12/24/2025
Growing research shows mold exposure can deeply impact your gut, and how your body digests, absorbs, and responds to food.
Here’s how mold toxicity can impact your gut:
🧬Gut inflammation
Mycotoxins-like ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1-can inflame the intestinal lining, damaging its barrier and leading to pain, bloating, or cramps
💧Leaky gut (intestinal permeability)
Mold exposure can lower levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a key regulator of gut lining integrity. Reduced VIP weakens tight junctions between intestinal cells, allowing undigested food and toxins to enter the bloodstream. This process can trigger chronic inflammation and immune reactivity.
🔁Disrupted microbiome
Mold toxins can reduce beneficial gut bacteria and promote imbalance (dysbiosis), affecting digestion, mood, and nutrient absorption.
🐌Slowed motility
Exposure may interfere with gut movement, causing constipation or irregular bowel habits.
🛡️Immune dysregulation
Since over 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, chronic mold exposure may lead to hypersensitivity, inflammation, or food intolerances, even when diet changes don’t help.
References:
- Hope J. (2013). The Scientific World Journal.
- McLaughlin J. et al. (2004). Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 287(5), C1412-C1417.
- Mamdouh A.Z. & Zahran E. (2024). MycotoxinSite.
- Gao Y. et al. (2020). Toxins, 12(10), 619.
- Fioramonti J. et al. (1993). J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 266(3), 1255-1260.