reinforce the contrast between alertness and rest.

– Sources and References

Posted in Brain, Circadian, Sleep, Sunlight | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: July 20, 2025

FDA Approves Merck RSV Shot for Infants — Despite High Rates of Serious Reactions

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/07/17/merck-rsv-shot-risks-for-babies.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola July 17, 2025

Story at-a-glance

Merck’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) shot clesrovimab (Enflonsia) was approved even though 11.71% of babies in the trial experienced serious adverse events, including seizures, brain injury, and death
Infants who got clesrovimab had a 350% higher risk of upper respiratory infections — exactly the type of illness this shot claims to prevent
The injection is given in a single, fixed dose regardless of infant weight, putting smaller, younger babies at greater risk due to disproportionately high exposure
Babies who received the shot had a threefold increase in severe neurological reactions compared to those given a placebo
Only about 25 babies in the U.S. succumb to RSV each year, making the known risks of clesrovimab far outweigh the threat the virus poses to most children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently approved clesrovimab, Merck’s new shot touted to “protect” infants against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).¹ This approval comes despite clinical trials showing adverse reactions associated with the shot.

What’s more, clesrovimab is designed to be given in a single dose, unlike previously approved RSV shots, which are given as a two-dose series. The shot is only available in a standard, 105-milligram (mg) dose — so whether your child is 12 months old or 12 weeks old, they will receive 105 mg of the drug. In medicine, one-size-fits-all dosing rarely ends well, and in this case, the data shows that it causes real harm.

Clinical Trials Reveal Alarming Side Effects Linked to Clesrovimab

Marketed as Enflonsia, clesrovimab is said to protect against RSV, a common respiratory virus that nearly every child in the U.S. contracts by age 2. It will be launched during this year’s RSV season, to compete with Beyfortus (nirsevimab), the “blockbuster” RSV shot from Sanofi and AstraZeneca.²

In a press release, Merck said that clesrovimab’s safety profile is “generally comparable” to placebo;³ however, if you look more closely at the clinical trial results,⁴ you’ll find severe side effects buried in the data.

• The research paints a different picture regarding clesrovimab’s effects — The trials involved 2,409 babies who received the injection and 1,202 who were given a placebo. These were healthy infants, ranging from early and moderate preterm to full-term.

The results were sobering. Among the babies given clesrovimab, there was a 50% higher risk of death compared to those in the placebo group. That’s three deaths in the shot group versus one in the placebo.

• Serious neurological adverse reactions were reported — According to a report from the Children’s Health Defense (CHD), “These included febrile convulsions, seizures, facial paralysis and brain injury at about three times the rate in the vaccine group (25 of 2,409) as the placebo group (4 of 1,202).”⁵

• The risk of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) also soared — According to the data, infants who received the shot had a 350% higher risk of getting an upper RTI and a 63% higher risk of lower RTIs. This is particularly ironic, considering this shot is supposed to prevent exactly these types of infections.

• Overall, the serious adverse event rate is 11.71% — Dr. Peter Selley, a general practitioner from the U.K. who has closely followed this drug’s development, notes that these effects are “concerning.” He also warns against the standardized dosing of this drug and its implications on very young children.

More Is Not Always Better — Especially with Infant Shots

It’s clear that Merck is eager to break into the RSV drug market, and for an obvious reason — Beyfortus, being the lone RSV antibody shot approved for children, raked in a whopping $1.8 billion in 2024 alone, following its approval in 2023.⁶

• Merck proudly notes that Enflonsia has about the same efficacy rate as Beyfortus — “In clinical trials, the shot reduced RSV-related hospitalization by 84.3% compared to placebo, and the incidence of RSV that needed to be medically attended by 60.5% versus placebo, through age 5 months in the clinical trials,” the CHD reports.

• These two shots have certain differences — Both clesrovimab and nirsevimab are monoclonal antibody shots; however, they bind to different antigenic sites — this complicates any comparison between the two. Another, as mentioned above, is the dosage per shot.

• One-time, uniform-dose shots carry risks — Unlike Beyfortus, which is given in a two-dose series in amounts that vary depending on the infant’s weight, Enflonsia is administered as a one-time, fixed-dose injection.⁷ Selley cautions against this standardized dosing, saying:

“The implications of this are that with only one dose of clesrovimab, tiny preterm babies under 5 kilograms are going to be injected with a relatively much bigger dose of the monoclonal antibody, leading to massive levels of the drug in their circulation. In most other fields of medicine, the aim is to find the lowest dose of a drug that is effective, as most side effects are dose-related.”⁸

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Download PDF

The Problem with Monoclonal Antibody Shots

Unlike conventional vaccines, monoclonal antibody injections work by providing passive immunity as they directly supply antibodies to fight a specific pathogen. In contrast, a vaccine stimulates your body’s immune system to produce its own antibodies, creating active immunity that develops over time. This means that monoclonal antibodies fall into a different category for safety monitoring.

• Adverse reports could be underreported — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t directly monitor injuries from medications that are not vaccines; Instead, they rely on the FDA’s MedWatch system.⁹ This discrepancy not only leads to confusion among health care providers and the public about where and how to report side effects, but could also lead to adverse events being underreported, making it more difficult to accurately assess the injection’s safety profile.

• The rush to implement widespread use of these injections raises questions about long-term safety and economic feasibility — When Beyfortus was first released, internist and biological warfare epidemiologist, Dr. Meryl Nass expressed her concerns about the unknowns of the drug. On her Substack, Nass points out that no monoclonal antibody product has ever been given on a mass scale to children before.¹⁰

• The safety profile of nirsevimab is questionable — Nass points out that monoclonal antibodies are associated with numerous side effects, from changes in blood pressure and increased heart rate to cytokine release syndrome — yet the product label mentions only rashes and anaphylaxis as potential side effects of this drug.¹¹

• Deaths during clinical trials may have been underreported — Nass points out that there was an “imbalance” in deaths between the treatment and placebo groups during clinical trials. The FDA reportedly “judged” that these excess deaths were not due to the monoclonal antibody, but it’s unclear how they reached this conclusion without more comprehensive safety data.¹²

Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) Is Another Possible Risk

ADE is a condition that was noted in a preprint study by French scientist Hélène Banoun, Ph.D.,¹³ and it occurs when antibodies actually help a virus infect cells more easily instead of neutralizing it. ADE has been observed with other respiratory viruses and vaccines, and it’s a theoretical risk with nirsevimab and clesrovimab as well.

•Antibodies in these shots could be engineered in a way that makes them more ineffective — Monoclonal antibody shots target the RSV fusion protein, but, here’s the catch — they are engineered to last longer in your baby’s body, with a half-life of 80 to 120 days.¹⁴ This unnatural modification could increase the risk of ADE as antibody levels gradually decline over time.

This is because the antibodies, at low concentrations, might not be able to fully neutralize the virus, instead facilitating its entry into cells. This could lead to more severe disease in some infants who receive the shot. Studies have shown that ADE can occur with RSV antibodies, particularly when they’re present at sub-neutralizing levels.¹⁵

• RSV antibodies can weaken your immunity by making your immune cells more prone to infections — Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that these antibodies enhance infection of certain cell types, such as macrophages, which are important immune cells in the lungs. This raises concerns about whether monoclonal antibody shots could make RSV infections worse in some babies as the antibody levels wane over time.

•Clinical trials conducted on nirsevimab have limitations that do not clearly assess its safety — Banoun’s study points out that many of the trials done on nirsevimab were conducted during periods of low RSV circulation — this means there weren’t many cases of severe RSV to compare between the treatment and placebo groups.¹⁶ This raises doubts about the shot’s reported accuracy, especially its effectiveness and safety.

For more about the research findings about nirsevimab and monoclonal antibody shots, read “Is the RSV Shot Worth the Risk to Your Baby?”

RSV Season Is Coming Soon — Should You Be Alarmed?

According to the CHD report, even though CDC’s vaccine advisory committee has yet to give its recommendation regarding clesrovimab, Merck is gearing up to take orders, so supplies can be shipped out in time for the 2025 to 2026 RSV season — from October to April.¹⁷ But just how lethal is this virus, and do the risks of these antibody shots truly outweigh the dangers of this illness?

• RSV symptoms are similar to a mild cold — These include runny nose, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and fever. Most children recuperate from RSV without any issues.

• In fact, 97% of all babies become infected with RSV by the time they turn 2 years old — This gives them partial immunity, so that when they become reinfected, the symptoms are less severe.

• However, in some infants, RSV can be dangerous — Babies that are born prematurely or with weakened immune systems are at risk of bronchiolitis or pneumonia when they acquire RSV and may need to be hospitalized. In U.S. babies younger than 1, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization.¹⁸

• The mortality rate is significantly lower than expected — According to a 2021 study from the CDC,¹⁹ only a small percentage of children — 25 or fewer babies per year — succumb to the virus.

