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Mold & Mycotoxicity Illness

Nowadays, it seems like everyone you talk to is dealing with an autoimmune disease, uncontrollable allergies, chronic pain or fatigue, inexplicable headaches, and more. It couldn’t have always been this way, could it? How come more and more people every day seem to be afflicted by so many illnesses and conditions that no doctors can seem to treat?

While mold is certainly not the only answer, it is beginning to be seen by researchers as a culprit worth pursuing. Research into mold and mycotoxicity is growing in popularity, though it is still too young and unexplored for any conclusions to be made. To this day, there are still no definite warnings or recommended treatments from organizations we trust to help guide us in achieving wellness.

If you have been experiencing a myriad of symptoms that doctors cannot seem to find any proof or root cause of, it’s a good idea to look into how mold works and what can happen when it affects our bodies. Thankfully, there are already unofficial treatments that are forming, such as a detox, which might help you start feeling better.

Mold and Our Environment

When people think of mold, they jump straight to the more extreme, mature forms: visible black mold in showers and under sinks or white growths or fuzz on leftover food. What most people aren’t aware of is that mold is actually everywhere we can’t see, too. Before mold grows into forms we can see, it is floating about in the air we breathe, attaching to clothes and pets, carried in on our groceries, and embedding itself both outside and within our homes. Unfortunately, this also means that it enters our bodies regularly.

In fact, you could be regularly ingesting mold through your food. Common foods that contain high amounts of mold include:

• • • Smoked and processed meats
    • Dried fruits
    • Alcohol like beer and wine
    • Nuts, most notably cashews and peanuts

Of course, mold just doesn’t exist. In order to thrive, it typically prefers warm, dark, moist areas. While you may have mold spores living on your furniture, in your clothes, and even in your dog’s fur, that mold won’t start really growing and causing issues until it lands in the perfect spot. For homes, that means growing in the tile grout in your shower.

In our yards, that’s the dark corner of our yard that doesn’t drain properly. For us, it means entering our system and hanging out while our body struggles to get rid of it.

It’s only when these mold spores start growing in their favorite places that they begin producing mycotoxins, which are believed to be the main culprit of any illness we experience due to mold.

Our Body’s War Against Mold Toxicity

Since mold is a naturally occurring thing in our environment, humans generally have the ability to get rid of it naturally. Our body has set processes for continually detoxifying our system, but some studies are now exploring why certain people are more prone to developing serious conditions brought on by exposure to mycotoxins, including specific genetic variations called SNPs.

Normally, exposure to mold can cause respiratory illness and worsened symptoms for those with respiratory conditions like asthma. Mold toxicity can also cause symptoms that are much like asthma, the flu, hay fever, and allergies.

Beyond that, mold has been shown to be a cause of some cases of pneumonia and eczema, and studies are now showing links to mold exposure with health effects on the brain such as memory loss and problems with vision and emotional regulation.

According to the World Health Organization, there are four major types of mycotoxins that have proven to cause serious health issues in humans and livestock.

• • • Aflatoxins grow in grains, hay, decaying vegetation, and soil, meaning they are prevalent among crops and farm animals. It is most common to come in contact with these mycotoxins through spices, cereals, oil seeds, and tree nuts. These mycotoxins are damaging to both the liver and to DNA, possibly causing liver cancer.
    • Ochratoxin A is commonly found in dry vine fruits, coffee beans, cereals, spices, wine, and liquorice worldwide. It is most notably known for damaging the kidneys, but also can affect the immune system and fetal development.
    • Patulin is most commonly found in products made with apples that have gone bad. Liver, kidney, spleen, and immune system damage has been observed with exposure to patulin, as well as gastrointestinal issues.
    • Mycotoxins associated with the fusarium fungi, which all come under the umbrella of trichothecenes, are mainly common in cereal crops. Trichothecenes can cause severe reactions including sudden skin irritation and diarrhoea as well as oesophageal cancer. Research has also shown it can suppress the immune system, affect hormones, and even cause kidney and liver toxicity and infertility in animals.

How Can I Tell If I Have Mycotoxicity?

There are a number of methods for determining if your symptoms might be caused by mycotoxicity. So far, options include urine testing, bloodwork, nasal swabs, and a visual contrast sensitivity test. While some tests like the visual contrast sensitivity test can be bought online, other tests like the urine and bloodwork labs would need to be ordered by a provider and often aren’t covered by insurance.

The Organic Acids Test does include several biomarkers that could help determine if you have a fungal overgrowth and mycotoxicity. It will check for yeast and candida overgrowth as well as several mycotoxins. The IgE Mold allergy test can also determine if you have antibodies in your system built to fight against mycotoxins, which would determine if your body is actively trying to fight off infections from mold.

Sometimes, the most accessible way to know if mycotoxicity is affecting you is to undergo a complete detox and see if your symptoms subside.

Detoxing Your Body of Mold and Mycotoxins

If you suspect or know that your body is full of mycotoxins, you can try many methods for a detox that will assist your body in cleansing out the mold.

The traditional method is to cleanse the sinuses and the gut of fungal overgrowth through medicated nasal sprays and oral medications. For this approach, you’ll need to be diagnosed and prescribed treatments by your provider.

Some more accessible remedies include:

• • • Increasing your intake of essential fatty acids to 3-4 grams each day
    • Taking binders like activated charcoal and bentonite clay
    • Using probiotics specifically known to fight mold, including S. boulardi, L. beveris, and L. pentosus
    • Adding supplements of vitamins C, A, E, and Zinc
    • Adding the antioxidant Glutathione to your diet
    • Utilizing herbal remedies like berberine, grapefruit seed, oil of oregano, uva ursi, gymnema, pau d’arco, garlic, caprylic acid, and plant tannins

As a daily routine, I recommend using herbal remedies like oil of oregano daily for immune support while you use other herbs like milk thistle or dandelion root to help your liver detox. Eating 2-4 grams of garlic daily will then help your body start ridding itself of the mold that is being fought off and detoxed by the liver and immune system.

Artichoke leaf extract and gingko bilboa supplements will help fight off the symptoms of mold toxicity while you detox, and then you should finish off with chlorophyll, which will help protect your body from further mold damage.

What to Eat During a Mold Detox

While you’re detoxing your body of mold, the last thing you want is to keep ingesting foods that are reintroducing mold into your system. Mold also thrives on starch and sugars, so avoid eating anything that will offer that food source. In general, avoid foods like mushrooms, vinegars, grapes, soy sauce,  aged and moldy cheeses, nuts, potatoes, corn, yeast, and simple carbs.

Instead, try eating a lot of kitchen garden herbs, bitter greens, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, chia and flax seed, oat bran, and foods high in healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, ghee, and fish.

Meanwhile, clear your air with essential oils like orange and clove!

REMEMBER!

You are a beautiful Living Being filled with light and love, born from stardust. You are unlimited potential in every direction. With a focus on discipline, virtue, and your own goodness, you can become as expanded and liberated as you desire.

Pray for others and the Universe prays for us.

Meet Paul Wagner

Paul Wagner (Shri Krishna Kalesh) is an intuitive mystic, clairvoyant reader, and a loving life & business coach. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships.

He created The Shankara Oracle, a profound divination tool that includes 18 gemstones, a lavishly designed divination board, and over 300 penetrative oracle cards – all to help you heal to your core and illuminate your Being.

Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.

Paul tours the world lecturing on spiritual liberation. He lovingly offers intuitive readings, inspirational coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Book a session with Paul: HERE