Grains and the Dangers of Mycotoxins

There are many types of toxins that can wreak havoc with your health. Most of these toxins are things that you can’t see, smell or feel when you first come in contact with them, including one of the lesser known but dangerous types: mycotoxins.

Mycotoxins are compounds produced by fungi and literally mean “fungus poisons.” Poisoning caused by a mycotoxin is known as mycotoxicosis.

Mycotoxins can cause a wide range of health problems even if you’re just exposed to small amounts over an extended period of time. Mycotoxicosis can even be lethal if a patient has consumed large quantities of mycotoxins over a short period of time.

Mycotoxicosis symptoms depend on the type of mycotoxin, the amount and length of exposure, the age, health and sex of the exposed individual, and many poorly understood synergistic effects involving genetics, dietary status and interactions with other toxins.

This means that the severity of mycotoxin poisoning can be compounded by factors such as vitamin deficiency, caloric deprivation, alcohol abuse and infectious disease status.

Mycotoxins can also increase a patient’s vulnerability to microbial diseases, worsen the effects of malnutrition and interact synergistically with other toxins.

Dr. Dave Holland, co-author of the bestselling book The Fungus Link, is an expert on the harmful effects of mycotoxins on the human body. Dr. Holland’s list of diseases associated with mycotoxins include:

• AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyloidosis
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Atherosclerosis
• Balkan Nephropathy
• Bechet’s disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Cirrhosis (alcoholic and biliary)
• Crohn’s disease
• Cushing’s disease
• Diabetes
• DIC
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Encephalopathy
• Ergotism
• Familial Mediterranean Fever
• Gout
• Heart failure
• Hyperactivity Syndrome
• Hyperaldosteronism
• Hyperlipidemia (high lipids)
• Hypertension
• Infertility
• IgA Nephropathy
• Kidney stones
• Leukocytoclastic vasculitis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Mollaret’s meningitis
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Nephritis (kidney inflammation)

That’s quite a laundry list of diseases. And because the most toxic forms of fungi and the mycotoxins they produce have become more common in America’s modern and industrialized food supply, particularly in improperly stored, pesticide-sprayed grains which humans and livestock in large amounts in various forms, there lies the danger.

In 1985, the World Health Organization estimated that 25 percent of the world’s grains have been contaminated by mycotoxins. Today, more than two decades later, we can assume that this figure has increased due to an increase in global imports and exports of grains and cereals and the changes in the environment and weather.

If you want to avoid the dangers of mycotoxins, here are the top 10 foods to avoid (hint: most of them are grains):

1. Alcohol – is the mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast (brewer’s yeast). Other mycotoxins besides alcohol can also be introduced into alcoholic beverages through the use of mold-contaminated grains and fruits. Alcohol producers often use grains that are too contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins to be eaten as table foods, so the risk of mycotoxicosis is higher if you are consuming more than just alcohol in your beverage.

2. Corn – is "universally contaminated" with mycotoxins such as fumonisin, aflatoxin, zearalenone and ochratoxin. Fumonisin and aflatoxin are known carcinogens, while zearalenone and ochratoxin cause estrogenic and kidney-related problems, respectively. It’s difficult to get away from corn because it’s everywhere! For example, a typical fast food chicken nugget comes from corn-fed chicken that is covered by a corn-based batter sweetened with corn syrup!

3. Wheat and wheat products – like bread, cereal and pasta. Pasta may be the “safest” because you can remove certain water-soluble mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin), when you drain the boiling water after cooking it. However, traces of the more harmful, heat-stable and fat-soluble mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin, remain. When it comes to bread – it doesn’t matter if it’s organic, inorganic, sprouted, blessed or not – if the grain used has been stored for months in a silo, it can be contaminated with fungi.

4. Barley – is equally susceptible to contamination by mycotoxins because it can also be damaged by drought, floods, and harvesting and storage processes. It’s used in the production of cereals and alcoholic beverages.

5. Sugar (sugar cane and sugar beets) – is often contaminated with fungi and like other grains and fuels the growth of fungi, which feed on carbohydrates.

6. Sorghum – is used in a number of grain-based products for both humans and animals, and is also an ingredient in the production of alcoholic beverages.

7. Peanuts – A 1993 study revealed that peanuts are colonized by at least 24 different types of fungi. The alarming part was that they were found after the exterior of the peanut was sterilized!

8. Rye – What applies for other grains is the same with rye. Also, when wheat and rye are used to make bread, sugar and yeast are added – two other products that worsen the fungi problem.

9. Cottonseed – is usually in the form of cottonseed oil but is also used in grain form for many animal foods. Many studies show that cottonseed is often highly contaminated with mycotoxins.

10. Hard Cheese – Each time you see a mold growing on your cheese, there’s a good chance that there’s also a mycotoxin present.

Rice, oats and beans, which are also sources of carbohydrates, may also contain mycotoxins but these crops are generally more resistant to fungal contamination.

