Mycotoxins Symptoms: How Mold Impacts Your Gut and Overall Health
Written by: Vincent Pedre M.D. | December 19, 2024 | Time to read 9 min
Mold is often associated with musty basements, water damage, and seasonal allergies. However, what many people don’t realize is that mold exposure can lead to far more insidious health effects due to the toxins it produces—known as mycotoxins.
These invisible chemical compounds can wreak havoc on your gut health and overall well-being.
From digestive discomfort to neurological issues, mycotoxins can cause an array of troubling symptoms. In this blog post, we’ll tell you exactly what mycotoxins are, how they impact your gut and immune system, the signs that you may be suffering from mold toxicity, plus give you an action plan to help you start on the road to recovery.
So, What Are Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds naturally produced by certain types of mold (fungi). These molds grow on food, water-damaged building materials, and other organic substances, particularly in warm, humid environments.
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Not all molds produce mycotoxins, but those that do can be extremely harmful. Some of the most common types of molds that produce mycotoxins include:
Aspergillus
Penicillium
Stachybotrys (often referred to as “black mold”)
Fusarium
These molds are not always visible to the naked eye, and mycotoxins are even more elusive. You can inhale, ingest, or absorb these toxins through your skin without realizing it.
The problem with mold in water-damaged buildings (which could be your home) is that it is often lurking behind the walls, where it cannot be seen. It’s often found in the least suspecting spaces.
And the thing is they can really scramble you and your family’s health for the worse, starting with your gut.
How Mycotoxins Impact Your Gut Health
Your gut—often called the “second brain”—is central to your immune system, digestion, and even mental health. Mycotoxins can disrupt this delicate balance in several ways:
1. Damage to the Gut Lining
Mycotoxins can harm the cells lining your gut, leading to increased intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut. When the intestinal barrier is compromised, toxins, bacteria, and partially digested food particles can “leak” into the bloodstream. This can trigger inflammation and immune reactions throughout the body.
A leaky gut leads to a leaky blood-brain barrier. And when those mycotoxins get into the brain, they affect learning and memory. You can go from being a coherent 45-year-old to sounding like an 85-year-old dealing with dementia and dealing with word-finding difficulties, brain fog, and severe fatigue.
2. Disruption of the Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome is a diverse ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that play a crucial role in health. Mycotoxins can disrupt the balance of this ecosystem, killing off beneficial bacteria while allowing harmful pathogens to thrive — something we call dysbiosis.
For example, Aspergillus molds produce aflatoxins, which can reduce the number of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium—good bacteria essential for digestion and immunity.
This imbalance (dysbiosis) can lead to symptoms such as bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, mycotoxins can also promote the overgrowth of harmful fungi like Candida albicans, which is opportunistic and flourishes when the balance of the gut microbiome is compromised. Candida overgrowth can exacerbate digestive issues, cause sugar cravings, and trigger systemic symptoms such as brain fog, mood disorders, chronic fatigue, and skin rashes.
Furthermore, mycotoxins have been shown to alter the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which are vital for maintaining gut health. SCFAs are produced by beneficial gut bacteria and are essential for fueling intestinal cells, reducing inflammation, and supporting a strong gut barrier. When mycotoxins disrupt SCFA production, the gut becomes more susceptible to inflammation and damage.
Over time, this dysbiosis and microbial imbalance can weaken the gut’s ability to combat pathogens, impair nutrient absorption, and trigger immune dysfunction.
3. Immune System Suppression
Around 70% of your immune system resides in your gut. Mycotoxins, due to the additive effect of the factors discussed above, can also suppress the immune system, making you more susceptible to infections, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune conditions. Essentially, they put your body (and immune system) into a chronic state of alertness that distracts the immune system from other important functions, like keeping viruses in check. Over time, this suppression can further compromise your ability to fight off toxins and harmful microbes.
4. Nutrient Malabsorption
When mycotoxins damage the gut lining and disrupt digestion, they can impair your ability to absorb essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Malnutrition and deficiencies can exacerbate fatigue, brain fog, and weakened immunity.
You get the picture? Mycotoxins basically cause a cascade of problems, especially in genetically susceptible individuals, that can destroy the quality of your life.
Symptoms of Mycotoxin Exposure
Hidden Menace
The symptoms of mycotoxin exposure can be wide-ranging and often mimic other chronic illnesses. This can make it difficult to pinpoint mold toxicity as the underlying cause.
Here are the most common symptoms of mycotoxin exposure:
Digestive Symptoms
Bloating and gas
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea and vomiting
Food sensitivities
Neurological Symptoms
Brain fog and poor concentration
Memory loss
Word-finding difficulties
Headaches or migraines
Dizziness and vertigo
Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
Respiratory Symptoms
Chronic sinus congestion
Sore throat
Shortness of breath
Wheezing or coughing
Immune and Inflammatory Symptoms
Chronic fatigue
Joint and muscle pain
Frequent infections (sinus, respiratory, urinary tract)
Autoimmune flare-ups
Skin rashes or hives
Hormonal and Metabolic Symptoms
Weight gain or loss
Adrenal fatigue
Thyroid dysfunction
Sleep disturbances
If you experience several of these symptoms, particularly after being exposed to a moldy environment, it’s worth considering mycotoxins as a potential cause. However, most of the time people who are being exposed to mycotoxins are not aware that the mold is even present in their homes or work environments.
