Our bodies are exposed to more chemicals now than ever before. Every day, new chemicals are added to our environment through the food we eat, the products we use, and even the air we breathe.
Unfortunately, heavy metals, such as aluminum, mercury, and lead, have found their way into our bodies due to our environment. Add to that mycotoxins from mold and endocrine-disrupting Bisphenol A (BPA) found just about everywhere, and you have three of the worst offenders leading to toxic overload.
Possibly the most concerning factor behind all these chemicals is there are few to no barriers in the process to prevent chemicals from being used in our everyday items. Meaning, your body is slowly taking in small amounts of new chemicals and toxic buildup over time.
Toxic overload is a war of attrition.
This constant chemical bombardment your body is fighting every day just to keep you healthy is the reason you should detox. We need to reduce our toxic burden wherever possible, support our body’s natural detox pathways, and incorporate detox binders into our health routine.
I want to focus on this last strategy—using binders for detox—because I’ve seen binders work well in my personal practice, and I want to share them with you.
What Are Toxin Binders and Why Use them for Detox?
Toxin binders assist your body in reducing its toxin levels. As their name suggests, binders effectively “bind” to and eliminate toxins from your body.
On its own, your body has the ability to remove some toxins, but when the toxic load gets too high, your body needs help. That’s where toxin binders come in. Binders are incredibly beneficial for detox and work by:
- Clearing out toxin buildup
- Inducing biofilm removal in the gut
- Alleviating gas and bloating
- Preventing acute poisoning
When your body is working correctly, your intestines, gallbladder, and liver all work together to break down and eliminate toxins. Unfortunately, many of the patients I see in my practice have compromised detoxification pathways. Meaning, their bodies are unable to effectively process and excrete toxins.
Without the use of binders, your body is prone to “enterohepatic recirculation.” This happens when toxins are not “bound” for excretion through the bowels and instead go through continuous cycles of processing by your liver, reabsorption by your intestines, and then recirculation by your liver. This repeated process puts a massive amount of strain on your body as it works to detoxify itself.
Binders help your body from getting stuck on repeat. You can effectively clean out toxin buildup and stop enterohepatic recirculation by using binders for detox. Binders also induce the removal of biofilms that cause dysbiosis in the gut—meaning, your gut has more harmful than beneficial bacteria.
How Biofilms Impact the Detox Process
You can think of biofilms as protective armor used by pathogens that shelter them from detection by your immune system. When harmful pathogens take up residence in your gut, they adhere to your gut lining and use heavy metals and polysaccharides, among other things, to create a strong physical barrier around themselves.
This helps pathogens to survive inside your body where they continue to produce toxic byproducts. Biofilms also prevent pathogens from being identified in conventional stool samples. So, the only way to effectively rid your body of these pathogens is to first break down the biofilm sheltering them, then clear out the released toxins.1
However, the first step is to equip your body with the tools needed to bind and eliminate released biotoxins. Using biotoxin binders for detox is an excellent way to do this.
Two Effective Binders: G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal
When it comes to ridding our bodies of toxins, I’ve found two binders work particularly well:
G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal are two effective binders that help with daily detox from mold, heavy metals, and other toxins. They’re also strong enough to use in more targeted therapies, such as mold exposure treatments.
G.I. Detox actually combines multiple toxin binders:
- Zeolite clay
- Monomethylsilanetriol silica
- Humic and fulvic acid
- Fruit pectin
- Activated bamboo charcoal
We’ll take a closer look at each and see how it’s helpful for binding toxins. Using G.I. Detox assists in restoring gut microbial balance and is recommended as an effective detox strategy.
We’ll also look at Upgraded Coconut Charcoal which is very effective on its own and alongside G.I. Detox.
Zeolite Clay
Zeolite clay works by trapping a wide variety of toxins in its cage-like structure, encapsulating them, and escorting them out of your body. It’s particularly helpful at drawing out and removing any toxin with a positive ionic charge, such as heavy metals, BPA, and pesticides.2
Zeolites are formed when lava comes in contact with water, forming a microporous structure. Zeolites are then ground into ash and purified before they’re used as a consumable toxin binder.
Zeolite clay is used in G.I. Detox as a powerful chelating agent—binding to and neutralizing toxins like mercury. Using both adsorption (to bind to) and absorption (to swallow up), zeolite is incredibly helpful in restoring gut microbial balance.