What to Do to Avoid RSV Shots and Protect Your Baby Naturally

The good news is there are safer, smarter ways to protect your baby from RSV without exposing them to the risks of these injections. It goes beyond eliminating every germ — it’s about creating a foundation of resilience. Here are some key strategies:

• During RSV season, avoid crowds and indoor daycares if you can — If you have a newborn — especially if your baby is a preemie or has any underlying health issues — avoid crowded indoor settings. This includes daycare centers, waiting rooms, and busy stores. The fewer RSV exposures your baby gets during the early months, the more time their immune system has to mature naturally.

• Breastmilk is best — Breastfeeding gives your baby passive immunity without the risks of injections. Your breast milk contains antibodies that help fight off RSV and many other infections. Many of breastfeeding’s benefits actually stretch out until adulthood. For more information, read “The Power of Breastfeeding.”

• Prioritize your own health during pregnancy to boost natural protection — The state of your health during pregnancy plays a central role in shaping your baby’s early immunity. Make sure to optimize your nutrient status (focusing on getting key nutrients like folate), avoid exposure to toxins, and improve your gut health — these all directly affect your baby’s development. Get sufficient high-quality sleep and reduce your stress as well.

• Get regular safe sun exposure for both you and your baby — Sunlight helps your body create vitamin D, which is foundational for immune strength and respiratory health. Aim for short, gentle sun exposure daily — especially morning sun. If your baby is old enough, allow them short periods of direct sun on their skin.

For you, daily morning walks outside without sunglasses or sunscreen support both vitamin D and melatonin production, which regulate your baby’s sleep cycles and immune rhythm.

• Keep your home environment clean, warm, and hydrated — Dry indoor air increases the chance that RSV will infect your baby’s respiratory tract. Use a clean humidifier to keep indoor humidity between 40% to 60% during the colder months. Keep your baby’s nose clear with saline drops and a suction bulb if needed. Wipe down commonly touched surfaces often — but skip harsh chemical cleaners.

Stick to natural disinfectants like vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to reduce toxin exposure while keeping your environment safe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Clesrovimab (Enflonsia)

Q: What is clesrovimab, and why is it controversial?

A: Clesrovimab, marketed as Enflonsia, is Merck’s newly approved monoclonal antibody shot for preventing RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) in infants. It’s controversial because clinical trial data revealed a serious adverse event rate of 11.71%, including seizures, brain injuries, and even death. Despite these findings, the FDA approved it for use in all infants, regardless of weight or health status.

Q: How does clesrovimab compare to other RSV shots like nirsevimab (Beyfortus)?

A: While clesrovimab and nirsevimab are both monoclonal antibodies aimed at preventing RSV, clesrovimab is administered as a single fixed 105 mg dose for all infants. Nirsevimab, on the other hand, is dosed based on weight. Experts have warned that standardized dosing with clesrovimab, without taking into account the infant’s weight or size, could lead to overdosing in smaller or premature babies, increasing the risk of serious side effects.

Q: What types of side effects were seen in babies who received clesrovimab?

A: The trial reported a wide range of serious reactions: a 50% higher death rate, a 350% increased risk of upper respiratory infections, a 63% increase in lower respiratory infections, and three times the rate of severe neurological effects — such as seizures, febrile convulsions, facial paralysis, and brain injury — compared to the placebo group.

Q: How serious is RSV in most infants, and do these risks outweigh the benefits?

A: RSV is a common virus that nearly all children contract by age 2. It usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. While it can be serious in a small number of cases — particularly in premature or immune-compromised babies — CDC data shows that only about 25 infants die from RSV each year in the U.S. For most families, the documented risks of clesrovimab far exceed the danger posed by RSV itself.

Q: What are safer alternatives to protect babies from RSV?

A: You can reduce RSV risk without resorting to injections by focusing on natural immunity: avoid crowded indoor spaces during RSV season, support infant immunity with breastfeeding, prioritize your own health during pregnancy, ensure regular gentle sun exposure for both you and your baby, and maintain a clean, well-humidified indoor environment. These steps help build true resilience without the documented risks of monoclonal antibody shots.

– Sources and References

^1, ³ Merck, June 9, 2025
^2, ^5, ^8, ¹⁷ Children’s Health Defense, June 10, 2025
⁴ ClinicalTrials.gov, Efficacy and Safety of Clesrovimab (MK-1654) in Infants (MK-1654-004) (CLEVER) June 5, 2025
⁶ Fierce Pharma, June 9, 2025
⁷ Pharmacy Times, June 10, 2025
⁹ Children’s Health Defense, July 8, 2024
^10, ^11, ¹² Substack, Meryl’s CHAOS Newsletter August 4, 2023
^13, ^14, ^15, ¹⁶ Preprints 2024, 2024060714 doi: 10.20944/preprints202406.0714.v1
¹⁸ J Infect Dis. 2022 Aug 15;226(Suppl 2):S154-S163
¹⁹ Health Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 2;4(4):e428

Posted in Children, Corruption, Sunlight, Vaccinations | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: June 25, 2025

Multidimensional Sleep Health Parameters Linked to Cardiometabolic Outcomes

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/06/24/multidimensional-sleep-health.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola June 24, 2025

Story at-a-glance

Sleep health extends beyond duration; it includes timing, quality and regularity; poor sleep patterns are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and metabolic disorders
Both short (under seven hours) and long (over nine hours) sleep durations are associated with higher rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems
Irregular sleep schedules and poor sleep quality damage health as much as not sleeping enough hours, triggering inflammation and disrupting biological processes
Simple interventions like maintaining complete darkness in your bedroom, getting morning sunlight, limiting blue light exposure at night and keeping your bedroom cool significantly improves sleep quality
Improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar control and inflammation often begin within weeks of establishing more consistent and restorative sleep patterns

Sleep is one of your body’s most powerful regulators — shaping your heart health, metabolism, immune resilience and even your lifespan. Yet most people only think about sleep in terms of “how many hours” they get, missing the bigger picture. Your body doesn’t just need a certain amount of sleep. It needs the right timing, quality and rhythm to operate at full strength.

A scientific statement published by the American Heart Association in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes shines new light on how multidimensional sleep patterns — not just sleep quantity — impact your health outcomes.¹ Disruptions to your sleep schedule, low-quality rest or poor daytime energy signal deeper biological imbalances that quietly drive chronic disease risk long before obvious symptoms show up.

Let’s explore why sleep health involves much more than hours alone, what specific patterns predict better heart and metabolic outcomes, and simple changes to protect yourself. If you want to improve your energy, stabilize your blood sugar and protect your heart for the long haul, dialing in your sleep habits is one of the smartest places to start.

Poor Sleep Health Directly Impacts Your Heart and Metabolic Function

The scientific statement reviewed how different aspects of sleep health influence your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and early death.² Unlike older studies that only focused on sleep duration, this research broke new ground by looking at sleep as a multidimensional factor.

This means sleep duration, timing, regularity, continuity, satisfaction, daytime energy and even sleep stages were all considered together. The American Heart Association emphasized that improving sleep in just one of these dimensions could significantly lower your cardiometabolic disease risk.

• Poor sleep linked to chronic disease — The statement noted that sleep problems are common in almost every demographic but hit especially hard in low-income and minority communities, where sleep disruptions often start early in life. People with poor sleep patterns showed much higher rates of obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, heart disease and even early signs of stroke.

• Short and long sleep durations both raise disease risk — Sleeping less than seven hours or more than nine hours was strongly tied to a greater risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

• Irregular sleep schedules compound the damage — People who went to bed and woke up at different times each day had higher blood pressure, more blood sugar instability and double the risk of developing heart disease compared to those with regular sleep patterns.

• Daytime tiredness signals bigger problems — Feeling sleepy during the day — even if you think you slept enough — was linked to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and metabolic dysfunction.

• Poor sleep satisfaction and missed sleep stages matter — Those who rated their sleep as unsatisfying, even if they technically got “enough” hours, showed worse cardiovascular and metabolic markers than people who felt refreshed upon waking.

Shallow sleep that skips important phases like deep (slow-wave) sleep and REM (dream) sleep left people more vulnerable to inflammation, poor blood vessel function and blood sugar problems, even when total sleep hours seemed normal.

Fixing Sleep Regularity and Quality Rapidly Improves Your Health

The statement also detailed the speed at which poor sleep habits start damaging your health. Researchers noted that even short-term disruptions — like a few weeks of poor sleep quality or irregular bedtimes — were enough to raise blood pressure, increase resting blood sugar and trigger early inflammatory changes in blood vessels.

Over months and years, these effects snowball, setting you up for serious chronic illnesses. Interestingly, the largest benefits from restoring sleep patterns were seen in people who had the worst baseline sleep.

• Getting better sleep quickly improves health — Those who moved from highly irregular to more regular bedtimes, improved their sleep satisfaction or cut out nighttime awakenings showed fast improvements in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and daytime energy. These results appeared in as little as a few weeks, showing that fixing your sleep has rapid effects on your heart and metabolic health.

• Early correction leads to big improvements — People who fixed their bedtime regularity and reduced nighttime awakenings saw improvements in blood pressure within weeks.

