May 21

May 21 Brain Fog Part 3: Mold

What do coffee, cantaloupe, popcorn, LSD, brie, peanut butter, and penicillin have in common?

MOLD, either carrying their spores or as a by-product of fungal activity.

When mold gets busy, it produces mycotoxins.

These are secondary metabolites produced by microfungi that are capable of causing disease and death in humans and other animals. Exposure to the metabolic products of mold could be at the root of your fuzzy, foggy thoughts, hinting at a problem of ongoing contamination or faulty detoxification. I’ve often noticed that symptoms of chronic fatigue, weight gain, or Lyme are often exacerbated or even triggered by mold spores. Just living in a moldy building is enough to send an otherwise “healthy” person down the rabbit hole of chronic disease.

MOLD IS EVERYWHERE.

Mold weaves its way through life, spreading spores and capitalizing on moist situations.

I’ve pulled out shirts from my closet, only to find bright pink and blue, cottage-cheese like mold taking over my wardrobe. In the same ghastly apartment, I noticed black mold growing in the cracks of the walls, resilient to bleach, alcohol, and vinegar sprays.

It is unavoidable in the food supply, multiplying before or after harvest, while in storage, or even on or inside the food itself. We breathe it in from moldy environments, and can even absorb them through the skin.

Have you ever sliced open a fresh peach to find mold enveloping the pit? Or devoured a pint of raspberries only to find black mold cuddled into the clusters?

It’s important to keep in mind that not all mold-related products are dangerous! We rely on mold to make certain antibiotics (penicillin), cheeses (like roquefort, gorgonzola, camembert, and brie) and even utilize fungal activity to turn ingredients from one food into another, freeing up nutrients and converting them into more digestible forms. Certain koji molds help us make soybeans into tempeh, soy sauce, and rice wine, while other forms appear as white coatings on dry-cured sausages, helping to fend off undesirable strains.

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin back in 1928. It’s the mycotoxin that a fuzzy mold on a cantaloupe produced to kill any bacteria that tried to invade its territory. Since then, we’ve been using more “natural” antibiotics from the fungal realm to treat mild infections and bacterial overgrowths. Some people, including myself, are highly reactive to penicillin products, while it proves helpful and safe for others.

Another potent mycotoxin is LSD, which is derived from the ergot fungus on grains and moldy loaves of rye bread. Other ergot derivatives are used as prolactin inhibitors, in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and in cases of cerebrovascular insufficiency. [1]

It’s not as simple as exposure to mold=poor health. Studies suggest that the body is capable of eliminating mycotoxin naturally, provided that the host is healthy, has a well-functioning liver, and a balanced microbiome [2]. For most people reading or experiencing any digestive, hormonal, or energy complaints, a build up of mycotoxins could be part of the picture, as it was for me.

Furthermore, 28% of the population fails to detoxify from mold spores due to genetic issues. If somebody is already immuno-compromised, poor health could lead to complications and therefore greater susceptibility to mycotoxins, in which exposure triggers latent infections or continues overburdening a system that is already grasping for stability. One person might enjoy a peanut butter cookie from the local cafe and feel fabulous. That same person's sister with a vaccine injury and a complicated milieu of disease might take one bite and react to the microscopic mold particles within the grain and peanut butter, feeling sluggish for the following four days.

EXPOSURE:

Consuming food with high levels of mycotoxins is a great way to load up on these microscopic disruptors. Living in a moist and moldy house and moisture-rich environment provides another unfortunate exposure. The mold spores might be contributing to the hazy quality of thoughts and a lack of energetic buoyancy in your body. Even a past exposure from when you lived in Oregon 10 years ago could still be impacting your current level of function. Or, a cup of sweet milky coffee from a moldy batch of beans might knock you down, leaving your brain muddy and ready to nap instead of inspired and focused.

Even if the initial insult didn’t involve mycotoxins, just having them in your system starts weakening your guard against other invaders:

“Mycotoxicoses are examples of “poisoning by natural means” and thus are analogous to the pathologies caused by exposure to pesticides or heavy metal residues. The symptoms of a mycotoxicosis depend on the type of mycotoxin; the amount and duration of the exposure; the age, health, and sex of the exposed individual; and many poorly understood synergistic effects involving genetics, dietary status, and interactions with other toxic insults. Thus, the severity of mycotoxin poisoning can be compounded by factors such as vitamin deficiency, caloric deprivation, alcohol abuse, and infectious disease status. In turn, mycotoxicoses can heighten vulnerability to microbial diseases, worsen the effects of malnutrition, and interact synergistically with other toxins.[3]

The W.H.O. states, “the adverse health effects of mycotoxins range from acute poisoning to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer.”

