Mold and Our Gut

Did you know that mold exposure could be quietly wreaking havoc on your gut?
If you’ve been struggling with bloating, food sensitivities, or stubborn digestive issues that never seem to resolve — even after addressing diet, stress, histamine or infections — mold toxicity might be a missing piece of the puzzle.

Let’s break down how mold impacts the gut and why it’s such a powerful disruptor of digestive health.

As an FYI, this is for educational purposes only, no medical advice given :)

What I call “The Big Five”

1. It Disrupts the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC) — The Gut’s “Street Sweeper”

The migrating motor complex is a rhythmic wave-like movement that helps clear out debris, bacteria, and undigested food from the small intestine between meals.
When mold toxins interfere with this system, it’s like the street sweeper never shows up — leading to bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), fungal overgrowth (SIFO), sluggish digestion, and bloating.

2. It Reduces Digestive Enzyme Secretion

Mold exposure can weaken the pancreas and small intestine’s ability to release digestive enzymes — the proteins that help break down food.
Without enough enzymes, nutrients aren’t absorbed efficiently, and undigested food can ferment, causing gas, inflammation, and discomfort.

3. It Slows Down the Gallbladder and Bile Flow

Mycotoxins can make the gallbladder sluggish, which means bile doesn’t flow properly.

Bile isn’t just for fat digestion — it’s also part of the body’s detox system through a process called enterohepatic circulation, where bile helps carry toxins out of the body.

When bile gets thick or stagnant, toxins (including mold toxins) can actually recirculate, worsening inflammation and digestive distress.

4. It Lowers Stomach Acid

Mold can suppress the production of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach.
Low stomach acid means food isn’t broken down properly and pathogens that should be destroyed in the stomach can survive and travel deeper into the gut — leading to dysbiosis, infections, and even nutrient deficiencies like B12, zinc, and iron.

5. It Disrupts the Gut-Immune Connection

About 70% of your immune system resides in your gut.

Mold and mycotoxins can throw this delicate balance off, confusing your immune system and causing it to overreact or underperform. This can look like chronic inflammation, autoimmune reactions, or heightened food sensitivities.

Leaky gut syndrome

What about leaky gut?

Certain mycotoxins can actually cause disruption in the gut lining.

Particularly trichothecenes — can actually bind to and damage the gut wall, contributing to leaky gut syndrome. This increases intestinal permeability, allowing toxins and undigested particles to enter the bloodstream and trigger systemic inflammation.

And when mycotoxin overload happens in general, and we see things occur like constipation, SIBO, SIFO; these things also lead to a leakier gut as well.

Favorite products

Some of my favorite products for mold healing:

1. Running a urine mycotoxin panel, my favorite is through Real Time Labs code STEPHPEACOTOX10 for discount

2. Addressing mold detox through Alight Formulas products: code STEPHANIEP

3. Red light therapy through Lumebox

4. Infrared sauna through BONCHARGE, THEREASAGE, or SUNLIGHTEN: code DRPEACOCK for all of them

5. Air filtration with AirDoctor

6. If tolerable, green tea daily with Posana Life code DRPEACOCK

💡 The Bottom Line

If your gut healing journey feels stuck despite your best efforts, it’s worth exploring whether mold exposure could be contributing.
By identifying and addressing mold toxicity — alongside supporting the gut, bile flow, and immune system — true, lasting healing becomes possible.

If you are looking to work 1:1 with me, you can email us here at [email protected].

Until next time,

Happiness and health

Dr. Steph