The Dangers of Mold
Mycotoxins (toxins from mold) are some of the most prevalent toxins in the environment. Mycotoxins are metabolites produced by fungi like mold, which can infest buildings, vehicles, & foodstuffs. Most mycotoxin exposures in North America, Europe, & Australia are through airborne exposure.
Due to the toxicity of mold, it can cause a number of short term & long term issues. Among the most common are chronic health issues & autoimmune disease. Other serious conditions, like neurological damage, can occur with continual exposure.
How do you test for mold?
When testing for mold in your body, we suggest the MycoTOX test from Great Plains Lab, It measures 11 different mycotoxins from a wide variety of 13 mold types (genera) including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Myrothecium, Stachybotrys, Bipolaris, Gibberella, Chaetomium, Trichoderma, Trichothecium, Cephalosporium, Verticimonosporium, & Monascus. Since each of these genera contain multiple species, the MycoTOX Profile is likely to detect hundreds of mold species. In addition, poisonous mushrooms also produce some of the same mycotoxins as the molds.
Strategies for dealing with mycotoxins:
— Finding the source of exposure (testing)
— Removal from building or contaminated place
— Optimal nutrition through whole organic food & non-GMO diet
— Foundational nutrients (vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, antioxidants)
— Improve diversity of the microbiome
— Take good quality probiotics