Functional medicine from Toronto offers a comprehensive approach to health, especially when you’ve had contact with risky elements; mold is one example. Though it’s common to have some mold spores in the air, excessive amounts can disrupt optimal wellness, especially your hormones. 

Mold is a natural member of the environment. It assists in breaking down elements in the ecosystem, such as animal and plant components. But when mold thrives indoors, this can cause unwanted effects, such as congestion, itchy eyes, and other individual symptoms. 

What you cannot see is how mold exposures are capable of impeding the endocrine system, potentially causing hormone imbalances. In this article, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC) focuses on:

• • The impact mold has on hormones.
  • How lab tests help functional clinicians target mold for a comprehensive treatment plan.
  • Details about our functional medicine clinic. 

How does mold affect your hormones?

Mould naturally produces mycotoxins, which are metabolites that can promote toxic effects. Sometimes we’re inadvertently exposed to mycotoxins, such as in the air. But when we ingest or inhale high amounts, there is cause for concern. In fact, scientists consider mycotoxins to be endocrine disruptors! This means they can influence the functioning of hormones. Here’s how mold can potentially cause hormone issues: 

• • Adrenal hormones: Mold can lower or heighten metabolic reactions and cortisol production. Due to the inflammatory effects of mycotoxins, the adrenal glands will attempt to release additional cortisol to fight inflammation. But if you already have adrenal fatigue, mold exposures can prevent you from releasing enough cortisol, which boosts inflammation. 

• • Sex hormones: Low mood, PMS symptoms, and infertility may ensue due to mold overloads in the female body. This is because hormone imbalances can form between estrogen and progesterone. For men, mold can lower testosterone levels, which can downgrade libido; due to low testosterone from mold, males may  experience weight gain. 
  • Thyroid hormones: A Frontiers in Immunology article reported that long-term mold exposure can cause non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS). This condition lowers T4 and T3 hormones and increases reverse T3; in turn, this can weaken your immune function and boost cholesterol levels, fatigue, and constipation. 

A functional medicine practitioner can help address your current health issues, especially if they involve mold and hormonal changes. This health provider would take into account your comprehensive health history, current lifestyle, various types of environmental factors, and results from lab testing – all of these factors can help tailor a unique treatment plan just for you.

Using functional lab tests for mold exposures

The functional medicine approach to wellness includes tailoring treatment plans that are compatible with biological needs. If you were to visit the TFMC, our clinicians would likely introduce you to our lab tests; we would use these results to adapt doses of treatments, such as herbal medicine or IV therapy drips. 

Unlike conventional tests from Western practitioners, functional medicine testing offers an extensive view of what’s happening in your body. It detects biomarkers to help practitioners determine which direction your body is heading (i.e. how close you are to forming chronic conditions). To be certain that mold is affecting your current symptoms, these functional tests may be discussed with one of our TFMC clinicians: 

• • Organic acid testing (Mosaic Labs): A urine sample would be tested to quantify organic acids; as when you have a metabolic/chronic disease, you tend to urinate organic acids that are 100x concentrated! This test can also scrutinize for mold, oxidative stress, and yeast overgrowth. 
  • Super mold immunoreactivity panel (Alletess Medical Laboratory): A blood sample would be analyzed to search for 16 different types of molds and candida. This comprehensive panel also comes with a mold elimination plan.

Suggested Reading: Treating Vaginal Yeast Infections With Functional Medicine In Toronto 

These lab tests are beneficial because they can help us recognize which types of molds and how much are present in your system. As we mentioned, mold is one unsafe environmental factor. Others include heavy metals (i.e. mercury), chemicals from traffic and plastics, pesticides, and more. At the TFMC, we can design a treatment plan that targets pollutant-related health concerns – check out our personalized medicine approach today. 

Suggested reading: Treating Vaginal Yeast Infections With Functional Medicine In Toronto

About our integrative and functional medicine clinic

Integrative functional medicine may be advantageous for numerous health concerns, such as chronic pain, insomnia, autoimmune conditions, and stress. 

Since 2012, we’ve been customizing conventional and holistic treatments in Toronto. We encourage patients to integrate various treatment modalities to promote health benefits – this can assist with symptom relief and help slow down/prevent age-related chronic conditions. Treatment modalities offered by our healthcare providers include: Western medicine, holistic nutrition, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, herbal medicine, psychotherapy, hormone optimization programs, and more. 

Our in-house IV Lounge can be accessed by patients who are prescribed adjunctive intravenous drips. We tailor these IV treatments using the functional medicine model and plenty of nutrients are offered to help relieve nutritional deficiencies and sustain optimal wellness! Note: Our IV drips are not designed as stand-alone treatments. When IV therapy is combined with additional functional medicine therapies and healthy lifestyle modifications, they can potentially aid in health improvements. 

Start your health journey right now! Let’s uncover the source of your current symptoms with functional lab tests. Becoming a patient at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre is surprisingly simple – start now by requesting your first session with us! 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

Bennett JW, Klich M. Mycotoxins. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2003 Jul;16(3):497-516. doi: 10.1128/CMR.16.3.497-516.2003. PMID: 12857779; PMCID: PMC164220.

Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. Mycotoxins: Risks in Plant, Animal, and Human Systems. Ames, IA: Council for Agricultural Science and Technology; 2003.

Eze UA, Huntriss J, Routledge MN, Gong YY, Connolly L. The effect of individual and mixtures of mycotoxins and persistent organochloride pesticides on oestrogen receptor transcriptional activation using in vitro reporter gene assays. Food Chem Toxicol. 2019 Aug;130:68-78. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.05.014. Epub 2019 May 10. PMID: 31082460.

Fenske M, Fink-Gremmels J. Effects of fungal metabolites on testosterone secretion in vitro. Arch Toxicol. 1990;64(1):72-75.

“Mycotoxins” from the World Health Organization (WHO), posted October 2, 2023, viewed on August 13, 2024. 

Omotayo OP, Omotayo AO, Mwanza M, Babalola OO. Prevalence of Mycotoxins and Their Consequences on Human Health. Toxicol Res. 2019 Jan;35(1):1-7. doi: 10.5487/TR.2019.35.1.001. Epub 2018 Jan 15. PMID: 30766652; PMCID: PMC6354945.

Somppi, T. L. (2017). Non-Thyroidal Illness Syndrome in Patients Exposed to Indoor Air Dampness Microbiota Treated Successfully with Triiodothyronine. Frontiers in Immunology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00919

Tuuminen, T., & Rinne, K. S. (2017). Severe Sequelae to Mold-Related Illness as Demonstrated in Two Finnish Cohorts. Frontiers in Immunology, 8, 253796. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00382