Month: March 2021

Mycotoxins

Posted on by Joan Taffinder

Several years ago, Jessica and our whole family was exposed to toxic levels of mold. We’ve done so much and come so far in addressing the many health issues that Jessica started exhibiting when she was eight months old. We were exposed to a few different types of mold but the two that were highest were stachybotrys and aspergillus.

While Jessica has been doing soooo much better, I noticed that if I was not super consistent with probiotics like every day probiotics Jess would get little colds that lasted less time than in the past but still negatively affected her life and mine in that she had to stay home longer from school because of all the new COVID-19 rules. I looked in Jess’s health journal and found I had a short season of going 5, 6, and up to 11 days with no probiotics. I would give them to her for a few days in between each time of not giving them to her.

Giving Jess her probiotics is a bit of an ordeal since I have to make sure she has not had too much to eat, its not too late at night, not in the morning before school, because it can take up to an hour to give them to her, although since going back up to taking them every day, it’s been getting a bit easier.

Besides the fact that she got three colds in five-month period of time her most recent lab tests showed she had high levels of proteus mirabilis at a 3+, the level only goes up to 4+, which is bacteria that is not good at that level. Everything else had finally somewhat normalized and then this dysbiosis showed up again. It kinda made no sense but could explain the fact that she could get a cold overnight after playing at the park.

Because of the continued colds albeit much less severe colds than in the past, it led us a new doctor who I consulted about previous OAT tests through Great Plains Labs to run the Mycotoxin test. He said Jess must have something that is continuously draining her immune system. It’s looking like this toxin could be part of the problem.

Mycotoxins are the byproducts of mold or fungus. Mold is the large category with fungus and yeast being the subcategories of mold. I have written about yeast especially candida albicans when I was looking into that issue being a root cause of IBD.

In wanting to keep this really simple I just want to say what mycotoxins can do in the body. A guest blooger Dr. Rob Abbott writing on www.autoimmunewellness.com said, “Mycotoxins have been associated with damage to the nervous system, kidneys, immune system, liver and the genetic “instructions” – DNA itself. Almost all medical students learn in medical school that a mycotoxin known as aflatoxin produced by the mold Aspergillus can be a causatory element in the development of liver cancer. All forms of medicine agree you see, that mycotoxins can exert detrimental effects on humans, the challenges arise when we realize that it is not as simple as mycotoxin = “always bad in any amount at any time”. https://autoimmunewellness.com/mold-and-mycotoxin-illness-should-i-be-concerned/

Everyone is different in their reactions to mold, fungus, or yeast. While four family members were exposed to the high levels of toxic mold in our house only two of us had more severe reactions. I (Jess’s mom) had eosinophilic esophagitis (an autoimmune disease of the esophagus) triggered. I had been diagnosed with that ten years earlier in 2009 and never had ANY overt symptoms until one and half years after being exposed to the mold. I had white spots in my throat, extreme throat pain, and eventual inability to eat anything but chicken, summer squash, and onions in a blended liquid which I did for about two weeks. It resolved pretty well but after taking 6 CBD oil pills (which I tried in the past for other health issues with no success), overnight the throat pain was gone.

Listen to what Dr. Abbott says about the difference with people’s reactions, “Not all humans are similarly affected by even the same level of mycotoxin exposure, let alone the same mycotoxin itself. Numerous variables can contribute to someone’s susceptibility to environmental toxicity such as mold exposure including nutritional status, the health of the gut microbiome, liver detoxification – cytochrome P450 pathways, the function of the biliary tract, bowel movements, and overall immune balance.” https://autoimmunewellness.com/mold-and-mycotoxin-illness-should-i-be-concerned/

Mycotoxins can very negatively affect the gut microbiome which is very important to overall health. The research article entitled Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota says, “mycotoxins cause perturbation in the gut, particularly in the intestinal epithelial. Recent insights have generated an entirely new perspective where there is a bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiota, thus suggesting that our gut microbiota might be involved in the development of mycotoxicosis…It is now well established that a healthy gut microbiota is largely responsible for the overall health of the host. Findings revealed that the gut microbiota is capable of eliminating mycotoxin from the host naturally, provided that the host is healthy with a balance gut microbiota. Moreover, mycotoxins have been demonstrated for modulation of gut microbiota composition, and such alteration in gut microbiota can be observed up to species level in some of the studies. Most, if not all, of the reported effects of mycotoxins, are negative in terms of intestinal health, where beneficial bacteria are eliminated accompanied by an increase of the gut pathogen.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29535978/