One study shows supplementation with zeolite significantly decreased zonulin—a little molecule that plays a big role in causing leaky gut.3 You can read more about zonulin and leaky gut in my article “Zonulin: A Discovery That Changed the Way We View Inflammation, Autoimmune Disease, and Cancer.”
Known for its broad range of benefits, zeolite also works well as an antioxidant, anti-diarrheal, and water and air purifier.4
Monomethylsilanetriol Silica
Monomethylsilanetriol (MMST) silica is a special type of silica with even tinier molecules, known for its impressive detoxification capabilities.5 G.I. Detox uses MMST silica specifically because of its amazing ability to help heal the gut lining. Similar to zeolite clay, MMST silica works by binding toxins and preventing their absorption in your gut.6
Silica is a naturally occurring substance found in the earth’s crust, plants, and some vegetables. It’s made of silicon and oxygen and helps rid your body of toxins and heavy metals like aluminum.
Some binders have an affinity towards certain heavy metals and other toxins. And silica has a high affinity for aluminum.7 If aluminum in your body builds up to toxic levels, it can seriously affect your brain and nervous system.
Notably, detoxifying your body of aluminum could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.8,9 This is exciting news in light of millions of Americans having their sunset years stolen from them by this disease.
Humic and Fulvic Acid
Made of tiny negatively-charged atoms, such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the ionic nature of fulvic and humic acids attract positively-charged mineral particles, such as heavy metals, to its surface.10 Fulvic and humic acids are also particularly helpful at detoxifying your body from herbicide and pesticide biotoxins.
Fulvic acid is an important component of humic acid. These natural chelators are formed by the decomposition of organic matter, such as plants and animals, by microorganisms.11 It’s an organic compound found in rocks, sediment, soil, and bodies of water.
Similar to silica, fulvic acid also has the potential to fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Studies show that fulvic acid inhibits abnormal tau proteins from forming twisted fibers in the brain which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.12
Beyond detoxification, fulvic and humic acids have the ability to change metals and minerals into usable compounds and are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and memory-enhancing properties.
Fruit Pectin
G.I. Detox uses fruit pectin as a binder—specifically apple pectin—because of its highly absorptive nature. Apple pectin is a fantastic chelating agent that attracts various biotoxins to its surface like a magnet.
Apple pectin is really helpful for binding metals, such as mercury and lead, as well as mycotoxins from mold exposure. Multiple studies show its effectiveness in significantly reducing the toxic heavy metal load in particular.13 It also carries a host of anti-inflammatory and prebiotic benefits.14
Activated Bamboo Charcoal and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal
G.I. Detox specifically uses bamboo charcoal in its formulation while Upgraded Coconut Charcoal is a supplement on its own. Because both of these charcoals are two types of “activated charcoal” with similar binder abilities, I’ll discuss them together.
Activated charcoal is a fine black powder made from various carbon-based organic materials, such as bamboo and coconut shells. Through a chemical process, these materials are decomposed at high temperatures and combined with oxygen, making the charcoal “activated.”15
Activating charcoal creates millions of micropores on the surface of the charcoal, significantly increasing its adsorption of toxins. It works by essentially “mopping up” biofilm once it's broken up, preventing the released bacteria, parasites, and other biotoxins from being reabsorbed by your gut lining.
Activated charcoal is even considered more effective than stomach pumping in poisoned patients because of its excellent ability to absorb nearly every type of poison with few exceptions.16
Considered one of the most effective ways of naturally ridding your body of harmful toxins, activated charcoal absorbs previously unabsorbed toxins. It also helps reduce gastrointestinal discomfort.17 This is why I recommend using activated charcoal on its own as well as in the G.I. Detox.
How to Use Binders for Mold Detox
You can use both G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal to fight daily toxins or in a mold treatment protocol. However, to effectively rid your body of the mycotoxins produced by mold, you’ll need a comprehensive plan that lasts between six months to a year.
Here’s my suggested use for mold detox:
G.I. Detox: Take one to two capsules twice daily with Upgraded Coconut Charcoal.
Upgraded Coconut Charcoal: Take 1000 to 1500 mg (2-3 capsules) twice daily with water, G.I. Detox, and on an empty stomach.
