Mould, Fungi, Yeast - Good or Bad For You

Fungi are a glomeration of organisms- fungi are different from bacteria, plants and animals.

Moulds are a group of Fungi called " Hyphomycetes" which are characterised with having filamentous hyphae and producing airborne spores or conidia  (asexual propagules). In nature, moulds are decomposers to recycle natures organic wastes. In medicine they are used to make antibiotics. Breathing in some moulds can produce allergic responses like sneezing, runny noses, red eyes or asthma attacks.

Mushrooms are another form of fungi. The difference is that they have a macroscopic fruiting body what we see as the mushroom shape. All mushrooms are fungi but only a small proportion of these mushrooms are edible. Some are very deadly in fact.

Yeasts are fungi that do not have a filamentous hyphae but are in oval or elliptical shapes that are visible under a microscope.Then to confuse things some will have different shapes under different conditions.

In summary the moulds are fungi, mushrooms are fungi and yeasts are fungal. For some people ingestion of these could be good and for some people this is bad and in the right type and the right amount it can be beneficial all in the balance of nature. If you are unaware of whether to be cautious of fungal type foods please talk to your practitioner to clarify for you individually in regards to this topic and your micro biome. Eg. one person might feel great on Kombucha and / or Saccharomyces whilst another may find them irritants.

What disrupts the balance are diets high in excess sugar, fungi, yeasts, stress, alcohol consumption( especially wine, champagne and beer), medicines like antibiotics, contraceptive pill and environmental exposure.

Some of the fungal types seen in the body are:

Aspergillius - Aspergillius is a group of moulds that peak in the fall and the winter and are commonly found in our homes. It is considered a bad fungi for the body but only a few types of Aspergillius can actually affect our health. Some species are used in commercial applications like for instance there can break down the starch in rice , eg. they are used to make Sake. Be aware of this fungi if you have birds in cages for bird seed and some nuts will be contaminated with aspergillius.

Candida - the species of candida called Candida albicans is commonly found in the gut of most people but can become an issue if there is an overgrowth.

Cladosporium  - this includes some of the most common moulds our environment. 

Fusarium - this is a common soil fungi than can be found all over the world. This is bad for the body 

Mucor - Mucor is a mould commonly found in nature and is also found in the digestive tract. Not usually an issue as cannot grow in a warm environment like the gut.

Penicillium  - Penicillium is one of the most scientifically important types of fungi as it is used to control growth of certain types of bacteria in the body.

Pneumocystis - This is found all over the world in both humans and in animals. Its usually found in low levels in human but can cause significant problems in people who's immune system is compromised.

Saccharomyces - This is now known as one of the most useful fungi. Saccharomyces boulardii is considered to be the king of good fungus. It is strange but its action helps to keep things in balance against bad fungi that present in our digestive tract.

 

Symptoms Of Fungal Overgrowth Can Be:

• Exhaustion
• Coated tongue
• Bad breath
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Vaginal Thrush
• Digestive Disorders- bowel or gas or bloating
• Fungal skin/nail conditions
• Brain fog
• Joint Pain
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Weak Immune System
• Sinus Conditions
• Cravings Of Sugar

 

 

IF YOU ARE PRONE TO SPORES OR FUNGAL CONDITIONS

AVOID:

 

• Any spoiled food - fermented, aged or smoked food.
• Cheese of any kind, including cottage cheese and cream cheese.
• Sour cream, sour milk and buttermilk.  Three or four day old milk.
• Beer, champagne and wine.
• Vinegar and foods containing vinegar such as mayonnaise and other salad dressings, catsup, chilli sauce, pickles, pickled beets, relishes and green olives. Apple Cider can act differently but check with your practitioner first.
• Pickled and smoked meat and fish including delicatessen foods, especially frankfurts, corned beef and pickled tongue.
• Breads made with yeast, coffee cakes and other foods made with large amounts of yeast, especially Vegemite.  Warrandyte Wood Oven Bakery sells a yeast free bread.
• Sauerkraut.
• Cider and homemade root beer.
• Mushrooms and funghi.
• Sugar and honey.
• Citrus fruit - oranges, lemons, mandarins, grapefruit, pineapple & kiwifruit.
• Apple and canteloupe/rockmelon.
• All dried fruit such as apricots, dates, prunes, figs and raisins.
• Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, ketchup, pizza, spaghetti, etc.
• Canned juice, especially apple and tomato.  Avoid all canned foods.
• Buy fresh meat daily if possible or freeze meat as soon as it is brought home.  Freezing retards the growth of moulds.  Avoid food made from leftovers.  Hamburgers mould very rapidly, so use only if made from freshly ground meat.
• Antibiotics and the Contraceptive Pill.
• Kombucha and Kefir check with your practitioner-  KOMBUCHA  is a fashionable drink now but does it fit into your healthy diet. Kombucha has some health benefits but is not right for many. People forget it is based on a mushroom- a fungal base. Depending on types researchers have found kombucha contaminated with candida. Different types might have different levels of candida in it. Yeast in kombucha that feed on sugar produce alcohol and gas. kombucha yeast can produce the irritant carcinogen and pollutant acetaldehyde that can cause a rapid heart rate, sweating, nausea and vommiting when consumed in excess.
  Some research I found spoke of small amounts of lead found in some kombucha too. It is high sugar drink. Even after 21 days of fermentation it can contain 19 percent sugar.