Mold Illness Misunderstanding And Misdiagnosis
You might be wondering if youre experiencing toxic mold exposure symptoms. If you lived or worked in a water damaged building and tried to learn the truth about the risks to your health, you probably came across some conflicting information.
Maybe you were told by a practitioner that your symptoms couldnt be mold related or that your fatigue, weakness, brain fog, memory issues, headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, and other debilitating symptoms were all in your head. Perhaps you were even referred to a mental health specialist. If so, youre not alone.
Theres a lot of misunderstanding about toxic mold exposure and the resulting impact on human health. Thankfully, awareness is growing. What was once speculation is now defined, diagnosed, and treated by integrative and functional medicine practitioners with the Shoemaker Protocol and other natural therapies. And research continues to be funded and published by large institutions such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Yet, there is still much to be done to inform the larger medical community and the general public. Lack of awareness about mold not only lead to misdiagnosis but also fear, shame, and confusion. Many sufferers are left feeling hopeless, believing there is no solution. Ive written this article to correct faulty assumptions about toxic mold exposure from a medical perspective.
How To Detox From Mold: Fast Track
In order to recover from mold illness and stabilize the immune system, there is no getting around detox.
Detox is a buzz word that gets thrown around in the wellness world, and intermittent fasting, celery juice and colonics have become as common in health circles as fried chicken joints, 7-11s and PAWN shops are in sketchier parts of town.
However, not all detox methods or programs are created the same. Nor are all detox methods beneficial .
My own detox protocol from mycotoxin illness includes a compilation of nutrition, supplements, lifestyle hacks and therapies/modalities to assist the body in pulling mold and fungus out of my body, like:
HEALING TAKES TIME
People often ask me: What does mold illness feel like?
In the thick of the illness, it literally felt like I had mold throughout my entire body. In my lungs. In my chest. In my gut. In my brain. In my nasal cavities. Clogged up. And thats exactly what my test results showed: elevated mycotoxins in my body yeast and candida bacterial dysbiosis. Icky.
However, I so believe that, when given the right tools, the body innately wants to heal itself.
Ive found that, as I have begun giving my body the right toolshealing and strength is coming back rather quickly.
I also believe that, everything we go through in life happens for a reason. The Lord allowed this tough, long health journey to happen in my life to teach me lessons that no medical textbook could have taught me.
Stay tuned
How To Remove Mold From The Body Naturally
Mold spores are common in the air we breathe. However, an overabundance of these spores in our body can cause body aches, coughing, respiratory problems, mood swings, headaches, fatigue and sinus congestion. The toxins found in mold spores, mycotoxins, are toxic chemicals produced by fungi, including mold. When infected with mold, you must deal with it both inside and outside your body. Treating the mold outside your body is typically done with topical methods, while mold removal on the inside is best dealt with by performing a mycotoxin detox.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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So What Is Toxic Mold Exposure
Mycotoxicosis /my·co·tox·i·co·sis/ : poisoning caused by exposure to mycotoxins.
Toxic mold exposure is in essence, mycotoxicosis. For reference, a mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by mold. Mycotoxicosis, is used synonymously with mold toxicity, or mold illness and it occurs when a person does not have antibodies to mycotoxins and mycotoxins have accumulated to high levels in their brain and body. While, not all species of mold produce pathogens , several species of fungi are known as pathogenic and produce toxic substances mycotoxins being one of them.
Many of us are exposed to mold daily, however 75% of us are genetically able to fight off the toxicity. So what does that mean for the other 25%? Lets find out.
Mold and Your Genes
So if you have a gene mutations such as MTHFR and HLA which one in four people do your immune system is not able to produce some of the vital antibodies to mycotoxins. This means that at least a quarter of the population has a difficult time fighting off the mycotoxins that are so prevalent in our environment.
Foods To Avoid When Dealing With Mold Toxicity
Mycotoxins are natural contaminants in foods of biological origin and are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi. Despite efforts to control fungal contamination, toxigenic fungi are ubiquitous in nature and occur regularly in worldwide food supplies due to mold infestation of susceptible agricultural products, especially cereal grains. Corn, products made from it, and animals that consume it may all be sources contaminated with fumonisin B1, which on contact breaks apart phospholipid phosphatidylcholine in the surfactant in the lungs, mucus membranes and the gut mucosa. As a result, corn in all forms should be avoided – chips, tortillas, polenta, popcorn, flour, cereal, grits, fermented corn.