All the toxins that fungus make are not mycotoxins but the mycotoxins can be toxic to more than one organ system but they especially can do damage to the liver, kidneys, immune system, and neurology listen to the research study abstract from the study entitled Genotoxic effects of mycotoxins , “Although all mycotoxins are of fungal origin, all toxic compounds produced by fungi are not called mycotoxins. The interest in mycotoxins first started in the 1960s, and today the interest in mycotoxin-induced diseases has increased. To date, 400 mycotoxins have been identified and the most important species producing mycotoxins belongs to Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria and Fusarium genera. Mycotoxins are classified as hepatotoxins, nephrotoxins, neurotoxins, immunotoxins etc.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32653416/

While we were exposed because of toxic mold in our mattress which was released into the air that we breathed, fugus can overgrow because of other immune issues, Medical microbiology says, “Fungal diseases are an increasing problem due to the use of antibacterial and immunosuppressive agents. Individuals with an altered bacterial flora or compromised defense mechanisms (e.g., AIDS patients) are more likely than healthy people to develop opportunistic fungal infections such as candidiasis.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8471/.

This makes me greatly concerned for Jessica because simply things like antibiotics can contribute to big issues like mold/fugus.
The online book entitled Medical Microbiology seems to be very informative about mold/fugus/yeast. One statement I found informative is, “…systemic fungal infections can occur in immunocompromised hosts from normal flora. For example, Candida albicans is frequently seen as part of normal vaginal flora but can produce systemic disease in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or in AIDS patients. In addition, fungi can indirectly produce disease by eliciting an immune response in the host.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8165/

Other issues that Dr. Abbott says mycotoxins can do is “cause irritation and symptoms affecting the eyes, ears, nose, and throat such as hay fever, allergies and chronic sinusitis. Others will provide challenges to the respiratory system that may manifest as sensitivity to fragrances or other volatile compounds, wheezing or a chronic dry cough.”
Dr. Robb Abbott a practicing functional medicine doctor located in Charlottesville, VA talks about what to do and how to detox from mold much of which we did when we first moved out of our house to do a complete mold remediation of our home which took almost two months.

Toxic chemicals and their health effects

Posted on by Joan Taffinder

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/3/264/htm

It was introduced in the 1970’s to kill weeds by targeting enzymes that produce certain amino acids.
The use of glyphosate has increased since the introduction of genetically modified (GMO) foods. The lab says, “Studies have also indicated that glyphosate disrupts the microbiome in the intestine, causing a decrease in the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria. The relationship between the microbiome of the intestine and overall human health is still unclear, but current research indicates that disruption of the microbiome could cause diseases such as autism, metabolic disorder, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease.”

Research has shown other issues with glyphosate like cancer, “In 2015, the World Health Organization reclassified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29117584/. From article entitled Environmental and health effects of the herbicide glyphosate
Gut dysbiosis caused by Glyphosate research says, “Consequently, researchers have suggested that Gly can cause dysbiosis, a phenomenon which is characterized by an imbalance between beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. The overgrowth of bacteria such as clostridia generates high levels of noxious metabolites in the brain, which can contribute to the development of neurological deviations.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31442459/ from article Gut microbiota and neurological effects of glyphosate.

Since we eat primarily foods low in chemicals in general, we have found it a bit odd that glyphosate would be so high on Jessica’s lab test. We just recently sent our water to get tested by the lab to see if a high amount may be coming from that. We also have stopped eating so many organic meats so the food the animals eat may not be organic and fully chemical free. Meat can have a lot of toxins.

This statement from a blog called The Plant Way.com was interesting because I would not think of glyphosate in so many different junk foods. If you think glyphosate is a big non-issue, listen to what they have to say, “Many types of foods have been tested positive for glyphosate contamination. Some products have been found to exceed the safe limit of 700 ppb set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Some popular cereals, including varieties of Cheerios, contain glyphosate, as well as the following products:

Nature Valley granola bars

Ritz Crackers

Quaker oats

Lucky Charms

Doritos

Fritos

Oreos https://www.theplantway.com/glyphosate-safe/.