Ultra Binders: Mix 1 teaspoon into 8 ounces of water once daily
For more specifics on mold detox protocol, you can read my “Mold Exposure Treatment Guide.”
Do Binders Interfere with Nutrient Absorption?
Because of the effectiveness of binders in their absorption and adsorption of chemicals and other biotoxins, it’s a completely logical concern to think they would also bind with beneficial nutrients.
In general, we need more research on this subject, but animal studies show adding zeolite to the diets of goats and activated charcoal to the diets of pigs had no negative effect on their nutrient levels.18,19 Also, toxins are predominantly positively charged, which is how the negatively-charged binders are readily attracted to them.
You can reduce the chance your binders will work on beneficial nutrients by taking them on an empty stomach. All binders should be taken at the same time and either one hour before or two hours after medications and supplements.
Other Detox Strategies Worth Considering
We live in a time where we’re exposed to more chemicals than ever before. Learning about detox strategies is now as important as learning how to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
Other detox strategies worth learning more about include:
- Infrared saunas
- Exercise
- Glutathione
- Calcium D-glucarate
Each of these can be used on their own or together for a compounding effect. Also, each of these is included in my “Mold Exposure Treatment Guide.”
Add Detox Binders to Your Daily Routine
There are steps you can take to combat the unprecedented number of chemicals bombarding us each day and reduce their overall impact on your health. I recommend incorporating G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal into your healthcare routine.
One of the many things I like about G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal is they’re safe and gentle enough for daily use.
If you’re healthy, take both the G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal to deal with daily toxins. For normal use, this is what I recommend:
G.I. Detox: Take one to two capsules once a day on an empty stomach—an hour before eating or two hours after.
Upgraded Coconut Charcoal: Take two capsules with other binders on an empty stomach. You can also take Upgraded Coconut Charcoal when you eat less-than-ideal food.
If you’ve been exposed to mold, you can take G.I. Detox and Upgraded Coconut Charcoal and read my comprehensive “Mold Exposure Treatment Guide.” Remember, these two binders are only part of a mold treatment protocol.
Now I want to hear from you. Do you incorporate detox binders into your health routine? Which binders have you found to be the most beneficial for you? Have you found other effective ways to reduce the toxins in your body? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Has there ever been a time in your life when you’ve felt alone or unsure where to turn for answers?
In Unexpected: Finding Resilience through Functional Medicine, Science, and Faith, Dr. Jill Carnahan shares her story of facing life-altering illness, fighting for her health, and overcoming sickness using both science and faith so that others can learn to live their own transformative stories.
Dr. Jill’s riveting and compassionate exploration of healing through functional medicine demonstrates how to replace darkness and fear with hope and find profound healing, unconditional love, and unexpected miracles in the process.
Resources:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=16466387
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6277462/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26500463
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29630078
5 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2013/316783/
6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2744664/
7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3862809/
9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22976072
10 https://www.purehimalayanshilajit.com/fulvic-acid/
11 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijad/2012/674142/
12 https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad110623
13 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18219211
14 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29029078
15 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26409027
16 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1676641/pdf/bmj00002-0006.pdf
17 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29231746
18 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19254146/
19 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09712119.2012.738219
![204: Resiliency Radio with Dr. Jill: Can our Minds Spontaneously Transform our Health? Bruce Lipton Dr. Jill 00:00 Hey guys, I am so excited to announce that the movie that you've been waiting for, the documentary Doctor/Patient, is now available for rent or purchase at DoctorPatientMovie.com. Check out the trailer here. 00:13 Dr. Jill: When I really knew something was wrong, was when I started having trouble walking up the stairs. I was supposed to be grateful and happy and healing and well and thriving, but I did not feel that way. I was so sick. Like always, I wanted to find an answer, and I had to figure it out. And I had to figure it out to save my own life. So I dove in. 00:38 James Maskell: Jill is the leading voice in biotoxin illness and chronic conditions that are driven by toxicity. 