Mould: Gut Symptoms

How Mould and Mycotoxins Impact Gut Health

Key takeaway:

It’s not just eating mouldy foods that causes gut symptoms. Environmental mould releases mycotoxins into the air which are just as damaging to the gut.

Mould causes a wide range of digestive symptoms. Whilst many people might assume that this would be the result of eating mouldy foods, it’s actually much more complicated than that.

It is entirely possible to get gut symptoms when you eat mouldy foods, but it’s also extremely common to get gut symptoms due to mould in the air and environment. Most of the time this is due to mycotoxins, toxic compounds that mould produces to defend itself against competitors (like other moulds) in the environment.

Mycotoxins are extremely tiny particles, much more tiny than even mould spores. They float easily through the air, form part of household dust and even pass easily through building materials and walls. Not only do we breathe them in, but they just get absorbed right into our skin.

Mycotoxins can sensitise your immune system, increase histamine levels and other inflammatory mediators leading to increased food reactions and gut disruption, damage the health gut flora, and being broadly cytotoxic, they can directly damage not only gut cells, but almost any cells that they come into contact with throughout the body.

Common Gut Symptoms Linked to Mould Exposure

Key takeaway:

If you’ve been exposed to mould and are experiencing gut symptoms, they may be connected rather than coincidental.

If you suspect you’ve been exposed to mould, it’s very likely that your gut symptoms are related. Particularly if they are stubborn symptoms that don’t respond to treatment or keep returning, this is a clue that the root cause hasn’t been adequately addressed and you need to look deeper.

Typical digestive issues associated with mould toxicity:

• Appetite changes/anorexia
• Craving sweets/alcohol
• Food sensitivities
• Peanut allergy
• Abdominal pain
• Gas/bloating
• Constipation/Diarrhea
• Consti-rrhea/IBS
• Nausea
• Reflux
• Ulcer
• SIBO
• Vomiting
• Cyclical vomiting syndrome
• Histamine intolerance
• Intestinal epithelial blunting

As you can see, there’s a wide range of vague symptoms that can occur. It’s impossible to tell from the above list if your symptoms are mould related, because there’s so much overlap with other conditions. If you suspect there’s a connection with mould, take our Mould Illness Questionnaire to assess your risk.

Why Many People Miss the Gut-Mould Connection

Key takeaway:

Gut symptoms from mould are often vague and attributed to IBS, stress or diet, causing the real trigger to be overlooked.

Sadly it’s all too common for gut issues to be overlooked for a number of reasons:

• The digestive signs are non-specific and overlap with other common conditions (IBS, SIBO, food sensitivities).
• Mould exposure may be hidden (in walls, HVAC, carpets) so the environmental trigger isn’t obvious.
• Conventional GI workups don’t usually assess for environmental toxins or mycotoxin burden.
• Knowledge about mould illness has not yet reached the medical community, so doctors may well miss the issue

What You Can Do Now

Key takeaway:

If you suspect your gut symptoms are mould related, you need to ensure that your environment is free of mould and rule out mould illness.

If you think you may have mould related gut issues, it’s very important that you make sure your environment is free of mould. Get your house inspected immediately by a professional and ensure there’s no hidden mould behind the walls.

To find out more about mould illness, check out our blog post What Are The Symptoms of Mould Illness? You can assess your risk for mould illness using our Mould Illness Questionnaire.

Final Thoughts

Key takeaway:

While gut symptoms are common and often treated as stand-alone issues, mould exposure can be a root contributor. Recognising the mould-gut link can shift you from mere symptom management to deeper healing—by addressing both your gut and your environment.