Black mold can be found growing anywhere in your home that traps moisture. It is especially prevalent in showers, basements and crawl spaces that have leaks, in porous wood, lint catchers, dusty corners of your home, and especially in air conditioning systems. Exposure to black mold, a fungus that spreads by delivering spores through the air and into your lungs, can cause a wide range of health problems including headaches, chronic fatigue, coughing, fever, difficulty breathing, eye irritation and even depression.
These symptoms are often mistaken to be from other causes, and treatments can not only be ineffective, but harmful to your health. Doctors often prescribe cortisone, steroid inhalers, antibiotics and antidepressants that suppress your body’s immune system and can make the problem worse. In fact, antibiotics create a fungus-friendly environment that kills off your good bacteria as well as the bad, allowing the mold to spread. And anti-fungal drugs are no picnic either. Since the body’s cell membranes are so similar to fungal cell membranes they can damage the human cell membranes while trying to kill off the fungus.
If you suspect you are suffering from black mold exposure the first step is to eliminate the problem from the source, by cleaning the mold out of your home. There are better ways than using harmful harsh chemicals to do this. Tea tree oil is one of several natural mold killers that you can employ instead of bleach. Pine oil, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are also very effective to clean away the mold naturally. If the problem is discovered to be pervasive and overwhelming, a professional should be consulted on the best ways to remove the mold from your home.
Once you have done that, it is time to repair any damage that has been done to your body. There are natural ways to fight and win against black mold, and the best way is through your diet by eliminating foods that feed the fungus, especially sugar, grains and simple carbohydrates. Avoid processed foods, alcohol and foods that are mold carriers like peanuts and cheese.
Add these to your diet or supplements:
• Raw Garlic helps to kill off fungi, molds and yeasts. Two to four grams of fresh garlic per day aids in finally removing toxic molds.
• Activated Charcoal traps toxins in the body, allowing them to be flushed out. Use activated charcoal made from coconut shells or other natural sources.
• Chlorophyll found in green vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones. Chlorella, spirulina and phytoplankton are three of the best sources of chlorophyll.
• Grapefruit Seed Extract is an excellent antifungal both internally and externally.
• Ginger helps the congestion in your respiratory tract, and is also a great digestive aid.
• Goldenseal has antibacterial and immune-enhancing properties, but it should be taken with a doctor’s supervision and not be used for long periods of time.
• Omega-3 fats from a mixture of plant and animal sources.
• Artichoke leaf extract is toxic to many types of fungi, including both molds and yeasts.
• Vitamin D, as it can help prevent mold allergies.
You may want to add an air purification system in your home to make sure you are removing mold spores and breathing clean air. The best are active purification systems that utilize low levels of ozone.
