Mould mycotoxins are in our food too
One of the main causes of high levels of mycotoxins – naturally occurring toxins produced by moulds / fungi – in people is mould growing in water damaged buildings where it is largely inhaled.
But they also occur in our food, in fact around 25% of grains and more are infested.
This matters because mycotoxins are dangerous.
The WHO says they “can cause a variety of adverse health effects and pose a serious health threat … from acute poisoning to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer…
…Moulds that produce mycotoxins grow on many foodstuffs like cereals, dried fruits, nuts and spices ... [occurring] either before or after harvest, during storage, and on/in the food itself under warm, damp and humid conditions. Most mycotoxins are chemically stable and survive food processing.”
Several hundred mycotoxins have been identified. But let’s take two key examples:
Aflatoxins are among the most poisonous mycotoxins. They’re produced by Aspergillus that grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay and grains. Crops affected are cereals (corn, sorghum, wheat and rice), oilseeds (soybean, peanut, sunflower and cotton seeds), spices (chili peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric and ginger) and tree nuts (pistachio, almond, walnut, coconut and Brazil nut). Aflotoxins can also be found in the milk of animals fed contaminated feed. Large doses can be life threatening to humans and animals, usually through liver damage, and there’s evidence they can cause liver cancer in humans.
Ochratoxin A – is produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium moulds. Commonly infected foods include cereals and their products, coffee beans, dry vine fruits, wine and grape juice, spices and liquorice. It’s formed during crop storage and causes a number of toxic effects in animal species. In humans, effects on kidney have been noted.
If you’ve ever suspected mould exposure, detoxing from mycotoxins is vital to your health or you risk CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) where the body goes into an inflammatory downwards spiral. Even historical exposure uncleared from the body can wreak havoc for years.