The Corn We Eat is Infested with Mycotoxic FungiThe Food and Drug Administration will allow aflatoxin levels to reach no higher than 20 parts per billion in food and feed. It is currently the only mycotoxin that is screened by the government. According to Kaufmann, in The Fungus Link, Volume 3:
“Literally hundreds of mycotoxins, along with their toxic effects, have been thoroughly documented. Yet, despite their known, harmful effects, we still only screen grains for one– aflatoxin– in our grain foods. And even then, based on ‘allowable’ levels (20 parts per billion) of aflatoxin, it is estimated that we consume between .15 mg and 0.5 mg of this particular mycotoxin every day” (113).
Now aflatoxins are known to be cancer causing, and of course we want to avoid those, but corn is a great host for another type of toxic mold: Fusarium. Kaufmann explains that they are present in all corn and corn-based products. He sites Dr. Ruth Etzel, M.D., PhD, who claims that they may be linked to birth defects. Another toxin prevalent in corn and wheat products is vomitoxin. The name alone makes one think of puking, so there should be no surprise that it can cause nausea, headaches, and abdominal cramps. The vomitoxin belongs to the trichothecenes family of toxic molds.
“The trichothecenes, ” Kaufmann writes, “have been documented as having the ability to suppress our immune system when eaten via contaminated food or inhaled in mold infested buildings” (111).
Have I completely grossed you out yet? Still reaching for that bag of Cheetos?
Fumonisins, a group of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium fungi, are tied to human esophageal cancer, and are currently not regulated by the government. It is not illegal to feed moldy corn to livestock. Fumonisin mold is found “wherever corn is grown,” According to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.
It “appears white to salmon colored, although it may not be visible on the corn kernel. This fungus often produces a symptom on the corn kernels referred to as ‘starburst.’ or a white streaking of the kernel.”
The problem with prolific corn mold is actually well documented in Agricultural science. But corn is not the only grain infested with mycotoxins. Kaufmann attributes Dr. David Holland, M.D. in The Fungus Link Vol. 1, 2nd Series, with the following statement:
“Several mycotoxins are found in foods such as corn, peanuts, beer, barley, apples, and wheat. You would nearly have to quit eating completely to avoid every source of mold and mycotoxins, but be wary of the most notorious foods like corn, peanuts, and beer” (151).
And the mycotoxins can also be found on corn-byproducts as well, so processing the grain does not eradicate the mold.
There is very little documented information on the dangerous toxic side effects of fusarium and other less common molds on the average healthy person. But much has been written about their deadly effects on immune compromised individuals and especially on environmental risk factors in clinical environments, such as hospital wards. Kaufmann warned his audience last weekend of the complications that can arise after a course of antibiotics. He stressed the importance of allowing the body to heal naturally when possible and explained that antibiotics strip the body of good bacteria which can allow for the proliferation of fungus in the already immune compromised individual. Simply put: if you are constantly sick and using antibiotics to heal yourself you may be sabotoging your own health by making it easier for fungi to flourish.
The best way to combat mold toxicity is to eat an anti fungal diet, so folks wanting to minimize their risk need to simply stay away from grains and focus on eating a diet of primarily fresh vegetables, fruit, and grass fed meat. Reserve antibiotic use for times when it is absolutely necessary and eat properly both during and after your course is finished. This means no sugars, yeast, grains, or moldy foods. Incorporate baking soda nasal washes if necessary, and replenish your good bacteria by ingesting several varieties of probiotics.
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Wow. This is really eye opening for me. Thanks.
That was a very interesting article. What makes it even more interesting is the prevalence of corn in our diets. It’s in nearly everything we eat and it is fed to quite a few animals to fatten them up. I even read that they feed it to farm raised salmon.
What about corn syrups? Would the processing for corn syrup destroy the fungus?
Rick,
The manufacturers use aspergillus to make HFCS. Some claim heat will kill mold spores– boiling point– but it can also lay dormant for years in the soil. It can cause asthma and is very dangerous for immune compromised folks. How it affects our processed food supply, hm…. I would have to research that more….. We don’t eat much processed foods here, for other reasons.
I found this link on fermented foods (soy sauce, et al) in Asia: Oriental Food Uses of Aspergillus (PDF) They claim that if it is properly fermented, aflatoxins are not present in the final product. Improperly fermented, they will remain. It is a matter of perfect timing.
Wow thats most interesting. Heat will kill mold but it will do nothing to remove the mycotoxins. I worked with a company on a heat process for use in grain elevators in Canada. The bottom line is that the mold in our experiments died but the mycotoxins remained.
Cathy states her son has gluten intolerance and Corn Intolerance shown by Ige test. Cathy, if an Ige reaction occurs to corn, then your son has an ALLERGY to corn, not an intolerance. Corn allergy (Ige mediated) is somewhat unusual. I know because I am VERY INTOLERANT to corn products, and have been since I was young in around 1970 when all the big food manufacturers began sweetening things with corn instead of sugar. Sugar, by FDA label laws bust either be cane or beet source. I stopped eating corn products in 1981 and all of by corn intolerance symptoms went away. Interesting thing about corn intolerance–and I would assume corn (Ige) allergy, is that symptoms can begin right away or may take up to 3 days. Corn intolerance symptoms are most all GI symptoms, nearly exactly the same as gluten intolerance. I wonder if your son is not gluten intolerant, and all the symptoms are rather from just the corn. I have told MD’s about my corn intolerance and many of them have assumed I really had gluten intolerance–that is how dumb some MD’s are. As there is no Ige test for gluten intolerance, the only way to figure out if your son’s problems are really just from corn is to give him some wheat and see what happens. A little gluten will not make him sick or die like a little corn would.
Duncan,
I am not sure who Cathy is, but if you are referring to the article above, I clearly stated that the test my son took was an IgG test and not an IgE test. You are correct that a true IgE allergy to corn is unusual. There are many sugar products that can be corn derived aside from the usual suspects, ie: corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. Visit Corn Sugars 101 for information on corn sugars.
My son is gluten intolerant and was diagnosed with celiac disease. It is not uncommon for recently diagnosed celiacs to have intolerance to other protein foods like corn, soy, and dairy. In some cases low stomach acid is a contributing factor. But in this article I highlight the possibility that fungal overgrowth might also be a factor. There are celiacs who benefit from taking hydrochloric acid with food and notice diminished symptoms when they eat corn, soy, or dairy and so they will resume eating these protein rich foods while maintaining a gluten free diet. You mention that a little gluten will not make my son sick or die like a little corn would. I think you misunderstand celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that can only be controlled through a gluten free diet. When a person with celiac eats wheat gluten it produces harmful antibodies that cause the body to destroy healthy villi hairs in the small intestine resulting in nutrient malabsorption. This basically means that the celiac’s body cannot digest and absorb their food properly.
There is no discovered autoimmune condition that proves corn is capable of creating the same type of intestinal damage as gluten, but I do believe that it is possible. An IgE allergy will produce immediate symptoms. IgG allergies produce delayed symptoms and are often GI related. I know that for some people soy intolerance will also cause sprue. Any person with symptoms of sprue should avoid wheat, gluten, corn, soy, and dairy at least until their gut is healed. They should also take good probiotics and possibly digestive enzymes as well to help heal their digestive system. Our immune system is directly tied to our gut.
Food intolerance can heal. It is important to understand the root cause and to treat it. With an autoimmune disorder like celiac, however, even after the body has healed and the antibody levels have reached normal levels, the patient has to remain on a gluten free diet, period.
I certainly hope the medical community researches corn intolerance more fully. If there is an autoimmune condition similar to celiac that is affecting corn eaters society needs to be made aware.