What happens if you eat mold: dangers and what to do

founder of the International Institute of Integrative Nutritionology

How can mold be dangerous?

Food mold is an unappetizing sight, and eating moldy food is a health hazard. Mold and fungus can cause food poisoning, allergies, and worsen the course of chronic diseases.

Mold grows on all kinds of foods: bread, milk and yogurt, fruits and vegetables, meat, and even canned goods.

Consuming moldy foods can lead to serious health problems:

moderate to severe poisoning;
allergic reactions;
digestive distress due to bacteria in the intestines;
vomiting;
dizziness and nausea;
sharp and cutting pain in the abdomen;
permanent or irreversible liver damage;
parasite infestation.

Learn more about the dangers of mold.

Table of Contents

Salmonellosis risk

Rotten and moldy foods breed pathogenic bacteria and toxic substances that can cause food poisoning. Expired food can activate the pathogens of salmonellosis, a very unpleasant disease with many side effects.

Toxin poisoning

Spoiled dairy products, meat and home-canned food contain the toxin Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, an acute toxic-infectious disease. Moldy foods are deeply affected by the fungus, so cutting off spoiled parts from vegetables, fruits, cheese or bread does not protect against the risk of poisoning.

Disorders of the stomach, kidneys and other organs

Prolonged exposure to mold can lead to internal bleeding in the stomach, kidney, liver and lung disorders.

Some vegetables are dangerous, not just when they start to spoil. Many of them are not recommended to eat raw at all – no matter how fresh they are. Told about such vegetables in the material.

Is it possible to save the product, which began to mold

I note that pathogenic mold bacteria are not killed by heat treatment, and some types of mycotoxins, on the contrary, grow in a warm environment. So don’t try to salvage foods with little mold or signs of mustiness. For example, meat and fish are the most “favorable” products for the development and reproduction of many types of parasites, especially helminths. When boiling or frying the product, the most dangerous and tenacious pathogens are not killed and get into the body with food.

Mold fungi produce poisonous mycotoxins, which predominantly develop on fruits and vegetables. Once in the human body, they can cause a variety of diseases – both chronic and developing relatively quickly, while deadly. The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol affects the liver, as well as the gastric mucosa. As an immunosuppressant, it can cause kidney dysfunction.

When eating contaminated cereals (bread, cereals, baked goods), a person experiences nausea.

Corn, oats, barley, nuts, bananas and black pepper are affected by zearalenone. This mycotoxin causes breast and sex hormone disorders because it acts similarly to the hormone estrogen.

Any mold carries health risks, except for the noble molds of the beneficial fungal cultures Penicillium and Botrytis cinerea, which impart flavor to cheeses, salami, wine, and other foods. These types of mold normalize intestinal function and reduce the risk of cardiovascular pathologies, perform the function of a natural preservative of products.

Do not try to preserve a spoiled product, even if mold has just appeared. Because of its microscopic size, mold spreads spores over the entire product, penetrating deep inside the bread or vegetable, and the green islands are only visible areas of overgrown colonies.

Under no circumstances should you give expired products to children. The risk of poisoning, intoxication and even death is very high.

And about how to properly accustom the child to a healthy diet, we tell you in our article.

How to prevent the appearance of mold

Observe the rules of storage:

Store bread separately from other foods, preferably in a dry and well-ventilated bread bin;
Cover jars with lids and wrap food in cellophane bags or food wrap before putting it in the refrigerator or cupboard;
clean the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets at least once a month with a weak solution of baking soda (2-3 teaspoons of baking soda per liter of water).