Top

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Subscribe for FREE — and Supercharge Your Health!

Meet The Founder Dr. Joseph Mercola

I have always been passionate about helping to preserve and enhance the health of the global community. As a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), I take a “whole-person” approach to wellness, guiding you to develop attitudes and lifestyles that can help you take control of your health.

By sharing valuable knowledge about holistic medicine, regenerative practices, and informed consent principles, I strive to be a trusted source for natural health information. My legacy centers around promoting sustainability and transparency in health and wellness.

dr mercola desktop dr mercola mobile

With over 2.5 million combined social media followers and featured on:

usa today 10best logo first for women logo nbc10 boston logo fox news logo the epoch times logo cbs news logo cnet logo dc news now logo the dr oz show logo us weekly logo
usa today 10best logo first for women logo nbc10 boston logo fox news logo the epoch times logo cbs news logo cnet logo dc news now logo the dr oz show logo us weekly logo
usa today 10best logo first for women logo nbc10 boston logo fox news logo the epoch times logo cbs news logo cnet logo dc news now logo the dr oz show logo us weekly logo
usa today 10best logo first for women logo nbc10 boston logo fox news logo the epoch times logo cbs news logo cnet logo dc news now logo the dr oz show logo us weekly logo
usa today 10best logo first for women logo nbc10 boston logo fox news logo the epoch times logo cbs news logo cnet logo dc news now logo the dr oz show logo us weekly logo
 
 

Credentials & Education Dr. Joseph Mercola

  • Founder and Owner of Mercola.com

  • Board Certified Family Medicine Osteopathic Physician (DO)

  • New York Times Bestselling Author

  • Fellow of the American College of Nutrition

  • Ultimate Wellness Game Changer Awardee

  • Philanthropist & Natural Health Advocate

licenses
florida license illinois license

Dr. Mercola is an osteopathic physician who, similar to MDs, finished four years of basic clinical sciences and successfully completed licensing exams. Hence, he is fully licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery in all 50 states. Also a board-certified family physician, he served as the chairman of the family medicine department at St. Alexius Medical Center for five years.

Moreover, he has written over 30 scientific studies and reports published in medical journals and publications. With his written contributions and extensive experience in patient care, he was granted fellowship status by the American College of Nutrition (ACN) in October 2012.

1972 - 1976
University of Illinois at Chicago
1978 - 1982
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University
1982 - 1985
Chicago Osteopathic Hospital Family Practice Residency
1984 - 1985
Chicago Osteopathic Hospital Chief Resident
1985
Board Certified American College Osteopathic General Practitioners
 
 
 

1972 - 1976

University of Illinois at Chicago

 

1978 - 1982

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University

 

1982 - 1985

Chicago Osteopathic Hospital Family Practice Residency

 

1984 - 1985

Chicago Osteopathic Hospital Chief Resident

 

1985

Board Certified American College Osteopathic General Practitioners

Why trust Dr. Mercola A Best-Selling Author with National Recognition

Dr. Mercola is a best-selling author, with a total of 18 books written so far. Three of his books have been included in The New York Times Best Sellers list, namely "Effortless Healing," "The No-Grain Diet" and "The Great Bird Flu Hoax," while “The Truth About COVID-19” is a national bestseller on Amazon, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Publishers Weekly.

Medical Publications

Dr. Mercola’s Early Days A Pioneer in Natural Health

dr mercola early days

Born and raised in the inner city of Chicago, Dr. Mercola was a very active child whose fascination with health, wellness and technology led him to pursue medical school. He studied osteopathic medicine at Midwestern University, where he also learned how to truly learn and never stopped since. All the while, he was able to maintain an active lifestyle, seeing its positive impact on his overall health. He even competed in the Chicago Marathon and finished in just over three hours.

