What You Should Know About Mycotoxin Symptoms

When you think of mold, you probably think about noticeable moldy food that’s been sitting in your refrigerator for way longer than you’d like to admit. Or you may start to picture mold growing in a damp environment, like in a basement.

But, I bet the possibility of mold growing behind the walls in your beautiful home, or in packaged foods, doesn’t come to mind. For most people, it doesn’t!

Unfortunately, this is where many people experience their mold problems. Mycotoxin symptoms begin to arise, and many of my patients don’t associate their symptoms to the danger in their own homes.

I want you to know how mold inside your home or mold-contaminated food can impact your health. If you are experiencing these mycotoxin symptoms, please contact a Functional Medicine provider to treat it properly.

What are Mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are toxins that are produced by molds (or fungi). Those toxins are located on spores, which fungi use to reproduce. Spores can travel through the air, which we then breathe in. Or, you could even ingest those spores and mycotoxins through your food. 

Different types of mold produce various kinds of mycotoxins. Some mycotoxins are more harmful than others.

Here are the most common types of mold:

• Alternaria
• Aspergillus
• Cladosporium
• Penicillium
• Stachybotrys

Common types of mycotoxins:

• Aflatoxins
• Fumonisins
• Nivalenol/Deoxynivalenol
• Ochratoxin
• Patulin
• Zearalenone

Where are Mycotoxins Found?

Mycotoxins are commonly found in our food sources. Surprisingly, 25% of crops are contaminated with mold. This is from poor harvesting practices, poor storage, and even improper transportation and packaging of foods.

Common foods contaminated with mycotoxins include:

• Cereals
• Grains
• Nuts
• Dried fruits
• Coffee beans

They can also be found in your own home. Yes, even in brand new homes! Sometimes mold can be apparent and be in plain sight. But mold can even be hidden behind walls.

Why are Mycotoxins Dangerous to your Health?

When your body comes into contact with mycotoxins, your body can eliminate some of those toxins naturally. But the problem is that when you are exposed to them on a continuous basis (like in your home or the foods you eat), your body can’t keep up with eliminating them.

The toxins build up and start circulating throughout your body. Toxins can damage and even kill cells. When this happens, your body can’t function properly, and long term issues can occur. Immune deficiency and chronic diseases can result from unaddressed mold and mycotoxin exposure.

Your body may be trying to tell you that something isn’t right by expressing certain signs and symptoms when it is struggling with mycotoxin overload. If you are experiencing any of these mycotoxin symptoms, it’s vital to address the root cause…not just the symptoms.

Common signs and symptoms of mycotoxins:

• Immune system dysfunction
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Stomach pain
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Nausea and vomiting
• Swollen legs
• Jaundice
• Fever
• Palpable liver
• Damage to kidney, liver, brain, and skin

Mycotoxins and Gut Health

The main issue that myotoxicity causes is damage to your gut. When your gut is damaged or unhealthy, it can lead to a plethora of other serious health problems.

Mycotoxins can not only cause an imbalance of your gut microbiome (causing dysbiosis), but they can also damage your intestinal barrier. This can impact the way your body absorbs nutrients, creates and regulates hormones, and even impacts your immune system!

Your intestinal barrier is supposed to keep certain bigger molecules inside your gut, and let smaller molecules and nutrients into your bloodstream to get to your cells. Mycotoxins can cause holes in that barrier, which lets bigger, unwanted molecules through. 

Your body will see these as “foreign” invaders because they aren’t where they should be, causing damage to your tissues and setting off an immune response. 

When your immune system is constantly on overdrive, it can contribute to overactive inflammation, adrenal fatigue, and can ultimately lead to a weakened immune system. When this occurs, you may be at a higher risk for infections, feeling fatigued, and can even contribute to chronic diseases in the long term.

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins, produced from Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are among the most toxic mycotoxins and are commonly found in food sources. Certain types of aflatoxins can get into your cells and cause damage to your DNA. When your DNA is damaged, it can give out wrong directions to your body, causing it to create cancer cells.

Fumonisins

These mycotoxins may be responsible for altering the immune response and causing changes in your mucus secretions within the gut. It can increase the levels of cytokines, secreted immunoglobulins A, and antimicrobial peptides– all of which can impact your microbiota composition. 

Mycotoxins Treatment

Since mycotoxin symptoms are closely related or overlap with other disease symptoms, it’s essential to get tested. This way you can confidently know what you need to treat from the start. Then a personalized protocol can be created to optimize your treatment plan for your unique body and health issues. 

Your protocol could include:

• Get home tested for mold & get it professionally removed
• Consuming a low mold food diet
• Supplementation 
• Detoxification optimization
• Enhancing immune system
• Restoring gut health

I use Great Plains to test my patients for mycotoxins. This way, I know (1) if they are struggling with mycotoxicity, and (2) where I need to start when developing a plan to help optimize their body’s elimination and detox pathways to rid those toxins successfully and safely. 

Contact a Functional Medicine Doctor in Annapolis, MD Area

If you are concerned that you may be struggling with mycotoxin symptoms, and are located in the Annapolis, Maryland, area, Dr. Skye Stewart can help.

Schedule a FREE 10-minute Consult to Get Started

Dr. Stewart is a Functional Medicine Provider that gets to the root cause of your symptoms. She won’t just give you a pill to cover them up. This way you don’t have to put up with nagging symptoms or be dependent on pills for the rest of your life. You can optimize your health from the inside out, and finally feel healthy once again.