Mold exposure is a major reason for several chronic health problems all around the world. Mold is a kind of fungus that is present ubiquitously in our environment. Initially, it was thought that our food especially grains are the only source of mold exposure,  but now the new research suggests that buildings can also be a major source of exposure to mold.

Now we know about the sick building syndrome where buildings that had water damage or water leaks have a high amount of mold spores in them and it was also shown that people working or living in those buildings were sick a lot.

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We have known about people having allergies to mold and when they get exposed to mold spores they will get running nose or itchy eyes. But now we know that mold not only causes allergies but is responsible for several other dangerous diseases like autoimmune conditions, mood disorders, fatigue, and many more.

Mold spores secrete chemical toxins called mycotoxins and these mycotoxins over the course of time lead to several health conditions. And a lot of times just removing a person from the mold environment is not enough to improve these health conditions, in fact, comprehensive treatment protocols are needed for people affected with mold to get better.

Dangerous Mold Species and their Mycotoxins

There are several mold species that are present in our environment not all of them cause harm to our body. Extensive research has shown that certain mold species produce certain mycotoxins which have been associated with several health conditions.  Below are the mold species and the mycotoxins they produce in the environment.

1. Aspergillus- Aflatoxin, ochratoxin, gliotoxin
2. Penicillium- ochratoxin, Mycophenolic acid, citrinin
3. Fusarium- zearalenone
4. STACHYBOTRYS- trichothecene mycotoxins, roridin E and verrucarin

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How do Mold Toxins Harm our Body?

Now let us understand how these Mold toxins actually lead to all these health conditions.  There are different ways these mycotoxins affect our health.

1. Mycotoxins bind to specific receptors on the cells of our body. After binding to our cell receptors they activate certain inflammatory Pathways and lead to the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals in our body like TGF Beta-1, MMP-9, etc. This starts an inflammatory process in our body and over the course of time, it starts destroying and harming different parts of the body.
2. The mycotoxins also attack the gut lining and the gut microbiome. By increasing inflammatory products in our gut these mycotoxins lead to the destruction of the good microbiome and also cause a condition called Leaky Gut.  Both of these conditions lead to decreased immunity in our bodies.  Because of this people become susceptible to various infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and Lyme infections.
3. The mycotoxins also modify your immune system and cause the production of autoantibodies which lead to the destruction of different body parts.  This is how several autoimmune conditions start.
4. The mycotoxins lead to a condition called CIRS which is systemic inflammatory response syndrome in which several parts of your body have high levels of inflammation and this completely hijacks your immune system.
5. The dysregulated immune system because of mycotoxins creates conditions like histamine intolerance and mast cell disorder where people will react to each and everything in their environment. These people will have multiple chemical sensitivities, reactions to several foods, random hives, dizziness, and  random breakouts
6. The mycotoxins also start attacking fragile endocrine glands like thyroid, adrenals, female hormonal glands,  male hormonal glands and that leads to several diseases like infertility, hormonal dysfunction, etc.
7. The mycotoxins also interfere with the levels of chemicals in your brain like melatonin, serotonin, and dopamine. And most people will have trouble with sleeping, Insomnia, depression and anxiety, fatigue, and low motivation. 

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Hidden Dangers of Mold toxicity

As shared with you, mold causes several kinds of damage to your body.  Most people don't even know the extent of danger that mold toxicity causes to their bodies.  Below are the various conditions mold toxins have been associated with.

Mast cell disorder and histamine intolerance

In this condition, people will have symptoms of random reactions to things in their environment.  People will have multiple chemical sensitivity along with that reaction to several foods.

Most of these people have no idea what they are reacting to and they end up on either high doses of antihistamine medications or steroids or on biological medications that shut down their immune system completely.  This is a temporary fix because as soon as they stop these medications the symptoms return.  The underlying reason is the is mycotoxins so unless they are addressed people do not get better.

Autoimmune diseases (like Hashimoto’s, lupus, MS, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis)

Mycotoxins modify the immune system and it starts attacking our own body and leads to various autoimmune diseases.  There has been a big surge of autoimmune diseases in the last decade and nobody knows the exact reason. 

The new research points out that autoimmune diseases are the result of an interplay between your genetic makeup and the environment around you.  And mycotoxins are an important Trigger of these autoimmune diseases in our environment.

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Hormonal Imbalance

Another major organ system that mycotoxins attack is the endocrine glands.  Several people have issues with thyroid disorders, infertility, dysregulated menstrual periods, endometriosis, adrenal dysfunction.  Several of these people have been put on hormone replacement therapies but nobody has done anything to address the underlying cause of mycotoxins.

Fatigue and Brain fog

Another major symptom of a debilitating disease that mycotoxins cause is chronic fatigue syndrome.  Several people complain of chronic fatigue on the regular basis and they have been to several doctors to improve their condition.  They have tried several medications and also have tried several supplements but they are still not feeling better. 

The underlying reason is the mycotoxins which are destroying the mitochondria and that's the reason for these symptoms. Once the underlying mycotoxins are addressed then people start feeling better.

Chronic pain problems

Mycotoxins attack the  Muscular System and also joints and that leads to the development of pain all over the body.  People have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and are given pain medications which they get dependent on. 

But again the underlying problem of mycotoxins is not addressed and that's the reason they never get relief.

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Gut problems

As discussed mycotoxins destroyed the good bacteria in your gut and also lead to a leaky gut.  So several people have stomach-related problems of gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, constipation, diarrhea. 

Several of these people have been diagnosed with the condition called SIBO which is small intestine bacterial overgrowth.  They have been given several rounds of antibiotics but their problems persist.  The reason is that mycotoxins remain in the gut system destroying the good bacteria and decreasing the immunity of the gut that in turn leads to overgrowth of bad bacteria again and again.

Insomnia

A major issue that several people suffer from is sleeping difficulties.  People are not able to sleep even though they have tried all the supplements as well as they have tried all the sleep therapy. 

The mycotoxins lead to a decrease in the melatonin levels in your body and that's the reason people are not able to sleep.  Traditional melatonin supplements also do not work for people in this situation.  The only solution is to address these mycotoxins and remove them from people's bodies so that their melatonin system can be restored and their Insomnia also improves.

So now you can see that mycotoxins can create havoc in your body and are really dangerous for your health.  Several of your symptoms and health conditions are related to these mycotoxins and unless they are addressed you are not going to feel better.

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Several people have approached me because they have been diagnosed with mycotoxins and have been doing a Detox to remove them.  They have not been getting better because it is just not only about Detox, but is also about addressing the underlying problem of inflammation,  CIRS, and immune dysfunction.  Treatment of mycotoxins is very complex and it needs to be done in a safe manner otherwise people get the dye off reactions and can actually feel worse.

I have helped several people to improve their health by addressing the underlying issues of mycotoxins, so if you are interested in working with me you can book a free evaluation call by clicking the link below.

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