When Your Environment Triggers Your Health

Research is showing that toxic mold may be far more harmful to our health than doctors once believed. A recent study from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio supports what many patients and functional medicine providers have been seeing for years.

The researchers looked at a condition called chemical intolerance, where people develop symptoms when exposed to things they once tolerated—like cleaning products, fragrances, foods, medications, or environmental toxins. These symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, rashes, body pain, digestive problems, breathing issues, mood changes, and trouble thinking clearly (often called “brain fog”). Many patients with these symptoms are told their problems are “unexplained” because standard medical tests don’t show clear answers.

More than 10,000 adults across the U.S. completed a detailed health survey. About 1 in 5 met the criteria for a condition called Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT), meaning their bodies became overly sensitive after certain exposures. The most common triggers reported were mold, pesticides, home renovations, medical procedures, smoke or combustion products, implants, and long-term antibiotic use.

The study also noted that everyday exposures—like scented personal care products, cleaning supplies, and laundry detergents in homes, workplaces, schools, churches, and hospitals—can make symptoms worse for sensitive individuals.

For those working in functional medicine, this research confirms what has long been observed: environmental toxins, especially mold, can play a major role in chronic, unexplained illness. As more large medical institutions recognize these patterns, there is hope that patients suffering from these conditions will finally be understood, properly studied, and supported on their path back to health.  

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Original Article: Claudia S. Miller, Raymond F. Palmer, David Kattari, Shahir Masri, Nicholas A. Ashford, Rodolfo Rincon, Roger B. Perales, Carl Grimes, Dana R. Sundblad. What initiates chemical intolerance? Findings from a large population-based survey of U.S. adults. Environmental Sciences Europe, 2023; 35 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12302-023-00772-x  

Thanks to Science Daily: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. "Toxic molds, fossil fuels, antibiotics linked to chemical intolerance." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 September 2023. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230901124048.htm>.