1. Vitamin K1 is found in green vegetables and goes directly to your liver. It helps you maintain a healthy blood clotting system. Babies need vitamin K1 to prevent a serious bleeding disorder. Vitamin K1 also prevents blood vessels from calcifying, helps your bones retain calcium, and helps you develop the right crystalline structure, Dr. Joseph Mercola explains.
2. Vitamin K2 is produced by bacteria and goes straight to your bones, vessel walls, and tissues other than your liver. It is present in fermented foods like curd cheese and natto. While a lot of vitamin K2 is present in your gut, it is not absorbed there. Most of it is just excreted in your stool.

Vitamin K2 comes in different forms, MK4 and MK7 being the most significant. MK4 is a synthetic product which is very similar to vitamin K1. Your body is capable of converting vitamin K1 into MK4. MK4, however, has a very short half-life (about an hour), making it ineffective as a dietary supplement.

MK7, on the other hand, is an agent which stays in your body longer–having a half-life of three days.

Nowadays, this “forgotten vitamin” is getting more attention as more studies show that it may have cancer prevention properties.

Dr. Mercola recently interviewed top vitamin K researcher Dr. Cees Vermeer, who founded the world’s largest vitamin K research group in 1975.

According to Dr. Vermeer, men who get adequate amounts of vitamin K2 can reduce their risk of prostate cancer by up to 50 percent. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among men in the U.S.

Research conducted by the German Cancer Research Center suggests that people with a high consumption of vitamin K from food may reduce their risk of developing or dying from lung and prostate cancer compared to those who consume few vitamin K-rich foods.

Other studies show that vitamin K may be beneficial in the fight against other types of cancer, including colon, leukemia, liver, lung, nasopharynx, and oral cancers.

The Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and Calcium Triumvirate

Dr. Vermeer says that vitamin K is unable to do its work by itself. For you to fully experience and optimize the benefits of vitamin K, you need to take several “partner” nutrients.

Vitamin D, an important cancer-fighting nutrient, is one. There is a synergistic effect between vitamins K and D. These two nutrients work together to increase MGP, or Matrix GLA Protein–the protein responsible for protecting your blood vessels from calcification.

You probably know that calcium is good for your bones, but what you may not know is that it can also harm your arteries by calcifying them. Taking vitamin K solves this problem because it protects your blood vessels from calcification when in the presence of high calcium levels, Dr. Mercola explains.

Vitamin K, in the form of MK7, also increases the production of osteocalcin, a vitamin K-dependent protein your bones need to use calcium.

Take note: Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient, so you need to eat some fat along with it so your body can effectively absorb it. A word of caution: Taking Vitamin K2 while on anticoagulation drugs may lead to adverse side effects. Patients on blood-thinning medications and those who have a history of stroke, cardiac arrest, and are prone to blood clotting should not take Vitamin K2 without first consulting their physician.

However, food is not only wasted in the summer. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Foundation and the International Water Management Institute, almost HALF of the food produced worldwide is wasted.

Americans waste an estimated 1,400 calories of food per person DAILY. These wasted calories represent about 39 percent of the available U.S. food supply and account for approximately 300 million barrels of oil annually. Not to mention all of the environmental implications that go along with fossil fuel consumption, says Dr. Joseph Mercola.

Making small changes in the way you plan your meals and store your groceries will go a long way. Here are some useful tips from Dr. Mercola that will help extend the shelf life of food and avoid spoilage:

1. Check the Source
   Don’t buy a fancy new fridge. It’s more important to choose where you buy your food. Try shopping for groceries at small, local, organic farms so you can personally check their condition. Food that is grown on a smaller scale usually contains lower levels of bacteria and will give you a few more days of leeway before it spoils.
2. Store Food Correctly
   Store your food in glass containers. Dr. Mercola suggests using the “rule of four.” This means keeping food no more than four days at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius. Raw chicken, ground beef, and cuts of beef and lamb are usually safe for three days at this temperature, and four days for leftovers. Read this article to get more detailed instructions on how to store specific fruits and vegetables.
3. Keep Oxygen Out
   Oxygen accelerates food decay. You can “vacuum pack” most of your produce to protect them from the damaging effects of oxygen in the air. Use the bag at the grocery produce section to store your vegetables. Put the bag against your chest and squeeze the produce against your chest using your arm to force all the air out of the bag. Once the air has been removed, seal the bag with a twist tie.
4. Be Mindful When Throwing Food Away
   Don’t throw away bread, cheese, fruits, and vegetables just because of a spot of mold, bruises, or an imperfection. If the food starts smelling a little different, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it has gone bad. Cut or remove the particular spot because you can still eat the rest of it.
5. Plan Your Meals
   Planning your meals will help reduce the amount of food that goes to waste and will help you optimize the nutritional content of your meals, Dr. Mercola advises. Plan your meals according to your Nutritional Type, so you know what to consume, and therefore, what to buy and prepare.

But did you know that aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent?

Aspartame’s discovery was accidental. A chemist was testing a new chemical as a possible anti-ulcer drug when he spilled some of the liquid on his hand. He licked his thumb clean and was surprised at its sweetness.