Many companies today know the effects of mold toxicity and test their products for mold as well as pesticides like glyphosate. Check with the specific brand to see if they can provide evidence of mold testing.
Foods to avoid, especially when dealing with mold toxicity, include:
- Oatmeal- a soft grain often contaminated with ochratoxin A.
- Mushrooms
- Corn -fed meat and poultry, industrialized meat products
- Dried fruit, fruit juices, cider
- Collagen, gummy bears, gelatin can be made from the moldy hides of animals
- Nuts
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How To Detox Your Body From Mold Naturally Using Diet & Supplements
How to detox your body from mold: a step by step summary of our evidence-based natural mold detox protocol.
Mold Detox Protocol, Summary
- Designed to help your body to naturally and safely eliminate mold using natural foods and supplements.
- Supports all key elimination organs and pathways that play a key role in your bodys ability to detox mold.
- Addresses mold toxicity damage, especially your immune system, mitochondria, gut microbiome and other critical elements that are often affected by mold toxicity.
How To Detox Your Body From The Mold
Actually, your body can handle occasional mold exposure itself initially. But if the condition goes worse and you can notice any of the symptoms above, your respiratory and immune systems are at risk and you have to detox the mold from your body as soon as possible.
Dont panic. Treating mold-related issues are not complicated. There are numerous ways which can detox your body from mold exposure quickly, safely, and even naturally.
Following are some great remedies:
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Question 4 Of : How Do You Get Rid Of Mold In Your Lungs
The Different Black Mold Tests
The first thing to do is verify that you have black mold. Symptoms of mold exposure are almost identical to other fatigue issues, like Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. And because mold can grow behind walls as a result of burst pipes or water damage, its often hard to pinpoint where mold is in your home.
If you can see black mold in the caulking around your bathtub or below your kitchen sink, for example and you have no reason to suspect its elsewhere in your house, you may be okay skipping a formal test. Otherwise, you have a few different options when it comes to testing for mold in your home:
- Mold culture test. This test includes a petri dish with a swab. You expose the petri dish to either the air or, through the swab, a specific area in your home, and then you cover it and let it sit for 48 hours. If you get lots of growth in the petri dish , you have a mold problem. If you get little to no growth, youre okay. Mold culture tests are fast and cheap . A mold culture test is a good option if you suspect mold in your workplace or school. The downside is that the test wont tell you where mold is only if mold is present. Heres a good mold culture test.
- ERMI test. Environmental relative moldiness index testing will tell you with much more specificity what mold is in your home and how big of a problem it is. ERMI tests will run you $200-$300.
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How To Protect Yourself From Food Mold
While removing mold from the home is a matter of using common elements like hydrogen peroxide, bleach, tea tree oil, and borax, removal from foods is much more difficult. . Therefore, we rely on farmers to harvest their crops when the time is right and store them in dry conditions. We also rely on food makers to decontaminate grains prior to, or during, processing and refining.
When mold and its mycotoxins make their way into our food, the best we can do is build up our immune system. One way to keep potential damage from mycotoxin exposure at bay is by incorporating a butyrate supplement, such as BodyBio Butyrate, into your routine. This short-chain fatty acid is produced by the bacterial fermentation of resistant starch, something youre unlikely to consume enough of organically in order to reap its benefits . Sodium butyrate, particularly, has shown strong inhibition of fungi in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in a significant reduction of filamentous mycotoxin strains.
Perhaps equally important is the simultaneous impediment of biofilm formation and the enhancement of macrophage discouragement of mycotoxin manufacture . For all its celebrity, butyrate, regardless of its specific type is known to inhibit the growth of tumors, to promote healthy bacteria in the gut and respiratory system, and generally aid in digestion.*
So Is Mold Toxicity A Real Thing
Mold toxicitythe idea that mold can produce harmful substances called mycotoxins that can contribute to autoimmune conditions and other chronic diseaseis a bit controversial. Thats because there isnt any kind of test for it or scientific evidence that any kind of disease exists solely because of mold exposure. Keep in mind that theres a lot of misinformation out there, both about the toxicity of mold and the treatment options.
Theres clear, validated proof that breathing in enough mold in your home over a period of time can cause or exacerbate both allergies and asthma, Dr. Parikh says. It can even cause an invasive respiratory infection, she adds, but any chronic health condition resulting from mold hasnt yet been proven to exist.
