Mold Guide Series Part 12
For those not aware of our Mold Symptom Therapy Guide website, let this “Rewriting Mold” series serve as a reminder of both what we offer our patients and what we offer the general public in terms of understanding mold toxicity illness. Over the coming weeks, I will be reviewing and reposting sections of our Mold Symptoms Therapy website one or two at a time. It has been over 3 years since I first wrote this 30 plus page guide and posted it online. A few things have changed since 2020 (yes, an understatement), but the basic principles emphasized in 2020 continue with minimal change.
As this provides me an opportunity to update any advancements, it also offers the opportunity for you to ask questions and even contribute to edition number 2 of the Mold Guide. By leaving comments and questions, I can identify areas where I can offer even more to patients and the public in terms of education and empowerment over mold. Please take 2-3 minutes to be a part of helping others restore healthier more abundant lives with your questions and feedback. You can leave comments on Facebook or our website not only for each week’s section, but any section off the website which I have not addressed yet.
This Week: Mold and the Energy Cycle
Now we will return to the cellular mitochondrial dysfunction that we discussed earlier in the nervous system section. Our mitochondria primarily function as the membrane-bound machinery which produces energy for cellular functions. Besides breaking carbs, fats, and amino acids down into small pieces and providing us energy to function, they also play other major roles in the life of our cells. While producing energy, they create oxidative stress which they must control to avoid damaging the rest of the cell. Further, they play a role in apoptosis, programmed cell death. As our cells and their materials age, we need to recycle them by allowing some cells to die and new ones to replace them. The mitochondria serve as a starting point for much of this recycling process.
These are the foundational roles of the mitochondria, the roles which dysfunction can target to cause issues for our cells and tissues. At a basic level, mycotoxins can hinder the mitochondria’s ability to produce energy. Without energy for muscles, nerves, and everything else, things go wrong, and symptoms appear.
Beyond that, if mitochondria do not control their oxidative stress, the fats and proteins of the cells can degrade. Unfortunately, some mycotoxins can increase the production of oxidative stress by the mitochondria, and some can decrease the mitochondria’s ability to insulate the oxidative stress. In the mitochondria, the inner machinery can become less efficient in producing energy for us. In the surrounding cell, structures do not work as well. They can even go haywire, leading to diseases.
Additionally, in some studies certain mycotoxins appear to speed up apoptosis, causing it to kill more cells than it should. While we need a baseline level of apoptosis to recycle worn out cells and tissues, if the speed of apoptosis outpaces our bodies’ ability to replace those cells, problems arise. Cellular ageing moves faster, leading to a variety of diseases known even to conventional medicine.
These cellular level changes then manifest in various symptoms that you might report to a health care provider. Besides the effects on the brain described in the nervous system section, poorly functioning mitochondria affect many other systems. Obviously, a loss in cellular energy greatly affects the muscles. When mycotoxins disrupt the conversion of food calories into a form of energy usable for your muscles, muscular dysfunction ensues. Primarily, muscular endurance is reduced. Beyond that, muscles are sometimes unable to maintain electrolyte balance, triggering spasms or twitches.
Mitochondrial dysfunction also means that the body does not have the energy necessary for optimal detoxification processes. Such dysfunction can allow other toxins to accumulate in a body already suffering from mold toxicity syndrome. All body systems ultimately require energy from mitochondrial processing of calories, and therefore many other symptoms may be traced back to mold toxins and their effects on the cell’s mitochondria.
If the extra uncontrolled oxidative stress damages our DNA, we can even develop cancer. Specifically, if the damage to DNA turns off the cell’s recycling process, it allows them to grow unimpeded beyond their mandate, not stopping and not stopped. This produces cancer. Aflatoxins and other mycotoxins can induce such unwanted conditions. Conversely, when the cell recycling process goes into overdrive, we also get degenerative diseases like Parkinsons and more.
Ultimately, we once again see a multitude of mechanisms by which mycotoxins can interfere with normal biological functions leading to symptoms and diseases afflicting a large number of people who have no idea why they are sick.
TAKE HOME POINTS
Energy Cycle
Mold toxins affect the Mitochondria in cells
Mitochondria are responsible for:
Energy production
Programmed cell death and recycling (apoptosis)
Controlling oxidative stress
Mycotoxins can:
Hinder energy production
Increase oxidative stress damage on cells and tissues
Speed up apoptosis, causing breakdown of tissues
Various symptoms and diseases can lead to:
Muscles are affected
Nervous system is affected
Detoxification system is affected
Cancer can arise
Degenerative conditions arise
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
