Mold exposure is a major reason for several chronic health problems all around the world. Mold is a kind of fungus that is present ubiquitously in our environment. Initially, it was thought that our food especially grains are the only source of mold exposure, but now the new research suggests that buildings can also be a major source of exposure to mold. - Mold Toxicity Treatment New York
Now we know about the sick building syndrome where buildings that had water damage or water leaks have a high amount of mold spores in them and it was also shown that people working or living in those buildings were sick a lot.
We have known about people having allergies to mold and when they get exposed to mold spores they will get running nose or itchy eyes. But now we know that mold not only causes allergies but is responsible for several other dangerous diseases like autoimmune conditions, mood disorders, fatigue, and many more.
Mold spores secrete chemical toxins called mycotoxins and these mycotoxins over the course of time lead to several health conditions. And a lot of times just removing a person from the mold environment is not enough to improve these health conditions, in fact, comprehensive treatment protocols are needed for people affected with mold to get better.
Dangerous Mold Species and their Mycotoxins
There are several mold species that are present in our environment not all of them cause harm to our body. Extensive research has shown that certain mold species produce certain mycotoxins which have been associated with several health conditions. Below are the mold species and the mycotoxins they produce in the environment.
How do Mold Toxins Harm our Body?
Now let us understand how these Mold toxins actually lead to all these health conditions. There are different ways these mycotoxins affect our health.
Mycotoxins bind to specific receptors on the cells of our body. After binding to our cell receptors they activate certain inflammatory Pathways and lead to the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals in our body like TGF Beta-1, MMP-9, etc. This starts an inflammatory process in our body and over the course of time, it starts destroying and harming different parts of the body.
The mycotoxins also attack the gut lining and the gut microbiome. By increasing inflammatory products in our gut these mycotoxins lead to the destruction of the good microbiome and also cause a condition called Leaky Gut. Both of these conditions lead to decreased immunity in our bodies. Because of this people become susceptible to various infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and Lyme infections.
The mycotoxins also modify your immune system and cause the production of autoantibodies which lead to the destruction of different body parts. This is how several autoimmune conditions start.
The mycotoxins lead to a condition called CIRS which is systemic inflammatory response syndrome in which several parts of your body have high levels of inflammation and this completely hijacks your immune system.
The dysregulated immune system because of mycotoxins creates conditions like histamine intolerance and mast cell disorder where people will react to each and everything in their environment. These people will have multiple chemical sensitivities, reactions to several foods, random hives, dizziness, and random breakouts
The mycotoxins also start attacking fragile endocrine glands like thyroid, adrenals, female hormonal glands, male hormonal glands and that leads to several diseases like infertility, hormonal dysfunction, etc.
The mycotoxins also interfere with the levels of chemicals in your brain like melatonin, serotonin, and dopamine. And most people will have trouble with sleeping, Insomnia, depression and anxiety, fatigue, and low motivation.
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