Exposure to mycotoxins can happen directly when eating infected food or indirectly, when consuming animal products that are fed contaminated feed, resulting in high levels of accumulated mycotoxins in their milk and meat. Pork can be especially problematic, as pigs tend to not be picky eaters and will joyously feast on moldy and fermented food scraps (If you’re looking for a reason to only ingest grass-fed dairy and pasture-raised animals, just think of what typical feedlot animals consume for breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

TYPE:

When it comes to the types of mycotoxins, over 400 mycotoxins have been identified. The major six regularly found in food posing unpredictable safety problems worldwide are aflatoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxins, and patulin. [4]

The major impacts seem to be:

nervous system irregularities [5]
liver cell cancer
xenoestrogenic and mutagenic effects, leading to hepatocellular adenomas, liver & kidney damage, and cancer [6]
impaired fetal development
immune system dysregulation
systemic inflammation
chronic fatigue
infertility, abortion, and other breeding problems, known widely among ranchers [7]
brain fog, caused by inflammation and toxicity and a liver crying “help!”

Notably, it has been estimated that 25% of the world's crops such as nuts, cereals, and rice are contaminated by mold and fungal growth, as reviewed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization[8].

Aflatoxin, is exceptionally carcinogenic in mammals-including humans [9,10]. It comes from aspergillus, a mold that grows on common foods – most notably peanuts and grains. Industrial farms intentionally feed animals moldy feed right before slaughter, disrupting their hormones so they rapidly gain more weight. Yet, any skilled cattle rancher knows not to feed these to any cattle that has more life to live, as it will lead to an imminent death or infertility in their female cows. [9]

Aflatoxins have been shown to be genotoxic, meaning they can damage DNA and cause cancer in animal species. There is also evidence that they can cause liver cancer in humans. When fed to trout, the liver tumors that develop are startling and disgusting. Just think what our livers might look like after a lifetime of consuming these toxins from peanut butter sandwiches and chicken noodle soup, on top of the onslaught they already face!

SOIL HEALTH:

Just as the gut requires a certain balance of microbes to thrive, so does the soil. While it might be easy to forget, the health of our system intricately ties with the health of the planet; the separation is only imagined and perhaps perpetuating the current mistreatment of the earth.

In the past 30 years, we have sprayed glyphosate with a care-free, reckless attitude. The destruction of the soil is man-made, chemically driven. Similar to the white mold that protects dry-aged meat from spoilage, soil microbes keep pathogenic fungi from becoming dominant. Yet, humans ruffled up the delicate balance with their wild use of chemicals. We continue to decimate the microbes that once made our food nutritious and kept our guts in balance, ignoring the fact that we are poisoning ourselves with each spray. The soil-based microbes responsible for a thriving gut microbiome and overall soil diversity are now endangered and dwindling. Furthermore, glyphosate alone is toxic enough to cause brain fog, changes in DNA, and impaired immune function. [11]

According to Dave Asprey, who offers a line of mold-free Bulletproof coffee due to his own history with mold toxicity, “The weed killers RoundUp and glyphosate dramatically increase the amount of toxins soil fungi put out, as does the new standard of using antifungal paint in construction.”

Over the years, heavy pesticide use has enabled stealthy mutations in the fungi that colonize corn. The fungi grows in the roots of the corn and injects its toxins directly into the plant. From the outside, it might look like a healthy ear of corn, glistening in the sunshine, dreaming of warm butter and a smokey grill. Peel back its layers of husk to uncloak horror: it’s covered in black and grey mold spores. Unfortunately for beer drinkers and tamale- enthusiasts, corn is considered to be the crop most susceptible to mycotoxins contamination.

To the benefit of sake and sushi lovers however, rice is known to have the least mold contamination [12]. Due to this super-fungi now sweeping through the grain supply, I reserve organic popcorn and nixtamalized corn tortillas for very rare treats, knowing that I might be paying for it with severe brain fog and gut issues for the days to follow. Rice products seem like a safer bet in my book when it comes to limiting mycotoxin exposure.

Another fungi, fusarium, impacts almost all corn, grain, and to my great sadness, most coffee beans.

It creates more than a dozen known mycotoxins. I can tell almost instantly after having accidentally drank moldy coffee: my brain function plummets. With mold-free coffee, I feel calm, focused, and balanced, eager to write and create.

Can you relate?