• The worse your sleep health, the bigger the payoff — Those starting with the poorest sleep habits experienced the fastest and largest improvements once they addressed regularity, satisfaction and sleep quality.

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Download PDF

Why Sleep Timing and Quality Matter as Much as Sleep Duration

The American Heart Association also compared how different aspects of sleep health stack up against each other.³ Irregular sleep schedules appeared to be just as damaging — if not more so — than simply getting too few hours of sleep. Meanwhile, low sleep satisfaction and frequent nighttime awakenings independently predicted worse heart and metabolic outcomes, even if total sleep duration stayed within the “healthy” range.

• Sleep regularity was a key predictor — Maintaining a consistent bedtime and wake-up time mattered just as much, if not more, than hitting a target number of sleep hours.

• Sleep quality matters as much as sleep quantity — Feeling rested and staying asleep through the night had an equal or greater impact on heart and metabolic health than just sleeping longer.

The biological mechanisms uncovered were equally fascinating. Poor sleep disrupts your body’s circadian rhythms, which regulate everything from hormone release to blood vessel function to blood sugar management. When your sleep is irregular, fragmented or out of sync with natural light cycles, your body struggles to maintain stable blood pressure, regulate glucose levels and repair blood vessel linings.

• Circadian disruption sets off a chain reaction — Sleeping at odd times or waking frequently sends confusing signals to your brain and hormones, throwing off blood sugar regulation and heart function.

• Poor sleep increases inflammation — Inadequate or fragmented sleep triggers your immune system to stay in a low-grade inflammatory state, which damages blood vessels and raises your risk of clots and plaque buildup.

• Loss of deep sleep impairs recovery — Missing out on slow-wave sleep — the deep, restorative phase — leaves your cardiovascular and metabolic systems in a chronic state of low repair, making damage accumulate faster over time.

By understanding these mechanisms, you can see that poor sleep is not just an inconvenience. It’s a major hidden driver of modern chronic diseases. Fixing your sleep habits is one of the most powerful steps you take to protect your heart, your metabolism and your future.

Simple Changes That Restore Your Sleep Health

If you want to protect your heart, metabolism and energy levels, fixing your sleep habits is nonnegotiable. Sleep isn’t just about logging hours — it’s about building a stable rhythm your body trusts. Poor sleep throws your hormones, blood sugar and blood pressure into chaos. Fortunately, you don’t need extreme measures to start reversing the damage. Small, consistent changes have a powerful ripple effect. Here’s where to start:

1. Make your bedroom pitch black at night — If your bedroom isn’t completely dark, your body keeps getting signals that it’s daytime. That glow from your phone, alarm clock or even a streetlight sneaking through the window disrupts your melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep and repair.

I recommend blackout curtains and unplugging unnecessary electronics. Your room should be so dark you cannot see your hand in front of your face. This simple step trains your brain to shift fully into deep sleep mode.

2. Get outside for natural sunlight within 15 minutes of waking up — Your brain resets your internal clock based on the first bright light it sees each day. If you roll out of bed and head straight for your phone or computer, your body misses this important reset.

I suggest stepping outside, without sunglasses or windows blocking you, as soon as possible after waking. Even five minutes helps. If you work inside all day, make it a point to take a quick walk in the morning. Morning sunlight strengthens your circadian rhythm, boosts mood and stabilizes your hormones for the entire day.

3. Cut off blue light exposure after sunset — Your body needs darkness after sunset to start winding down. Blue light from phones, tablets, TVs and laptops blocks melatonin and keeps your cortisol levels elevated. This tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

I recommend shutting down all screens at sunset. If you need to be on a device, wear amber-tinted glasses or use the warmest night mode settings possible. Small adjustments like these lower stress hormones and set you up for better sleep.

4. Drop your bedroom temperature between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit — Your body needs to cool down at night to reach deep, restorative sleep stages. A room that’s too warm will cause restless sleep, night sweats and early wakeups. Try setting your thermostat to the low 60s before bed.

If you tend to get cold easily, add layers to your bedding rather than heating the room. Keeping the air cool while staying cozy under breathable blankets helps your body stay asleep longer and cycle naturally through the important stages of sleep.

5. Turn off electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in your sleeping area — Your nervous system responds to EMFs like Wi-Fi signals, cellphones and plugged-in electronics — even if you don’t feel it consciously. These signals interrupt your sleep cycles and elevate your stress levels at night.

I strongly encourage you to unplug any devices near your bed, shut off your Wi-Fi router overnight and move your phone out of the bedroom. For an even bigger impact, flip the circuit breaker to your bedroom before you sleep. Removing these invisible stressors gives your body a clean, quiet environment to heal and recharge.

Each of these steps works by aligning your body with its natural sleep-wake rhythm — the foundation your heart, metabolism and immune system depend on. Start with one or two changes today, and as your sleep gets stronger, your energy, focus and resilience will follow. For even more help, review my 50 Tips to Improve Your Sleep.

FAQs About Sleep and Your Cardiometabolic Health

Q: What is multidimensional sleep health and why does it matter?

A: Multidimensional sleep health means looking beyond how many hours you sleep. It includes your sleep timing, regularity, satisfaction, daytime energy and sleep stages. Poor sleep in any one of these areas raises your risk for heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes and early death.

Q: How does irregular sleep affect my heart and metabolism?

A: Going to bed and waking up at different times each day disrupts your circadian rhythm, which regulates blood pressure, blood sugar and hormone production. This confusion stresses your heart and metabolism, increasing your risk of chronic diseases over time.

Q: Why is short or long sleep linked to heart problems?

A: Sleeping less than seven hours or more than nine hours throws off key body functions like blood sugar control, blood pressure regulation and blood vessel repair. Over time, these disruptions lead to inflammation, artery damage and greater chances of heart attack, stroke and metabolic diseases.

Q: What simple steps can I take to improve my sleep health right away?

A: Start by making your bedroom pitch black at night, getting natural sunlight within 15 minutes of waking, cutting blue light after sunset, cooling your bedroom to 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and unplugging electronics near your bed to reduce EMF exposure.

Q: How fast will I notice improvements if I fix my sleep habits?

A: Many people begin seeing changes within just a few weeks. Improvements like better blood pressure, sharper focus, more stable blood sugar and higher energy levels happen quickly once your sleep patterns become more consistent and restorative.

– Sources and References

^1, ^2, ³ Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes April 14, 2025

Posted in Circadian, Inflammation, Sleep, Sunlight | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: June 17, 2025

Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation Revolutionized Medicine — Why Did It Disappear?

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/06/13/uvbi-revolutionized-medicine.aspx

Analysis by A Midwestern Doctor June 13, 2025

Story at-a-glance

Natural light is an essential nutrient many of us lack within our bodies. When ultraviolet light is introduced into the bloodstream, remarkable health benefits emerge
The dermatology industry created hysteria about benign sun-induced cancers while ignoring that deadly melanoma actually results from sunlight deficiency, not excess exposure
Once ultraviolet blood irradiation (UVBI) was discovered in the 1930s, it produced miraculous results for patients on the verge of death and was quickly adopted by hospitals throughout America, demonstrating remarkable efficacy for a wide range of diseases
To neutralize this competition, the American Medical Association published a doctored study that “debunked” UVBI, and it became a forgotten therapy. Russians and Germans recognized its value and have produced decades of research showing UVBI’s remarkable utility
This article explores UVBI’s remarkable history, systematic suppression, and scientific foundation, demonstrating why this therapy represents one of medicine’s lost opportunities

I have attempted to make the case that we are routinely denied vital knowledge, treatment, and care to protect the interests of the medical industrial complex. For example:

I’ve highlighted how unsafe pharmaceuticals make it to market because approval panels were stacked with people taking money from manufacturers (which was a tactic Anthony Fauci weaponized against America).
I’ve discussed¹ how the American Medical Association was taken over by unscrupulous businessmen who funded the association by promoting anything they were paid to (which is why there were so many AMA advertisements of doctors promoting smoking)² while using the government to outlaw competing therapies.
I’ve shown how American society has been separated from fundamental health requirements (e.g., sleep or sunlight), how damaging losing these is, and how far the marketing industry goes to ensure we never reclaim these basic health requirements.

This suggests that remarkable medical innovations exist that have been overlooked or forgotten. I will discuss one — ultraviolet blood irradiation (UVBI) — because there’s vast evidence for its use and unlike many other lost medical technologies, it’s still relatively accessible.

Video Link

The Importance of Sunlight

A widely held view exists that sunlight (particularly its ultraviolet component) is dangerous and must be avoided. Remarkably, much of that came from a 1980s public relations campaign that the struggling dermatology profession used to rebrand themselves as cancer fighters by creating a hysteria about benign sunlight-induced cancers while downplaying that the deadly skin cancer, melanoma, actually results from a lack of sunlight.

Treating skin cancer is both straightforward and highly lucrative, making dermatology one of the most sought-after medical specialties.

