Originally published April 1 2013
Mycotoxins are contaminating these 10 food staples
by Lance Johnson
(NaturalNews) Fungi produce secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. Mycotoxins were discovered in 1962 in London, England, when a peanut ground meal was found to have caused approximately 100,000 turkey deaths. Metabolites from the common fungi Aspergillus flavus had contaminated the peanut meal. This led to many studies on mycotoxins, especially on aflatoxins, which derive from the Aspergillus species.
Aflatoxin's damage to the human body
Studies have shown that when humans are exposed to small amounts of aflatoxins over an extended period of time, they develop a wide range of serious health problems including growth impairment, liver cancer due to DNA mutation, and a suppressed immune system.
Aspergillus, the most common fungi consumed
Aspergillus often grows in damp harvested grain but can also grow on grain before it's even harvested. Aspergillus grows on substances like corn, cottonseed, peanuts, and hay. The American Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 25 percent of the food crops in the world are affected by mycotoxins.
10 common sources of mycotoxins
Corn
Most corn is contaminated with fumonisin and other fungal toxins such as aflatoxin, zearalenone and ochratoxin. Fumonisin and aflatoxin possess known cancer-causing effects, while zearalenone and ochratoxin cause estrogenic and kidney-related problems.
Wheat
Wheat products like bread, cereals, and pasta are often contaminated with mycotixins. In pasta, much of the mycotoxin is discarded when the boiled water is drained, but more harmful, heat-stable, fat-soluble aflatoxins remain.
Barley
Barley, used in the production of several cereals and alcoholic beverages, is commonly contaminated with mycotoxins, especially when harvested in times of drought and flood.
Sugar
Crops like sugar cane and sugar beets can be contaminated with mycotoxins. Sugars also feed fungi. Consuming sugar is like spoon feeding the fungus in the body.
Peanuts
In 1993, a study revealed that peanuts harbored 24 different types of fungi that colonized even after the peanuts were sterilized.
Alcoholic beverages
Alcohol is the mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast-brewer's yeast. This fungi may play a significant role in the development of arteriosclerosis and diabetes. Both ailments are provoked using yeast fungi, according to studies.
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.
Cottonseed
Cottonseed, usually found in the form of cottonseed oil, is also used in the form of grain in animal food and is often contaminated.
Cheeses
Many types of cheese are an excellent substrate for mold growth.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics contain penicillium which is actually a mold found commonly in soil and many fruits. This fungi excretes substances called mucotoxins which are chemicals fungi produce to kill the growth of other organisms, like bacteria. When you ingest antibiotics, they kill bacteria in the gut, both bad bacteria and good. The human body's immune system relies on a good balance of beneficial gut bacteria. Antibiotics destroy that harmony.
Detoxification is key
Many of the substances listed above are often consumed in day to day life. This means most people are contaminated with some form of mycotoxin. This makes it imperative that each and every person take responsibility and detoxify their body now and routinely. There are many different approaches to detoxification.
Here are seven ways to detoxify on a budget: http://www.naturalnews.com
Here is a newer approach to detoxifying the body with zeolites. Zeolites trap microbes such as pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and yeasts into their matrix where they are eliminated through the bowels and urine.
http://www.naturalnews.com/035814_zeolites_detox_heavy_metals.html
Sources for this article include
http://www.drjohntafel.com/?page_id=619
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164220/
http://blackmold.awardspace.com/aflatoxin-mycotoxins.html
(Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. Mycotoxins: Risks in Plant, Animal and Human Systems. Task Force Report No. 139. Ames, IA. Jan 2003).
About the author:
Passionate about holistic wellness, Lance Johnson and his wife invite you to www.allnaturalfreespirit.com, where you can buy clean, chemical-free body care products.
Passionate about holistic wellness, Lance Johnson and his wife invite you to www.allnaturalfreespirit.com, where you can buy clean, chemical-free body care products.
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