Everything You Need to Know About Mold and Mycotoxins and How to Avoid Them
As testing improves, and research accumulates, mold and mycotoxins are getting more and more attention in the functional health world (and hopefully — eventually — the conventional health world, too). So what do we need to know? This is a comprehensive guide to mold, mycotoxins, and testing.
What it is
Most people are used to seeing mold — sometimes it grows in showers, along grout lines, or even in basements. Most people also just assume it’s harmless, that it’s proof someone doesn’t clean well or often enough. But honestly, none of those assumptions are inherently true.
For example, you could scrub the HELL out of your grout and still get mold growth again the very next day. Or you could be someone with a strict cleaning schedule who finds themselves constantly scrubbing mold off the same surfaces week after week. This is because mold problems are pervasive. Also, spoiler alert here, mold is NOT harmless. It’s much worse than simply being an unsightly consequence of living indoors — it’s ALIVE, and it’s not a friend to you.
Mold is a form of fungus. The category of “fungi” includes not only mold, but mushrooms, mildew, and yeasts like Candida. Like most fungi, mold thrives in a moist environment, consuming organic matter for food (think: spoiled food is being decomposed by mold, for example). There are other forms of organic matter it can thrive on as well, but we will get to that. Since it requires moisture to grow, bathrooms, kitchens, and basements — or anywhere there is humidity, leaks, or previous water damage — are the first places you should look.
You may not always see mold, since it can grow in the studs or behind the drywall of homes, be underneath floors, etc. but there may be an odor component. For example, any place that smells musty is almost a given that mold is present — and this is very common in basements, since they are notoriously more humid than the rest of the home, providing that ample source of continuous moisture mold requires in order to thrive.
Other than the moisture component, mold grows more readily when there’s ample darkness and stagnant air (which is why hidden molds are often the most insidious). If getting enough sunlight in your home is not necessarily feasible, healthy amounts of ventilation can help prevent growth.
The difference between mold and mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are an odorless, microscopic defense mechanism given off by mold colonies growing in your home. They’ve even been said to be more harmful than pesticides! Since mold cannot get up and walk away, its main route of defense against other types of pathogens is its chemical warfare, in the form of these mycotoxins. They are given off any time the mold feels its survival is at risk — including when you’re cleaning it off the grout or remodeling a bathroom and physically disturbing it.
Not only do you inadvertently shoot off mycotoxins into your surrounding air by disturbing mold, but it also helps the spread of mold spores, which are their main source of reproduction and travel. These spores travel through the air, land on other surfaces, and can continue to proliferate under those main conditions of moisture/humidity, darkness, and stagnant air flow. They can then continue to overgrow in other areas of the home.
How we are exposed
I know we’ve talked a lot so far about humidity in places like bathrooms and basements, or places that get water leaks like kitchens and laundry rooms, but keep in mind that your home is likely not the only place you’re being exposed to mold. Depending on the research you read, they say anywhere between 50-80% of buildings in America have some sort of mold growth. Personally? I think it’s safe to assume most indoor dwellings have some sort of mold, whether due to old age and water damage over the years, stagnant air in newer, airtight buildings, etc. It’s a reasonable consequence of inside-living.
We spend SO much of our time indoors, exposure is basically guaranteed. We obviously live indoors, but we typically work indoors, learn indoors, grocery shop indoors, commune indoors, etc. We even TRAVEL “indoors” (yes, mold can grow in your car!). You see my point. Studies show we spend well over 90% of our time INDOORS! There’s bound to be mold in any one of those buildings we spend time in.
Which brings me to the next point — the biggest route of exposure is usually through inhalation (air). There are two main ways our bodies become sickened by inhalation of mold. First is through direct colonization, where mold literally grows and proliferates (is “colonized”) in our bodies, such as in our sinuses, respiratory tract, or GI tract. The second way, equally as common, is through mycotoxin accumulation. Both the colonization and the mycotoxins are typically a problem for folks who have had continued or lifelong exposures.
We can also be exposed to mold through food (grains, corn, nuts, wine, coffee, and produce are the most common sources) and dermal contact (on our skin). These can be equally as common, but usually a lot more acute in nature. For example, you could experience nausea or vomiting with ingested exposure, and dermatitis or rashes with dermal exposure. If symptoms are more persistent, a little less traceable, etc. it’s probably an inhalation problem, since this is such a broad place we spend so much time.
The most common exposures
Research and the dozens of tests I’ve run on my clients confirm — there are four main mold species that produce the vast majority of mycotoxins. They are:
Aspergillus
Penicillium
Fusarium
Stachybotrys (black mold)
The first three can be found in water-damaged buildings, but can also be found in food sources as well. The fourth, a very dangerous black mold, typically results from water-damaged building materials primarily. Remember we talked about how mold consumes “organic matter” for food? This includes wood and anything porous, such as drywall, paper, cardboard, particle board, etc.