Note: A 20 year prospective study of 29,518 Swedish women found that those who avoided sunlight were 130% more likely to die than women who had regular sunlight exposure.³ They were much more likely to develop various medical conditions (e.g., they were twice as likely to get cancer).

As such, I’ve attempted to shine light on the critical benefits we receive from sunlight, how many illnesses result from artificial lighting and a lack of sunlight, and that the same changes observed in plants and animals due to unhealthy lighting are also observed in humans (all of which is discussed here). Key points I covered there included:

Unhealthy light causes and exacerbates cancers and significantly increases infection risk (particularly in livestock).
Unhealthy light contributes to behavioral disorders (e.g., ADHD).
Healthy lighting significantly increases the health, fertility, and productivity of domesticated animals.
The circadian rhythm (which regulates sleep and healing) is heavily disrupted by unnatural lighting.
Many biological structures are highly sensitive to specific light wavelengths, which is problematic because artificial lighting has narrow bands rather than a complete spectrum.
Light plays a critical role in generating circulation and protecting blood vessels.
Ultraviolet light is particularly critical for health. The most dramatic benefits of light therapies occur when appropriate UV light is administered to the body.
Glass blocks essential UV light, so modern life prevents access to that light, creating widespread UV deficiency.
Since skin has difficulty absorbing UV light, we receive much light through the eyes. When individuals wear glasses blocking sunlight from entering their eyes, health problems can ensue that resolve once addressed.

The major challenge with light therapies is getting light inside the body. Fortunately, methods have been developed to do this, producing remarkable results for over a century.

The History of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation

One of the oldest “proven” therapies was having people bathe in sunlight. It was one of the few things that actually succeeded in treating the 1918 influenza.⁴ Prior to antibiotics, it was one of the most effective treatments for tuberculosis⁵ and was widely used for other diseases (e.g., erysipelas and mumps).⁶ One UVBI pioneer noted that low doses of externally applied UV light stimulated general resistance to infection in animals and humans.⁷

The medical field concluded that part of sunlight’s value was that ultraviolet within it was a sterilizing agent, and UV devices were developed to sterilize things. For example, one of the most effective ways to prevent COVID-19 indoors was exposing air to UV light, and one promising approach explored for treating COVID-19 was safely putting UV light inside the respiratory tract to sterilize viral particles (which is what Trump was actually describing during his infamous disinfectant remark).⁸

Since blood-borne infections (septicemia) were a major problem, in 1927, Emmett K. Knott (who was not a doctor) decided to try sterilizing blood by extracting it, exposing it to UV light, and returning it to the body. Initially, when testing this by infecting dogs with lethal bacteria, he found that while treated dogs didn’t have bacteria in their blood at death, they still died after about a week.

Eventually, in 1928 an accident happened and Knott dramatically under-dosed a septic dog, after which the dog had a dramatic recovery — leading Knott to realize only a small amount of blood should be irradiated. Shortly after, Knott received a request from a doctor friend whose sister was dying from septicemia for blood irradiation. The UVBI treatment worked, and the woman made a complete recovery.

For five years, Knott refined his method without testing it on humans, likely due to the difficulty in finding willing doctors and the Great Depression. Eventually, in 1933, another Seattle doctor with a septic patient on the verge of death reached out to Knott, and again UVBI resulted in dramatic recovery.

Knott began traveling the country with his massive machine, and beginning in 1937, successfully convinced skeptical hospital doctors to use UVBI. As the therapy proved itself, more people adopted it, and by the 1940s, pioneering physicians who tested it on hundreds of patients found that UVBI consistently treated conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia (including viral pneumonias), kidney disorders, asthma, polio, botulism, rheumatic fever, and viral hepatitis.

UVBI almost always worked if administered early in the infection, often yielding miraculous results even when patients were on the verge of death, and significantly shortened hospital stays.

Note: Dr. George Miley, who had done the most UVBI work, commented on Knott’s work in 1940: “I think personally that this is one of the greatest contributions to medicine ever made by a citizen of the United States.”

By the early 1950s, UVBI was being used in approximately 50 American hospitals, with doctors reporting they had used it on thousands of patients and consistently seen immediate and miraculous results alongside a complete absence of side effects.

These doctors documented their work in a significant body of literature: 50 papers by 20 different authors (published in 18 different medical journals) covering over 3,000 patients with 36 different diseases — all finding remarkable UVBI benefits. UVBI was promoted in mainstream media (e.g., The New York Times⁹ and Time Magazine¹⁰).

Here’s one case from a physician who between 1938 to 1943 successfully treated over 400 patients with 35 different diseases using UVBI:¹¹

“A patient had thrombosis of the cerebellar artery (brain blood clot), pneumonia, bacterial blood infection, lung emboli, leg blood clot, and paralysis of his left side and vocal cords — a hopeless and terminal case. When seen by Dr. Barrett, the patient was delirious and irrational, had eaten nothing except Coca-Cola for 11 days, and had lost 45 pounds.

He was immediately treated with UVBI and had an almost instant response. After a second treatment in three days, there was further dramatic improvement. Although it took several months, he recovered completely, regaining the 45 pounds he had lost and adding another ten. This patient would almost certainly have died within days without UVBI therapy.”

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Download PDF

Market Monopolization

At this point, the American Medical Association (AMA) became involved and attempted to extort Knott by offering to conduct a study validating UVBI for $100,000 (approximately $1 million today) and to purchase the rights to Knott’s device in return for a small sales cut.

After Knott refused (as did physicians across America advocating for UVBI), the AMA decided to do its study anyway. It was overseen by a friend of the AMA director (who was designing a competing device) and curiously, prior to being done, JAMA announced it was likely to fail.

The study had various issues (e.g., no one could inspect the machine, when returned they discovered a film had blocked UV light from reaching blood, it only had 68 test subjects, many cases were conditions UVBI wasn’t used for).¹² Nonetheless, no adverse events occurred, no one died (despite many having dangerous conditions), and many patients experienced significant improvement. Despite this, the 1952 study concluded:¹³

“We have concluded that none of our patients derived benefit from the irradiation of blood with the Knott hemo-irradiator.”

Because of this “definitive study,” hospitals across America quickly abandoned UVBI and became fully committed to emerging antibiotics. Knott stopped producing his machine and died in 1961. The Salk vaccine also eliminated interest in finding polio treatments.

Note: Fortunately, UVBI revived in Russia, the former Soviet states, and Germany. Unlike America, these countries couldn’t afford extravagant medical spending and lacked routine censorship of scientific ideas that threatened the medical industrial complex. Operating on shoestring budgets, they were motivated to find economical disease solutions.

The most noteworthy aspect was that the exact same thing has been done to many other promising therapies. For example, around this time, the AMA approached the inventors of alternative cancer therapies (such as the Krebiozen, Hoxey and the Koch Catalyst) and pressured them to sign away almost all of the rights for the treatment to the AMA or be blacklisted.¹⁴

In each case, the inventor refused because they wanted it to remain affordable to everyday people, after which the AMA launched a blitz against the therapy,¹⁵ and then with the help of the FDA, buried it (which was later corroborated by a 1953 Congressional investigation).¹⁶ In short, because of the power the AMA wielded, a single fraudulent negative study could immediately erase large bodies of independent research showing otherwise.

As Pierre Kory details in “The War on Ivermectin,” this happened throughout the pandemic with unpatentable COVID-19 treatments.¹⁷ With hydroxychloroquine, the Lancet published a trial arising from overtly false data (later retracted) showing HCQ was killing people, leading to worldwide trial terminations.¹⁸

In contrast, numerous independent studies found HCQ was one of the safest and most effective COVID-19 treatments if used early, and prior to COVID-19, the “incredibly dangerous” HCQ was considered one of the safest and most essential medications in existence.

Note: Similar absurdities occurred with ivermectin and vitamin D (which for decades has proven more effective at preventing flu than annual flu shots).¹⁹

Paul Marik (widely considered the world’s top critical care expert)²⁰ repeatedly demonstrated that IV vitamin C is transformative for sepsis when administered early, dramatically reducing death rates (e.g., his hospital’s sepsis death rate dropped from 22% to 6%,²¹ and in a study, from 40.4% to 8.5%).²² Yet this therapy was “debunked” because studies only gave IV vitamin C late in hospitalization (where it no longer works), making it nearly impossible to get IV vitamin C at American hospitals.

Note: During the early days of AIDS, Anthony Fauci suppressed lifesaving AIDS treatments while pushing a dangerous failed cancer drug that became standard AIDS treatment based on fraudulent studies.²³

The costs of each of these are huge. Sepsis for example, is the third leading cause of death in hospitals and kills 350,000 Americans each year.²⁴ Similarly, the primary cause of death from cancers is metastases, and many of the extreme approaches used to treat cancer are justified under the possibility that they might prevent a metastasis.

