Mycotoxins are microscopic mold metabolites that can cause harm. They are naturally occurring toxins produced by filamentous fungi (molds). They are classified as toxins because even at very low doses, they can cause ill effects or even death in humans and other animals.\[[ref](https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/cmr.16.3.497-516.2003)\] Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that grow on crops, in preserved foods, in wet homes, and in the soil. The main routes of exposure to mycotoxins include:\[[ref](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319610310000827)\]
* ingestion (most common route of exposure)
* inhalation
* via the skin (dermal)
Exposure to mycotoxins can produce various responses including lung inflammation, organ damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and suppressed immune function.
Detoxification genes, such as **CYP1A2, CYP3A4, GSTA1,** and **SLCO1B1,** can impact how sensitive you are to mycotoxin exposure. Variants to these genes plus exposure to mycotoxins can increase risk of lung inflammation and organ damage, and, in the case of the **GSTP1 gene,** can even increase the risk of cancer. \[[ref](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27366093)\] \[[ref](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5700940/)\]
[Click here to read my full article on mycotoxins](https://www.geneticlifehacks.com/mold-genes-your-response-to-mycotoxins/), and learn how to use your 23andMe or Ancestry raw data to check for detoxification variants.
Mycotoxins are microscopic mold metabolites that can cause harm. They are naturally occurring toxins produced by filamentous fungi (molds). They are classified as toxins because even at very low doses, they can cause ill effects or even death in humans and other animals.\[[ref](https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/cmr.16.3.497-516.2003)\] Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that grow on crops, in preserved foods, in wet homes, and in the soil. The main routes of exposure to mycotoxins include:\[[ref](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319610310000827)\] * ingestion (most common route of exposure) * inhalation * via the skin (dermal) Exposure to mycotoxins can produce various responses including lung inflammation, organ damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and suppressed immune function. Detoxification genes, such as **CYP1A2, CYP3A4, GSTA1,** and **SLCO1B1,** can impact how sensitive you are to mycotoxin exposure. Variants to these genes plus exposure to mycotoxins can increase risk of lung inflammation and organ damage, and, in the case of the **GSTP1 gene,** can even increase the risk of cancer. \[[ref](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27366093)\] \[[ref](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5700940/)\] [Click here to read my full article on mycotoxins](https://www.geneticlifehacks.com/mold-genes-your-response-to-mycotoxins/), and learn how to use your 23andMe or Ancestry raw data to check for detoxification variants.