How mold and mycotoxins affect the body
Our bodies hang onto these toxic molds and mycotoxins, and they begin to accumulate in our tissues — meaning, an exposure in infancy could still be affecting you, AND compounding, today. They are carcinogenic and can affect everything about us, including our:
Liver — this is where toxins, including mycotoxins, go to be processed and sent for excretion. Once it becomes overwhelmed, it not only gets backed up, but mycotoxin accumulation can also cause organ damage and increase the risk for cancers.
Kidneys — urine is the main route of excretion for mycotoxins. The more we are exposed to and accumulate, the harder of a time the kidneys have in getting them detoxified and out of the body. Cancer risk is also increased here.
Brain — they can contribute to brain fog, difficulty with recall, difficulty focusing, completely forgetting where you are or what you’re doing (which is especially scary), and the brain’s ability to detoxify itself through the glymphatic system. It can also affect downstream nervous system health like movement and balance.
Immune system — this gets compromised very quickly in order for the mold to continue proliferating in the body undisturbed. This effect is enhanced in the presence of microbiome issues, such as imbalanced bacteria, yeast, or parasitic overgrowths. Mold can stimulate the production of inflammation through hijacking the immune system as well.
GI tract — they can cause leaky gut, which not only can lead to the development of food sensitivities, but autoimmunity as well.
CELLS — yes, down to the CELLULAR level! They disrupt cell membranes and mitochondrial function, affecting our ability to detoxify, produce energy, make proteins, and recover on a grand scale.
And we harbor these accumulations over time, meaning they compound and become bigger issues with repeated or continuous exposure. Chronic mold exposure symptoms include long-term bronchitis, asthma, severe sensitivities to a variety of things (chemicals, fragrances, foods, supplements, EMFs, etc.), cognitive decline, and severe allergic reactions. Kids are the most susceptible and are usually the “canaries in the coal mine.”
Other ways our exposures can compound
Research has shown that the production of mycotoxins by mold can increase by SIX HUNDRED TIMES when EMFs are present. Newsflash — EMFs are everywhere: smart phones, computers, internet routers, signal amplifiers, “smart” appliances like TVs or thermostats as WELL as regular appliances that use electricity or generate heat, electric breaker panels, dimmer switches, Bluetooth tools like portable speakers, smart meters — and these are just what’s inside the average home. And do you have a baby? You might also have wireless baby cameras and monitors, or security systems installed.
There are also things like power lines (transmission, distribution, supply cables, etc.), substations, transformers, hospital or medical equipment, and not to mention 5G towers going up all over the place. Because of alllllllllll these EMF exposures, what might’ve been a minor mold exposure problem before, could potentially be 600 times as harmful now. It’s more important than ever to mitigate your EMF exposure — which can also increase whole-body sensitivity levels AND cancer risk. Some easy steps you could look into include:
Using the speakerphone feature vs. keeping your phone against your ear
Using wired earbuds or headphones vs. wireless/Bluetooth ones
Turning off your WiFi router at night (you’re sleeping, why do you need this on?)
Disconnecting appliances from your WiFi and using them the old-fashioned way!
Putting your phone on airplane mode at night or when not in use (yes, you can still use it as an alarm clock in this mode) and/or keeping it in another room while sleeping
Turning off power strips when not in use
We touched on this next point briefly, but any microbiome issues can exacerbate a mold or mycotoxin problem internally. Part of this is due to biofilms, which are a sticky, gel-like matrix of nutrients and molecules that help feed microorganisms and keep them safe from detection by the immune system. Well, not only do dysbiotic species in the gut produce these, but so do molds. These biofilms can form anywhere between a hard surface and moisture, like in the GI tract for example. This means that even if you remove any current exposures, you’re still inundated internally with mold and mycotoxins since they are so well-protected by biofilms and the general gut health struggles of most Americans. Biofilm is also another obstacle to tackle when trying to detox as well.
Ways to keep mold at bay
If you have a big mold issue that needs professional remediation, that’s one thing. But there are plenty of things you can do on a regular basis to keep your home low-risk for mold growth and mycotoxin accumulation:
Keep humidity levels below 50% — whole-house de-humidifiers, or even small de-humidifying units, can help here.
Open windows on a regular basis, even in the winter — remember, stagnant air helps mold flourish.
Dust on a regular basis — dust can be a vessel for mold spore travel.
Invest in quality air purifiers — you want units that have carbon and HEPA filtration options.
