This post is directed towards food concerns as related to mold. Mold is in our air, it plays a beneficial role in our ecosystem. We need mold, but do we need it in our food?
Let this sink in - We cannot always control if we have mycotoxins in our food, we can control what foods we eat.
If you think mold may be contributing to your health related issues, it's time to start thinking about your diet.
Consuming any mycotoxin is never a good idea, so a diet consisting of foods with a higher probability of containing mycotoxins would not be considered wise.
You are what you eat, never forget it!
Now to get a bit more clinical.
Definition of Mycotoxic - Pertaining to or emanating from a mycotoxin.
Definition of Mycotoxin - Mycotoxin (from the Greek word (mykes) "fungus")
Definition of Toxin - From the Greek word toxikon, lit. (poison) is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms.
Mycotoxins cause a wide range of health problems in humans when we are exposed to small amounts over an extended period of time, and can even be lethal if taken in large quantities over a short period of time. Given the large number of diseases linked to mycotoxins and our tendency to eat a large amount of grains in a typical American diet......it's easy to state, on average our diets are not helping our immune system.
"Grains are sources of carbohydrates, or sugars, and as such, they risk contamination by certain fungi. These fungi produce secondary metabolites, or mycotoxins."
1. Craft Beer- Alcohol is the mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast--brewer’s yeast. Other mycotoxins besides alcohol can also be introduced into these beverages through the use of mold-contaminated grains and fruits. Producers often use grains that are too contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins to be used for table foods, so the risk is higher that you are consuming more than just alcohol in your beverage
2. Corn - Corn is "universally contaminated" with fumonisin and other fungal toxins such as aflatoxin, zearalenone and ochratoxin (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology). Mycotoxins: Risks in Plant, Animal and Human Systems. Task Force Report No. 139. Ames, IA. Jan 2003). Fumonisin and aflatoxin are known for their cancer-causing effects, while zearalenone and ochratoxin cause estrogenic and kidney-related problems, respectively. Just as corn is universally contaminated with mycotoxins, our food supply seems to be universally contaminated with corn--it’s everywhere! A typical chicken nugget at a fast food restaurant consists of a nugget of corn-fed chicken that is covered by a corn-based batter that is sweetened with corn syrup.
3. Wheat Not only is wheat often contaminated with mycotoxins, but so are the products made from wheat, like breads, cereals, pasta, etc. Pasta may be the least-"offensive" form of grains since certain water-soluble mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin), are partially removed and discarded when you toss out the boiling water that you cooked the pasta in. Unfortunately, traces of the more harmful, heat-stable and fat-soluble mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin, remain in the grain. Regarding breads--it probably doesn’t matter if it’s organic, inorganic, sprouted, blessed or not--if it came from a grain that has been stored for months in a silo, it stands the chance of being contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins.
Yes, the FDA allows it because of the large scale production/cost efficiency ratios.
4. Barley Similar to other grains that can be damaged by drought, floods and harvesting and storage processes, barley is equally susceptible to contamination by mycotoxin-producing fungi. Barley is used in the production of various cereals and alcoholic beverages.
5. Sugar (sugar cane and sugar beets) Not only are sugar cane and sugar beets often contaminated with fungi and their associated fungi, but they, like the other grains, fuel the growth of fungi. Fungi need carbohydrates--sugars--to thrive.
6. Sorghum Sorghum is used in a variety of grain-based products intended for both humans and animals. It is also used in the production of alcoholic beverages.
7. Peanuts A 1993 study demonstrated 24 different types of fungi that colonized the inside of the peanuts used in the report (Costantini, A. Etiology and Prevention of Atherosclerosis. Fungalbionics Series.1998/99). And this was after the exterior of the peanut was sterilized! So, when you choose to eat peanuts, not only are you potentially eating these molds, but also their mycotoxins. Incidentally, in the same study the examiners found 23 different fungi on the inside of corn kernels. That said, if you choose to plant your own garden in an attempt to avoid mycotoxin contamination of corn or peanuts, it does you no good if the seed (kernel) used to plant your garden is already riddled with mold.
8. Rye The same goes for rye as for wheat and other grains. In addition, when we use wheat and rye to make bread, we add two other products that compound our fungal concerns: sugar and yeast!
9. Cottonseed Cottonseed is typically found in the oil form (cottonseed oil), but is also used in the grain form for many animal foods. Many studies show that cottonseed is highly and often contaminated with mycotoxins.
10. Hard Cheeses Here’s a hint: if you see mold growing throughout your cheese, no matter what you paid for it, there’s a pretty good chance that there’s a mycotoxin not far from the mold. It is estimated that each fungus on Earth produces up to three different mycotoxins. The total number of mycotoxins known to date numbers in the thousands. On the other hand, some cheeses, such as Gouda cheese, are made with yogurt-type cultures, like Lactobacillus, and not fungi (Costantini, 1998/99). These cheeses are a much healthier alternative, fungally speaking. Naturally, with this list coming from a group that opposes eating food that is merely contaminated with fungi, we’d certainly oppose eating the fungus itself! That would include common table mushrooms and so-called myco-protein food products. Other foods that could potentially make our list are rice, oats and beans, given that these too are sources of carbohydrates. And occasionally food inspectors will come across a batch of mold-contaminated rice or oats. However, all other things being equal, these crops are generally more resistant to fungal contamination (CAST 1989).
Diseases linked or attributed to fungi and their mycotoxins
Alcoholic cirrhosis
Alzheimer’s
Amyloidosis
Anorexia Nervosa
Atherosclerosis
Balkan Nephropathy
Bechet’s Biliary cirrhosis
Cancer
Cardiomyopathy
Crohn’s disease
Cushing’s disease
Diabetes
DIC Muscular Dystrophy
Encephalopathy
Ergotism
Familial Mediterranean Fever
Gout
Heart failure
Hyperactivity Syndrome
Hyperaldosteronism
Hyperlipidemia (high lipids)
Hypertension
Infertility IgA Nephropathy
Kidney stones
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis Inflammatory bowel disease
Mollaret’s meningitis
Multiple Sclerosis
Nephritis (kidney inflammation)
Obesity
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Precocious puberty
Psoriasis
Pulmonary Hypertension
Raynaud’s Syndrome/disease
Reye’s syndrome
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Shoulder-hand syndrome
Thrombocytopenic purpura (low platelets)
Vasculitis
Boston-Biosafety Cares
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