EnviroTOX Burden

The following tests provide valuable insight into metabolism, nutrient needs, food sensitivities and metal toxicity.

• IgG Food Map with Candida + Yeast
• Heavy Metals Hair
• Organic Acids Test

Several substances measured by TOX Body Burden may come from various sources of exposure. The panel cannot determine the specific origin of the toxicant, but it can provide information on the most common sources. By collaborating with your healthcare provider, you can investigate and eliminate potential sources of exposure. 

Mosaic Diagnostics offers written interpretations within test reports and complimentary consultations with our clinical educators for qualified practitioners. To schedule a consultation, simply sign in to your MosaicDX account and book a consultation online. 

We encourage all patients to discuss results with your practitioner.

Our Resources tab also contains educational materials that you may find useful, we also offer MosaicEDGE workshops for qualified practitioners to better understand the fundamentals of lab testing.

If you or a patient has had a TOXDetect Profile and/or a Glyphosate Test run and found moderate-high levels of any compounds, there are things you can do to help your body eliminate the toxins and to prevent future exposures. The first steps to reducing the amount of toxins presently in the body are to switch to eating only organic food and drinking water that has common toxins, including pesticides filtered out. Most conventional food crops are exposed to larger and larger doses of pesticides and herbicides, and by switching to organic you will prevent exposure to hundreds of these toxicants. Many of these chemicals have also contaminated our water supplies. Installing a high-quality water filtration system in the home that eliminates them is important to do and there are several options available.  

The next step to avoiding future exposures is to change the products you use on a daily basis – from food and beverage containers to beauty and cleaning products. Instead of using plastic water bottles and food containers, switch to glass or metal. Never microwave food in plastic or Styrofoam containers and do not drink hot beverages from plastic or Styrofoam cups. Make sure your shampoo, soaps, lotions, and other beauty products are free of phthalates. Use cleaning products made from natural ingredients or make your own at home.  

To eliminate toxins from the body, we highly recommend exercise and the use of saunas, especially infrared sauna therapy to rid many chemicals through sweat. Infrared sauna is superior to conventional sauna because it reaches deeper into the body, increasing the circulation in the blood vessels, and causing the body to start to releasing many of the chemicals stored in body fat.  

There are two supplements that are particularly useful in helping the body detoxify. The first is glutathione, or its precursor N-acetyl cysteine. Glutathione is one of the most common molecules used by the body to eliminate toxic chemicals. If you are constantly exposed to toxicants your stores of glutathione could be depleted. The second supplement is vitamin B3 (niacin). Some may not enjoy the flushing that can happen when taking niacin, however, this flushing is from the blood vessels dilating, which is useful in the detoxification process.  If sensitive to the flushing, start with the lowest recommended dose and work up from there.

As expected with the clinical standard of care, results from any diagnostic test – including those of the MycoTOX profile – should always be considered within the context of each patient’s unique history and clinical presentation. Given that, the information provided on potential therapeutic support for patients with mycotoxin exposure is provided for educational purposes only.

In general, practitioners working with patients with mold and/or mycotoxin exposure focus on three key clinical areas:

• Addressing Mycotoxin Exposure
• Supporting the Foundations of Health
• Judicious Use of Supplements and/or Pharmaceuticals

Address Mycotoxin Exposure

First-Line Remediation/Defense: Removal/Avoidance of the Offending Agent

The first line of defense against mycotoxin exposure – as with any toxin or toxicant – is identification and remediation of the source of exposure with the goal of preventive exposure strategies going forward.

Support the Foundations of Health

Focus on Critical Lifestyle and Physiologic Elimination Functions

Optimize Elimination

• Gut Function
  • Support phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification
  • Provide treatments aimed at abnormalities in gut microflora and functioning; probiotics, treating infections and avoiding food allergens.
• Hydration
  • Support elimination/excretion via the kidney
• Sweating (movement, saunas, etc.)
  • Support elimination/excretion via dermal routes

Optimize Nutrition

• Focus on a whole foods diet to maximize fiber and nutrient density

Judicious Use of Supplements and/or Pharmaceuticals

Personalization of the therapeutic journey is key as each patient’s presentation and history is unique.

Clinicians working with patients with mycotoxin exposure and/or symptoms may consider working with the following:

• Foundational support
  • Multivitamin/mineral, probiotic (acidophilus + bifidus strains), antioxidants, and essential fatty acids
• Detoxification support
  • NAC, glutathione
• Binders
• Anti-fungals
  • These pharmaceuticals should be assessed for use on a clinical case-by-case basis ONLY given challenges related to their potential, significant side-effects.

