What Happens If You Eat Mold: 6 Potential Health Risks

Mold on food items is one of the common issues in everyday life that most households face. It’s not edible and often raises many questions. The concern that usually comes to mind is, “What happens if you eat mold by mistake?”. It’s widespread, and there’s no need to worry if you accidentally consume mold. However, some types of mold on certain foods can be toxic, so you must be more cautious. In this article, we will help you guide every detail on how mold grows, how it affects your health, how to manage moldy food, and how to prevent its growth. Read on!

Also Read:10 Symptoms of Foodborne Illness that need attention

Types Of Mold Found In Food

Mold generally looks like a hair-like structure, which can be seen on the surface of many food items. It mostly loves to thrive in wet or warm places by breaking down the substances it survives on. The most common types of mold found in food are Fusarium, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Penicillium, or Mucor. Here, you can take a look at a variety of foods in which these different molds grow:

• Fusarium- Typically, it lives on grains like maize, barley, and wheat.
• Aspergillus- It grows primarily on fruits, green vegetables, grains, spices, and nuts.
• Penicillium- It can be seen on bread, and cheese such as blue cheese or camembert.
• Mucor- This mold type thrives on fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
• Rhizopus- It is found in bread, soft fruits and vegetables(strawberries or tomatoes), and baked goods.

Also Read:Leftover Rice could Make you Sick

How Does Mold Grow On Food?

The spores of mold are everywhere around you. You can’t see them because of their microscopic size and inability to cause any physical damage to you. The mold develops on foods such as bread, fruits, jellies, cheese, yogurt, vegetables, jams, and many more. These spores of mold grow on the food items just by making their way from the environment and directly landing on the warm surfaces of the food. Once they find the ideal host, they start to thrive on them. Sometimes, poor storage or the product’s expiry period can be the reason for mold growth. The symptoms mainly include unusual colored patches or white spots, accompanied by softer skin of the food than usual or a bad smell.

Can You Cut Down The Mold From Food?

Some people find it acceptable to remove the mold-affected part of food and eat it anyway. As you have a basket of strawberries, some might have turned moldy while some may be in good condition. Dropping the rotten ones and washing and eating the rest is not appropriate. You won’t know what type of mold you might be consuming with your food and whether it is safe or harmful. Sometimes, along with mold, you can destroy bacteria as well. These bacteria have the potential to hide inside the food, which is why contiguous mold is harmful.

According to theFDA, some bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes, when grown on certain food items, even if these products are refrigerated or undergo preservation measures, can cause severe foodborne diseases like Listeria. The effects of Listeria can be nausea, fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, headache, and vomiting. Many types of mold, such as Stachybotrys chartarum(atra), are toxic to your health and cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Moreover, some mold types develop harmful toxins like aflatoxins, which can be extremely dangerous to health and even can cause death.

What Happens If You Eat Mold?

What happens if you accidentally eat mold? There are chances of some severe effects, which include food poisoning, allergic reactions, sinus headaches, liver issues, etc. According to the WHO, a type of mold called mycotoxins can cause adverse health effects like immune deficiency and even cancer. The severity of the symptoms caused by the mold depends on the age, how much amount is consumed, and the overall health. Here are the associated health risks of mold exposure:

1. Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is the first thing that may happen after you mistakenly eat moldy food such as bread. Now, can stale bread make you sick? Yes, the harmful bacteria and fungi that grow together in the bread may irritate your stomach and cause serious complications. The initial symptoms of food poisoning are feeling sick, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness, dizziness, and nausea. The severity of the complications also depends on the amount of food you consume and the type of bacteria. If you have food poisoning, you should seek professional help. Checking the symptoms’ seriousness, doctors will provide antibiotic medications, ask to remain well-hydrated, and even replace the lost salts. However, if you take proper rest and care, you can usually recover from food poisoning in a few days.

