Check out Is Mold a Menace? Dr. Weil

[Guest guest]

Unless Dr. Weil has learned much in the past two years, I am not impressed

with Dr. Weil's understanding of mold induced illnesses. From what I can

tell, he is part of the problem. To quote Dr. Weil, " I’m skeptical of all the

problems attributed to mold. " You can go to his site, search " mold " , below is

what will come up. Be sure to go to the discussion group after you read his

knowledge - or lack there of - of mold induced illnesses.

Sharon

Is Mold a Menace?

Our school has been partially closed due to mold. They are renovating part

of the building with plans to move the children and clean the rest of the

school. What can I do to protect my family?

-- Dione Mila

Answer (Published 01/15/2004)

Unless your children have allergies, mold should present no threat to their

health. People with suppressed immune systems or underlying lung disease may

also be more vulnerable than normal to mold, but otherwise it usually does

not pose any serious health problems.

In some sections of the country there has been great concern about a

particular type of mold, Stachybotrys chartarum (a.k.a. Stachybotrys atra)

popularly

known as “black mold.†People are blaming it for a wide variety of

problems, ranging from fatigue and joint pain to Alzheimer’s symptoms,

internal

bleeding and even hearing loss. Despite these claims, there is no evidence that

the mold causes anything more than common allergy symptoms such as stuffy nose,

eye irritation and wheezing. More severe reactions, including fever and

shortness of breath, have typically occurred only among workers exposed to

large

amounts of it, such as farmers who work around moldy hay.

“Black mold,†which is really greenish-black in color, grows in the

presence of constant moisture on such materials as fiberboard, gypsum board,

paper, dust and lint. The moisture might come from leaks, condensation or

flooding.

I’m skeptical of all the problems attributed to mold. However, to keep your

children healthy and resistant to all types of disease-causing organisms I

suggest giving them astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous). The Vitamin Advisor

carries astragalus. The dose is two tablets or capsules twice a day. Or you

can try giving them an immune-stimulating mushroom tonic such as Host Defense

from New Chapter. These come in liquid extract form, which might be easier

for kids to take than pills or capsules. Adding fresh garlic to their food can

also protect against fungal infections. If your children are allergic to

mold, they could wear masks to school, but they probably wouldn’t want to and

would take them off as soon as you’re out of sight to avoid teasing from

their

classmates.

Weil, M.D.

Concerned about black mold? _Click here_ (http://forums.drweil.com/drwQA/)

to assess the threat in our discussion groups.