On top of products made from corn, grains, coffee, conventional dairy and meat products, other hidden sources include apples, nuts, black pepper, turmeric, and dried fruits like dates, figs, and raisins [13]. I make sure to limit some of these products and avoid others entirely.

GUT HEALTH:

Aside from poking holes in your gut and causing systemic inflammation, studies show that Ingestion of mycotoxin-contaminated foods interrupts nutrient absorption and peristalsis. Long-term perturbation may eventually result in systemic toxicity that leads to chronic mycotoxicosis. The myxotoxins induces hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in animals and humans, which eventually leads to the intestinal dysbiosis as cancer takes over the terrain[5]. How does this work?

“The perturbation of microbial balance in the intestine causes a decrease of beneficial gut bacteria. Without the protection from beneficial bacteria, the growth of pathogens will expand rapidly and produce high level of LPS. The presence of LPS exacerbates the condition of HCC.” Another vicious cycle, beginning with our treatment of the earth and our bodies ability to rapidly reflect that. [14]

In the world of bio-hacking and longevity research, there is constant mention of the “hormetic effect,” referring to a low-dose toxin allows your body to adapt, allowing it to act as an anti-oxidant, such as low levels of cucumin, resveratrol, and even alcohol.

Yet, there’s no benefit to mycotoxin exposure from our food supply, even low levels, unless we are talking about fungal metabolites that can help our system, like penicillin or LSD. The majority of research is startling, as global warming is likely to make mycotoxin levels rise. [15]

SOLUTIONS

Start with your environment: Making sure you are not living in a moldy house, apartment, trailer, van, etc. is CRUCIAL. Healing from toxic mold is not possible if you are constantly re-exposing yourself every time you take a shower or pull something from the closet. If there has been water damage in the past, proceed with caution before moving in. If you are concerned about current mold, consider getting your home tested for peace of mind. If you’ve been foggy for multiple weeks, without relief, examining your home could be your way back to clarity.
Removing foods likely rich with mycotoxins is the next step. Swapping out starches like corn, wheat, oats, and nuts for rice or even better, fresh, ripe, fruit could make a massive difference! Choosing local, grass-fed animal products over grain-fed and grain-fattened might seem expensive in the short-term, but think of the investment you are making in your health and your local economy. As much as I rave about coffee, a moldy cup will do more harm to your metabolism, liver, and brain function. Instead of giving it up entirely, choose freshly roasted coffee beans from a roaster you trust. The real test is how you feel a few minutes after drinking your brew: If you feel at all unwell, fatigued, or foggy after drinking a certain batch of coffee, try a different brand.
Sweating! Yes, warming your body up, preferably in an infrared sauna or in a dance class, can mobilize the toxins out of your adipose tissues to help lower your overall burden. Be warned: whatever toxins are mobilized and not effectively pushed out of the body through sweat, urine, feces, or processed by the liver can then relocate and damage others tissues. If you are severely toxic, start low and slow, and make sure you are supported nutritionally with adequate levels of glutathione, fat soluble vitamins, insoluble and soluble fibers, and bile acids to bind to the toxins.
Binders, like activated charcoal, bio-active carbons, clays, and even some pharmaceuticals (cholestyramine) can help to grab onto mycotoxins and carry them out of the body. Be warned, these can also be constipating and bind to minerals (Mg, Na, Ca, and K) that are needed for proper detoxification! So, make sure your bowels are moving daily and often to avoid re-absorption or impaction. If this is an issue for you, it might be time to visit your local colon hydrotherapist or learn about at-home enemas.
Soil-based probiotics offer broad spectrum protection from leaky gut, pathogenic bacteria, and immune protection when invaders enter the system. Given the lack of them in our current food supply, it might be worth adding in as insurance against the mold spores that are unavoidable and everywhere.
On top of covering the foundations and avoiding molds as much as possible, keep in mind that your immune system (and therefore reaction to mycotoxin) is heavily influenced by your state of mind. Stress, worry, and panic disrupts immune function likely more than ANY other factor. Stop, smile, and relax, and allow your liver to process whatever comes your way with a peacefulness buzzing through your cells.

References

[1] https://cmr.asm.org/content/16/3/497.full

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29535978

[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164220/

[4] [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5486318/]

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18642109/

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7586128?dopt=Abstract

[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6455520

[8]https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2018.00060/full#B114)

[9] http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/29/1/236.full.pdf

[10]http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html#Aflatoxins

[11] http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/dienochlor-glyphosate/glyphosate-ext.html