MOLD SYMPTOMS 101: Cognitive & Neurological ⇨ Brain fog / poor memory ⇨ Difficulty concentrating ⇨ Word-finding issues ⇨ Headaches / migraines ⇨ Light sensitivity ⇨ Mood swings, anxiety, or depression Respiratory ⇨ Sinus congestion ⇨ Chronic cough ⇨ Shortness of

>92% of people with chronic fatigue have mold toxins in their urine. Persistent tiredness, regardless of sleep, is a very common symptom of a mold issue.

Mold causes brain fog, with symptoms on par with traumatic brain injury. Mold + their mycotoxins can impair cognitive performance through multiple mechanisms. A primary one is their ability to disrupt mitochondrial function.

Mold toxins disrupt brain cell growth & worsen memory. Inhalation of black mold toxins: → Drives inflammation in the hippocampus (memory brain region) → Depletes mature neurons → Worsens memory in response to several cues They're neurotoxins.

Mycotoxins can even cause cancer. Several common mycotoxins have carcinogenic potential, by: ➥ Driving DNA damage ➥ Influencing epigenetics ➥ Suppressing immunity ➥ Altering cell cycle dynamics Hitting on several of the hallmarks of cancer (covered below).

Some other telltale signs mold is wrecking you: ◇ Feel worse in certain rooms ◇ Feel better when you travel or go outside ◇ React to chemicals (perfumes, cleaning products, etc) ◇ Random food sensitivities ◇ Crash after sauna/fasting/exercise ◇ “Normal” labs but feel awful

Mold can raise cortisol. The toxins mold emits (mycotoxins) can powerfully stimulate inflammation in the brain, driving the HPA axis. Disrupted cortisol patterns are common in people struggling with mold related illness.

Mold can destroy your gut health. Mycotoxins initiate many of the processes found in all sorts of digestive conditions: ➥ Depletes SCFA producing bacteria ➥ Increases pathogenic bacteria ➥ Increases inflammation ➥ Opens gut barrier (leaky gut)

EXPOSURE TO MOLD: The two main sources of mold exposure are: ➥ In a building (your house, place of work, etc.) ➥ Food EVEN IF THERE IS NO VISIBLE MOLD - in both cases there can be. Especially in warm / humid environments.

MOLD WHERE YOU LIVE / WORK: ➥ Water-Damaged Buildings: leaky roofs, pipe bursts, flooding, high humidity (especially in bathrooms, basements, kitchens). ➥ Damp Building Materials: carpets, ceiling tiles, wallpaper ➥ HVAC Systems ➥ Compost, soil, decaying leaves

INDOOR MOLD CHEAT SHEET. There are different fungi that constitute these molds, each tending to occupy different places, giving off mycotoxins, or having allergenic risks. If you feel better when you leave a given building, that's a red flag one of these is a problem for you.

TESTING FOR INDOOR MOLD: ➜ ERMI: measures a ton of different molds but not all likely to cause symptoms ➜ HERTSMI-2: measures 5 of the molds commonly causing symptoms These use dust samples (long term mycotoxin accumulation). You can also do air or surface sampling, but they

The BEST ways to mitigate indoor mold exposure: ➜ HEPA air filters: remove 99.97% of mold spores & mycotoxin carrying particles ➜ Dusting: ideally with damp microfiber (dust collects mycotoxins / mold spores) ➜ Negative ion generators ➜ Limiting indoor humidity (<50%)

MOLD / MYCOTOXINS IN FOODS: Molds love certain foods that allow them to thrive with damp, nutrient rich environments. Animal proteins are rarely in this category, the foods most liable for mold growth are as follows:

TESTING FOR MOLD TOXICITY: Mycotoxins can be tested for in: ➥ Urine - indicative of excretion / detoxification of mycotoxins ➥ Serum - indicative of existing mycotoxin burden Both can be helpful - urine is more common. RealTime Labs + Vibrant are companies that offer them.

One of THE MOST IMPORTANT determining your susceptibility to mold illness is the HLA genes. HLA are proteins that "present" toxins / pathogens to the immune system for clearance. Certain gene variants of this protein make you worse at recognizing / clearing these toxins. You

STRESS leaves you vulnerable to mold illness. Toxins impact you if they get inside your body through the mucosal barriers in your: ➞ Gut ➞ Respiratory tract Stress depletes the "guardian" antibody (S-IgA) AND contributes to barrier breakdown. More breakdown = more exposure.

Mold illness often goes hand in hand with: ➤ Parasites ➤ EBV ➤ Lyme ➤ Hypothyroidism These other infections can suppress the immune system at various points and leave you susceptible. Mold also worsens thyroid hormone metabolism. Thyroid optimization guide below.

Thyroid improves (almost) every symptom of mold illness. Active thyroid hormone (T3) levels can be low during mold illness, as mycotoxins can impair conversion of T4➔T3. T4 does not help, but T4+T3 OR T3 alone does. Natural desiccated thyroid has T4+T3.

Our preferred NDT product + guide below:

LYMPH FUNCTION FOR MOLD ILLNESS: The lymphatic system houses ~50% of your immune cells. It also helps eliminate tons of toxins. If your lymph is stuck: ➔ Immune cells are stagnant ➔ Inflammation worsens ➔ Toxins accumulate For the guide on getting it moving, see below.

DETOXIFICATION FOR MOLD: Chances are if you're struggling with this your detox systems are not working properly. Toxins need to be metabolized + conjugated in the liver, before being excreted through the bile + feces, or in the urine.

SUPPORTING DETOX 101: Phase I: CYP450 enzyme activity • Requires iron and oxygen • Oxygen delivery improves with higher CO₂ production — which comes from carbohydrate metabolism • Low-carb diets can impair this phase by reducing CO₂ Phase II: Conjugation pathways •

GUT HEALTH is also going to be a huge focus. Poor gut health results in: ➥ Impaired toxin excretion ➥ Increased liver burden ➥ Increased toxin reabsorption ➥ Increased mycotoxin exposure ➥ Altered immune balance Optimal gut health is essential here. Full guide below.

BINDERS FOR MOLD / MYCOTOXINS: Binders are various compounds that attach to mycotoxins in the gut, which can ensure that they get excreted through the poop once detoxified. Here's your cheat sheet on some that work below:

OTHER DETOX METHODS FOR MOLD: ⇨ Sauna / sweating - toxins can be expelled through the sweat ⇨ Sunlight - your detox enzymes are catalyzed by different wavelengths of light ⇨ Red / near infrared light - enhances glymphatic flow ⇨ Pro motility agents / laxatives - you poop out

Sometimes mold can actually colonize within the body, and in this case antifungals can be helpful. I've done an entire piece on handling fungal issues below, including loads of antifungals:

This can all be difficult to sort through and figure out so it helps to work with someone with experience. Fortunately, we have a team with experience dealing with mold illness and tons of other health issues, so book a free call here if you want help: https://www.prism.miami/schedu...

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