Likewise, COVID-19 being “incurable” cost our nation trillions of dollars and killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. Conversely, whenever an industry supported drug comes to market, it doesn’t matter how dangerous or ineffective its data shows it to be (e.g., the data for both the COVID-19 vaccines and remdesivir showed they had significant dangers and provided minimal benefit), a method will always be found to argue they are in fact extremely “safe and effective.”

Sadly, while awareness of UVBI’s miraculous properties has now largely disappeared thanks to the AMA’s control of the media, reports of it still emerge. For example, last year Joe Rogan and Jimmy Dore discussed how Trump discussing placing UV light inside the body to treat COVID was misconstrued as “injecting bleach” and how the AMA erased this revolutionary therapy.

Video Link

Types of Blood Irradiation

Various methods exist for getting light inside the body. In the classic approach, blood is removed, typically diluted, and then infused back, allowing it to pass through light (requiring IV parts made of quartz glass, through which UV light can pass).

German and Russian researchers developed alternative approaches — directly applying a laser onto surface blood vessels (e.g., behind the knee or under the tongue) or threading fiber optic cables into vessels and illuminating from inside. These approaches (collectively known as laser blood irradiation or LBI) have been found relatively equivalent,²⁵ with LBI requiring more treatments.

A leading researcher determined LBI had more rapid effects and was better for bronchodilation and allergen hyposensitization,²⁶ while UBI had more substantial bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects. Two weeks after treatment, UBI typically obtained better microcirculation results than LBI.

Numerous studies demonstrate that LBI is effective for a wide range of medical conditions, with varying effects depending on the light wavelengths used. To quote a recent review paper about LBI use in Russia:²⁷

Additionally:

Unlike UVBI, LBI is not easily obtainable in the United States.
Unlike UVBI, LBI can only apply one wavelength at a time (due to laser coherence needs).

UVBI Research Foundation

UVBI researchers have identified over 200 journal articles on UVBI and LBI published between 1934 and 2020, with a third viewable online. These studies consistently found a complete absence of side effects from UVBI.²⁸ Conditions with evidence of UVBI efficacy include:

Bacterial infections (sepsis, septic abortions, osteomyelitis, meningitis, tuberculosis, typhoid fever)²⁹
Viral infections (pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis, severe COVID-19, long COVID, polio, AIDS)³⁰
Cardiovascular disorders (heart attacks, angina, peripheral arterial disease, intermittent claudication, Raynaud’s, thrombophlebitis, high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension)³¹
Autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, eczema, multiple sclerosis, transplant rejections)³²
Abdominal conditions (liver, biliary and gallbladder diseases, pancreatitis, disseminated peritonitis, kidney diseases)³³
Surgery (preventing post-operative complications, reducing death rates, accelerating recovery, treating postoperative ileus or burns)³⁴
Obstetrics and gynecology (male and female fertility, preventing miscarriages, preeclampsia, healthy babies, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pelvic inflammatory diseases)³⁵
Neurologic and psychiatric disorders (depression, schizophrenia, migraine headaches, poor cerebral blood flow creating tinnitus, foggy head or insomnia)³⁶

Note: All of the studies for the above conditions are discussed and summarized in this article.

Vasogen — The Patent Solution

One major UVBI barrier is that it’s not patentable and cannot justify the immense costs of clinical trials and lobbying for FDA approval. In the 1990s, the Canadian company Vasogen attempted to solve this problem by creating a device that mixed ozone, UVBI, and heat within its proprietary device, then injected it into the gluteal muscle.

This proprietary approach (deemed “irrational” by a leading ozone researcher)³⁷ performed significantly worse than other methods but still produced remarkable results, resulting in Vasogen raising 225 million dollars, conducting over 60 studies over 8 years, demonstrating safety, securing over 24 patents, and publishing a successful Phase II trial for chronic heart failure and peripheral vascular disease.³⁸

Unfortunately, due to a poorly designed Phase III trial (which had benefits but failed to achieve statistical significance), Vasogen went bankrupt.³⁹ Few now know the company existed or that costly required Phase I and Phase II studies for UVBI have already been done.

Additionally, in 2015, AVIcure Bioscience published a Phase II safety study for UVBI,⁴⁰ and in 2019, it published a successful Phase III clinical trial.⁴¹ Both trials showed safety for all patients and efficacy for the majority. Unfortunately, these studies on hepatitis C were conducted, and simultaneously, effective pharmaceutical treatments for hepatitis C hit the market, eliminating interest in alternative approaches.⁴²

Remarkably, despite all this evidence and widespread usage for nearly a century, UVBI is still called “fringe” or “pseudoscientific” therapy with “no evidence,” illustrating why those terms are meaningless.

Note: The key requirement of the 2018 Right to Try Act is that Phase I safety studies have been completed.⁴³

Conclusion

The UVBI story represents a forgotten side of medicine — a safe, effective, affordable therapy that could have saved millions of lives was systematically buried to protect pharmaceutical profits. Despite overwhelming evidence from hundreds of studies and thousands of successfully treated patients over nearly a century, UVBI remains marginalized in American medicine.

The pattern — initial enthusiasm, remarkable results, systematic suppression through fraudulent studies, eventual marginalization — has been repeated with countless promising therapies. From hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin during COVID-19 to IV vitamin C for sepsis, the medical establishment consistently employs the same playbook to eliminate competition to expensive pharmaceutical interventions.

Yet UVBI persists, quietly helping patients in integrative medicine practices across America and openly studied in countries like Russia and Germany. The therapy Dr. George Miley called “one of the greatest contributions to medicine ever made by a citizen of the United States” continues demonstrating remarkable potential for those fortunate enough to access it.

Understanding this history reveals fundamental corruption within our medical system — a system that prioritizes profits over patients and consistently suppresses safe, effective treatments that threaten pharmaceutical revenues. Only by recognizing these patterns can we begin to reclaim the remarkable healing potential that has been stolen from us.

Author’s Note: This is an abridged version of a longer article about UVBI which goes into greater detail on the mechanisms behind UVBI, summarizes its vast body of published literature, and provides resources for those interested in accessing the most effective forms of this therapy (something many have now reported benefitting from). That article and its additional references can be read here.

A Note from Dr. Mercola About the Author

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

– Sources and References

Posted in Blood, Cancer, Sunlight, UV | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: May 15, 2025

Lupus Facts and Fictions

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/05/15/lupus-facts-and-fictions.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola May 15, 2025

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that most often affects your skin, joints, kidneys and heart
Lupus causes inflammation and a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes and fever
Lupus can affect connective tissues in the body, which are largely composed of collagen
Inadequate vitamin D levels are common in people with systemic lupus
Addressing cellular energy deficiency and estrogen dominance may help you overcome and manage lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Most often, lupus affects your skin, joints, kidneys and heart, but other parts of your body, including your skin, eyes and digestive system, can also be affected.¹

Lupus causes inflammation that can be widespread and may affect multiple organ systems simultaneously, leading to a wide range of symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes and fever. In the U.S., an estimated 1.5 million Americans have lupus. Globally, at least 5 million people are affected.² While the exact causes are unknown, addressing cellular energy deficiency and estrogen dominance may help.

4 Main Types of Lupus

While anyone can develop lupus, including children and men, it’s much more common in women. Among those affected, 9 out of 10 are women, with most developing the condition between the ages of 15 and 44. About 1 in 3 lupus patients also suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases.³

However, it’s a myth that there’s only one type of lupus.⁴ In fact, there are four primary forms of the disease:⁵

1. Systemic lupus — This is the most common form of lupus, accounting for about 70% of cases. In about half of these, the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain or another major organ or tissue is affected.

2. Cutaneous lupus — This form of lupus primarily affects the skin and accounts for only about 10% of cases. It includes several subtypes, including discoid lupus, which is characterized by chronic, disc-shaped and raised lesions on the skin, often leaving scars. Another subtype, subacute cutaneous lupus, features red, scaly skin lesions that typically do not cause scarring but can be widespread.

3. Drug-induced lupus — This form of lupus, which accounts for about 10% of cases, is triggered by certain medications. Symptoms are similar to those of systemic lupus but typically resolve once the medication is discontinued.

Most cases of drug-induced lupus are associated with three medications: procainamide (Pronestyl), hydralazine (Apresoline) and quinidine (Quinaglute). However, at least 46 drugs, including those used to treat heart disease, thyroid disease, high blood pressure and neuropsychiatric conditions, as well as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents, may cause lupus.⁶

4. Neonatal lupus — This rare condition affects newborns, typically born to mothers with autoimmune antibodies associated with lupus. Babies with neonatal lupus may have skin rashes, liver problems and low blood cell counts, but symptoms typically resolve after six months. In some cases, newborns with neonatal lupus may develop congenital heart block, a serious heart condition.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lupus?

The signs and symptoms of lupus can vary considerably from person to person and from day to day. Symptoms may come and go and change over time, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.