 

With a thirst for knowledge and experience, he worked at a physician’s office as a pharmacy technician, and later at the Illinois Eye Bank. He also worked at the Kidney Bank, after being inspired to help people with, or at risk of, kidney disease through preventative methods. In 1985, he performed routine checkups, school physical exams and saw chronically ill patients as the sole practitioner at a private wellness clinic in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Determined to find better answers, he began exploring the world of natural medicine in the early 1990s, and slowly started to integrate healthy diet and exercise into his patients’ lives. After observing that these methods were working, he completely switched his focus to a preventative, holistic approach, and that was the start of it all.

View more
dr mercola early days
quotation mark 1 quotation mark 2

“I was prescribing medications but realized that they were not working in many cases.”

Dr. Joseph Mercola

Founding Mercola

mercola building mobile

Dr. Mercola founded Mercola.com in 1997 as a portal for up-to-date natural health information and resources that can help readers and subscribers adopt better lifestyles and achieve optimal health.

It’s one of the first health websites that focuses on holistic medicine and is now routinely among the top 10 natural health websites.

Mercola.com also strives to expose corporate, government and mass media hype that diverts people from what is truly best for their health. It serves as a harmonious community for educated and

open-minded individuals who belong to a variety of populations — from homemakers to health care experts — all seeking to improve and maintain their state of health and determined to change the modern health paradigm.

Originally based in Hoffman Estates near Chicago, Illinois, Mercola.com now operates in Cape Coral, Florida, and has a remote office in Manila, Philippines.

Dr. Mercola founded Mercola.com in 1997 as a portal for up-to-date natural health information and resources that can help readers and subscribers adopt better lifestyles and achieve optimal health. It’s one of the first health websites that focuses on holistic medicine and is now routinely among the top 10 natural health websites.

Mercola.com also strives to expose corporate, government and mass media hype that diverts people from what is truly best for their health. It serves as a harmonious community for educated and open-minded individuals who belong to a variety of populations — from homemakers to health care experts — all seeking to improve and maintain their state of health and determined to change the modern health paradigm.

Originally based in Hoffman Estates near Chicago, Illinois, Mercola.com now operates in Cape Coral, Florida, and has a remote office in Manila, Philippines.

mercola building desktop

Ahead of the curve

Dr. Mercola is always ahead of the curve when it comes to innovative health information and breaking beyond the confines of conventional medicine to bring trustworthy health advice. Listed below are some examples of Dr. Mercola paving the way for revolutionary changes.

View More

explore Dr. Mercola's Timeline of notable accomplishments.

Achievements & Recognition

Dr. Mercola’s tireless efforts to disseminate important health information has earned him numerous awards and honors. In 2009, he was named the top Ultimate Wellness Game Changer, which awards "100 innovators, visionaries and leaders in 10 categories who are harnessing the power of new media to reshape their fields and change the world."

Awards

  • Distinguished Entrepreneur Award Finalist 2021

    Florida SBDC

  • NVIC Lifetime Achievement Award 2020

    Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination Mindshare Summit

  • Pinnacle Award Lifetime Achievement Award 2019

    Mindshare Summit

  • Future of Medicine Award 2017

    Weston Price Foundation

  • Philanthropist for Justice 2011

    Consumers for Dental Choice

  • Vision and Charity Award 2009

    National Vaccine Information Center

  • Wellness Revolution Hall of Fame Parker Chiropractic 2007

     

dr mercola awards

Dr. Mercola has also has received prestigious awards from Emord and Associates P.C. for his contributions to holistic medicine, including the Sacred Fire of Liberty Award, Excellence in Health Journalism Award and the Freedom of Informed Choice Award.

Connect With Dr. Mercola

Dr. Mercola’s Effortless Healing program was also featured on PBS. He has been interviewed as a guest on various health and current events podcast channels as well, such as Ben Greenfield Fitness, Siim Land Podcast and The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast.

1M+

Newsletter Subscribers

 

10M+

Website Monthly Visits

 

Be the first one to know about discounts, offers and events.

1M+

Newsletter Subscribers

 

10M+

Website Monthly Visits

Be the first one to know about discounts, offers and events.