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Foods To Avoid When Detoxing From Mold Exposure
Sugary, Starchy Foods
The best thing you can do to help your body detox from the mold is to keep your overall diet low in sugar and starches. Mold spores can utilize sugar and starch as fuel, so avoiding foods that contain these ingredients may prevent mold from spreading.1
Remember that sugar has many names. When reading food labels, look for words like glucose, sucrose, lactose, and fructose. While they are preferable to processed sugar, natural sugar sources like honey and maple syrup should also be avoided. Even fruits that are especially high in sugar, like bananas and grapes, should be eaten sparingly. Sugar substitutes like sorbitol are also a no-go when following a low mold diet.
Since most prepackaged foods contain added sweeteners, youll want to skip them in favor of whole foods when possible. Salad dressing, for example, can be a sneaky source of sugar, so consider whipping up a simple vinaigrette from scratch instead of buying the bottled kind.
Ways To Boost Mold Detox
August 17, 2021 By Michael Schoenwalder
When you think of mold, what comes to mind?
Maybe you picture furry leftovers forgotten in the back of the fridge. Or a black-spotted window sill that leaks every time it rains. Perhaps you remember a white fuzzy growth in your garden. Mold is everywhere. Indoors and outdoors. In fact, scientists have identified more than 100,000 species of mold, including about 80 species that are considered harmful to humans.For many people, mold is a mystery: Where does it come from? Whats the best way to get rid of it? How is mold affecting my health?
Its easy to misinterpret symptoms of mold exposure, because they mimic so many other conditions. Thats why people with mold allergies and mold-related illnesses often have no idea mold is causing harm.
Supporting your bodys natural detoxification system can be helpful, regardless of your health status. In this article, youll learn 6 practical tips to help you overcome the effects of mold toxins by detoxing your body and home.
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Question 6 Of : Can You Fully Recover From Mold Exposure
Remove Bad Fats From Your Diet
Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet, but depending on the quality, they can either be nourishing or highly inflammatory. Healthy fats are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, lower inflammation, help you detox, and heal your cells.
Unhealthy fats to avoid include:
- Factory farmed animal fats like tallow or lard.
- Farmed fish, or large wild fish like tuna, catfish, king mackerel, sea bass, and swordfish.
- Factory farmed animal dairy like milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, regular butter, and soy milk.
- Peanuts .
- Refined vegetable oils and processed synthetic spreads like safflower, soybean, sunflower, corn, and cottonseed oils, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, margarine and shortening.
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The Most Damaging Mycotoxins Found In Food And Beverages Today
- Aflatoxin: This kind of mycotoxin is known for being exceptionally carcinogenic in mammals, including humans2. Although not experienced in developed countries, there have been reports of individuals in many Third World Countries developing a condition known as acute aflatoxicosis3. This condition results from exposure to high levels of aflatoxins, and is characterized by symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, pulmonary edema, convulsions, coma, and death with cerebral edema. For those in developed countries, concerns exist for the potential impacts of low-level, long-term exposure found in ones diet.
- Ochratoxin A : Research has shown that consumption of OTA can cause kidney damage and cancer4. Foods and beverages with the highest levels of OTA include oats, wheat, maize, barley, raisins, dried vine fruits, wine, beer, coffee, and cocoa5. In addition to possible carcinogenic effects, OTA has been found to be genotoxic6, and detrimental to gut bacteria7.
- Fumonisin B1: This mycotoxin naturally occurs in many foods. The main problem with this mycotoxin is that it impairs myelin formation in aggregating brain cell culture.8
The key to removing mold from your diet is to choose foods and beverages that are low in mold and the above-listed mycotoxins. Some foods are naturally more prone to mold than others, so it is crucial to be aware of this when creating a meal plan for your week.
Types Of Mold Typically Found In Homes + Their Health Effects
The most harmful molds found in homes fall into these categories: Chaetomium, Penicillium, Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Stachybotrys.
- Chaetomium is common in homes with water damage and thrives hidden in walls and under carpets. Symptoms of chaetomium exposure can range from water eyes to trouble breathing, to autoimmune diseases .
- Penicillium mold can be especially dangerous as it requires low moisture and can spread quickly, including from soil and building materials . If it becomes widespread in a home, Penicillium can cause bronchitis and other respiratory problems.
- Fusarium is most commonly found in plant debris and soil and in rare instances, can lead to severe eye infections .
- Aspergillus is all around us in the air we breathe but can cause allergic reactions and lung problems in people with compromised immune systems .
- Last, but certainly not least, Stachybotrys, aka black mold is one of the most dangerous and can lead to flu-like symptoms, memory loss, and respiratory damage, especially severe in children .
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