Application of the creatinine correction is a technique to reduce excessive variation in urine test results due to differences in fluid intake prior to collection of urine samples. Dividing the amount of a substance in urine by creatinine corrects for cases in which the patient may be dehydrated or excessively hydrated. In the case of dehydration, failure to perform creatinine correction might indicate that the person has toxic levels of mycotoxins when, in fact, the values are high just due to dehydration. With creatinine correction, such an error is avoided.

Mycotoxins are low molecular weight, secondary metabolites of fungal (mold) compounds which are increasingly recognized as a global health threat given their role in precipitating both acute and chronic adverse health outcomes.

• Common fungi sources of mycotoxins include species such as Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, and Claviceps. To date nearly 400 potentially toxic mycotoxins produced by more than 100 fungi species have been identified, although research has focused on the most toxigenic in the public health, veterinary, and agricultural realms.
• Exposure to mycotoxins may occur through a variety of routes such as inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact from airborne mold spores, food contamination, and water-damaged building environments.
• Susceptibility to mycotoxins is influenced by a patient’s age, sex, presence of other underlying diseases and/or exposures, nutritional status, and length of exposure.
• While mycotoxin toxicity may present as an acute state marked by rapid onset with potential life-threatening illness, most of the negative health impacts observed in the developed (Western) world are due to chronic, low-dose exposures. These long-term exposures have been associated with a variety of systemic effects (mycotoxicoses) in both humans and animals – and most commonly manifest as nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, immunosuppression, carcinogenicity, and teratogenicity.

Acute mycotoxin effects are characterized by rapid onset and toxic response in the target organ most affected by the offending agent.

As an example, consumption of large doses of aflatoxins can result in life-threatening, acute poisoning (aflatoxicosis) due to detrimental impact on the liver.

Acute mycotoxin effects are more frequently observed in economically poorer global areas where sub-optimal food cultivation, harvesting, and storage practices are common; malnutrition is a constant presence; and a poor regulatory environment exists.

Chronic mycotoxin effects are characterized by lower exposure doses over longer periods of time – and symptoms attributed to chronic mycotoxin exposure are wide-ranging in their impact on an array of physiologic systems and functions.

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain types of molds – microscopic filamentous fungi that are pervasive in both outdoor and indoor environments. Common routes of exposure to these low-molecular weight compounds include inhalation, dermal contact, and ingestion via common contaminated food sources (corn, cereals, ground and tree nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples, coffee, meat, milk, and eggs).

Attention is increasingly being given to indoor air pollution resulting not only from the influx of irritant agents (spores, pollens) from the outdoor environment, but also from the growth of molds, fungi and bacteria on almost all indoor materials (drywall, paint, wallpaper, carpeting, etc.) when excessive moisture is present in high humidity geographic areas or water-damaged buildings. The growth of these biological agents in damp environments leads to the production of spores, cells, fragments and volatile organic compounds which have been linked to a wide range of health hazards, including exacerbation of asthma as well as allergic and infectious respiratory diseases infections.

Adverse health effects may be acute or chronic in nature, and the degree of impact can vary depending on the age, sex, genetics, and underlying health status of the exposed individual, as well as the duration and dose magnitude of the offending substance and their synergistic effects with other mycotoxins.

Because mycotoxins are byproducts of mold metabolism, clinicians assessing symptomatic patients with known mold exposure – or with an environmental history concerning for mold exposure – will also need to consider the concomitant presence of mycotoxins and their potential negative health impact as well.

The MycoTOX profile is designed to accurately detect mycotoxins produced by various toxic molds. However, it does not indicate the location or source of the mold, whether it is in your home, workplace, or elsewhere. Mycotoxin exposure can come from both dietary and environmental sources. Spoiled food is a dietary source, while living or working in water-damaged buildings, airborne or physical contact with outdoor molds, and airborne dust in buildings containing mold spores are environmental sources. 

Currently, there are no established guidelines for retesting mycotoxins after intervention. However, some healthcare providers recommend retesting at 3-6 months, 12 months, and annually as part of a wellness screen. Individuals with severe mold and mycotoxin-related illnesses may require more frequent testing. 

Molds thrive in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and exposure to mold-rich environments may result in a variety of health effects ranging from mild to severe depending on an individual’s sensitivity or underlying allergy to mold.

Given their ubiquitous presence, testing should be considered in anyone with signs and/or symptoms of mold exposure – or an environmental history for a known current or past exposure to mold.

