/ Published in Mold Story

Part 4- Understanding Mold: Why the Difference Between Mold and Mycotoxins Matters for Healing

Understanding Mold: Why the Difference Between Mold and Mycotoxins Matters for Healing

When we first received the results of our mycotoxin testing, we had no idea that understanding mold would become central to our healing journey. we thought we had found the missing piece. It explained the fatigue, the immune crashes, the neurological issues, and so much more. We began detoxing aggressively with binders, nutrients, and gentle supports. And for a while, we made progress.

But then—plateau. We couldn’t figure out why. We were doing all the right things to remove the toxins, so why weren’t we healing?

The answer came months later, and it changed everything: mold and mycotoxins are not the same thing.

Understanding the Difference Between Mold and Mycotoxins

To truly begin healing, it’s essential to understand the differences between mold and mycotoxins. Though often used interchangeably, these two are quite different in their nature, behavior, and the symptoms they cause. Here’s a breakdown:

What They Are

  • 🦠 Mold: A living organism—a fungus—that grows in moisture-damaged environments, on food, and even inside the human body.

  • ☣️ Mycotoxins: Poisonous chemical byproducts produced by certain molds. These toxins are not alive, but they are potent and capable of harming human health even in tiny amounts.

How They Spread

  • 🦠 Mold: Spreads via spores, which are airborne and can land on surfaces, skin, or be inhaled. Mold can colonize the body—especially the sinuses, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract.

  • ☣️ Mycotoxins: Do not replicate, but they spread passively through air, dust, and contaminated surfaces. They can linger on clothing, furniture, and in the body long after mold exposure ends.

What Symptoms They Cause

  • 🦠 Mold: Can trigger allergic reactions, chronic sinusitis, cough, asthma-like symptoms, gut dysbiosis, and even infections in colonized individuals.

  • ☣️Mycotoxins: Can cause neurological symptoms (brain fog, anxiety, tremors), hormone disruption, fatigue, mitochondrial damage, immune suppression, and inflammation. Some, like Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin, are linked to kidney damage and carcinogenic effects.

Our Experience: Understanding Mold Through Detox Setbacks

Our labs revealed high levels of Ochratoxin A and other mycotoxins. We started working on detox with all the right supports: binders, liver and lymph support, sauna, and clean food. At first, we saw improvements.

But we missed a crucial step—we hadn’t yet discovered that mold had colonized our bodies.

Specifically, we later learned that mold had taken hold in the gut. This explained why the detox helped, but wasn’t enough. We were constantly re-toxifying from the inside out.

Dr. Jill Crista calls this phenomenon “internal mold”—a hidden, ongoing source of exposure that remains even after leaving a moldy environment. In Break the Mold, she writes that many people fail to heal because they don’t realize the mold is now living inside them.³

Why Understanding Mold and Mycotoxins Matters for Healing

You can’t fully recover if you’re only treating the toxins without addressing the mold itself. It’s like mopping up water while ignoring the leak.

Dr. Shoemaker and Dr. Nathan both emphasize that true recovery requires treating not only the toxins, but the living mold that may have colonized the body. Once we started addressing this internal mold—not just circulating mycotoxins—we finally began to regain momentum. That turning point only came after understanding mold as both an environmental and internal threat. Once we began treating this colonized mold directly—with antifungals, gut protocols, and continued detox—our symptoms finally started to lift in a lasting way.

 

That’s why it’s so important to recognize that mold and mycotoxins each require their own targeted treatment. If you’ve hit a plateau in your recovery, this distinction could be the key to moving forward. Or better yet, if you’re just beginning this journey, understanding the difference from the start may help you avoid years of confusion, illness, and financial devastation—like we experienced. This insight changed everything for us, and it might do the same for you.

 

How They’re Treated

  • 🦠 Mold: Must be eliminated from the body and environment. Treatment often includes antifungal medication or natural antimicrobials, nasal rinses, gut protocols, and complete mold avoidance.

  • ☣️ Mycotoxins: Require detoxification through targeted binders (like charcoal, clay, aloe, citrus pectin), liver and bile support, lymph drainage, and sweating through sauna or exercise. Nutrient repletion is key to rebuilding after toxic damage.

Looking Ahead: Testing the Environment Around You

Truly understanding mold—not just mycotoxins—was one of the most important lessons we learned—but there’s another critical step in recovery: identifying the source. You can’t begin healing until you’ve removed yourself from the environment that’s making you sick. In our next post, we’ll share the different ways to test your home for mold, what worked (and didn’t) for us, and how we finally confirmed our living space was contributing to our illness.

Coming Next: Part 5 – How to Test for Mold in Your Home

 

¹ Nathan, N. (2018). Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness. Victory Belt Publishing.

² Shoemaker, R. (2020). Surviving Mold: Life in the Era of Dangerous Buildings. Otter Bay Books.

³ Crista, J. (2018). Break the Mold: 5 Tools to Conquer Mold and Take Back Your Health. Inspire Media.