Are You Moldy?

Are You Moldy?

The truth about being in a human body during the 21st century is that we are constantly bombarded by toxins from contaminated foods that we eat, to unfiltered water with high rates of heavy metals, and also through the air that we breathe that can be filled with pollutants. We can even experience physical side effects from electric and magnetic Fields (EMFs) from all of the invisible areas of energy from technology, the internet, and electricity that engulf our bodies every day, not just in our homes, but in our neighborhoods and schools and offices. All of these can cause internal cellular damage and the build-up of harmful toxins that can cascade into myriad chronic health issues. 

One other major environmental toxin that needs to be given important consideration during your health exploration is mold. Hold up… Mold? Like the kind on old bread or in old, dilapidated homes? Well, there are different strains of mold, just like there are different types of bacteria and viruses that can make us sick. But the long and short answer is: yes. Mold is a major perpetrator in causing serious long-term health problems in people.

Living in Southern California close to the beach which naturally has more moisture in the air, I see so many patients with active mold issues, and the majority don’t even know about it. They come to me with varying health problems that could seem benign or unrelated: digestive problems (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas), hormone and cycle irregularities, mood swings, problems sleeping, issues losing weight, low sex drive, frequent infections like yeast or Candida, lack of sustained energy, joint pain, headaches, low-grade depression or anxiety and so much more. With advanced and specialized GI testing, I find that mold overgrowth in the gut is an issue in many of these cases.

So here’s the deal: the microbiome in our gut houses trillions of bacteria, as well as certain amounts of viruses and fungi too. When in proper balance, all of these microorganisms can live synergistically in our gut, and we will experience optimal digestion, efficient nutrient absorption, sustained energy, normal hormone function, stable moods, good sleep, etc. When the microbiome is out of balance and certain bacteria or virus or fungi begin to overgrow, many of these not-so-fun health symptoms are likely to arise. And the real kicker is that if you don’t treat this underlying gut imbalance, any other attempt at resolving your symptoms will likely be short-lived. The power in understanding and regulating your gut is the secret sauce to achieving balance in your health.

Our microbiome is actually quite permeable. It needs to be penetrable so that nutrients can be passed easily from our gut into our bloodstream so that they can then travel throughout of body, getting to where they need to be utilized. The gut’s permeability makes it particularly susceptible to harm, though, which is why it is so important to stay on top of your gut health.

With regards to mold overgrowth, here are some of the most common situations and places where mold toxins can live and grow:

·      Your office, home or workplace (anywhere, really, that you spend a lot of time) that has had water damage of any sort, big or small (and this can be simply from poor ventilation in a bathroom, for instance)

·      Leaky pipes

·      Living in a moist and/or hot environment (or both)

·      Living in a home with carpet (especially old carpet in a humid house or city)

·      Having not properly or thoroughly dried furniture or clothes

·      Eating a sugar-filled, highly processed diet with foods that can be easily contaminated by mold

If you already know that you have had water damage or mold exposure, you should absolutely begin on a mold protocol to clear it from your system, because most likely, it’s still there. I would recommend reaching out to me or a Naturopathic Doctor to discuss your specific and unique options. If you’re not sure if you have had water damage (this is especially common if you’re renting and don’t know the history of the building you’re living in), then you should get your space tested and inspected for mold. There are at-home test kits that you can purchase, although they are likely not as reliable as having a specialist come in to inspect your home or office space professionally. Please know, however, that you could have had a mold exposure many years ago, and even if you are not actively living in a moldy environment, mold overgrowth could still an underlying cause of your health issues, especially if you have not actively tried to remove it thus far.

Figuring out if you are living in a place that has active mold, though, changes your protocol regime. It’s not advised to take on an active mold protocol, especially with herbal medicines, until you are no longer actively exposed to mold. So, this will be the first step on your mold-clearing journey and a critical piece of the puzzle.

Once you have gotten specialized GI testing for mold exposure, and have also ruled out whether or not you are still living or spending time in an actively moldy place, then here are some next steps that you might see on your mold-clearing journey:

1.     Adding binders into your daily regime. These can include products like bentonite clay, zeolite clay or coconut charcoal. Binders help to attract and attach to excess toxins and pull it out through our urine and fecal matter. Also, binders are helpful to ridding our body of what is known as biofilms that can protect harmful pathogens in our body. And once these biofilms are removed, we can actually fight the overgrowth more effectively.

2.     Adding herbal remedies. Once you have unleashed the biofilms from the internal pathogens, you will need to actively fight the mold. Herbal remedies are powerful and should be taken under medical supervision. Using therapeutic doses of whole garlic, Biocidin, oregano, and cordyceps are a few of the herbs that might be prescribed to you. These not only have antimicrobial properties, but they will also help to stimulate the immune system to fight overgrowth.

3.     Support detoxification pathways. You can do this through alternative modalities like sweating in a sauna, salt baths, or mud packing (with me!) to help open up the excretion pathways.

4.     Support your immune system through other supplementation like NAC, glutathione, Vitamin C, Taurine and others.

5.     Adopt a mold-reducing diet that is primarily low in carbohydrates (and therefore low in sugars of all kinds) because mold prefers to eat carbs (typical). This diet would be free from alcohol, gluten, dried fruits, all processed foods as well as cheeses and cured meats.

You will likely need to follow an intensive mold protocol for a minimum of three months, and even up to a full year until you’re likely to see a full recovery from the overgrowth. However, I guarantee that you’ll start to feel better and better as time goes on. And believe me, you’ll want to resolve this issue because it will rear its ugly head in ways that you probably don’t realize yet, and sometimes years after exposure. So please work with a mold healthcare specialist like myself to get this taken care of soon!