Individuals at highest risk for health problems when exposed to mold include those with:

• Underlying immune system dysfunction (history of atopy, immune suppression, or immunodeficiency)
• Underlying chronic lung disease
• Infants, young children, and the elderly
• Workers employed in jobs that result in high and ongoing levels of exposure (farm/dairy workers, lumber/wood workers, winemakers).

VOCs are chemicals that easily evaporate into the air and can originate from various sources both indoors like household and beauty products, building materials, and cigarette smoke, as well as outdoors like vehicle emissions, industrial processes, construction activities, agriculture from pesticides, gasoline vapors, and from VOC containing paints, coatings, and sealants. Their impact on human health may include respiratory irritation, headaches, and dizziness, with some VOCs being carcinogenic and harmful to the nervous system. Certain VOCs have been linked to reproductive and developmental issues.

Phthalates are a series of widely used chemicals found in most products that have contact with plastics during production, packaging, or delivery.  These plasticizers which make plastic more flexible, and durable are associated with a number of health problems including reproductive, neurological, respiratory, and increased risk of certain types of cancer.(16,17,18)  Most significantly they are known as endocrine disruptors.(15)   Phthalates are referred to as “the everywhere chemical” due to the fact they are used in hundreds of products, including toys, food packaging, shampoo, vinyl flooring, and more.

Test turnaround times vary by test, with most results available 7-20 days after receipt at our lab. Keep track through your MosaicDX patient dashboard.

The primary focus of treatment for glyphosate toxicity should be to identify the source of exposure and take steps to prevent future exposure.

Two effective ways to avoid glyphosate exposure include consuming non-GMO foods and drinking reverse osmosis water. A recent study found that individuals who consume organic foods have significantly lower levels of glyphosate in their urine. Humic acids have also been shown to be a safe way to adsorb glyphosate in the GI tract

Resource list:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/004896979290134E 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653513014987 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5296205/ 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20553181/ 

https://www.vetservis.sk/media/object/433/effects_of_humic_acid_on_animals_and_humans.pdf 

If you or a patient has had a TOXDetect Profile and/or a Glyphosate Test run and found moderate-high levels of any compounds, there are things you can do to help your body eliminate the toxins and to prevent future exposures. The first steps to reducing the amount of toxins presently in the body are to switch to eating only organic food and drinking water that has common toxins, including pesticides filtered out. Most conventional food crops are exposed to larger and larger doses of pesticides and herbicides, and by switching to organic you will prevent exposure to hundreds of these toxicants. Many of these chemicals have also contaminated our water supplies. Installing a high-quality water filtration system in the home that eliminates them is important to do and there are several options available.  

The next step to avoiding future exposures is to change the products you use on a daily basis – from food and beverage containers to beauty and cleaning products. Instead of using plastic water bottles and food containers, switch to glass or metal. Never microwave food in plastic or styrofoam containers and do not drink hot beverages from plastic or styrofoam cups. Make sure your shampoo, soaps, lotions, and other beauty products are free of phthalates. Use cleaning products made from natural ingredients or make your own at home.  

To eliminate toxins from the body, we highly recommend exercise and the use of saunas, especially infrared sauna therapy to rid many chemicals through sweat. Infrared sauna is superior to conventional sauna because it reaches deeper into the body, increasing the circulation in the blood vessels, and causing the body to start to releasing many of the chemicals stored in body fat.  

There are two supplements that are particularly useful in helping the body detoxify. The first is glutathione, or its precursor N-acetyl cysteine. Glutathione is one of the most common molecules used by the body to eliminate toxic chemicals. If you are constantly exposed to toxicants your stores of glutathione could be depleted. The second supplement is vitamin B3 (niacin). Some may not enjoy the flushing that can happen when taking niacin, however, this flushing is from the blood vessels dilating, which is useful in the detoxification process. If sensitive to the flushing, start with the lowest recommended dose and work up from there.

Yes, it is possible to conduct multiple urine tests using a single urine sample, provided that the volume requirement for each test is met. The urine collection container typically holds around 50 mL of urine. However, for timed and 24-hour urine tests, a specialized collection jug or bag is necessary. 

To ensure optimal results, it is recommended to ship urine specimens to the laboratory immediately after collection as they start degrading in quality soon after. In case immediate shipping is not possible, here are some guidelines for specimen stability: Urine samples can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and for extended periods in the freezer. This applies to all urine tests performed at MosaicDX, except for the Kryptopyrrole test, for which urine must be frozen immediately and received within 24 hours of collection for accurate results.