Erectile Dysfunction (ED), Mold, and Agriculture: How Are They Connected?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), mold, and farming seem like a strange mix. But in my opinion, there is a very close connection to men involved in agriculture, their work or handling of moldy food or grain, and the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) or the symptoms that lead to it. Sometimes the effects of mold come on so slowly that the symptoms are overlooked or ignored entirely.

However, on some occasions, someone can become physically ill very quickly from contact with mold in a grain bin or bin and must be cared for in an emergency situation. The amount, level of toxicity, and length of exposure all have a factor in how your body can handle your exposure. In any case, the first concern of the medical profession has been to determine if the lungs and respiratory system are damaged. This is of course very important, but I think sometimes they seem to overlook the potential long-term effects of ingesting mold that can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED).

As farmers, we have always been told never to feed moldy grain to our animals. Even the use of bedding that contains mold is a practice that should be avoided. Veterinarians and farmers alike know that toxic levels of mold in feed or bedding can easily make an animal sick or, in the worst case, cause death.

This ingestion of mold in cattle feed or bedding, if concentrated enough, can be noticed quickly by following the health status of the animals involved. Even moldy feed or bedding that doesn’t have excessively high concentrations still have an effect on them, just more long-term, but just as severe nonetheless. The animals become sluggish, their appetite may be suppressed, and most notably, the sexual drive may decrease, creating a problem with reproduction. Females tend not to have very strong heat cycles, have less, or don’t come into heat at all. It can also cause the cow to miscarry. Male animals are less sexually aggressive and tend to show less interest in females.

I know this may sound oversimplified, but mold and mycotoxin that enters the lungs or is ingested eventually enters the bloodstream and can have some devastating effects.

If mold and its mycotoxin have such an effect on the reproductive system health of your farm animals, then why should we think that mold or mycotoxin in our system will not have the same possible effects? Most farmers work side by side with their animals, breathing the same air and sharing the same environment while caring for them.

As farmers, we don’t always take the precautions we should, like wearing a mask or staying away from poorly ventilated areas. We think our exposure may only be for a short time and after you’re done coughing, gasping, and spitting up phlegm, it’ll all go away.

But what if it doesn’t go away?

So how do you know if you’ve possibly been affected by mold that has gotten into animal feed or bedding? Sometimes it’s not easy to tell, especially if it’s a small amount.

Common symptoms are:

1) Respiratory difficulty: coughing, sneezing, phlegm

2) Difficulty swallowing – choking, expectoration of mucus

3) Taste of dirt in the mouth – coated tongue

4) headaches

5) Confusion – like being intoxicated, slurred speech

6) Reproductive complications

There are many more symptoms that can occur. The symptoms depend on the length of exposure, the concentration of mold where you were working, or how often you have been put in a place where there is mold. Sometimes a small exposure over several months or years will eventually lead to the body finally having a major reaction.

Very little information is available on the subject of the connection between culture, mold, and the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED), but if you look in a veterinarian’s medical journal, the information is abundant.

The most useful and detailed information I found on the effects of mold on the human body is in a book called “The Fungus Link” by Doug Kaufmann. This book not only explains in easy to understand terms how ingesting mold or its mycotoxin can cause erectile dysfunction (ED), but also how to find out if it’s a problem you may have. If you think mold may be the cause of the symptoms you’re experiencing, the book has detailed steps on how to remove it from your system.

For men who work in agriculture or who have worked with products that may have contained mold and have some or all of these symptoms, it’s not too late. Erectile dysfunction (ED) does not have to be a life sentence. Not just for your sake, but for those you love and love you, the book is worth reading.