Mold-Heavy Foods

As leaves begin to fall, mold is on the rise. In the beautiful piles of autumn leaves, mold can be hiding, ready to trigger sensitivities. Mold spores can be present in your environment and even find their way into your home, creating mold hotspots that impact your health.

Mold is a structure that certain fungi form due to the development of spores that contain fungal secondary metabolites. A substance that is produced by fungi is mycotoxins, which are toxic to the body and impact intestinal integrity and the gut microbiome. Mycotoxins can be found in foods with mold in them, like grapes, peanuts, and fermented foods.

Exposure and inhalation of mold spores are at the highest risk in the fall. It has been linked to memory issues and anxiety.

Many of us may be suffering from mold allergies and are unaware. Symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat, skin rashes, body aches, and breathing problems are attributed to mold exposure. For those with autoimmune dynamics and asthma, mold can cause flare-ups, immune suppression, and even reactivate viruses and bacterial infections.

Mold may also be linked to shifts in mental health, including anxiety and depression, hormone health, and gut health. That's why it helps to know the foods to avoid with a mold allergy, since cutting back may help limit these effects.

Mold-Heavy Foods

Crops such as corn and high-mold nuts like peanuts can pick up mold in the field or while sitting in damp storage. Some mold types in food are there on purpose: blue cheese and brie are made with Penicillium molds. Kombucha and kefir rely on yeasts, which are also fungi. Mushrooms are fungi themselves.

What foods to avoid with a mold allergy?

Here is a list of mold-heavy foods that I recommend staying away from during the fall:

• Cantaloupe
• Grapes
• Corn
• Peas
• Green Beans
• Mushrooms
• Peanuts
• Peas
• Sesame
• Lentils
• Pistachios
• Brazil Nuts
• Kimchi
• Kombucha
• Kefir
• Black tea
• Blue Cheese
• Swiss
• Brie
• Honey

Steps to Take

To fight the mold culprit:

• Listen to your body and make a list of your symptoms.
• Cut out mold-heavy foods, such as the ones listed above. People with sensitivities looking for relief from mold allergy symptoms may want to follow a mold allergy diet and cut out mold-heavy foods until the first frost.
• Listen to your body to gauge energy, skin, and gut improvements once these foods have been removed from your diet.

With this knowledge about mold allergy and foods to avoid, you can cut back on mycotoxins, which may help support your mental health, hormone health, and gut health.

Simple kitchen habits can help, too. The USDA advises throwing out soft foods with visible mold, like bread, berries and soft cheese, because common food mold can spread below the surface. With hard cheese, you can cut away at least 1 inch around and below the moldy spot. Eat leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

Mold Allergy Foods and the Hidden Reaction

When you compare mycotoxin vs mold allergy, the difference comes down to how your body responds. With an allergy, your immune system reacts to mold proteins, mostly spores you breathe in. Mycotoxins are chemicals that some molds make, and they can end up in food. Not everyone reacts to mold foods the same way. It's thought that some people with a mold allergy may notice symptoms after eating foods made with mold, while others notice nothing at all. The research is still mixed. A 2021 review asked whether mold, mycotoxins and a dysregulated immune system are "a combination of concern." A 2019 paper titled "The Myth of Mycotoxins and Mold Injury" took a more skeptical view. More research is needed, so tracking how you feel after specific foods is a practical place to start.

The Truth About Mold in Nuts

Nuts are a crop. Mold can start growing on them in the field or in damp storage, long before they reach your kitchen. Peanuts, pistachios and Brazil nuts all appear on the list above as high mold nuts. Some of the molds that grow on nuts, mainly Aspergillus species, can produce aflatoxins. The National Cancer Institute lists aflatoxins as a known human carcinogen. The FDA monitors mycotoxin levels in foods. A few simple habits can help keep mold nuts out of your pantry. Buy whole, fresh nuts in smaller amounts. Keep them sealed and cold. If a nut looks shriveled, discolored or fuzzy, or smells musty, toss it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can nuts mold?

Nuts contain plenty of natural oils. Even low-mold nuts can grow mold if they get warm, damp, or just sit out for too long. Store them in an airtight container inside your fridge or freezer. If you notice any musty smells or fuzzy spots, throw them away.

How to tell if you have a mold allergy?

Mold allergy symptoms often look a lot like hay fever, including sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and coughing. These symptoms might get worse in damp rooms, after raking leaves, or as fall sets in. An allergist can confirm a mold allergy with a skin prick test or a blood test. Make sure to bring your symptom list to the appointment.

Do all peanuts have mold?

No, not every peanut is moldy. Peanuts grow underground, though, and they can pick up Aspergillus molds in the field or in damp storage. Some of these molds produce aflatoxins, which the FDA monitors in peanuts and peanut products. Skip any peanuts that look shriveled or discolored, or that smell musty.