What are Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi and can be found in food products. Molds grow commonly on crops and other foodstuffs. The effects of mycotoxins on animals and humans are lethal.
They are capable of causing disease and death in animals and humans. But on the contrary, some mycotoxins produced substances used as drugs and growth stimulators useful for organisms.
Several thousands of fungi are identified so far but most dangerous for humans and animal health are these types of mycotoxins, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, and deoxynivalenol don. Molds appear in human foods as a result of mold growth on crops both before and after harvest.
A wide range of mold growth is very common in homes and environments where there is low temperature and moisture. Aflatoxin contamination is a common health hazard for the United States.
Mycotoxins Symptoms:
The toxin produced can cause deadly serious health effects. Mold toxicity does not seem as harmful as it is. You may not think of much, noticing black mold spots around your home or office but if you and your family are having a lingering cold, cough, flu-like symptoms, then the mold is the culprit.
Mold production is associated with multiple long-term health disorders. Certain food and drug administration assists in relieving severe symptoms.
Breathing issue:
Molds enter your lungs through the nasal tract and cause allergies and irritation resulting in difficulty in breathing. Longer exposure to molds can result in asthma, bronchitis, and numerous other respiration disorders.
Skin Problems:
Skin is the largest organ of the body, and the first one to come in contact with fungi. Dryness, itching, and flakes on skin show mold illness. And in severe conditions, hives or rashes result due to inflammation taking place throughout the body as a result of mycotoxin production in the human body.
The sensation of pins and Needles:
Exposure to molds can cause numbness and tingling sensation in the feet and hands. Commonly pins and needles sensation results when you have feet and hand in an awkward position, indicating compression of nerve and loss of nerve transmission. But it can also result due to mycotoxin contamination.
Digestive Disorders:
Effects of mycotoxin include loss of appetite that occasionally results in excessive weight loss. And the loss of appetite, or eating an irregular routine can cause digestive tract illness. Toxicity can cause systemic inflammation, thus worsening digestive tract conditions.
Insomnia:
The toxic illness causes numerous mental issues, like depression, insomnia, anxiety, and memory loss. Mental issues can be the direct result of toxicity and its indirect cause could be the stress of dealing with physical toxic symptoms.
What are Nutraceuticals?
Nutraceuticals are healthy food components that act as a biological therapist. And they are well-known for their potential nutritional, safety, and therapeutic effects. They are products like vitamins, dietary fibers, herbal extracts, carotenoids, prebiotics, and probiotics that assist in the health promotion and well-being of humans by prevention and treatment of disease.
Term nutraceutical refers to a hybrid of ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’. It plays an important part in maintaining and enhancing the physical and biological functions of the human body by acting as natural medicine. they help prevent any disease and malignant process.
A wide range of nutraceuticals has shown huge progress in boosting the immune system while on the other hand, few are well-known for causing disease in animals and humans. Few of that disease is stress, Alzheimer’s, numerous cardiovascular problems, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, worsen eye condition, and cause obesity.
Nutraceutical that kills molds in your gut:
Mold biotoxins continue to reproduce tiny pores in the air you breathe, invisible to the naked eye, and they go undetected by the immune system thus causing serious hazards.
Though eating contaminated food or you say moldy food is not the only reason for mold illness. But following functional food can help you reduce your symptoms and helps your body heal naturally.
- Eat double the number of vegetables, prefer using detox veggies in your food, to boost body detoxifying function.
- Eating healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, salmon, organic butter and Ghee (classified butter) is most important in the prevention and treatment of mycotoxin contamination.
- Using meat, poultry, and eggs that are humanly raised without using antibiotics and hormones can help recover fast as they all are rich in amino acids.
- Start eating a lot of fruits from today, especially the ones with low sugar content, such as berries.
- Add avocado and fish to your diet schedule for fast recovery and use dietary supplements as well.
- Herbs like basil, thyme, and cilantro, vitamin-mineral herb provide effective treatment against molds.
The food you need to avoid:
If you are suffering from severe toxic effects or are allergic to them, you immediately need to minus the following food from your diet schedule as they can lead to chronic diseases.
- Dairy milk
- Processed food
- Dried fruits
- Gluten
- Processed meat
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
Can Meditation help?
Mold illness can be stressful thus it emotionally toils on you. Toxic mold exposure can cause mental effects such as bad mood swings, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and memory loss.
Meditation for just 10 minutes on regular basis can help you reduce mental symptoms. Just take few minutes from your day and focus on your breathing and try to calm your mind. Avoid super complex meditation tips.
Use of Nasal Lavage can help?
If you are facing mold toxicity, pick up a nasal lavage from your nearby pharmacy as soon as possible. Nasal Lavage provides great help with nasal symptoms caused by molds.
Nasal Lavage involves the use of saline (saltwater) to rinse your nose that provides helps you with nasal irritation.
How to Rid your home from Mycotoxin?
A study by the Centre for disease control and prevention reveals that mold is very common in food products, homes, and buildings. They grow anywhere where there is humidity. Here are numerous ways to reducethe risk of mold growth in homes and the environment.
- Dry wet areas of your house on regular basis.
- Proper ventilation is crucial.
- Use mold resistant products regularly.
- Make sure to monitor temperature and humidity indoor.
- Prefer planting mold off plants in your home to get rid of molds from your environment.
- Fix water leaks
- Use fans to circulate air in wet areas.
- Clean areas regularly that are rich in humidity.
World’s worst places to live if you suffer mold toxicity:
Molds love to grow in a warm and damp environment. And they spread in surroundings speedily by using air as their medium. Children and people suffering from Asthma are more likely to be allergic to aflatoxins.
Most recent studies suggest no link between mold growth and geographical area. But Quest Diagnostics completed a study of people suffering from mold allergies. That suggests a huge connection between mold growth and geographical areas.
Worst cities to live in:
Although mold present in homes, offices, and all other buildings is very common. But highest percentage of mold-allergic patients is found in the following cities.
- Dallas-21%
- Riverside-San Bernardino-20%
- Phoenix-19%
- Los Angeles-17%
- Chicago-17%
- Minneapolis-Saint Paul-16%
- Saint-Louis-16%
- Denver-16%
- Kansas City-16%
- San Antonio-15%
Worst States to live in:
Considering data collected by Quest Diagnostics following are three states well-known for mold contamination.
- Texas: It has two cities in the top 20 countries list that are high on mold count, ranked 1st and 2nd.
- Ohio: It has two cities in the top 20, ranked 8th and 10th
- California: It has 4 cities from the top 20 countries considered worst for mold allergy sufferers.
On the Closing Note:
Educate yourself about your region's climate as there is no one perfect solution when discussing mold toxicity. Knowing what works best for your home and environment is the best option to prevent the effects of mycotoxins. Make sure to wear a pollen mask when going to any area where mold counts are high. If not necessary, prefer not going to pollen-rich areas.
