11 Foods Highest in Mycotoxins

June 10th, 2014 by Loretta Lanphier, NP, BCTN, CN, CH, HHP

11 Foods Highest in Mycotoxins

What are Mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by a fungus. Basically, they can be called fungal poisons. According to David Straus, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology and immunology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, “Spores don’t release mycotoxins into the air. The mycotoxins are in the spores and are only released from the spores when they become solubilized in water.” Therefore, when occupants inhale air contaminated with elevated toxigenic mold spores, the mycotoxins solubilize in body fluids. Doris Rapp, MD, explains that “the mold itself can grow in and on human tissues and cavities, such as the lungs, and the mycotoxins they produce can cause chronic systemic poisoning.” Because of their pharmacological activity, some mycotoxins or mycotoxin derivatives have found use as antibiotics, growth promotants, and other kinds of drugs; still, others have been implicated as chemical warfare agents.

Mycotoxins can cause a wide range of health concerns in humans when exposed to small amounts over an extended period of time. They can be lethal if taken in large quantities over a short period of time. “Grains are sources of carbohydrates or sugars, and as such, they risk contamination by certain fungi. These fungi produce secondary metabolites or mycotoxins.”  In fact, if you consume grains or grain-fed animal products, there is an excellent chance you are already being exposed because mold infestation and mycotoxin contamination affect as much as one-quarter of the global food and feed supply. The American Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 25 percent of the food crops in the world are affected by mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins were discovered in 1962 in London, England after a peanut ground meal was found to have caused approximately 100,000 turkey deaths. Metabolites from the common fungi Aspergillus flavus had contaminated the peanut meal. This event led to studies on mycotoxins, especially on aflatoxins, which derive from the Aspergillus species. Some of the more serious health concerns caused by aflatoxins include growth impairment, liver cancer due to DNA mutation, and a suppressed immune system.

“Mold spores will cause some trouble, but mycotoxins are like a bullet with molds as the gun. Mycotoxins are much worse.”

Dr. Andrew Campbell

Dr. Andrew Campbell and the Effects of Exposure to Mycotoxins

Symptoms of Possible Mold and Mycotoxin Exposure

Some numerous symptoms & conditions have been associated with mold. (Shoemaker, 2005)

  • fatigue
  • runny, stuffy nose
  • sleeplessness
  • rapid weight gain or loss
  • hair loss
  • dry skin
  • asthma
  • COPD
  • joint pain
  • hypersensitivity pneumonitis
  • chronic pain
  • numbness
  • leaky gut
  • blurred vision
  • behavioral changes
  • rage
  • tooth issues
  • insulin resistance
  • IBS
  • fibromyalgia
  • chemical sensitivity (Toxic Encephalopathy)
  • constipation and or diarrhea
  • abdominal cramps
  • nausea
  • depression
  • heart failure
  • pets can get sick, too!

Remember that mycotoxins can send the immune system into overdrive, which leads to inflammatory conditions. Medical literature from the 1980s definitely shows a relationship between mycotoxins, molds, and health.

Questions to Ask Yourself About Possible Mold Exposure

The questions below are from a checklist developed by the Environmental Health Center-Dallas (EHCD).

  • Do musty odors bother you?
  • Have you worked or lived in a building/home where the air vents or ceiling tiles were discolored?
  • Have you noticed water damage or discoloration in your home or workplace?
  • Has your home ever flooded?
  • Have you had leaks in the roof of your home?
  • Do you experience unusual shortness of breath?
  • Do you experience recurring sinus infections?
  • Do you experience recurring respiratory infections and coughing?
  • Do you have frequent flu-like symptoms?
  • Do your symptoms worsen on rainy days?
  • Do you have frequent headaches?
  • Are you fatigued and have skin rashes?
  • Do you have a basement (mold often hides in basements)?

Even just a few “yes” answers to the above questions should prompt you to get serious about looking for and eliminating household or worksite molds, as well as doing whatever else is necessary to eliminate exposure.

What mycotoxins are

Mycotoxins and Hormones

An innovative study published in the journal The Science of Total Environment in 2011 found that the estrogen-disrupting mycotoxin known as zearalenone (ZEA), produced by the microscopic fungus Fusarium graminearum, was detectable in the urine of 78.5% of New Jersey girls sampled and that these Zea-positive girls, aged 9 and 10 years, “tended to be shorter and less likely to have reached the onset of breast development.”

