Mold Toxicity
Jan 22, 2024 4:00 pm
Happy Monday!
Welcome back to our newsletter! This edition is dedicated to shedding light on a more popular topic, as this is becoming more well known in the health space.
Mold Toxicity.
When we talk about mold toxicity, we are including not only the presence of mold itself but also mold spore fragments, Volatile organic compounds, & the microorganism Mycobacteria.
So first, what is mold toxicity?
This occurs with exposure to mold , and its the inability for the body to excrete it out. Which then occurs in accumulation within the body, becoming more difficult to eliminate. These mold toxins can actually grow within us producing those mycotoxins which can make us sick.
Mold has the ability to affect every organ system within the body. This is because mold is both lipophilic and hydrophilic, meaning it's fat soluble and water soluble. This makes this toxin unique, because it has the ability to move about the body & store in various places.
The harmful effects of mold toxicity are not subject to everyone. In about 75% of the population, the immune system recognizes these mold toxins and uses defense mechanisms to destroy them. This means the remaining 25% are genetically unable to make antibodies to the toxin, therefore prone to becoming progressively sicker as these toxins therefore accumulate within the body.
Lastly, mold exposure does not have to be something that is current. Due to its ability to store within our bodies for long periods of time, exposure could have occurred 20 to 30 years ago.
Symptoms of mold toxicity:
There are 3 symptoms very unique to mold illness: ice pick pains, internal tremors/vibrating sensations running up and down the spine, and electric shock sensations.
Other symptoms of mold toxicity that are common include:
- headaches
- sensitivity to bright light
- joint pain with morning stiffness
- skin sensitive to light touch
- excessive thirst
- shortness of breath
- air hunger
- metallic taste and mouth
- digestive symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea
- chronic fatigue
- weakness
- chronic sinus congestion
As you can see the symptoms of mold toxicity are very widespread making it almost near impossible to make the diagnosis . This is oftentimes when patients experience a practitioner telling them that their symptoms are all in their head.
How do they enter the body?
They can enter through inhalation, absorbing through the skin, or ingesting them in the form of contaminated food
How to diagnose & treat mold toxicity?
- Evaluate current environments that you spend a lot of time in: home, work and car
- Run a urine mycotoxin test. this assesses for various strains of Toxic mold species , and lets us know if these are residing within the body and helps to guide accurate treatment
- Treatment includes adding a binder That is Specific for that mycotoxin on the panel
- Last but not least, this is a commonly missed step within multitox vacation protocols, is actually adding in antifungals as mold can colonize within the GI tract creating a fungal overgrowth
Mold sets off a series of reactions in the body that induces chronic inflammation. It is a known root cause of mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Some strains of mold have been linked to disrupting our gut.
Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin A, and Trichothecenes (black mold) have been linked to increased intestinal permeability, aka leaky gut. Mold can also slow down gut motility, creating constipation.
And lastly, due to it decreasing the immune system, it can make it near impossible to clear any bacteria or fungal overgrowths from the system with treatments until the mold has been addressed
Treatment needs to be done very carefully, and needs to be extremely unique per individual. In some cases, with mast cell activation syndrome, first starting on rebooting the nervous system, calming down the mast cells, and implementing gentle detoxification support are key before even binding mold.
For more info on Mold Toxicity, Mast Cell activation syndrome, and SIBO you can follow me on TikTok and Instagram where I regularly post about this!
Dr. Stephanie Peacock, DC www.stephaniepeacock.com