• A range of common symptoms are frequently reported by individuals with lupus — Some of the most common symptoms include the following. Note that many people affected only experience some of these symptoms, not all:⁷

◦Extreme fatigue

◦Joint pain or swelling

◦Swelling in the hands, feet or around the eyes

◦Headaches

◦Low fevers

◦Sensitivity to sunlight or fluorescent lights

◦Chest pain when breathing deeply

• Skin and hair-related issues are also frequent in lupus — Skin and hair problems are also common, including hair loss, sores in the mouth or nose and a butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose.

• Raynaud’s disease is a common co-occurring condition in people with systemic lupus — Many people with systemic lupus also experience Raynaud’s disease, characterized by episodic constriction of the small blood vessels in the extremities, such as the fingers and toes, in response to cold or stress.

• Raynaud’s symptoms include color changes and numbness due to reduced blood flow — This constriction reduces blood flow and can cause the affected areas to turn white or blue and feel cold and numb. As blood flow returns, the areas may turn red and throb or tingle.

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Download PDF

The Collagen Connection

Lupus can affect connective tissues in the body, which are largely composed of collagen. Collagen is a structural protein that provides strength and elasticity to various tissues, including skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. “Lupus can attack tissue, which leads to a loss of collagen in the skin,” the Lupus Foundation of America notes.⁸

In fact, systemic lupus is sometimes referred to as a collagen vascular disease,⁹ and research has shown a potential link between collagen deficiency and lupus.

• Siglec-G deficiency worsens lupus and arthritis in mice — One study found that the loss of the inhibitory receptor Siglec-G led to a moderate exacerbation of disease severity and early onset in both collagen-induced arthritis and spontaneous lupus nephritis in mice.¹⁰ Siglec-G is a protein found on all B cells, which are a type of immune cell. It acts as an inhibitor to keep the B1 cells from expanding too much.

• Loss of Siglec-G’s inhibitory function worsens disease progression — Overall, losing the inhibitory function of Siglec-G led to a moderate increase in disease severity and an earlier onset of both arthritis and lupus in these mice.

While the research primarily focused on the role of Siglec-G in immune regulation, it highlights how deficiencies in such regulatory mechanisms can exacerbate autoimmune diseases that affect collagen-containing tissues, thereby linking lupus, collagen and immune response regulation.

• Other studies link altered collagen metabolism to lupus progression — Other research found a significant link between altered collagen components and lupus, suggesting that changes in collagen metabolism may play a role in the disease’s manifestation and progression.¹¹

• Bone broth is a natural and cost-effective way to increase collagen intake — One way to increase your intake of collagen is to consume homemade bone broth. Bone broth is made by simmering animal bones and connective tissue, which releases collagen and other nutrients into the broth. While there are plenty of collagen supplements on the market, bone broth is by far the least expensive option.

• Bone broth may help reduce inflammation and joint pain — Bone broth may help reduce joint pain and stiffness,¹² as well as inflammation, in part, courtesy of chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage.

To make homemade bone broth, simply place bones in an Instant Pot, fill the pot with pure, filtered water — just enough to cover the bones — add salt and other spices to taste, then set it to cook on high for two hours if the bones are from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) or four hours if organic and grass fed.

Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels

Inadequate vitamin D levels are common in people with systemic lupus.¹³ Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School also found that vitamin D supplementation for five years reduced autoimmune disease by 22%.¹⁴

• Many lupus patients have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency — Further, according to researchers in Cairo,¹⁵ most patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have some level of vitamin D deficiency, defined as a level of 10 ng/mL or less, or insufficiency, a level between 10 and 30 ng/mL.

• Sun exposure is the ideal way to obtain vitamin D — I strongly recommend getting your vitamin D from proper sun exposure, if possible, as it provides benefits beyond vitamin D optimization. Higher levels of vitamin D may even serve as a marker for healthy sun exposure, which in turn may be responsible for many of the health benefits, which include reduced risk of cancer and increased longevity, attributed to vitamin D.

• Sunlight supports melatonin production and other vital processes — Regular sun exposure, for instance, enhances production of melatonin — a potent anticancer agent.¹⁶ However, if you’re unable to get adequate sun exposure each day, vitamin D supplementation may be necessary.

The global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as a level of less than 20 ng/mL) and insufficiency (defined as a level of 20 to less than 30 ng/mL) is 40% to 100%,¹⁷ so many people are lacking.

•Vitamin D levels above 20 ng/mL are still not optimal — Further, 20 ng/mL has repeatedly been shown to be grossly insufficient for good health and disease prevention, which means the true prevalence of people without optimal levels of vitamin D is even greater. The only way to determine how much sun exposure is enough and/or how much vitamin D3 you need to take is to measure your vitamin D level, ideally twice a year.

Once you’ve confirmed your vitamin D levels via testing, adjust your sun exposure and/or vitamin D3 supplementation accordingly. Then, remember to retest in three to four months to make sure you’ve reached your target level.

The optimal level for health and disease prevention is between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL (150 to 200 nmol/L), while the cutoff for sufficiency appears to be around 40 ng/mL. In Europe, the measurements you’re looking for are 150 to 200 nmol/L and 100 nmol/L respectively.

Address Excess Estrogen and Linoleic Acid

Most people have dysfunctional mitochondria, and if you don’t have enough mitochondria, you can’t create cellular energy efficiently enough to ward off chronic diseases, including autoimmune diseases like lupus. Optimizing your mitochondrial function is one of the most important strategies to optimize your cellular energy, so it’s at the core of almost everything that you do to improve your health.

Excess intake of linoleic acid (LA) — found in the seed oils used in most ultraprocessed foods — and estrogen dominance, I believe, are the leading contributors to mitochondrial dysfunction. Further, according to the Cleveland Clinic, “Reactions to certain hormones in your body (especially estrogen) may make you more likely to develop lupus.”¹⁸

Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) is another contributing factor to mitochondrial dysfunction. However, LA and estrogen negatively impact your body in similar ways. They both:

Increase free radicals that cause oxidative stress and damage your mitochondria’s ability to produce energy
Increase calcium inside the cell that causes an increase in nitric oxide and superoxide that increases peroxynitrite that also increases oxidative stress
Cause an increase in intracellular water causing your body to retain water
Slow down your metabolic rate and suppress your thyroid gland

“Lupus is often triggered during times of physical and emotional stress combined with a nutrient-poor inflammatory diet,” Dr. Brooke Goldner, an autoimmune professor at Cornell University, who has lupus, told Fox News.¹⁹

In addition to lowering your LA intake by avoiding ultraprocessed foods, seed oils, chicken, pork, seeds and nuts, focus on reducing your stress, as chronic stress promotes cortisol release, which is a potent suppressor of mitochondrial function and biogenesis. Progesterone can be quite helpful here, as it’s a potent cortisol blocker.

How to Counteract Estrogen Excess with Progesterone

Before you consider using progesterone it is important to understand that it is not a magic bullet and you get the most benefit by implementing a Bioenergetic diet approach that allows you to effectively burn glucose as your primary fuel with backing up electrons in your mitochondria that reduces your energy production. My new book, “Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy,” covers this process in great detail.

• Transmucosal progesterone is a natural estrogen antagonist — Once you have dialed in your diet, an effective strategy that can help counteract estrogen excess is to take transmucosal progesterone (not oral or transdermal), which is a natural estrogen antagonist. Progesterone is one of only three hormones I believe many adults can benefit from. (The other two are DHEA and pregnenolone.)

• Avoid transdermal progesterone due to conversion to other compounds — I do not recommend transdermal progesterone, as your skin expresses high levels of 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which causes a significant portion of the progesterone you’re taking to be irreversibly converted primarily into allopregnanolone and cannot be converted back into progesterone.

• Recommended dose and timing of progesterone for best results — As a general recommendation, I recommend taking 25 to 50 mg of bioidentical progesterone per day, taken in the evening about 30 to 60 minutes before bed, as it can also promote sleep.

For optimal bioavailability, progesterone needs to be mixed into natural vitamin E. The difference in bioavailability between taking progesterone orally without vitamin E and taking it with vitamin E is 45 minutes versus 48 hours.

• Product suggestion and DIY preparation of progesterone mix — You can make your own mixture by dissolving pure USP progesterone powder into one capsule of a high-quality vitamin E, and then rub the mixture on your gums. Fifty milligrams of powdered progesterone is about 1/32 teaspoon.

• Do not use synthetic vitamin E (alpha tocopherol acetate — the acetate indicates that it’s synthetic) — Natural vitamin E will be labeled “d alpha tocopherol.” This is the pure D isomer, which is what your body can use.

There are also other vitamin E isomers, and you want the complete spectrum of tocopherols and tocotrienols, specifically the beta, gamma, and delta types, in the effective D isomer. As an example of an ideal vitamin E you can look at the label on our vitamin E in our store. You can use any brand that has a similar label.

• If you are a menstruating woman — Take the progesterone during the luteal phase or the last half of your cycle which can be determined by starting 10 days after the first day of your period and stopping the progesterone when your period starts.

• If you are a male or non-menstruating woman — Take the progesterone every day for four to six months and then cycle off for one week. The best time of day to take progesterone is about 30 to 60 minutes before bed, as it has an anti-cortisol function and will increase GABA levels for a good night’s sleep.

