Comprehensive Guide to Mycotoxin Binders

When it comes to mycotoxin binding research, we must keep in mind the toxic nature of these toxins. Their toxicity makes the research limited to animals, animal feed, and in vitro studies. Due to the unethical nature of purposefully exposing humans to mycotoxins, there is limited research on these binders in humans. This is acceptable as the binding capacity can still be evaluated efficiently. In your journey to understanding how our bodies process mycotoxins, it is crucial to understand their metabolism.

After a positive Organic Acids Test and MycoTOX Profile, the presence of mould and mycotoxins are usually significant answers for many symptomatic clients. When working with mycotoxicosis, choosing the correct binder can present a challenge. Oftentimes I get the question: which binder is correct for which toxin? Since the research for the binding capacity of each binder isn’t as heavily researched as other agents, it can be daunting to sift through the information. Below is a collection of research connecting mycotoxins to a good binder choice.

In our bodies, toxins are detoxed and excreted through a few pathways. Routes of elimination include urine, stool, bile, and through our skin. Other routes include tears and saliva but are negligible in the realm of detoxification. Another route is breast milk. Since breast milk is a route of excretion this means toxins can be transferred to another life this way. This fact makes binders even that much more crucial in childbearing-age women.

When it comes to binders, bile and stool are the target routes of elimination. Fat-soluble substances such as dietary lipids, certain vitamins, and fat-soluble toxins like mycotoxins get packaged into bile for absorption and detoxification. During bile’s lifecycle, it gets excreted into the GI tract and is what gives stool its brown colour. In the colon, most of the bile is reabsorbed so the liver and gallbladder do not have to work as hard to make more bile. It is recycled and reused. Dysfunction of this phenomenon, bile acid malabsorption and chronic diarrhea are the main symptoms. Since bile is reabsorbed, in the ileum and jejunum, if toxins are packaged in the bile then the toxins can be reabsorbed as well. They would then re-enter circulation via the hepatic portal system. This is where binders come in handy. Binders will adhere to the bile that packages the toxins and then it cannot be reabsorbed. Due to the nature of this adherence, it cannot be trusted that the bond is irreversible. This bond is more like a static cling, as described by Dr Neil Nathan. The lack of a tight bond allows for the bile to be released if not excreted regularly. This means that irregular bowel movements from constipation, lack of fibre, or motility issues could cause the resorption of toxins even with binder usage. Binders by nature are constipating and this should be mitigated and assessed regularly during binder usage. Properly moving bowels through diet and supplements should be achieved before adding any binding agent.