Adrenal Fatigue at 3 years old???

Posted on by Joan Taffinder

We recently went to see Jessica’s doctor. She has a functional medicine background and years of working with children with special health concerns. We have been getting Jessica’s stool and urine regularly tested for proper digestive health as well yeast levels, mitochondria levels as well as vitamin levels in the urine just to make sure we are making forward progress especially with the yeast levels which have been so difficult to keep in check even with hi dose probiotics and agents to kill yeast.

The doctor said she had adrenal issues because of the blue color under Jessica’s eyes. I had noticed it but didn’t know what it might be. We started Jessica on adrenal cortex from Integrative Therapeutics. And then changed to Adrenaven, a supplement to support adrenal health from Premier Research Lab.

It has seemed to make a difference off and on. I haven’t noticed that the eyes have completely cleared. I know Jessica has struggled with sleep off and on since she was an infant which is for sure one factor affecting negatively the adrenal glands but there is a host of other issues that can affect adrenal health according to Dr. James L. Wilson, N.D., D.C., PhD author of Adrenal Fatigue; the 21st century stress syndrome. The following can all contribute to poor adrenal health,

• Death of a loved one, repeated stresses, infection (acute and chronic), emotional stress, allergies, over exertion, smoking, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, sugar and
white flour products, lack of or excessive exercise, wound healing, prescription and non-prescription drugs, lack of good food, marital stress, caffeine, coffee, fear,
unwanted unemployment, negative attitudes and beliefs, lack of relaxation, psychological stress, toxins, and financial pressures. Pg. 12

This author also says, “adrenal fatigue in all its mild and severe forms, is usually caused by some form of stress. Stress can be physical, emotional, psychological, environmental, infectious, or a combination of these. It is important to know that your adrenals respond to every kind of stress the same, whatever the source.” Pg. 11

Its basically the amount of stress the body can withstand has reached its capacity. So, what does that mean for my daughter. She has had acute and chronic infections. I am not sure what emotional stress she has endured except for a few things, she extremely stubborn and cries a lot to get her own way which must be stressful on her body. She does have allergies to eggs which I was thinking may be good for her to be exposed in small amounts to build some type of tolerance so I would give her tune with mayonnaise which after some muscle testing that was shown to be causing problems for her so that was eliminated. She has had poor sleep off and on since being an infant. I included poor eating habits only because I am not sure if the salami and pepperoni may be causing problems but we allow her to eat that because she cannot eat any bread, grain, or hi amounts of carbs at all because of the yeast. Jessica does not consume prescription or non-prescription drugs but I have ongoing migraine headaches and I take firocet and rectal Tylenol for them while I was still breastfeeding so she likely got more than her body can handle. While I don’t drink coffee usually, because it is in my home I sometimes cave and drink a ¼ or ½ cup which while that is an extremely small amount, it could contribute to raising her level of toxin too high for her.

Adrenal hormones are not all bad. We need a certain amount to do certain jobs in our body. Drugs.com describes it this way, “Adrenal insufficiency is a condition that develops because your child’s adrenal glands do not make enough adrenal hormones. Adrenal hormones such as cortisol help your child’s body handle stress, keep blood pressure normal, and balance salt and fluids. They control how his or her body uses sugars, fats, and proteins.” https://www.drugs.com/cg/adrenal-insufficiency-in-children.html.

The following are reasons a child could have issues with not making enough adrenal hormones:

• A problem with your child’s immune system that makes his or her body attack the adrenal glands
• An injury that causes the adrenal glands to bleed and prevents the production of adrenal hormones
• A genetic condition or a family history of adrenal insufficiency
• An infection that damages the adrenal glands
• Certain medicines
• Surgery, tumors, or radiation therapy https://www.drugs.com/cg/adrenal-insufficiency-in-children.html

Jessica’s symptoms consisted of dizziness, tiredness, craving salt, and small blue color under her eyes. When I realized that the medication I was taking fiorcet for migraine headaches had an ingredient that could actually cause adrenal insufficiency I stopped breastfeeding the very next time I took that medication. Her eyes have improved for the most part but they still get that color off and on which could be caused by food sensitivities. We have not gotten her blood or urine tested to check for these hormones but will consider it for the future if she continues to have the shiners under her eyes.

