7 Signs You Should Be Taking Probiotics After Mold Exposure

Probiotics exist naturally in your gut, but even a minor exposure to a toxigenic mold can deplete them.  And how do we know if they have been depleted? Your body won’t keep quiet about it. There will almost always be one or more signs that it is time to supplement with the RIGHT kind of probiotic.

We will get into more details about probiotics, why they matter, and how to choose the best one to support your gut after a mold exposure, but first, let’s take a look at…

7 Signs You Should Be Taking Probiotics After A Mold Exposure

1. Digestive disturbances to downright embarrassing digestive outbursts. You know what I’m throwing down right? You’re blowing the mother of all farts that are clearing the entire neighborhood when you previously would have a dainty toot that you could easily keep on the down low. Or possibly you are so bloated that you feel like any moment you will literally pop. You could also be working with tummy rumbles and odd pains. Maybe constipation is the culprit. Whatever the case – there is something misfiring in the digestion department.
   
2. Weird skin issues. Your skin may be having one or more issues that are out of character. The skin is a rather large player (square footage wise) when it comes to toxins coming in and out. During and after a mold exposure, your skin may experience anything ranging from an increase in acne to full blown head to toe rashes.
   
3. Asthma and Allergies. If you experience an increase in the severity and duration of asthma and allergies OR you develop allergies out of nowhere, this is a strong sign that mold wreaked havoc on several of your body’s systems.
   
4. Overgrowth of yeast. If you suffer from recurring yeast infections or Candida, then this is a good indicator that there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the body.
   
5. You are unusually moody or emotional. It’s ok to be out of sorts sometimes. But if you are experiencing emotional extremes, experiencing a lot of unfounded anxiety, or feeling very depressed, there could be a gut issue at play. Our gut has more nerves than our brain. Hence why the health of our gut is closely related to the health of our brain. Mold’s evil offspring, the mycotoxin, does a number of your brain which is very likely what is going on for you.
   
6. You get sick ALL THE TIME. You used to be healthy as a horse and now if you even think the word sneeze you find yourself laid out with the worst virus you’ve ever had. Until the next month. And then an even worse virus strikes. Or maybe you are just getting a lot of common colds in a short period of time. When your body is exposed to mold, your immune system goes haywire. You get sick easier, longer, and harder.
   
7. Sleep disturbances and/or constant fatigue. An unhealthy gut due to mold exposure may contribute to sleep disturbances such as insomnia or poor sleep, and therefore lead to chronic fatigue. The majority of the body’s serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and sleep, is produced in the gut. So gut damage can impair your ability to sleep well.

These 7 signs that you should be taking a probiotic after mold exposure aren’t the ONLY way your body might be trying to communicate with you.  The sudden onset of food intolerances, development of autoimmune issues, a general feeling of being rundown, unexplained and unintentional weight fluctuations, and lack of focus can all be ways your body is crying out for help after mold. 

What Are Probiotics?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established the definition of probiotics as “live microorganisms which, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” But there’s more to the story.

Probiotics are a natural part of the body’s environment. The short definition is that they are LIVE microorganisms (microflora) that travel around in our small intestines making their way to the colon where they offer a health benefit to the host.

Probiotics can survive harsh conditions (think stomach acid and bile) and a fairly long journey (have you ever seen intestines laid out end to end)? In general, these good bacteria keep pathogens (harmful microorganisms or bacteria) in check, aid in proper digestion and nutrient absorption, and contribute to immune function. They also crowd out bad bacteria, preventing the bacteria’s ability to host in the body.

Each specific strain (not just the species) must have been clinically studied and shown to be beneficial in a particular way however. Not every strain of probiotics is capable of doing the same thing or offering the same health benefit.

Want to geek out a tad? Let’s look at why probiotics matter.

Over 2,000 years ago, the famous Greek Physician Hypocrites declared “All disease begins in the gut.” It’s pretty safe to say that this is true.