Please note that when progesterone is used transmucosally on your gums as I advise, the FDA believes that somehow converts it into a drug and prohibits any company from advising that on its label. However, please understand that it is perfectly legal for any physician to prescribe an off-label indication for a drug.

In this case progesterone is a natural hormone and not a drug and is very safe even at high doses. This is unlike synthetic progesterone, called progestins, that are used by drug companies, but frequently, and incorrectly, referred to as progesterone, which are dangerous and should never be used by anyone.

You Can Often Manage Lupus with a Healthy Lifestyle

By addressing cellular energy deficiency, you can often heal medical issues and get back to a healthy state. As Goldner told Fox News, “Lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, healthy eating and stress management can help improve the quality of life for people with lupus.” She suggests people “embrace taking control of all the variables they can manage, like how they eat, sleep and manage stress with self-care, so they can minimize illness and maximize recovery and remission.”²⁰

Along those lines, ginger, which is easy to grow at home, is a top anti-inflammatory nutrient. It has been shown to bolster immune system function and ameliorate autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis by making neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) more resistant to neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, which is known to propel inflammation and contribute to autoimmune diseases.²¹

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Lupus

Q: What is lupus, and who is most at risk?

A: Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the body’s tissues, often affecting the skin, joints, kidneys, and heart. It primarily affects women between the ages of 15 and 44. There are four main types: systemic, cutaneous, drug-induced, and neonatal lupus.

Q: What are the common symptoms of lupus?

A: Lupus symptoms vary but often include fatigue, joint pain, headaches, fevers, and skin rashes. Hair loss, mouth sores, and a butterfly rash are also common. Many patients also develop Raynaud’s disease, which causes color changes and numbness in the fingers and toes due to poor blood flow.

Q: How are collagen and vitamin D connected to lupus?

A: Lupus can damage collagen-rich tissues, contributing to disease progression. Bone broth may help support collagen levels naturally. Vitamin D deficiency is common in lupus and may worsen symptoms. Sun exposure is ideal for boosting vitamin D, but testing is needed to find and maintain optimal levels.

Q: What role do estrogen and linoleic acid play in lupus development?

A: Excess estrogen and linoleic acid (from seed oils and processed foods) may impair mitochondrial function, increasing lupus risk. They promote oxidative stress, water retention, and metabolic suppression. Cutting back on these and managing stress can support cellular energy and reduce symptoms.

Q: Can progesterone help manage estrogen excess and lupus symptoms?

A: Yes. Transmucosal bioidentical progesterone is a safe, natural way to balance estrogen and improve sleep. It’s best taken with natural vitamin E. Avoid synthetic versions and follow a hormone-aligned schedule. Unlike synthetic progestins, bioidentical progesterone is well-tolerated and effective.

– Sources and References

Posted in Estrogen, Linoleic Acid, Lupus, Sunlight, Vitamins | No Comments »

Posted by: admin | Posted on: May 12, 2025

Subtle Signs You Are Not Getting Enough Sleep

Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/05/12/subtle-signs-of-sleep-deprivation.aspx

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola May 12, 2025

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

Sleep deprivation manifests in subtle ways beyond feeling tired, including mood swings, poor concentration and food cravings that many don’t connect to lack of sleep
Research shows others easily identify sleep-deprived individuals through facial cues like puffy eyes, pale skin and drooping mouth corners
Poor sleep disrupts hormones regulating hunger and stress, leading to increased cravings for junk foods and emotional eating
During sleep, your body performs essential repair and regeneration, with insufficient sleep disrupting everything from skin health to immune function
Simple solutions include creating a completely dark bedroom, morning sunlight exposure, avoiding blue light after sunset and maintaining a cool sleeping environment

Not getting enough sleep doesn’t just make you tired — it alters your mood, appearance and daily function in ways you might not even connect to lack of rest. Subtle signs like food cravings, low motivation and emotional swings are often your body’s way of telling you your sleep routine is broken.

And even when you think you’re getting enough hours of sleep, irregular bedtimes and poor sleep habits may be throwing off your body clock. Chronic sleep disruption shows up in your face, your focus and even your ability to make decisions. Research from Sweden confirms that others can tell when you’re sleep-deprived — whether you can feel it yet or not.¹ Let’s break down what this kind of hidden sleep loss looks like, what causes it and how you can fix it.

Sleep Deprivation Doesn’t Always Feel Like Sleep Deprivation

In an interview with Newsweek, sleep psychologist Janet Kennedy explained that chronic sleep deprivation often goes unnoticed because the symptoms don’t always feel like tiredness.² Instead of yawning or falling asleep during the day, you might just feel more irritable, distracted or emotionally drained. Kennedy emphasized that everyone has slightly different sleep needs, and trying to get more than you need can even cause anxiety or insomnia.

• Healthy adults who experience sleep irregularities are at risk — Rather than focusing on people with diagnosed sleep disorders, Kennedy’s advice applied to otherwise healthy people who go to bed late, use screens too close to bedtime or feel wired even when exhausted.

These are the types of individuals most likely to suffer from the cumulative effects of poor sleep without realizing what’s really happening. She noted, “Chronic sleep deprivation has a multitude of negative effects on the body and mind.”

• Mood swings and poor concentration are some of the most telling signs — If you’re snapping at loved ones, struggling to finish tasks or finding it hard to stay mentally sharp, you might be dealing with low-grade sleep loss. Insufficient sleep increases anxiety, slows decision-making and impairs memory. These cognitive effects aren’t subtle — they affect your performance, relationships and daily function.

• Your body might feel exhausted, but your brain refuses to sleep — This confusing pattern is one of the more frustrating signs that your circadian rhythm is off. Inconsistent wake-up times and late-night screen use scrambles your internal clock.

“Phones and other devices signal daytime, stress and problem-solving, stimulating the brain into active mode and revving up the body” Kennedy said.³ This makes it harder for your body to wind down and heal. As a result, even when you’re drained, your brain might still think it’s go-time — keeping you awake and alert when you desperately need rest.

How Poor Sleep Reshapes Your Body and Brain

Signs like puffiness, red eyes, dark circles and sagging skin around the mouth and eyes are common in people who are not getting enough sleep. These physical signs reflect disrupted hormone function, reduced tissue repair and poor circulation — all of which get worse when you skip deep, restorative sleep.

• Even your appetite starts to shift in unhealthy directions — Sleep affects hunger-regulating hormones like ghrelin and leptin. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body increases signals that tell you to eat and suppresses the ones that tell you you’re full. The result? Strong cravings for high-calorie foods, increased snacking and emotional eating. This feedback loop pushes your body further out of balance.

• Low libido is another overlooked clue — When you’re consistently tired, your body shifts priorities. Energy and hormone production are directed toward basic survival and repair, not sexual function. This downshift in reproductive hormones leads to lower sex drive, and because it happens gradually, you might not connect it to sleep at all. Yet restoring sleep often brings this aspect of vitality back online, which is another way you can track your progress.

• Your sleep routine is a mirror of your overall health habits — The more erratic your routine, the more pressure you place on your nervous system. Sleep isn’t just about feeling rested — it’s how your body heals, detoxifies and rebuilds itself.

Skipping it is like skipping maintenance on your car. Eventually, something breaks down. But when you improve your sleep patterns, the benefits cascade into every other system — mood, digestion, skin health, hormone balance and beyond.

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Download PDF

Your Face Tells the Truth About Your Sleep

In a study published in the journal Sleep, researchers set out to understand how sleep deprivation affects facial appearance — and whether those changes influence how others perceive your mood, health and alertness. The study used high-resolution facial photographs of 10 people taken after both normal sleep and after 31 hours of sleep deprivation. Forty observers then rated these images across multiple facial features to evaluate visible fatigue.

• Your face gives away your sleeping habits — The research wasn’t looking at people with sleep disorders, but rather how even a short-term lack of rest impacts appearance in otherwise healthy individuals. The findings were striking: sleep-deprived faces consistently appeared more fatigued, sad and physically aged. These visual signs were easy to spot and reliably rated by unrelated observers.

• The eyes showed the most obvious signs of poor sleep — The most dramatic change was in the eye region. After sleep loss, participants had noticeably more hanging eyelids, red eyes and swollen skin around the eyes. Observers also rated participants as having darker circles under their eyes and more fine lines and wrinkles around the outer eye area.

• Skin tone and facial expression also shifted — Sleep-deprived individuals were rated as having paler skin and more droopy corners of the mouth. Both traits created the impression of being less healthy and more fatigued.

Sleep Loss Alters How Others Perceive You

People didn’t just look tired—they looked sad. Ratings of sadness and fatigue moved together, and the facial features that signaled one also signaled the other. This matters because it means sleep deprivation doesn’t just change your look — it changes how others interpret your emotions.

• Seven out of 10 individuals were reliably rated as more fatigued after sleep loss — The consistency across observers shows that the facial signs of poor sleep are universally recognizable. These patterns held across both men and women.