Address any water leaks immediately — the moment it seeps into that organic matter, it takes 24-48 hours for mold to begin growing. Preventing this water damage is the best way to get ahead of it. There are water leak detection tools that can help if you’re not regularly checking surfaces like beneath sinks or behind appliances.
Avoid the use of bleach and switch to something like Borax — bleach actually makes the problem worse in the long run and increases your exposure to the toxicants in the bleach itself, whereas Borax not only has mold-killing properties, but helps prevent regrowth and is way less-risk.
Why you should consider mycotoxin testing
Mold toxicity can look like a variety of different health problems, which is why it’s not the first thing most providers consider. It can look like (and these are NOT exhaustive lists):
Respiratory issues — chronic allergies, asthma, coughing, wheezing, inability to take a deep breath, sensitivity of any kind (to chemicals, fragrance, etc.)
Gut issues — constipation, diarrhea, alternating between the two, IBS, SIBO, leaky gut/intestinal permeability, food sensitivities/allergies, cravings, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, ulcers, “lightning” pains that can travel around the abdomen, liver problems, changes in appetite
Immune system issues — chronic runny or bloody nose, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, catch every illness or never get sick at all, ear ringing/popping, itchy eyes, chronic post-nasal drip, autoimmunity diagnoses, fatigue, lingering illnesses, Long COVID
Cognitive or nervous system issues — brain fog, confusion, difficult recall/focus/memory, anxiety/depression, dizziness, difficulty balancing, neuropathy, tremors, heart palpitations, intolerance to exercise, chronic pain anywhere
Hormonal issues — insomnia, PMS, PMDD, thyroid problems, cortisol imbalances, hair loss, menstrual irregularities or changes, fertility problems
Detox issues — kidney/liver/skin problems of any kind, constipation, yeast infections
Because of all the overlap in symptoms, mold is actually one of the last things to be suspected in a conventional medical setting, so if you feel like you’ve been suffering from random, seemingly unrelated symptoms that no testing or doctor has been able to figure out, you’re not alone. Getting a mycotoxins urine test done can help confirm 1) what mycotoxins your body is struggling with, and 2) how deeply you are affected by them, since the test actually quantifies your exposure.
Don’t stop at testing your body — also test your environment
Urine testing is great because it tells us your body burden, in detail. The only downfall is that a timeline of exposure, or whether or not you’re actively being exposed at the present, is not possible to determine. The best way to figure this out would be to test your immediate environment(s) where you spend the majority of your time. For most folks, that’s their homes. There are a few ways to do this, some more effective than others:
Air sampling — not very effective unless done a specific way by a trained mold specialist
Mold plate testing — effectiveness is variable, but you can test specific dust samples for growth in your own home without external interpretation
Moisture meters — used by home inspectors, this can scan surfaces for any unexpected moisture due to water leaks or damage
Thermal imaging — also used by mold specialists/inspectors, this can detect temperature differences behind surfaces for the same purposes
Environmental Mold and Mycotoxin Assessment (EMMA) — specifically by RealTime Labs, it tests for some of the most toxic molds and their potential mycotoxins using a dust sample or piece of HVAC filter cut out and sent in with the kit. This is easiest to use independently without external interpretation.
Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) — specifically by EnviroBiomics Labs, it tests for 26 molds that are found in water-damaged buildings and compares your result to 1,100 homes sampled across the country. This test on its own is not super valuable, but great interpretation can be found here for a very affordable price once you get your results back.
Truthfully, a combination of tests is going to be most efficacious.
The point of all this testing
Testing your body lets us know how bad the burden is, so we can create a protocol you can follow to effectively detoxify and restore your body’s immune function. Testing your home (or car, school, work, etc.) helps to determine if there are current exposures that would work against you during a detox, continuing to make you and/or your family sick, and helps plan for remediation efforts.
Remediation is a whole separate beast, and we will discuss this in a future post. But the main point of testing and knowing all this information about your toxicity levels and exposure, is to take action. Save yourself the weeks of waiting and thousands of wasted dollars on random, useless testing if you have an amalgam of symptoms that don’t add up, because mold is likely playing a role and is a root-cause approach to not only reducing symptoms, but reducing the risk for long-term disease as well.
The most important message I want you to receive from all of this, despite the plethora of bad news in this post, is that mold toxicity can absolutely be reversed. You are not stuck being mold-sick forever. Testing gives us a good baseline and a place to start to help formulate a way out of it for you, and THOUSANDS of people have reclaimed their health by doing so.
If you’re interested in testing yourself for mold exposure, check out this page on my website. Most folks generally have an inclination that this is an issue and are ready to have the conversation about it — and if that’s you, submit your questions or concerns here and we can set up a time to talk about it.
