Recently, Dr John attended a nutrition seminar focused on mycotoxins - a topic that's becoming increasingly relevant in modern health care, yet is still widely misunderstood.

Many people are familiar with mould, but mycotoxins are something different.

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain moulds as a form of protection.

Not all moulds produce mycotoxins, and not all mould exposure automatically means mycotoxin exposure - but when they are present, they can have a significant impact on how the body functions.

What makes mycotoxins particularly tricky is that moulds are incredibly resilient. They can tolerate freezing temperatures, which means they can show up not only in homes, but also in cars, workplaces, and everyday environments. While much mould is killed during food and crop processing, mycotoxins themselves can survive, making them a less obvious but ongoing source of stress on the body.

How Mycotoxins can affect the body

Mycotoxins don't usually cause one single, obvious symptom. Instead, they tend to disrupt systems - especially in people whose bodies are already under stress.

Research and clinical observation show that mycotoxins may:

• Reduce liver detoxification capacity
• Activate the cell danger response
• Create chronic immune activation
• Trigger mast cell activation
• Contribute to autonomic nervous system dysfunction
• Interfere with healthy cell-to-cell communication

When cells aren't communicating clearly, the body's signals can become confused - leading to symptoms that don't always fit neatly into one diagnosis.

Common Symptoms Linked to Mycotoxin Stress

Because mycotoxins affect multiple systems, symptoms can appear widespread or unexplained, including:

• Ongoing fatigue or low energy
• Brain fog or difficultly concentrating
• Gut dysfunction or IBS-type symptoms
• Oxidative stress
• Chronic immune activation
• Muscle or joint pain

For some people, mycotoxins may be worth considering when there's a "mystery illness" - where tests are inconclusive, or symptoms don't fully resolve despite treatment.

They may also play a role in:

• Unexplained respiratory symptoms
• Chronic sinus issues, bronchitis, or asthma
• New onset of food sensitivities or allergies
• Increased sensitivity to electromagnetic fields
• Mast cell activation symptoms
• Hormonal disruption

Patterns That Can Be a Clue

There are also certain patterns that can suggest mycotoxins may be involved, such as:

• Feeling noticeably better when away from your home or workplace
• Frequent urination
• Dizziness when moving from sitting to standing
• Intestinal permeability ("leaky gut")
• Disrupted microbiome or yeast overgrowth
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• Zinc deficiency
• Heightened fear or stress responses

These patterns don't automatically mean mycotoxins are the cause - but they can be important pieces of the puzzle.

Why We Look Deeper at Self-Trust

At Self-Trust, our approach is always about understanding why the body is responding the way it is - not just managing the symptoms.

Through chiropractic care and professional applied kinesiology, John Sutherland can investigate underlying stressors that may be contributing to your health challenges, including environmental, neurological, immune, and biochemical factors. This allows us to look at how your body is adapting, compensating, and communicating - so care can be tailored to you.

We are continually learning, refining, and expanding our clinical understanding so we can better support your body's innate ability to regulate, heal, and restore balance.

If you're experiencing ongoing or unexplained symptoms and feel like something deeper may be at play, this is something John can explore with you during your consultation.

Your body holds wisdom. Sometimes it just needs the right questions to be asked.