Mold In Your Environment And Its Effect On Your Microbiome
Moldy, a documentary on mold damage and the negative effects it has on your body, by Dave Asprey, is shedding light on how breathing in toxic mold spores creates a snowballing effect with the bacteria in the body.
Asprey says when the fungus metabolites in the air are ingested through your nostrils or airway, signals are sent to bacteria in the body to form biofilms.
Many researchers say biofilms are growing all the time in your body as an effort to protect your body from something. The film on your teeth right now is a biofilm. If you have a breast implant or a knee replacement there is a biofilm around these objects. If there are yeast colonies or worms they are encased in biofilms. They are present with mold contaminants.
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Reading the body for potential exposure to mold includes dark circles under the eyes, bags under your eyes, a yellow tint to your skin in general or specifically a yellow tint to your face or creases of the body like the creases in your armpits, backs of your knees or even on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Some people experience pain in the nostrils while others feel nothing at all because they are not sensitive to the feelings of their body.
Mycotoxins are toxic molds, Dr. Amy Myers says.
When a compromised immune system encounters a mycotoxin it causes issues. Other people simply have allergies to molds, which is an immune response.
Molds are everywhere, thousands of varieties and breeds. Some off-gass VOCs or what is considered toxic gasses which you can not see. This is why multiple people in the house can be exposed to molds but only one of them get sick – there is an underlying immune response happening.
One of the first steps in assisting with mold is removing yourself from the moldy environment. Many people are incapacitated with mold toxicity due to an already overloaded liver. The addition of mold spores on top of the already toxic situation is just too much. For many, this is not an option. A good temporary test to see if you have a mold issue in your home is to see if your symptoms go away when you’re on vacation or visiting a family member for the holiday.
Cleaning and removing the moldy environment should be done with proper clothing and protection as well as breathing protection apparatuses like this one if needed as well as proper cleaning products which is most often vinegar. If you suffer from a compromised immune system and toxicity from mold this job is best left to the professionals.
If the environment is in an ongoing damp environment, like living in moist and rainy Ireland, use a dehumidifier if possible. Like all products, different air cleaners and different dehumidifiers are not rated equally.
Sterilizing essential oils can assist in sanitizing the air through a diffuser. Some people with sensitive children say this is very helpful. Sanitizing the air is a traditional and historic practice for many cultures. The top three air sanitizing essential oils are eucalyputus, ravensara and tea tree oil.
The Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Medicine says, “About 5% of individuals are predicted to have some allergic airway symptoms from molds over their lifetime.”
They go on to say, “The leading pathogenic fungi for persons with nonimpaired immune function, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, and Histoplasma, may find their way indoors with outdoor air but normally do not grow or propagate indoors. Due to the ubiquity of fungi in the environment, it is not possible to prevent immunecompromised individuals from being exposed to molds and fungi outside the confines of hospital isolation units. Some molds that propagate indoors may under some conditions produce mycotoxins that can adversely affect living cells and organisms by a variety of mechanisms.”
Toxins says, “Patients who develop chronic illness after prior exposure to water damaged buildings and mold have the presence of mycotoxins, which can be detected in the urine. We hypothesized that the mold may be harbored internally and continue to release and/or produce mycotoxins which contribute to ongoing chronic illness. The sinuses are the most likely candidate as a site for the internal mold and mycotoxin production.”
They found mycotoxins present in dust after mold exposure and the presence of mold in the body long after exposure. They reported, “Many of these patients have remained chronically ill despite leaving the moldy environment several years previous to the urine testing. This suggested to us that there may well be an internal presence of toxin producing mold.”
Test kits like this one can be swabbed in the nasal cavity to detect mycotoxin spores. This test can be fully completed at home and does not need to be sent to a lab. Many veterinarians use the same test for animals. Other tests, like this one, can be used on contact with the potentially moldy surface showing if mold spores exist.
The Scientific World Journal says, “Mechanisms of illness include inflammation, oxidative stress, toxicity, infection, allergy, and irritant effects of exposure.” They resolve, “Commonly used treatments such as glutathione, antioxidants, antifungals, and sequestering agents such as Cholestyramine, charcoal, clay and chlorella, antioxidants, probiotics, and induced sweating.”
Specifically they say, “The treatment approaches include the use of sequestering agents, antioxidant support, systemic, nebulized and intranasal glutathione, probiotics, nutritional support, and the correction of persistent fungal infections or symptomatic colonization. Also, the use of sauna and exercise can be invaluable in helping to restore the health of those injured from their exposure.”
The most effective way to repair glutathione stores is through properly prepared meat stock. Click here to read more on how to support mold exposure naturally.
*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com
“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
