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The Importance Of Staying Healthy And Preventative Measures

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Staying healthy is a point of importance for many. In order to stay healthy, preventative measures such as screenings and check-ups are scheduled. While these preventative measures can be taken, the underlying cause for symptoms brought to light by medical professionals may be unknown. Rather than causes being housed in the body, they can be sourced in the environment. The model example of this medical phenomenon is mold. Growing in homes exposed to water, mold can stay hidden behind walls, flooring, or ceilings silently affecting the inhabitants. Mold toxicity can be brought on by numerous sources causing life-threatening health implications if not properly treated. Mold is not simply comprised of spores, but it offers a myriad of toxic components. Visenuo Aiko and Alka Mehta of the School of Biosciences and Technology at VIT University in Vellore, India, describe mycotoxins as “low molecular weight molecules produced as secondary metabolites by saprophytic fungi” (2). Mycotoxins cause a vast array of health implications. Janette Hope, author of “Mechanism,” describes the symptoms experienced from mold exposure include but are not limited to afflictions to neurocognitive abilities, immune system, respiratory system, and nervous system (1). The many categories of mycotoxins are specific mold types and carry correlating symptoms. For example, aflatoxins, the most common classification of mycotoxins, are the primary cause of liver and kidney cancer especially in poor

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