Do I really need a mammogram or should I do thermography to check for breast cancer?

Posted on by Joan Taffinder
Human hand thermography. Medical thermography

My primary care doctor was asking me to get a mammogram. I don’t really want to. I had one when I was thirty-eight because my grandmother had just had surgery to remove breast cancer in her left breast. It was on my mind even though I didn’t think I really had cancer. I am so sensitive to everything in life that if I had any kind of cancer brewing in my body, I think I would become aware of it pretty quickly. I read a few articles that seemed to shed some light on mammograms a little bit. When I first read them, I felt sure that I didn’t want to get a mammogram but on a second reading today I think it can be useful in some cases.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, whose advice helps set government policy on screening tests, says women ages 50 to 74 should get screened every two years. those in their 40’s or 75 and older should talk with a doctor to see whether the benefits outweigh the potential harm. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/can-mammograms-cause-cancer/index.htm. The value of mammograms had been questioned in November of 2009 when the U.S. Preventive Task force recommended that routine screening for women with an average risk of breast cancer should start at age 50 instead of 40. https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/benefits_risks.

There was a study posted to the Harvard Health Publishing – Rethinking the Screening mammogram – where they said that mammography is not useless. “They estimated that about 20% of women with small tumors that could only be detected with a mammogram received therapy that might be lifesaving. But the other 80% of women did not benefit. Similarly, estimates suggest that about two-thirds of the reduction in breast cancer deaths in recent years is due to better treatments, not better detection.
In an article published in Medical News Today it says that the benefits are that over the next 10 years for every 10,000 women who get regular mammograms, the number of women whose lives will be saved thanks to the mammogram is approximately:

• 5 out of 10,000 women aged 40-49
• 10 out of 10,000 women aged 50-59
• 42 out of 10,000 women aged 60-69 https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316632.php

I also know that breast cancer is linked to unforgiveness. According to an article Lori Johnson a journalist for CBN, “Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues, and of those more than half are severe, according to research by Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and author of the book, The Forgiveness Project.” The Deadly Consequences of Unforgiveness 2015, CBN. While I do consider myself a forgiving person with bouts of unforgiveness in my past that I have worked through, I do not feel like I am filled with bitterness as my grandmother was.

Henry wright was a pastor for over thirty years at a small church in Georgia. He has been involved in a spiritual healing ministry or a better word for it is deliverance ministry where they focus a lot on repentance. In his book Be In Health he says about breast cancer, “Case histories are documenting this bitterness through the ministry. The insight is as follows: cysts or tumors appearing in the left breast tissue seem to follow unresolved bitterness and conflict between that female and another female blood relative, such as mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother. Tumors or cysts that appear in the right breast seem to be the result of unresolved bitterness and conflict between female who has the tumors and another female (non-blood) relative) such as a mother-in-law, a person in the workplace, a person in the church or possibly her husband…this holds true for 80 percent of all cancer cases…breast tumors just disappear when that woman forgives another female.” Pg. 236

I do regularly repent of any sin of unforgiveness and while I realize that that is not the only factor contributing toward any type of cancer, I feel I am willing to take the risk of not being tested at least for the time being because I feel like I don’t want the extra radiation at this time.

I decided to get a thermography which is described really well by Dr. Josh Axe, “The primary way that thermal imaging works is by detecting temperature variations related to blood flow and demonstrating abnormal patterns associated with the progression of tumors. When the body is viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm areas stand out against cooler areas, and changes in patterns can be tracked over time. Because cancer cells are growing and multiplying very fast, blood flow and metabolism are higher in the areas near a growing tumor, which means skin temperature near these locations increases.” https://draxe.com/health/thermography/

While thermography is considered an alternative test and not approved by the FDA the idea behind it makes sense to me. I got a thermogram done while I was trying to get pregnant with my daughter through IVF and using high doses of estrogen to lower my FSH and grow egg follicles. My thermogram was a little more concerning and had one vascular vein that looked not normal compared to the rest. That was seven years ago. I got another one done about a year ago and that one very vascular vein looked a little smaller and less dark on the pictures.

The Thermogram results showed I was at medium risk and suggested getting a mammogram done if I have not had one within the last year. Everyone must do their own research and make their own informed decision about what they feel is right for them and their own body. Thank God we continue to have medical choices for the time being.