Have you recently tested for mycotoxins and identified that you’re dealing with a toxic mold problem? If you’re looking to learn how to get rid of mycotoxins, quercetin for mold could be the missing piece of your puzzle. Keep reading because this post will highlight why quercetin is one of the top supplements for supporting mold detox. 

We know that mold detox symptoms can be rough…

You may experience anything from fatigue, brain fog, or widespread joint pain to miserable hormonal imbalances that make female monthly periods absolutely miserable. 

Quercetin for mold is hands down, one of the best supplements to help minimize symptoms of mycotoxin toxicity.

Table of contents

What is Quercetin?

Quercetin is a flavonoid compound found in various fruits, vegetables, and plants, and it is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.[1] 

There are a number of benefits associated with quercetin, including:

  • Antioxidant properties 
  • Immune system support 
  • Allergy support 
  • Anti-cancer properties
  • Cardiovascular support 
  • Antiinflammatory support

Foods high in quercetin include:

  • Citrus fruits
  • Apples
  • Onions
  • Parsley
  • Sage
  • Green tea
  • Red wine
  • Olive oil
  • Grapes
  • Dark cherries
  • Berries 

While we always want to have a “food first” approach, it can be difficult to get the therapeutic dose of quercetin from food, which is where a quercetin supplement may be useful. 

Why use Quercetin for Mold?

1. Decrease Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

As we have discussed in previous posts, mold exposure can really take a toll on your health and ultimately result in chronic issues relating to inflammation and poor immunity.

The body’s immune system really takes a hit with chronic exposure to mold, and many of the symptoms of mycotoxin exposure can include allergy and respiratory problems. Quercetin is fantastic for helping manage these allergy-like symptoms. [2]  

What’s crazy is that people go months and years without even realizing that they are being exposed to mold, so depending on how long mycotoxins are in your body, it can take a lot of time for symptoms to resolve fully, even once you remove yourself from the environment. 

This is where quercetin for mold can be supportive when symptoms are nagging and uncomfortable.

How does mold cause mast cells to react?

Mold is something “foreign” to the body, and when something foreign comes into the body, the body sets off a mast cell reaction to fight this invader.

Mast cell reactions include:

  • Itching
  • Hives 
  • Flushing 
  • Rash
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Rapid heart rate 
  • Headaches
  • Anxiety or panic attacks
  • Fatigue

Many of these mast cell reaction symptoms can be some of the first and last symptoms to come and go when detoxing from mold. 

Mast cell symptoms are nasty, so calming them down while working through your mold detox process is crucial. This is where quercetin can be very effective! Quercetin for mold has even been shown to be more effective than prescription medication.[3] 

2. Prevent DNA Damage

It’s well established that mycotoxins have the ability to damage DNA, potentially increasing the risk of developing cancer.[4] 

Quercetin to the resue again! 

Using quercetin for mold may actually prevent some of the harmful effects that toxic mold can have in damaging DNA.[5] 

So, while Quercetin may not be directly responsible for removing mycotoxins from the body, it can reduce some of the effects the mold can have on our cells.

Its anti-oxidant properties have been shown to:

  1. support the immune system
  2. reduces allergic responses 
  3. positively impact the gut
  4. support the liver in detoxifying the mycotoxins.[6] 

When using quercetin alongside other mold treatments such as liposomal glutathione supplements or the Cellcore Biotoxin and Carboxy binders, you can finally start to feel that relief!

3. Reduce Inflammation

Quercetin is a powerful anti-inflammatory and when dealing with mold illness or trying to rid your body of mycotoxins, you will experience an increased amount of inflammation.

Why?

As you mobilize mold toxins with the use of glutathione, binders, sweating in a sauna, increased water intake, exercise, etc., your immune system will be revved up as your body sees more foreign things floating around in it. When your body identifies things that should be in the body, it sends out its soldiers, AKA inflammatory cytokines and mediators, to take care of the problem.

When there is an increase in inflammatory cytokines and mediators, we have increased inflammation, which leads to more fatigue, joint stiffness, muscle aches, etc.

So, as you work to rid your body of toxins, using quercetin for mold can help reduce inflammation.

4. Decrease Free Radicals

With mold floating around causing damage to our cells, there will be more free radicals that need to be “neutralized” by antioxidants.

Good news, quercetin is an excellent antioxidant and can help with removing oxidation caused by mold.

5. Support the Immune System

As the body battles inflammation, increased mast cells, and more free radicals, the immune system will be under considerable stress.

Fortunately, research shows that quercetin helps support the immune system. In fact, clinical studies have proven quercetin is helpful in supporting the immune system in fighting the COVID-19 virus.

An important thing to keep in mind is that overcoming mold illness can be a lengthy process. For some people its only 3 months, while for others it’s 3 years. We’ve personally worked with many clients to help accelerate this process. We’ve also gone through it ourselves.

If you’re struggling with mold illness and are looking for help, we offer 1 on 1 virtual coaching. We’ve been in your shoes and have helped countless clients overcome their struggles too. 👉Book a free 15-minute strategy call👈 with us to map out a plan for overcoming your health issues.

6. Decrease Allergies and Allergic Reactions

When battling mold and the immune system is stressed, we’re more likely to suffer from allergies.

In fact, one of the members of our team never had an issues with seasonal allergies in the spring until they had toxic mold exposure.

High quality research in a randomized and placebo-controlled study on quercetin showed that those who consumed 200mg of quercetin phytosome daily for 4 weeks had decreased allergic reactions including eye itching and sneezing.

7. Decrease Heavy Metals

When the body is struggling to detox because of mycotoxin illness, heavy metals can build up in the body. However, another benefit to using quercetin for mold is that it can help us get rid of heavy metals.

Interestingly, allicin (found in garlic), and quercetin not only show the ability to be strong antioxidants, they also help the body excrete heavy metals, which is also known as chelating heavy metal ions.[9]

What is the Best Quercetin to use for Mold? 

As with any supplement, the options on the shelf can be incredibly overwhelming! There are so many options, so how can you possibly choose the best quercetin for mold?!

“What’s the best brand?”

“What form of quercetin is the best?”

“What dosage should I look for?”

We know these are the questions you’re asking yourself as you browse the supplement aisle.

Generally speaking, quercetin supplements that contain quercetin phytosome should be your go-to. This form has been shown to be more absorbable and powerful compared to regular quercetin.[7]

The recommended dose for quercetin is typically 500 mg at a time and should be taken before a meal.

There are so many more questions to be answered about the best quercetin for mold supplements…

Thankfully, we’ve written an entire article on the best quercetin supplements and brands to help save you loads of time and energy in picking the best quercetin supplement for you.  

Summary

The point is that using quercetin for mold should be in your mold detox arsenal.

Hopefully, after this article, you feel excited to work this supplement into your regimen!

Now, we cannot reiterate enough that quercetin should not be used as a substitute for proper mycotoxin detoxification or proper remediation of mold in your environment, such as in your home or office. Using quercetin is just a piece of the puzzle when working to decrease inflammation and manage symptoms related to mycotoxins in the body. 

References:

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32751996/
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7227109/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22470478/
  4. https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/or.2017.5424
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15691067/
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7254783/
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6418071/
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35776034/
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34372660/#:~:text=Plant%20extracts%20allicin%20and%20quercetin,and%20chelating%20heavy%20metal%20ions.