Is Mold a Common Root Cause for Chronic Illnesses?
Is Mold a Common Root Cause for Chronic Illnesses?
Yes - mold is a major root cause for chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases. Once the body is exposed to mold, it suppresses the immune system, creates chronic inflammation, and enables other toxins and pathogens to easily enter the body.
Mold exposure is much more common than most people think as it is estimated that 50% of buildings have moisture problems/mold damage. Additionally, mold produces mycotoxins. These are naturally-occurring fungal toxins that are present in mold fragments and spores that may be ingested through air, food, and skin absorption. Mycotoxins are known to cause symptoms such as: chronic fatigue, insomnia, joint/muscle pain, brain fog, sensory abnormalities, neurological damage, mental disorders, changes in vision/mood, and gastrointestinal issues.
In fact, mold can cause disorders like Leaky Gut. If mold and its mycotoxins overgrow within the gastrointestinal tract, it may create an excessive amount of inflammation that results in the hyperpermeability of the epithelial membranes of the intestines and the gastrointestinal lumen. This allows for oxidative stress and for a cytokine storm to disrupt the blood-brain barrier which results in major cell damage and central nervous system damage; hence, creating symptoms of Leaky Gut and food sensitivities.
Mold can also cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. According to a 2013 study, it is reported that 104 of 112 (93%) observed patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were positive for at least one mycotoxin. This study states that “exposure histories indicated current and/or past exposure to WDB [water damaged buildings] in over 90% of cases.”
Click here to read our in-depth article on mold and mycotoxins!
Is Everyone Susceptible to Mold Illness or Chronic Inflammatory Syndrome?
Everyone is susceptible to fall ill from mold. However, some individuals may have genetic weaknesses that make them more susceptible to mold illness. For example:
Approximately 25% of the human population has the HLA-DR (human leukocyte antigen) gene that makes humans susceptible to mold illness. This gene creates this susceptibility by making the body unable to recognize and detoxify biotoxins. Individuals with the HLA-DR gene hold onto these toxins while exhibiting a chronic inflammatory response. This can create Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
If a person has the MTHFR gene mutation, this may cause difficulty eliminating toxins including mold and mycotoxins from the body. MTHFR is an acronym that stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, the enzyme used to convert folic acid (vitamin B9) into folate’s active form, methyl-folate (5MTHF). Methyl-folate plays a crucial role in the biological process called methylation. This process is the blueprint for detoxification. If this process is not working when biotoxins enter the body, the body will suffer the consequences by creating debilitating symptoms.
Mold is especially dangerous when it is found indoors. This means that the mold and its mycotoxins are brewing in the air, making it easier for them to attack the immune system. Any individual is capable of harboring mold within their body. This is why it is crucial to move out of a moldy environment if a person is dealing with mold illness.
How Do I Know If I Have a Mold Problem?
To start, these actions may help identify a mold infestation:
Check for water spots on ceilings or walls - especially by sinks or showers.
Check windows and doors for leaks and condensation.
Check walls for discoloration, peeling wallpaper, or bumpy/warped spots.
Check plants and their pots for mold.
Check floors and seating within cars for mold.
Other places to consider:
Heating/AC Unit
Ductwork
Front-loading Washing Machines
Basement Furniture
Bathroom Vents
Roofing
Behind the Refrigerator
Under Carpeting
Since most cases of mold illness are from non-visible mold exposures, there may need to be some detective work done around your home or workplace to know for certain if mold is a problem for you. To test for mold, we recommend:
ERMI Testing: Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) Tests check for the presence of mold/mycotoxins within a building. ERMI uses the analysis of settled dust within a building to determine the concentration of different species of mold.
Mycotox Test: A Mycotox Profile is analyzed through urine. This test specializes in identifying mold/mycotoxins within the body. It screens for 11 different mycotoxins, from 40 species of mold.
It is essential to know if mold is a problem for you as it can prohibit the healing of other infections and toxicities. For example, parasites feed on mold. Without mold being present, it is more likely for an individual to successfully overcome a parasitic infection without severely straining the body.
Another example includes the correlation between Lyme Disease and mold. It is especially crucial for Lyme Disease patients to know if mold is hindering their health as it exponentially attacks the body when Lyme Disease is present.
Click here to read our article on Mold & Lyme Disease!
How Do I Start Healing from Mold Illness?
The first and most important step to take when recovering from mold illness is to physically move out of a moldy environment. This will allow the body to reduce inflammation and symptoms.
For aiding the body in detoxification of toxic substances like mold, we recommend utilizing binders. Binders contain substances that grab onto toxins within the body and safely escort them out. We prefer to use binders that are also chelators, meaning that they have a claw-like structure to grab toxic heavy metals, chemicals, and harmful microbial byproducts directly out of the cells.
Our favorite binders include:
Carboxy by CellCore Biosciences: The Carboxy binder concentrates on removing mycotoxins out of the body. As these toxins accumulate in the body, it creates an environment where debilitating symptoms can occur. This specialty binder focuses on restoring the body and supporting the immune system.
Biotoxin Binder by Cellcore Biosciences: The Biotoxin Binder is designed to target specific biotoxins like mycotoxins from mold and ammonia, as well as bacteria, parasites, and other byproducts from yeast, fungi, and viruses. It contains polyelectrolytes, polysaccharides, amino acids, and organic acids, and supports cellular energy production while it binds, chelates, and repairs the body.
Other supplements we utilize when dealing with mold illness include:
Bowel Mover by Cellcore Biosciences
A-FNG by Byron White
Hydroxygen by Cellcore Biosciences
**All supplements are available through our online store - click here to gain access or click “shop” at the top of this page!
Once mold is removed from the cells, they will begin to recover and restore to their normal functions. This will relieve symptoms such as chronic fatigue, inflammation, joint/muscle pain, hair loss, painful bloating, etc.
After removing yourself from mold, we recommend you start taking care of parasites. Mold spores can live within bacteria and parasites making mold a recurring issue that continues to reinfect the body.
Other beneficial healing practices include:
Infrared Saunas
Lymphatic Massages
Red Light Therapy
It is important to work with a trained practitioner when dealing with severe mold symptoms. Since drainage pathways are compromised when mold is affecting the body, this makes for a more complex protocol.
If you believe you are dealing with chronic illness, please contact a functional provider. Dr. Jaban Moore, a functional medicine provider, can help you if you are experiencing chronic symptoms.
Please reach out if you are interested in taking your health back! You can give our office a call at (816) 889-9801.
References:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2010.02382.x
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/mthfr-gene-and-folic-acid.html
https://content.iospress.com/articles/mediterranean-journal-of-nutrition-and-metabolism/mnm6-2-03
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4982651/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5220099/
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/5/4/605/htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020301008
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0748233709348259
https://content.iospress.com/articles/mediterranean-journal-of-nutrition-and-metabolism/mnm6-2-03