Mycotoxin exposure is bad news to your heart – by Sue Visser

Mycotoxin exposure is bad news to your heart

Mycotoxins as a result of exposure to environmental or food-based sources of mould and fungi can be detrimental to your cardiovascular health, your mental state and your endocrine system. These unseen pathogens can cause inflammation, free radical stress, acidity and toxicity in the body that mimic the effects of bad eating habits, too much stress and a lack of exercise. Yet even for people who do have a perfect diet – who take a lot of extra supplements and exercise daily, exposure to mould can make  you feel seriously ill and miserable for a long, long time.

Exposure to household mould infestations (it smells “miffy”) can mimic a number of chronic diseases, including fibromyalgia (aches and pains), chronic fatigue, bloating, weight gain and diabetes. Chronic sinusitis and respiratory complaints with a lot of infected mucous and phlegm can also be caused mycotoxins that are circulating within us or being constantly inhaled and ingested.  They continue to set off immune responses until the source of infection is identified and removed and the residues are eliminated.

Mycotoxins are fat-soluble and have a molecular structure that is similar to that of cholesterol and steroid hormones. To eliminate them they have to be broken down by the liver into a water-soluble form and mixed with bile so they can be excreted via the bowel. It is thus important to maintain the health of the liver with regular liver and gallbladder flushing and to take supplements like taurine to stimulate bile production. Taking milk thistle supplements, lecithin, B vitamins and antioxidants also helps to encourage the elimination of mycotoxins. Vitamin C kills mould and 500mg tablets can be taken with food that contains sources of yeast and mould to help counteract the potential toxicity.  Many of our favourite foods including chocolate, nuts, coffee, beer, cheese and wine, cereals (rice, rye, wheat, quinoa, millet and corn) are mainly to blame. Fruit that has been bruised or damaged or is over ripe is another “overactive” source of moulds and fungi, especially as the spores are airborne. Once inhaled, they become very aggressive and seek out a new host – you! Commercial fruit juices are full mycotoxins as the fruit is more than likely to be second grade or damaged.

We can clean up our homes as best we can, but in some cases, families have moved out and relocated in order to eliminate what we call a “sick building”. Air conditioning systems in homes, offices, schools and even our cars circulate a constant stream of mycotoxins into the atmosphere. A very quick, clean way to detoxify a room or a car within minutes is to use an ozone generator. To clean off visible black patches of mould, white vinegar is highly recommended by most people. Alternative ways to help eliminate mycotoxins are with the use of hydrogen peroxide, Lugol’s iodine or Rife and SCIO treatments that electronically “zap” the pathogen. We need to do the best we can both environmentally as well as systemically to reduce our exposure to these grim pathogens. Herbal parasite remedies are also needed for a thorough elimination and include garlic, oregano oil, Artemisia, olive leaf, cloves and propolis. Antibiotics are of no use and there are not many anti-fungal drugs to choose from, but they are effective.

Do you take care of yourself and clean up your home (sick building syndrome) on a regular basis to prevent the build up of mycotoxins in the system that can be related to chronic diseases, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, bloating, weight gain, diabetes, chronic sinusitis and respiratory complaints including heart disease?

Reference

Sue Visser : www.naturefresh.co.za