As transient microbes, probiotics travel through your colon, interacting with your immune cells, gut cells, dietary nutrients, and existing bacteria to, directly and indirectly, deliver benefits. Some enhance the gene expressions involved in tight junction signaling, which help protect against intestinal permeability—this means a tight gut barrier. Others trigger neurotransmitters that stimulate muscle contractions for increased motility—think, better, more regular poops. Yet other bacteria produce byproducts like short-chain fatty acids, which have been extensively shown to be beneficial for metabolic and gut immune health. (Credit: Seed)

Probiotic + Prebiotic – Why It Matters

Prebiotics are a relatively new concept as it relates to gut health. The term prebiotic was coined in 1995 although prebiotics have existed in certain plants and plant-based foods forever.

By definition, prebiotics are non-digestible fiber compounds that are degraded by gut microbiota. What’s that mean exactly? Prebiotics are basically the probiotics’ food.

Prebiotics and probiotics play complementary roles for our gut health and work as a team to support your gut microbiome. They work together to maintain the balance of healthy bacteria by helping populate and diversify the live microorganisms themselves (the probiotics) and feeding those microorganisms (the prebiotics). 

Prebiotics are also resistant to the body’s enzymes and gastric acids, which means that they are not destroyed, digested, or absorbed as they travel through your digestive system unlike many probiotics. Prebiotics reach the colon intact and unaltered.

If possible, you want to take a probiotic supplement that is paired with the right kind of prebiotics to maximum it’s effectiveness and benefits. While you certainly can take one without the other or take them separately, you kind of don’t want to. I mean, they basically are soulmates and it’s super bad karma to break up a pairing like that!

Best Probiotic After Mold Exposure

Before we dive into this, I need to VERY CLEARLY state that I am NOT making any sort of medical claim nor am I promising that the benefits you see will match mine. I am not a licensed medical professional so please consult with your trusted provider if warranted. In addition, I was provided a two month supply of the product I am recommending at no cost to me. All opinion are 100% my own, as always.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes probiotics as supplements. Supplements are more loosely regulated compared to food or prescription/OTC medications. As such, the term probiotic has been taken for marketing purposes leaving the consumer with a confusing who’s who of imposters and a very short list of true probiotics.

In Europe, it’s illegal to market something as a probiotic without scientific studies backing it thanks to the European Food Safety Authority. In fact, in many places around the world you will find very high global standards for probiotics both in the manufacturing process but also in the definition and claims of the product.

When looking for the right probiotic to incorporate after a mold exposure, I personally want a company who adheres to FDA regulations, but also looks to those higher global standards like the European Food Safety Authority and Japan’s Foods for Specified Health Uses.

Enter Seed Synbiotic

Seed’s probiotic is a synbiotic, combining 24 DNA verified human-based probiotic bacterial strains with a prebiotic and a strong capsule. It’s also biofermented in Europe and free of all 14 allergen classes under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). That means they can sell in Europe and everything they are stating is backed by science.

Remember when I mentioned that the strains of probiotic are very important in WHAT the probiotic can accomplish? After a mold exposure, the strains matter even more! Let’s take a look at what strains are found in Seed’s formulation:

• Bifidobacterium adolescentis
• Bifidobacterium breve
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Bifidobacterium lactis
• Bifidobacterium longum
• Lactobacillus casei
• Lactobacillus crispatus
• Lactobacillus fermentum
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus salivarius

Now that I blew your mind wide open with that mega-list of probiotic strains, let’s chat about how these strains may help someone dealing with the ill effects of mold exposure.

Supports Gastrointestinal Health and Recovery After Mold Exposure

• Supports digestive health (to maintain regularity, ease bloating, and can alleviate occasional constipation)
• Helps improve stool hydration and ease of evacuation
• May alleviate occasional gastrointestinal discomfort associated with increased intestinal transit time

Gut Barrier Integrity

• Helps maintain healthy gut barrier function and integrity (something that mold annihilates)
• Improves tight junction function in vitro
• Supports gut barrier integrity from ethanol- and endotoxin-induced (lipopolysaccharide) permeability in vitro

Gut Immune Function

• Supports healthy gut immune function and ‘cross-talk’ between immune and intestinal cells
• Supports healthy immunological responses in the gastrointestinal tract
• Increases production of short-chain fatty acids
• Attenuates lipopolysaccharide induced response in vitro

Skin Health

• Promotes healthy skin
• Reinforces healthy gut-skin axis

Cardiovascular Health

• Promotes heart health
• Helps maintain blood cholesterol levels already in the normal range
• Supports healthy intestinal recycling of cholesterol and bile

The power of the prebiotic can’t be overlooked.