• These visual signs of tiredness could influence how others treat you — The researchers emphasized that facial appearance plays a key role in how people judge competence, trustworthiness and social readiness. That means walking into a meeting or a date looking visibly tired might lower others’ perception of you — even if you feel fine.

As the study authors noted, “Facial cues of sleep deprivation and fatigue may carry social consequences for the sleep deprived individual in everyday life.”

• Sleep loss affects skin function and blood flow, which directly impacts your appearance — During deep sleep, your body ramps up tissue repair and increases blood flow to the skin. When you miss sleep, those regenerative processes stall. Blood vessels constrict, reducing skin tone and causing paleness.

Wrinkles become more noticeable due to reduced collagen repair. Puffy eyes and sagging skin occur as fluid regulation falters and facial muscles lose tone.

• Your face reflects the deeper biological effects of missed sleep — The visible signs of fatigue are more than cosmetic. They point to stress in your hormonal, vascular and immune systems. Sleep is when melatonin and growth hormone peak — two key regulators of tissue healing and immune protection.

When you don’t sleep, your body is in a low-repair state. That’s why these facial markers aren’t just about how you look — they’re physical evidence of your body struggling to maintain itself.

Simple Fixes That Reset Your Sleep and Restore Your Energy

If you feel drained during the day, snap easily at the people around you or notice your face looking puffier and older than usual, your sleep habits could be to blame. The good news is you can reset your internal clock and start feeling better fast.

Whether you’re a night owl, a shift worker, a parent with broken sleep or just someone who scrolls too late at night, there are ways to break the cycle. You don’t need fancy gadgets, expensive supplements or prescription pills. What you need is structure, consistency and a deeper respect for how sensitive your biology really is. Start with these five steps:

1. Cut the light — completely — when you go to bed — If your room isn’t pitch black at night, your body thinks it’s still daytime. Even a faint glow from a streetlamp, alarm clock or power indicator disrupts melatonin production and prevents deep, restorative sleep.

Use blackout curtains, remove night lights and cover any small LEDs. Your bedroom should be so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. This tells your brain it’s safe to shift into deep repair mode.

2. Start your day with real sunlight — Within 15 minutes of waking up, get outside and expose your eyes to bright, natural light — no sunglasses, no window panes. Morning sun is the strongest signal to your brain that it’s time to be alert. It sets your circadian rhythm for the rest of the day, improving everything from your mood to hormone production to digestion.

If you work indoors, take your break outside or walk before breakfast. Even five to 10 minutes matters.

3. Cut blue light completely after sunset — Phones, tablets, laptops, TVs — every screen you use after dark tells your body it’s still daytime. That keeps your cortisol levels high and your melatonin suppressed. Blue light from devices is especially damaging to your internal clock.

Try switching off screens at least one hour before bed. Use amber-tinted glasses if you need to be on a device after sunset, or change your display to “night mode” with the warmest color settings possible.

4. Drop your bedroom temperature — Your body temperature naturally drops at night to trigger sleep. If your room is too warm, you’ll wake up more often, sweat or have restless dreams. The sweet spot for deep sleep is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re cold-sensitive, layer your bed with breathable blankets but keep the room air cool. This small change has a significant effect on how long and how deeply you sleep.

5. Reduce electromagnetic fields (EMFs) before bed — EMFs in your bedroom disrupt your nervous system and interfere with sleep. If you’re willing to go the extra mile, flip off the circuit breaker to your bedroom each night. At a minimum, unplug devices near your bed, shut off your Wi-Fi router and keep your phone in another room.

I don’t recommend using your phone as an alarm, but if you do, switch it to airplane mode. Reducing EMFs lowers the invisible stress signals your body is picking up while you sleep.

If you follow these steps consistently, you’ll begin to feel a shift. Your energy will last longer through the day, your cravings will dial down and your face will start to look more rested — even without makeup or fancy creams. This is how you train your biology to work for you again instead of against you. If you need more help, review my 50 Tips to Improve Your Sleep.

FAQs About Subtle Signs of Sleep Deprivation

Q: What are the most common signs you’re not getting enough sleep?

A: Subtle signs of sleep deprivation include mood swings, irritability, trouble focusing, increased cravings, low libido and feeling tired but unable to fall asleep. Physical signs include red or puffy eyes, dark under-eye circles, pale skin and droopy corners of the mouth.

Q: How does sleep loss affect your appearance?

A: Just one night of sleep deprivation can visibly change your face. People appear more fatigued, with hanging eyelids, red and swollen eyes, pale skin and increased facial lines. These signs are easily recognized by others and may lead to negative social perceptions.

Q: Why do I feel tired but still can’t sleep?

A: This usually means your circadian rhythm is out of sync. Irregular bedtimes, inconsistent wake-up hours and evening screen exposure confuse your internal clock, leading to a mismatch between your body’s need for rest and its ability to fall asleep.

Q: What lifestyle changes help restore restful sleep?

A: Key strategies include eliminating light in your bedroom, getting morning sunlight exposure, avoiding screens after sunset, cooling your bedroom to 60 to 68 degrees F and reducing EMFs by unplugging devices or turning off your home’s circuit breaker before bed.

Q: How quickly will I start to feel better once I improve my sleep habits?

A: Improvements begin within days. People who are sleep-deprived typically feel significantly less stressed and more mentally clear after returning to normal sleep patterns. With consistency, changes in mood, energy, appearance and hormone balance follow shortly after.

– Sources and References

¹ Sleep. 2013 Sep 1;36(9):1355-1360
^2, ³ Newsweek February 28, 2025

Posted in Sleep, Sunlight | No Comments »

Next Entries »

LeanMachine Health Solutions

Nutrition for Health

Sunlight

now browsing by category

Story at-a-glance

Researchers Identified Specific Daylight Targets Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

Sunlight Starts Powerful Biological Processes Beyond Vitamin D

Increase Your Daily Bright Light Exposure for Optimal Health

FAQs About Daytime Light Exposure and Dementia

Just Like Plants, You Cannot Thrive Without Sunlight

Sunlight Is the Unrecognized Nutrient You Cannot Live Without

Your Cellular Health Also Relies on Sun Exposure

Most People Hide from the Sun

The Keys to Safer Sun Exposure

The Importance of Addressing Reductive Stress

Grounding Can Help Address Reductive Stress

Using Methylene Blue

Get to the Root Cause of Reductive Stress

Story at-a-glance

Simple Habits That Help Flush Cortisol Naturally

Reset Your Hormones by Fixing Sleep, Stabilizing Blood Sugar, and Finding Joy

Chronically Elevated Cortisol Throws Off Nearly Every Major Body System

Enjoyment, Breathwork, and Light Movement Lower Cortisol Fast

Simple Steps to Reset Cortisol and Calm Your Stress System

FAQs About Cortisol

Story at-a-glance

Hydrogen Protects the Energy Factories That Fail in Chronic Fatigue

Hydrogen Strengthens Your Body’s Natural Defense Against Fatigue

Restore Cellular Energy by Removing the Drivers of Mitochondrial Stress

FAQs About Molecular Hydrogen for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Story at-a-glance

Why Your Mind Stays Locked in ‘Day Mode’ at Night

Insomniacs Maintained More Real-Like Thinking During the Night

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

How to Quiet a Mind That Refuses to Power Down

FAQs About Racing Thoughts at Night and Insomnia

Story at-a-glance

Clinical Trials Reveal Alarming Side Effects Linked to Clesrovimab

More Is Not Always Better — Especially with Infant Shots

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

The Problem with Monoclonal Antibody Shots

Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) Is Another Possible Risk

RSV Season Is Coming Soon — Should You Be Alarmed?

What to Do to Avoid RSV Shots and Protect Your Baby Naturally

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Clesrovimab (Enflonsia)

Story at-a-glance

Poor Sleep Health Directly Impacts Your Heart and Metabolic Function

Fixing Sleep Regularity and Quality Rapidly Improves Your Health

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Why Sleep Timing and Quality Matter as Much as Sleep Duration

Simple Changes That Restore Your Sleep Health

FAQs About Sleep and Your Cardiometabolic Health

Story at-a-glance

The Importance of Sunlight

The History of Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Market Monopolization

Types of Blood Irradiation

UVBI Research Foundation

Vasogen — The Patent Solution

Conclusion

A Note from Dr. Mercola About the Author

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

4 Main Types of Lupus

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lupus?

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

The Collagen Connection

Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels

Address Excess Estrogen and Linoleic Acid

How to Counteract Estrogen Excess with Progesterone

You Can Often Manage Lupus with a Healthy Lifestyle

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Lupus

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

Sleep Deprivation Doesn’t Always Feel Like Sleep Deprivation

How Poor Sleep Reshapes Your Body and Brain

Save This Article for Later – Get the PDF Now

Your Face Tells the Truth About Your Sleep

Sleep Loss Alters How Others Perceive You

Simple Fixes That Reset Your Sleep and Restore Your Energy

FAQs About Subtle Signs of Sleep Deprivation