The rest is artificial sweetener history, or infamy. The FDA originally banned the use of aspartame after three independent scientists found that it might induce brain tumors. But strong pressure from a very influential figure finally put the controversial sweetener on the market.

The Dangers of Aspartame

If you think that low-calorie foods and drinks using aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are a dieter’s best friend, you are gravely mistaken, says Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of Sweet Deception. Studies show that aspartame may actually increase your appetite. You’re more prone to gain weight if you regularly consume aspartame-sweetened diet sodas.

But false weight loss promises are the least of your concerns when compared to other aspartame effects. It’s a little known fact that aspartame accounts for about 85 percent of all adverse reactions to food additives, including five reported deaths.

Aspartame is composed of three chemicals: aspartic acid (40 percent), methanol (10 percent), and phenylalanine (50 percent). Aspartic acid is a known excitotoxin, a substance which overexcites cells to the point of damage or death. Methanol, or wood alcohol, breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde–a deadly neurotoxin, Dr. Mercola explains.

Phenylalanine is an amino acid present in your brain. Those suffering from the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine, which leads to dangerously high and sometimes lethal levels of this amino acid in the brain. Consuming aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to high levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU.

The combined effects of these three chemicals can lead to a wide variety of health problems, some occur immediately, while others appear gradually. Some of the conditions that are caused or worsened by aspartame include:

• Birth defects
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Emotional disorders
• Epilepsy/seizures
• Fatigue
• Headaches/migraines
• Insomnia
• Memory loss

Avoid aspartame and other potentially toxic artificial sweeteners if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you have experienced an adverse reaction to any product containing aspartame, call the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area.

Using high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener is out of the question. For Dr. Mercola, the healthiest sugar alternative is stevia. Stevia is a safe, natural alternative that’s ideal if you’re watching your weight or trying to avoid sugar.

Dr. Mercola recommends using stevia in moderation, though it is far less likely to cause metabolic problems than sugar or any artificial sweetener. If you have problems with your insulin, it’s best for you to avoid ALL forms of sweeteners, including stevia, as all sweets can decrease your insulin sensitivity.

Vitamin K is the term that encompasses a group of three fat soluble vitamins: vitamin K1 or phylloquinone, which naturally occurs in plants; vitamin K2 or menaquinone, which is produced by bacteria found in your gastrointestinal tract; and, vitamin K3 or menadione, a synthetic form of vitamin K.

Natto, a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting soybeans, is the best natural source of vitamin K2. On the other hand, vitamin K1 is found in vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard and salad greens, green beans, and spinach.

Dr. Joseph Mercola believes vitamin K is one of the few supplements you should seriously consider taking because only one in four Americans are getting the recommended daily levels of this nutrient. Dr. Mercola suggests at least 100 mcg of vitamin K2 daily and gives five main reasons why you should get more vitamin K:

1. Boost your Immune System – Vitamin K may have antioxidant properties more potent than coenzyme Q10 or vitamin E.
2. Blood clotting – Vitamin K is important in the process of blood clotting. It is so-named because coagulation comes from the German word “koagulation.”
3. Fight Cancer – Studies have found vitamin K to be beneficial in the fight against hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer), lung cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and prostate cancer.
4. Prevention of Arterial Plaque and Heart Disease – Vitamin K helps lower your risk of heart disease and heart failure as it prevents your arteries from hardening. Studies show that it can also help prevent damage in your arteries by keeping calcium out of your artery lining.
5. Strong Bones – Vitamin K2 increases the production of osteocalcin, a vitamin K-dependent protein which your bone tissues need to use calcium.

Dr. Mercola warns, however, that taking vitamin K while on anticoagulation drugs may cause adverse side effects. Patients on blood-thinning medications and those who have had a stroke or cardiac arrest, and are prone to blood clots should not take vitamin K without first consulting their physician.

Beer drinkers are aware that drinking beer as if it’s water will lead to a beer belly, among other health concerns. Studies show, however, that moderate consumption can actually provide some health benefits.

Recently, researchers at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg have discovered that a powerful antioxidant called xanthohumol, which is found in hops – an aromatic herb which gives beer its bitter flavor – can help fight breast and prostate cancers.

Scientists are already aware that substances in hops help inhibit the action of estrogen but the German study marks the first time that they have been found to block testosterone as well.

Xanthohumol was also found to help prevent the release of PSA, a protein which hastens the spread of prostate cancer.

But hold your horses, beer drinkers, because doctors aren’t about to recommend regular booze consumption as a cancer prevention tip.

The more popular light lager and pilsner beers, which are preferred by more beer drinkers in the U.S., contain less hops than ales and traditional beers like porter and stout. That means you’ll have to drink more than a dozen beers to get enough xanthohumol to experience any potential health benefits, Dr. Joseph Mercola explains.

While moderate consumption of alcohol can provide you with certain health benefits, alcohol use also poses significant health and safety risks, as it impairs driving performance, Dr. Mercola points out. It is also a known fact that alcohol is a neurotoxin, meaning it can poison your brain.

Mercola believes that alcohol is only for people who are at no risk of alcohol addiction and are already at their peak health, which means they have their carbohydrates – sugars and grains – under control, as alcoholic beverages increases insulin levels.