Here's something to mull over. The World Health Organization openly says the world needs food security and food safety. Food safety plays a huge role in nutrition, improved health, functionality and economic status in the international population, especially in countries where grains, nuts, spices, milk, and meat are the primary food sources and primary exports. The potential for these countries to physically and economically thrive unfortunately relies on the weather and quantity of food that becomes contaminated. In any given year a food source could devastate hundreds of people and reduce much needed income for a country.
The number of people exposed to aflatoxin contaminated food in developing countries is daunting - 5 billion. Yes, BILLION! There are many practices in agriculture that can prevent aflatoxin occurrence, however, there are certain natural incidents that are uncontrollable - amount of insect infestation, severe weather, temperature changes, soil content, humidity and conditions for crop drying.
Much evidence shows chronic aflatoxin exposure may lead to impaired immunity, reduction of nutrient absorption, and decreased growth in humans and animals, and have a negative influence in people with malaria and HIV/AIDS. Also, aflatoxin may heighten susceptibility to a larger number of diseases.
Unfortunately, there are no standard international regulations to the content of toxins in crops, but there are procedures starting with preharvest that should be followed to keep levels low. Any programs to prevent and raise awareness of toxicity in crops should be available to all farmers, too. This always takes time and money, but in the long run will decrease the prevalence of aflatoxin poisoning in humans and animals.
If you'd like more to read on mycotoxins in our food, just look on the WHO (World Health Organization) website:
Mycotoxins in Food
Showing posts with label mold exposure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mold exposure. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Mold Exposure
Suddenly, everything falls into place. The reason family members, friends or coworkers have been experiencing ill health is due to mold. This person has been persistently sick for an extended period of time with the most common causes being ruled out. Some day the question of exposure to mold at the doctor's office will be in the top ten list for diagnosis. Until then there are many people suffering without knowing the cause.
The following article excerpts are from "Doctor's Prescription for Healthy Living" magazine.
...Harlem, Georgia - something in the home of Iris Harden was making her sick. "I wasn't educated," she says. "I didn't know it was mold. All I knew was that something in that house was doing it to me."
Her headaches and burning in her eyes were so painful she had to move out of her home.
Eventually an environmental testing firm found elevated levels of mold spores in her kitchen and bedroom. Confirming the diagnosis of fungal infection, Immunosciences Lab, of Beverly Hills, California, found extremely high levels of two toxic molds, aspergillus and stachybotrys, in her bloodstream. Her levels were in the top one percent that the laboratory had seen out of the more than 20,000 tests they had performed.She probably took in the molds by breathing them and they diffused into her bloodstream, according to Dr. Aristo Vojdani, an expert in immune-related illnesses....read more.
AND
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated many homes in 2005. What was also traumatic were the homes left standing, saturated with water for days, that developed black mold on the interior. Many of the people affected were relieved to have their homes but found an unknown nightmare lingering.
FEMA followed evacuation protocol. It didn't occur to a particular family of four that a few weeks in a mold infested home created the onset of illness. They were relocated yet were still ill over time. Doctor after doctor told the husband "he must have gotten into something horrible in Louisiana," and gave him antibiotics to treat the so-called bacteria. He got worse. It took one year and a coincidence to learn his family was sick due to exposure to mold, and the antibiotics prescribed to help were actually making the illness worse.
Mold exposure is not uncommon. It occurs wherever there is toxic mold present, which can grow in any moist, damp areas, and so easily become airborne if disturbed.
So, the next time you are sick, take a look and smell around the home and office. If there is any question about the presence of toxic mold - check it out. You'll be much healthier because of it.
The following article excerpts are from "Doctor's Prescription for Healthy Living" magazine.
...Harlem, Georgia - something in the home of Iris Harden was making her sick. "I wasn't educated," she says. "I didn't know it was mold. All I knew was that something in that house was doing it to me."
Her headaches and burning in her eyes were so painful she had to move out of her home.
Eventually an environmental testing firm found elevated levels of mold spores in her kitchen and bedroom. Confirming the diagnosis of fungal infection, Immunosciences Lab, of Beverly Hills, California, found extremely high levels of two toxic molds, aspergillus and stachybotrys, in her bloodstream. Her levels were in the top one percent that the laboratory had seen out of the more than 20,000 tests they had performed.She probably took in the molds by breathing them and they diffused into her bloodstream, according to Dr. Aristo Vojdani, an expert in immune-related illnesses....read more.
AND
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated many homes in 2005. What was also traumatic were the homes left standing, saturated with water for days, that developed black mold on the interior. Many of the people affected were relieved to have their homes but found an unknown nightmare lingering.
FEMA followed evacuation protocol. It didn't occur to a particular family of four that a few weeks in a mold infested home created the onset of illness. They were relocated yet were still ill over time. Doctor after doctor told the husband "he must have gotten into something horrible in Louisiana," and gave him antibiotics to treat the so-called bacteria. He got worse. It took one year and a coincidence to learn his family was sick due to exposure to mold, and the antibiotics prescribed to help were actually making the illness worse.
Mold exposure is not uncommon. It occurs wherever there is toxic mold present, which can grow in any moist, damp areas, and so easily become airborne if disturbed.
So, the next time you are sick, take a look and smell around the home and office. If there is any question about the presence of toxic mold - check it out. You'll be much healthier because of it.
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