I’ve had patients find Stachybotrys in areas like:
The kitchen floor under wood planks from an old leak that had been fixed
Behind the baseboards in their bedroom, where they were sleeping and getting exposed to mycotoxins all night long
On the other side of a ceiling tile where a microleak that had been going on for months, possibly years, had slowly been causing a build-up of mold
The basement
The kitchen cupboard under the sink
One other place that mold hides that we may not realize is coffee. Up to 50% of coffees are contaminated with mycotoxins. Some of these get destroyed during the roasting process, but some may persist.
When cleaning out your diet for the presence of mold, it’s important to consider the daily micro-habits that can end up having a macro effect on your health — like drinking coffee.
Mold-Free Coffee: Protecting Your Health with Better Choices
When it came to ensuring our Happy Gut Coffee was truly mold-free, we took no shortcuts. We sent samples to a trusted third-party testing facility, AGQ Labs, where they performed rigorous testing for 17 different mycotoxins to guarantee its purity and safety.
I’ve actually written a detailed blog post called Mold-Free Coffee: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe that highlights how many coffee brands are contaminated with mold and mycotoxins.
Since coffee is something we consume daily, it’s important to opt for high-quality, mold- and mycotoxin-free coffee like Happy Gut Coffee.
By choosing Happy Gut Coffee, you’re not only protecting your gut and overall health but also supporting ethical farming practices and higher quality standards in the coffee industry. Happy Gut Coffee is organic, produced by local South American farmers, and tested by 3rd parties for heavy metals, mycotoxins, mold, pesticides, and glyphosate.
Additionally, Happy Gut Coffee has low acidity, making it perfect for anyone struggling with acid reflux or heartburn. It has no bitter aftertaste and even offers delightful hints of cinnamon, chocolate, and a nutty finish.
Remember, a clean cup of coffee can be both delicious and health-promoting —without the hidden dangers.
Next time you sip your coffee, ask yourself: Is this coffee truly clean? And if you’re unsure, it might be time to switch to a safer, healthier brew.
How to Test for Mycotoxins
If you suspect mold toxicity, testing is essential to identify the presence of mycotoxins and guide your treatment plan. Common testing methods include:
Urine Mycotoxin Test: This is one of the most reliable ways to detect mycotoxins in your body. Labs can analyze urine samples for specific mycotoxins. It’s best to take oral liposomal glutathione for 2 weeks before the test in order to increase the likelihood of finding mycotoxins if they are in your body.
Environmental Mold Testing: Air and surface samples can determine if your home or workplace contains mold. However, many of these tests are inaccurate, and over the years I have seen companies miss mold when mold was hidden behind walls. It’s best to do an ERMI dust test, but you might also want to encourage a company to do punch testing thru dry walls, taking samples to look for mold hidden on the other side where a leak was suspected.
Blood Tests: Some tests measure immune system responses to mold and mycotoxins.
Recommendation: Work with a functional medicine practitioner or integrative doctor to interpret the results and develop a personalized treatment strategy.
If you find mycotoxins in your system and mold in your home environment, the road to recovery can be hard and long. Ultimately, it’s best to work with a doctor who can help you navigate through the complex treatment plan needed to rid your body of mycotoxins and recover your health.
Here’s where to start:
Steps to Recover from Mold Toxicity
Recovering from mycotoxin exposure involves a multi-faceted approach to remove toxins, heal the gut, and restore balance. Here are the key steps:
1. Remove Yourself from the Source
The first step is to identify and eliminate your exposure to mold. This is the most important step. Nothing you can do is more important than removing yourself from the moldy environment. This may involve mold remediation in your home, but before that happens the best thing you can do is relocating to a clean environment.
2. Support Detoxification
Binders: Substances like activated charcoal, bentonite clay, and chlorella can bind to mycotoxins in the gut and help eliminate them.
Liver Support: Support your liver—the body’s main detox organ—with foods like garlic, cruciferous vegetables, and supplements like glutathione.
- Sweating: Infrared saunas and exercise can promote detox through sweating.
3. Heal the Gut
Focus on restoring your gut health through:
A Gut-Healing Program: Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods, bone broth, fermented foods, and healthy fats. Check out the Happy Gut 28-Day Cleanse for more information about how to put together a gut-healing program for yourself.
Probiotics and Prebiotics: These support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
Digestive Enzymes: Help break down food and improve nutrient absorption.
4. Support the Immune System
Adequate sleep
Stress management
Nutrient-dense diet
Immune-supportive supplements (vitamin C, D, and zinc)
5. Work with a Practitioner
Mold recovery can be complex, so work with a functional medicine provider who can tailor a plan to your specific needs. You can book a free call with me here.
Protect yourself and your family
Mycotoxins from mold can have a profound impact on your gut health and overall well-being. By damaging your gut lining, disrupting your microbiome, and suppressing your immune system, these toxins can contribute to a wide range of symptoms, from digestive distress to brain fog.
If you suspect mold toxicity, it’s important to identify the source of exposure, seek appropriate testing, and take steps to detoxify your body and heal your gut. With the right approach, recovery is possible, and you can reclaim your health.
Stay vigilant, listen to your body, and don’t underestimate the hidden dangers of mold. Your gut and overall well-being depend on it.
