People wonder why mold toxicity has become increasingly frequent. Many have proposed explanations, but it is likely a combination of factors which underlies this growing epidemic. First, as noted before, the number of toxins in the environment often overloads the body’s detoxification ability. Second, buildings, both new and old, present health hazards. New construction science which aims at airtight and energy efficient homes, often using lower quality materials, means that new homes are less safe than ever for their human inhabitants. The older buildings, even with the best of intentions, degrade and can fill with mycotoxins as well. Third, the overabundant, nutritionally deficient western diet does a poor job of supporting critical body functions like detoxification. Fourth, Dr. Shoemaker theorizes that the widespread use of fungicides has triggered the development of fungi species which produce more toxins or toxins with greater potential for harm. Without knowing which factor or factors contribute the most impact, we simply know that we see an increasing number of patients suffering.

2023 UPDATE BELOW: The above summarized contributing factors to the mold toxicity epidemic have only worsened since I first wrote this guide a few years ago, but more can be said today. Below are a few examples of the above factors worsening and then some new factors to consider.

By no means have we woken up as a society and decreased the worsening toxicity of our environment. Although some of you did awaken and begin to make choices for a healthier, less toxic lifestyle, the world as a whole cannot find its brake pedal on more artificial stuff. The number of processed novel foods grows unabated, especially with the advent of fake meat. Those who complain about the toxins to be found within animal meat have no leg to stand on when beef and poultry are compared to the list of ingredients in fake beef. While I can appreciate a decent “bean burger” of past days, the new fake meats are really just a big science experiment and we are the gullible lab rats encouraged to eat the junk. As we put more and more of this artificial and process so-called foods into our bodies, the risk for synergism with toxins like mold in our environment only increases exponentially.

Besides the artificial foods we are being force fed by the “Big Food” industry, we see an accelerating attempt to make our homes more and more energy efficient. These attempts at energy efficiency do not often line up with building healthier homes for human occupants. As the “Big Food” industry continues its work, likewise the “Big Construction” industry continues to incorporate more and more chemicals into our homes and workspaces. Walking into a new home build is leaving more and more wondering why they have headaches, sleep troubles, sinus issues, and random other symptoms. Beyond the intentional chemicals, its seems that the push for more and more housing built faster and faster also means cheaper and more likely to have mistakes. The quality of housing for many of our patients means they find water issues leading to mold issues years later when it is too late to make the builder fix it after the statute of limitations expires. Finding a mold-safe house seems to be more difficult than ever unless you are very diligent and become that “difficult” buyer who demands everything to be done the right way from the beginning.

The newest factors to consider are the increasing levels of stress upon individuals in society and the advent of COVID 19 in our world. The increasing levels of stress are not really new, but are increasing. Economic pressures, relational stressors, and more are creating more and more opportunities for such stressors to push a person whose body is handling some mold exposure into an inflammatory state from which they cannot recover. As I tell patients, the mold toxins push their body to edge of a cliff and the next stressor tips them over. Then the mold toxins prevent a full recovery and the patient is not aware that the mold toxins are the ongoing problem even if the latest stressor was the thing that tipped them over.

That brings us to the final factor, the new kid on the block, the newest biotoxin. COVID 19 entered our world in 2019 and altered our national culture beginning in 2020. For some this infection was the above-mentioned type of stressor that pushed individuals into a chronic inflammatory state. For some, the combination of mold toxins and this virus likely contributed to the acute severity of their COVID 19 illness. For some who had already recovered from mold toxicity, this virus set them backwards. Altogether, this virus has seemed to uncover many who would have continued in life unaware that mold was having a mild to moderate impact on their health which they were tolerating as their “normal”. Regardless, we are treating many today for their combined effects of COVID 19 and mold or Lyme as the conditions synergize.