2. Mold Allergies

You might also show an allergic reaction to some types of mold. Therefore, you should completely stay away from eating any moldy food. The common symptoms of mold allergies might include skin rashes or hives, watery nose, sneezing, red, itchy, watery eyes, and stuffy nose. Sometimes coughing, shortness of breath and even hard time breathing can also happen in severe cases. If you experience mold allergies, reach out to health professionals as soon as possible to get effective treatment at the right time before it gets worse. Doctors may prescribe some medications such as corticosteroids or antihistamines, and sometimes even shot injections effectively control the symptoms.

3. Liver Damage

As mold fungus is full of bad, harmful bacteria entering the body, it can cause severe liver and even heart damage. Even research says, Candida spp. Fungi found in mold can lead to fungal liver infections in patients with oncohematological diseases. If you have a weak immune system, you can get much affected by fungi and mold bacteria. The initial symptoms of liver damage are unexpected weight loss, abdominal pain, fatigue, dark urine, and jaundice (skin and eyes turning yellowish). If you suspect these symptoms post mold consumption, do not hesitate to consult medical professionals. Doctors will examine the symptoms, perform required tests, and decide the proper treatment.

4. Respiratory Issues

Sometimes, if you accidentally eat moldy bread or any other food item, it can cause issues with the respiratory system. Respiratory issues. This condition is likely higher if the mold has a cluster of spores or mycotoxins, severely irritating the respiratory tract. Moldy food is the thriving ground for spores from where they get released into the air. On inhaling these spores while eating, they may upset your respiratory system. The ill effects can lead to chest tightness, throat irritation, wheezing, inflammation, sneezing, shortness of breath, and nasal congestion. Moreover, these respiratory symptoms might get worse if you have asthma. Hence, better to schedule an appointment as soon as possible if you experience any of these effects after eating mold-contaminated food.

Also Read:11 Common Causes of Chest Pain On The Right Side

5. Systemic Inflammation

A minor mold exposure can trigger your body’s systemic inflammation. The reason is mycotoxins inhalation or ingestion from the mold, which stimulates your immune system to withstand the attack. The immune cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages, respond to the sudden invasion of mycotoxins by releasing inflammatory mediators like chemokines and cytokines. These mediators alert other immune cells to move to the site of mold exposure, which leads to inflammation. The symptoms you can experience are digestive disturbances, joint pain, brain fog, skin issues, and headaches. If you notice these symptoms after accidentally eating moldy food, visit the hospital immediately.

6. Pregnancy Issues

Moldy food can be dangerous during pregnancy as well. It can be risky for a pregnant woman as well as a growing infant. In most cases, mycotoxins from moldy food can pose a severe risk by entering the placental barrier, which can lead to pregnancy-related complications. According to research, mycotoxin exposure can lead to impaired intrauterine fetal development and increase the chances of neonatal jaundice. Also, the possibilities of getting sick are more as during this phase the immune system of a woman gets weak as it prevents the body from attacking the developing fetus. This means the risk of becoming ill after mold exposure is increased. So, never consume moldy food during pregnancy.

How To Prevent Mold Growth In Food?

Several ways are helpful to prevent mold from growing in the food. Here are the best tips:

• Properly clean the utensils, sponges, and dish clothes.
• Avoid rotting food, as fresh food products have a little shelf life. Buying a small amount and using it within a few days is better.
• Keep perishable foods like vegetables in the refrigerator within 2 hours as they are likely to spoil and become unsafe to consume.
• Regularly clean your fridge by wiping it out from inside and outside every few months.
• Clean and well-seal the storage containers, as it will help prevent exposure to mold spores.
• Have leftover food within 3 to 4 days.
• Put the food in the freezer if you have no plan to eat it soon.

Summing Up

Mold is a common household issue which is found in many food items. Consumption of some toxic molds can lead to certain health risks. However, understanding the mold types, their impact on health, and how to prevent their growth may protect you from any damage. Properly storing the food and maintaining good hygiene can reduce mold growth. If you see mold in any food item, instead of cutting around that mold-affected part, prefer throwing the whole moldy food. This is an ideal option to lower the chances of severe health issues. Remember that it is better to be safe than regretting after eating mold-contaminated food. I hope you thoroughly get the answer to your question, “What Happens If You Eat Mold,” and will consider every health risk related to its exposure to prevent any severe issues.

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