Killing You Sweetly: The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is also known as crystalline fructose, isoglucose and glucose-fructose. But it doesn’t matter what name it hides under; it doesn’t change the fact that it’s utterly unhealthy for you.

Yes, high fructose corn syrup is a silent killer. And the danger is real because it’s very difficult to avoid.

What is HFCS? High fructose corn syrup is a highly refined artificial sweetener made by processing cornstarch into a thick, clear liquid. The industrial process for making HFCS was developed in the 1970s.

When the cost of importing sugar significantly increased in 1977, producers wanted a cheaper alternative. They found that sugar from corn – corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, dextrine and HFCS – was much less expensive to produce, much sweeter (processed fructose is almost 20 percent sweeter than common sugar) and is easier to transport because it’s a liquid. Thus, corn-based sweeteners were born.

 The result? High fructose corn syrup has drastically altered the American diet since it was widely introduced as a sweetener in the 1980s.

In 1966, sucrose (white sugar) had 86 percent of the market share for sweeteners. Today, more than 50 percent of sweeteners used are made from corn.

American consumption of HFCS increased by more than 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990. That’s bigger than the changes in intake of any other food or food group.

HFCS is now commonly found in almost all processed foods, including:

•  soft drinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi)
• fruit juices (Snapple, Ocean Spray Cranberry )and canned fruits
•  breakfast cereals (Kellogg’s cornflakes)
• ice cream and dairy products (Dreyer’s, Yoplait yoghurts)
• cookies and crackers (Nabisco Ritz crackers)
• soups and sauces (Campbell’s vegetable soup)
• condiments and salad dressings (Heinz ketchup)
•  baking products and baked goods (Brownberry bread)
• candy bars and gum (PowerBar)
• jams, jellies and syrup (Smucker’s grape jelly)
•  even in cough syrups and low-fat diet foods (Robitussin, Vicks)!

If you’re fond of drinking soda and processed fruit juices and any of the above food items, chances are you’re “high” on high fructose corn syrup. HCFS is the number one source of calories in the American diet and is one of the main contributors to the obesity epidemic in the United States.

The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

You’d be hard-pressed to find something in the supermarket which doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup but there is no shortage of reasons why you should avoid HCFS because it:

• Travels straight to the liver where it is metabolized to fat. In fact, fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar.
• Contributes to the development of diabetes and tissue damage. A recent study presented at the 2007 national meeting of the American Chemical Society found new evidence that soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup contains high levels of reactive compounds that have been shown by others to trigger cell and tissue damage that cause diabetes.
• Does not stimulate insulin production or enhance leptin, a hormone involved in appetite regulation. Because insulin and leptin act as key signals in regulating how much food you eat, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased food consumption and weight gain.
• Contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals; instead, it takes micronutrients from your body while it assimilates itself for use. The fructose in HFCS is different from the natural fructose you get when you eat a small piece of whole fruit, which contains the nutrients needed for your body to assimilate sugar.
• Increases your triglyceride and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Triglycerides are the chemical form of fat found in foods and in your body. Studies show that elevated blood levels of triglycerides increases your risk of heart disease.
• Is almost always made from genetically modified corn, which may radically increase your risk of developing corn food allergies. The problem with corn allergies are that once you have a corn allergy from GMO corn you will have an allergy to even healthy organic corn products.

Dr. Mercola’s advice is a no-brainer: if you want to lose weight and drastically improve your health, stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices. These beverages are sweetened with almost eight teaspoons of fructose per serving! Drink pure water instead and you will be well on your way to improved health. You should also severely limit your consumption of food that contains high fructose corny syrup.

These simple steps will help lower your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases associated with elevated insulin levels.

Are You Suffering from Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance?

Have you had an upset stomach or felt bloated after eating wheat bread? If this happens quite often, then you might be suffering from a form of food allergy known as Celiac disease.

Those suffering from Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, cannot digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

When someone with Celiac disease eats gluten, an autoimmune response is triggered, provoking the body to attack itself and destroy healthy tissues, especially the villi in the small intestine.

All nutrients are absorbed in the intestine through the villi, and if this delicate mechanism is damaged, it can cause all sorts of problems such as chronic diarrhea, gas, bloating, reflux and constipation.

More serious concerns include malabsorption of nutrients (leading to malnourishment) and the “leaky gut syndrome,” wherein undigested proteins and plant toxins called lectins enter the bloodstream to wreak havoc on the immune system.

Celiac disease can also manifest in ways having nothing to do with the digestive system. Other people experience fatigue, joint pain, mouth ulcers, bone pain, and abnormal menstruation and infertility in women. That is why many doctors tend to misdiagnose it or mistreat it. One study has shown that it takes an average of 11 years for patients to receive a correct diagnosis. (Read more about the symptoms of Celiac Disease at Mercola.com.)