ZEA mycotoxins begin in grains such as corn, barley, oats, wheat, rice, and sorghum and can also travel up the food chain to grain-fed meat, eggs, dairy products, and even beer. The researchers were able to find an association between the young girls’ urinary levels of ZEA and their intake of commonly contaminated sources such as beef and popcorn.

Derivatives of ZEA mycotoxin have been patented as oral contraceptives. According to a recent article, “[zearalenone] has been widely used in the United States since 1969 to improve fattening rates in cattle by increasing growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. Observations of central precocious puberty provide evidence of human harm from this practice. As a result, this practice has been banned by the European Union.” Other research has confirmed the link between mycotoxins and premature puberty.

ZEA’s endocrine disruptive properties show it has much higher estrogen receptor binding affinity, when compared nanogram to nanogram, than found in other well-known endocrine disruptors, such as DDT and bisphenol A, in both estrogen receptor subtypes. Also, healthy human intestinal microflora has been shown incapable of degrading zearalenone, unlike bisphenol-A.

11 foods highest in mycotoxins

11 Foods Highest in Mycotoxins

One food that is not mentioned on the list below is coconut oil. While coconut oil is incredible food in terms of nutrition, many coconut oils contain mycotoxins. This is because they are commonly made with copras, or dried coconuts, often contaminated with mycotoxins. It is prudent to find a company that uses only fresh coconuts to make their oil. You’ll also notice that peanuts are on the list. Peanuts are not only commonly contaminated with aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mold, but they can also distort your omega-3:6 ratio. A much better choice is walnuts: Walnuts provide some beneficial omega-3.

1. Alcoholic beverages

Alcohol is the mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast–brewer’s yeast. Other mycotoxins besides alcohol can also be introduced into these beverages by using 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 (Council for Agricultural Science and technology. Mycotoxins: Economic and Health Risks. Task Force Report Number 116. CAST. Ames, IA. Nov 1989).

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 in just about everything.

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. An interesting note regarding breads–most likely, it 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. What researchers, knowledgeable doctors, and many of the toxically injured know is that gluten intolerance is a hallmark of mold toxicity (Shoemaker, 2005)

4. Barley

Like 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 cane

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.

Detoxadine nascent iodine

6. Sugar beets

Often contaminated with fungi and they fuel the growth of fungi. Fungi need carbohydrates – sugars – to thrive.

7. 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.

8. Peanuts

A 1993 study demonstrated 24 different 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. 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.

9. 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!

10. Cottonseed

Cottonseed is typically found in the oil form (cottonseed oil) and used in the grain form for many animal foods. Many studies show that cottonseed is highly and often contaminated with mycotoxins.

11. Hard Cheeses

If you see mold growing on/in your cheese, there’s an excellent chance 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. A few kinds of cheese, such as Gouda cheese, are made with yogurt-type cultures, like Lactobacillus, not fungi (Costantini, 1998/99). Fungally speaking, these cheeses are a much healthier alternative.

Oregatrex Oregano Oil Blend

Natural Remedies That May Help Fight Mycotoxins

And More…

Unfortunately, mold and mycotoxins can impact almost every area of your health and life. If a mold or mycotoxin issue is suspected, I highly recommend finding a knowledgeable practitioner who is experienced in confirming a diagnosis and overseeing an effective healing protocol. It can take time to eliminate mold, fungus, and mycotoxins. Be patient and keep your goal of getting well in the front of your mind.

Resources

USDA.gov, International Trade and Food Safety, Chapter 6, Mycotoxin Hazards and Regulations, Erik Dohlman
http://www.drjohntafel.com/?page_id=619
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164220/
Mycotoxins: The Hidden Hormone Danger in Our Food Supply
Mold and Mycotoxins: Effects on the Neurological and Immune Systems in Humans

Loretta Lanphier is a Naturopath Practitioner, Board Certified Traditional Naturopath, Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner, and Certified Clinical Herbalist as well as the CEO / Founder of Oasis Advanced Wellness in The Woodlands TX. She has studied and performed extensive research in health science, natural hormone balancing, anti-aging techniques, nutrition, natural medicine, weight loss, herbal remedies, non-toxic cancer support and is actively involved in researching new natural health protocols and products.  A 20-year stage 3 colon cancer survivor, Loretta can relate to both-sides-of-the-health-coin as patient and practitioner when it comes to health and wellness. “My passion is counseling others about what it takes to keep the whole body healthy using natural and non-toxic methods.” Read Loretta’s health testimony Cancer: The Path to Healing. Loretta is a Contributor and Editor of the worldwide E-newsletter Advanced Health & Wellness
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace your doctor’s advice. Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician of choice.

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