You guys – Seed’s prebiotic blend is unmatched! Seriously unmatched.

While most prebiotics today fall into the category of dietary fibers such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), or inulin, Seed’s Microbiota-Accessible Prebiotic [MAP] Blend introduces an entirely new class of patented, plant-based prebiotic compounds that are biotransformed by gut bacteria into beneficial metabolites for the body.

The MAP Blend includes polyphenols from Indian pomegranate, polysaccharides from Scandinavian chaga mushroom, and oligomeric proanthocyanidins from Scandinavian pine. These ingredients are non-fermentative, meaning, unlike FOS, GOS, and inulin, they are not fermented by gut bacteria (fermentative activity can sometimes cause discomfort – aka gas and bloating).

How do I know that Seed’s Daily Synbiotic will survive digestion and arrive in my colon? 

The capsule contains a Chlorophyllin exterior which shields it from light, while the liquid prebiotic suspension acts as an additional barrier to oxygen, moisture, and heat (which bacteria are sensitive to). Seed makes public their testing from the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®), which is the most difficult deliverability test simulating the human gut.

As if all that Seed goodness wasn’t enough, here are a few more reasons why their Daily Synbiotic (and the company) are far superior to anything else I have tried.

• Every microbe has its own preferred growth medium and ideal fermentation parameters for maximum viability as a probiotic. Seed’s bacteria are biofermented in conditions optimized for pH, temperature, oxygen, water activity, and 26 other growth factors.
• Health after mold exposure means making sure everything going IN and ON my body is chemical and toxin free. Glyphosate is a huge one for me to avoid. Seed tests their product for pesticide residue and is sharing all their glyphosate testing laboratory results. Even better is that it’s from a lab that I trust. There results are non-detect, meaning they aren’t able to detect glyphosate or AMPA (a breakdown chemical) at or above 10 parts per billion, which is the lowest you can go, in their probiotic.
• The Daily Synbiotic blend is gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, and ketogenic amongst other things.
• Seed uses a dark green glass bottle. This means no toxic byproducts from plastic are getting into your probiotic + prebiotic blend.
• Seed uses cool compostable Mycelium Tray packaging and FSC certified boxes.
• Refills are available for your cool green glass bottle to help cut down on waste.
• Seed created a probiotic for bees. Yes, you read that right. They want to take care of our precious bees. You can check out how they are doing this here.

Do I Use Seed’s Daily Synbiotic?

I do now. For years I took another probiotic that I thought was the bees-knees. Little did I know it was only the bees ankle.

Don’t get me wrong… my previous probiotic of choice helped me. I mean, not ALL probiotics out there are bad. But in the short time I have been using Seed Daily Synbiotic I have noticed some well, noticeable differences.

I’m not a gassy person by nature but there are a couple of trigger foods. It didn’t occur to me until a few nights ago that I wasn’t having my standard concerto post-broccoli consumption.

I have noticed that I am also eliminating more efficiently. I was pretty efficient before but without diving into TMI and alienating you all, just trust me when I say that things have went from pretty darn good to most excellent.

I have an annoying rash that flares during the desert spring bloom. Well spring is here and I haven’t sprung a rash yet. This would be a first in 6 springs.

I will certainly update this post with continued changes that I experience as well as those I observe in my daughter. I am about to swap her old probiotic for the Seed Daily Synbiotic and can’t wait to see what happens!

Would You Like To Try Seed Daily Synbiotic For Yourself?

You can and it’s super simple!

Step 1: Go to the Seed store page and start the order process. You get free shipping, the ability to cancel or skip a shipment without questions, and a 30 day risk free guarantee.

Step 2: Enter code HYBRIDRASTAMAMA at checkout to get 15% off the first month of your Daily Synbiotic subscription. Don’t worry – if you don’t love it, you can cancel with no questions asked.

If you need to do more research go right on ahead! You can visit the Seed website where you can dive as deep as you want to go into gut health, microbiome, science, their process, their team, and everything in between. You can also go to Seed University. I did and loved all that I learned!

It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you were exposed to mold! You need probiotics after mold exposure.

I can almost guarantee that no matter what sort of detox from mold you have done, your gut still needs a boost. I am so pleased the Seed Synbiotic came into my life (and my gut) and I know you will be too!