The State of Fungus in the US - A History, Part 2

Okay, here's the answer to the Trivia Question from yesterday's blog:

The first person to develop an antifungal agent was actually a collaborative effort by two women, Rachel F. Brown, an organic chemist, and Elizabeth L. Hazen, PhD. in Bacteriology and Immunology. In 1950, their 'fungicidin' to specifically combat C. neoformans and C. albicans, was presented to the National Academy of Science. Four years later it was approved by the FDA for sale as an antifungal agent, and the name was changed to nystatin, in honor of the state in which it was discovered - New York State.

The development of other antifungal agents in the United States followed suit, with geographical, military, CDC and other opportunities influencing their need. Unfortunately, the role of antibiotics masked the importance of antifungal agents, yet had not eliminated their need completely.

Concurrently, information regarding the presence of Aspergillis and Candida in medical reports for patients who had taken antibiotics started surfacing quietly. In fact, the AMA Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry mandated pharmaceutical agencies to report on packaging the hazard of using antibiotics and the association of Candida growth. Reports of mycotic disease related to antibiotic use continued to rise into the 60's, as did reports of fungal infections in patients taking hormone therapies.

Research on antibiotic use and its correlation with fungal pathogens helped urge the formation of the first Medical Mycology Society of Americas (MMSA) in the early 1960's, and elevated credibility of the United States in medical mycology and research as one of the top countries in the world.

The first image above left is Aspergillus. The second image above right is Candida albicans.

Resources: http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/MM44supplement1/17050419.pdf

What To Do!

There are people who are sick who don't realize their symptoms originated from mold exposure. Itchy, burning eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose, rashes, respiratory problems, asthma, and other sinus problems are usually a result of exposure to some type of mold and can occasionally be pinpointed to a particular situation. Good examples of periods of exposure may be from past jobs like landscaping; remodeling the home; cleaning; repairing pipes, walls, or a ceiling; or rummaging in a basement or attic.

What does one do if they are exposed to mold in some way? Try to remember when symptoms started - deliberate day, time, and actions - and this will give a clue on how exposure occurred. Once this is known, plan a regimen for improving overall health.

The immune system will need to be boosted, so a good multivitamin/multimineral should be taken to give the body nutrients, such as antioxidants; vitamin A, C, and D; and magnesium and calcium. Also, start taking a probiotic to incorporate positive bacteria into the gut, crowding out negative microbials that cause damage to the immune system.

Probably the most critical nutrients for eliminating mold symptoms are antifungals. Very effective antifungals for this type of situation are olive leaf extract, caprylic acid, undecylenic acid, grapefruit seed extract, apple cider vinegar, garlic, oil of oregano, and curcumin. Four of these should be taken, alternating them to outsmart the fungus in the body and constantly attack the foreign microbials.

After the microbials are killed off, a fiber product should be used daily to remove the waste. The fiber products that tend to work best are flax seed, psyllium hulls, and kamut grass, because they not only offer help in excreting waste but add nutrients to the body.

Another important step to take is eat a very low carb diet, which will starve the fungus. Fungus, like mold particles, typically feeds on sugars ingested and will continue to spread throughout the body, excreting waste of their own, called mycotoxins. Studies show an antibiotic will also add to the fungal problem.

The best procedure to follow after mold exposure is start a plan of attack to get healthy again. Start an antifungal program which will rid the body of harmful microbials and provide much-needed energy to function better in life.