Mycotoxic Foods - Top Ten

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Mycotoxic Foods - Top Ten

The Top-10 MYCO-Toxic Foods

http://www.mercola.com/2003/nov/5/toxic_foods.htm

Mycotoxins are fungal toxins.

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Dr. Dave Holland is the co-author, with Doug Kaufmann, of the best-selling

book The Fungus Link, and the new book, The Fungus Link, Volume 2. In these

books, and in their other books (Infectious Diabetes, and The Germ that Causes

Cancer) they discuss the ravages that yeast, fungi and their mycotoxins (fungal

toxins) can cause us when we are exposed to them. Health problems ranging from

cancer to heart disease to asthma, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes may all be

related to mycotoxins.

 

Mycotoxins cause a wide range of health problems in humans when we are

exposed to small amounts over an extended period of time, and can even be lethal

if

taken in large quantities over a short period of time. Given the large number

of diseases linked to mycotoxins* (see Dr. Holland's list at the end of the

article) and our tendency to eat a large amount of grains in our typical

American diet, this is a very concerning problem. As Dr. Holland said, " Grains

are

sources of carbohydrates, or sugars, and as such, they risk contamination by

certain fungi. These fungi produce secondary metabolites, or mycotoxins. "

 

Dr. Holland has put together a list of the top-10 mycotoxic foods. You'll

notice as you browse through the list that it mentions lots of grains (wheat,

barley, rye, etc.). You're probably familiar with some of the dangers of grains

mentioned on this site, and now you have one more reason not to eat them--they

are commonly contaminated with mycotoxins.

 

You'll also notice that peanuts are on the list. Peanuts are not only

commonly contaminated with aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mold, but they will also

distort

your omega-3:6 ratio. A much better choice if you want to eat nuts are

walnuts, as they will give you some beneficial omega-3.

 

One food that is not mentioned on the list is coconut oil. I want to point

out that, while coconut oil is an incredible food in terms of nutrition and

taste, many coconut oils contain mycotoxins.

 

This is because they are commonly made with copras, or dried coconuts, which

are often contaminated with mycotoxins. So in order to fully enjoy the

benefits of this coconut oil, you will want to be sure that you find a company

that

uses only fresh coconuts to make their oil, like the Tropical Traditions virgin

coconut oil on this site. With that, here's the top-10 list of mycotoxic

foods that you will want to avoid.

 

By David A. Holland, M.D.

 

 

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 through

the use of 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).

Before you drink for the health of your heart, consider the other possible risks

of

drinking. There are safer ways of consuming antioxidants.

 

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 everywhere! A typical chicken nugget at a fast food restaurant

consists of a nugget of corn-fed chicken that is covered by a corn-based

batter that is sweetened with corn syrup!

 

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. Regarding breads--it probably 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.

 

4. Barley

Similar to 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 (sugar cane and sugar beets)

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.

 

6. 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.

 

7. Peanuts

A 1993 study demonstrated 24 different types of 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.

Incidentally, 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.

 

8. 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!

 

9. Cottonseed

Cottonseed is typically found in the oil form (cottonseed oil), but is also

used in the grain form for many animal foods. Many studies show that cottonseed

is highly and often contaminated with mycotoxins.

 

10. Hard Cheeses

Here's a hint: if you see mold growing throughout your cheese, no matter what

you paid for it, there's a pretty good chance that 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.

On the other hand, some cheeses, such as Gouda cheese, are made with

yogurt-type cultures, like Lactobacillus, and not fungi (Costantini, 1998/99).

These

cheeses are a much healthier alternative, fungally speaking.

 

Naturally, with this list coming from a group that opposes eating food that

is merely contaminated with fungi, we'd certainly oppose eating the fungus

itself! That would include common table mushrooms and so-called myco-protein

food

products.

 

Other foods that could potentially make our list are rice, oats and beans,

given that these too are sources of carbohydrates. And occasionally food

inspectors will come across a batch of mold-contaminated rice or oats. However,

all

other things being equal, these crops are generally more resistant to fungal

contamination (CAST 1989).