A decade ago, it was believed that Celiac disease affected only one out of every 10,000 Americans. But a 2004 report estimated that as many as one in every 133 Americans have Celiac disease. That’s roughly 2 million people!

Celiac disease is believed to be inherited to some extent. The nature of a person’s gluten sensitivity may stem directly from the chemical nature of gluten, but is mostly due to a reaction that occurs in the immune system of individuals who have certain genes that recognize gluten as a foreign protein, and therefore, toxic.

Why Is Gluten Toxic for Some People?

Early men were hunter-gatherers and humans as a species only began consuming grains 6,000 years ago, when agriculture was discovered. It is believed that man’s shift from a hunting and gathering lifestyle allowed the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt to flourish. These two civilizations were among the first to cultivate grains.

The gluten-rich grains that we eat today are actually domesticated and are genetically hybridized versions of what originally were wild grasses. Wheat, barley, rye and oats are genetic derivatives of wild grass, which may explain why eating a wild plant may be toxic for certain people.

For Dr. Joseph Mercola, the prevalence of Celiac disease provides more evidence that modern humans have not evolved mechanisms to cope with foods that are rich in starch and sugars.

Dr. Mercola explains that a diet high in grains causes more serious problems than Celiac disease because 65 percent of Americans are overweight and 27 percent are clinically obese. Why? Because of an addiction to sesame seed buns for that hamburger, French fries and a Coke.

Mercola believes that it’s not the fat in the food that we eat but the excess carbohydrates from our grain-rich and sugar-loaded diets that is making people overweight and unhealthy, leading to epidemic levels of chronic illnesses such as diabetes.

Gluten intolerance can be treated very easily by eliminating gluten and most grains from your diet. If you’re suffering from Celiac disease or simply want to get healthy, then the No-Grain Diet will work wonders for you.

Gene Turns Carbohydrates into Fat; Cure to Obesity Found?

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley have discovered a gene which regulates a process in the liver that converts carbohydrates into fat.

This study offers new clues as to how the body metabolizes carbohydrates and how they contribute to obesity.

The research team, led by Professor Hei Sook Sul of UC Berkeley’s Department of Nutritional Science and Toxicology believe that the gene, DNA-PK (DNA-dependent protein kinase ), is critical to a metabolic process scientists have been trying to understand for 20 years.

Your blood glucose levels – the digested form of carbohydrates – go up after you eat a carb-rich food like pizza and wash it down with soda. That spike in blood glucose triggers the secretion of insulin, which helps different cells in your body use glucose for energy.

Glucose in the liver that isn't used up for energy is converted into fatty acids, which then circulate to other parts of the body, primarily to fat tissue.

The process of converting excess glucose into fatty acids occurs in the liver. Scientists have been unable to determine the exact molecular pathway involved prior to the discovery of DNA-PK.

What they did know was that insulin binds to receptors on the liver cells and activates protein phosphatase-1 (PP1), the first molecule of the insulin-signaling pathway inside the liver. Sul's lab had previously shown that upstream stimulatory factor (USF) is needed to activate certain genes, such as fatty acid synthase (FAS), which converts glucose to fatty acids.

The link between PP1 and USF was a mystery until a UC Berkeley graduate student in comparative biochemistry finally connected the dots in Sul’s lab and discovered that DNA-PK, which is regulated by PP1, signals the activation of USF and the process of converting glucose to fatty acids.

The research team determined that DNA-PK acts as a signaling molecule in the chain reaction that begins when insulin binds to receptors on liver cells. This helps explain why untreated Type 1 diabetics, who cannot produce insulin, may experience significant weight loss because without treatment, they have problems making enough fat.

This insulin-signaling pathway is also disrupted in Type 2 diabetes because the body still produces insulin, but the cells have become resistant to its effects.

After the researchers were able to identify DNA-PK, they tested the gene in mice fed with a diet containing 70 percent carbohydrates but with zero fat. A typical lab mouse diet is composed of both fat and carbohydrates. The researchers then disabled the DNA-PK gene in half the mice while the other half served as the control group of normal mice.

They discovered that the DNA-PK disabled mice were leaner and had 40 percent less body fat compared to the control group of normal mice because they had a problem converting carbs into fat.

The DNA-PK disabled mice were resistant to high carbohydrate-induced obesity and had lower plasma lipids, which can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

DNA-PK could potentially play a role in the prevention of obesity associated with the over-consumption of high-carbohydrate foods or carbohydrate addiction, such as pasta, rice, soda and sugary snacks if it is possible to create medication based on the gene.

However, this will only be another quick fix. Yes, such a pill may help you avoid getting fat from carbohydrates but the bottom line is: you’re still eating carbs and carbohydrates have been linked to almost all age-related diseases.

If you want to get fit and maintain your ideal weight, it doesn’t involve waiting for a magic pill. You have to make the necessary lifestyle changes because there are no shortcuts to good health.