00:43 Bree Argetsinger: Oh my gosh, you're dealing with mold? You have to work with Dr. Jill Carnahan. 00:47 Patient 1: Dr. Jill is the first person that actually began to shed some light on the problem. 00:53 Dr. Jill: What I do is listen to the patient, and we together talk about what else is possible. 00:59 Patient 2: I don't know why I'm crying. 01:02 Patient 3: She saved my life. 01:06 Dr. Jill: The deepest lessons and most profound insights come in the suffering, come in the dark moments. Self-compassion is the healing transition that shifts something inside of us. It's actually the thing that we need most in order to heal. 01:26 Narrator: Doctor/Patient—available now at DoctorPatientMovie.com. Dr. Jill 01:36 Hey, welcome to Resiliency Radio, your go-to podcast for cutting-edge insights in functional and integrative medicine. I'm your host, Dr. Jill. In each episode, we dive into the heart of healing and personal transformation. Join us as we connect with renowned experts, thought leaders, and innovators who are at the forefront of medical research, empowering you with knowledge and wisdom to overcome illness in your journey to optimal health. Dr. Jill 02:02 Hey guys, if you don't already know, if you've been around me at all, you know my movie, Doctor/Patient is now out. You can view it, share it, gift it, or rent it at DoctorPatientMovie.com. Be sure to check it out and then I would love to hear your feedback after you've had a chance to watch it. Dr. Jill 02:19 Today, I am deeply honored to have guest Bruce Lipton here with me. He's a PhD, a cell biologist, a lecturer, and an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. We were just talking before we came on about how he has been a leader [for] decades before a lot of us in functional/integrative medicine came along. And I am so excited! If you're a doctor listening—and I know I have a lot of audience there—you are in for a treat. If you're a patient, you're also in for a treat. Stay tuned. Dr. Jill 02:47 Bruce was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and later performed groundbreaking stem cell research at Stanford University. He's a best-selling author of The Biology of Belief—if you haven't read that book, it's a classic now—The Honeymoon Effect, and the co-author with Steve Bhaerman of Spontaneous Evolution. Bruce received his prestigious 2009 Goi Peace Award from Japan in honor of his scientific contribution to world harmony. Bruce, it is a true honor and delight to have you here! Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 03:17 Jill, I am a happy person to be here because this audience that I get a chance to talk to, to me, is a very important audience. These are the cultural creatives that are paving the way for the future that we need to get into very soon because we're facing an evolutionary upheaval at this very moment. Whether you watch the news, surf the web, or even look out your window, the whole planet has experienced chaos at every level of it. People are focusing on the little chaos, like focusing on the trees, without pulling back to see the biggest thing that's happening and nobody's saying the words. NASA—Let me just say NASA's words. NASA has recognized that within the next 20 years, civilization is facing—and this is my emphasis here—an irreversible collapse. The reason is so mathematically simple. Let me give the math. Dr. Jill 04:16 Sure. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 04:17 Science has recognized that to continue living just the way we're living—just say, let's every day live the way we're living today on this planet—it takes 1.6 planet Earths to provide the resources for today's civilization. The simple math is this: There's one Earth subtracted from 1.6, and we're recognizing: "Where the hell are we getting the extra points?" Dr. Jill 04:39 We're in a deficit. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 04:40 And that deficit is leading to the destruction of the web of life. We have to also recognize this: Even though the Bible is giving us some fanciful story that nature was created and then humans were added on top of nature—no, we evolved from nature. We are nature. If nature goes down, humans go down, because we are part of this web of life. Our separation in our consciousness [that causes us to believe] that we can dominate nature, I say, "How's that working?" I say, "We're facing an extinction." That's a biological reality at this moment. It's called a mass extinction. It happened five times in the history of this planet: Life was thriving, [then] mass extinction. It knocked it all out and then it started again. We are there because of our behavior. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 05:33 And I say, "Our behavior is based on our consciousness." I go: "Okay, wait a second. Is that New Age?" I go: "No, let's stop. No New Age here at this moment." [In] 1927—day one, quantum physics—Max Planck, the founding father of quantum physics, states: "The mind is the creator of our life experiences." Quantum physics—the most valid of all the sciences today in the sense of its predictions and accuracy. Quantum physics. And it's still the belief in quantum physics: Consciousness is controlling this. And I go: "So if consciousness is controlling this, then why are we in such a mess?" The answer is: We have been programmed, and the programming has disempowered us all. It has disempowered us as patients. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 06:28 I go: "I'll give you a program that disempowers you right now." I say, "What is it?" "It's called genetic determinism." That was what I was teaching in medical school: Genes control the character of life. I go: "Did we pick the genes as far as we know? No. But if we don't like the characters we have, can we change the genes? No, can't do that." And then let's just add a little tidbit: Genes turn on and off by themselves. And I say: "You put those together and what have you done? You have told the patients that their lives are not in their control, they're controlled by their heredity, and that they're victims of heredity. Which is victims of what? Genetics. And what does a person know about genetics? Nothing. Who does know something? The doctor. Aha! The program is: When it comes to health, people do not trust themselves." They say: "I need an expert opinion. I'm not knowledgeable." They accept the truth from somebody else. Dr. Jill 07:28 I so love the direction that you're going here because, as a physician, one of the most important things I can do is empower the patient and make sure that they don't think that I am the end-all-be-all. [I want them to know] that we are collaborating and that I listen to them, and I say: "How do you feel about this treatment plan? Where do you want to go?" Granted, if I have wisdom, I can give them that information, but they still get to make that decision. But so many patients are outsourcing that wisdom to someone. Or, at least paternalistically and historically, that has been the way. And what we need to do is take control of our own health. Dr. Jill 08:00 How many patients have gone through a loved one with breast cancer—I'm a breast cancer survivor, so I can speak on this—and they're told, "You have the BRCA gene and you need to have a bilateral mastectomy"? I'm going to be strong about this because I disagree. That's an action out of fear. To each his own, so if you've been out there and have done something based on your genetics, there's no judgment here. But what we're saying is that you actually have control over the expression of those genes. So why don't you go into epigenetics for those who don't know what that means and tell us a little primer on epigenetics and why we have more control than we think? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 08:34 Okay. The most important thing—and this is all scientific, so this is not any new age BS here, folks, this is science—I say: "What is it?" The belief that genes turn on and off is a completely false statement because a gene is a blueprint to make a protein. The proteins are the building blocks. Proteins wear out; you have to replace them. So you have to have a blueprint. It's called a gene. I go, "It's a blueprint!" I go, "Why is that relevant?" I say: "Go to an architect's office. She's working on a blueprint. You ask her, 'Hey, is your blueprint on or off?' She would look at you like, 'What are you talking about? There's no on and off to a blueprint.'" I go: "Aha! Aha! A gene is a blueprint. What you want to find out is: Who's the architect who reads the blueprint? The blueprint does not read itself. There's an architect." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 09:24 I saw this in my research in 1967. None of you were probably old enough to know what I'm talking about—1967! But I was cloning stem cells. Let's give the real name of a stem cell: An embryonic cell. It's an embryo's cell. It replaces things that are broken and gets a new one. I go: "So what? I clone the stem cell." I say, "What's that?" I say: "You put one stem cell in the culture dish. And then what? It divides every 10 or 12 hours." So first there's one, then there's 2, then there's 4, 8, and 16. A week later, [there are] 30,000 cells in the petri dish. What's the most important fact? They all came from one parent. I have 30,000 genetically identical cells. I split them into three petri dishes—one, two, three. Each dish has 10,000, 10,000, 10,000, all genetically the same. We grow cells in a culture medium. Ah, this is going to be the tricky part, for when you get this, the world changes. I'm going to come back to it. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 10:27 I say: "A culture medium is what the cells grow in in the lab. And I make it up by putting the chemistry or culture medium. Since I'm creating it, I can change some of the constituents. So I make three different versions of culture medium, A, B, and C." So I say, "So what?" Each one represents a different environment because the cells live in a culture medium. So I say: "Okay, dish one, environment A—the cells form muscle. Dish two, environment B—the cells form bone. Dish three, environment C—the cells form fat cells." I'm doing this experiment. I'm teaching genetic determinism, and I'm watching the cells and going— Dr. Jill 11:10 Wait a second. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 11:11 —"Wait a second, who controlled the activity?" They were all genetically the same. What was different? The environment. The chemistry of the environment selected the genes. The genes did not select themselves. Then, all of a sudden, I said, "Why is this important?" It's a revolution! I'll tell you why. Genetic determinism: Victim. The new science, epigenetics, which I'll explain: Master. Why? Because you control the environment. It's the environment that controls the cells. It's called epigenetics. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 11:48 [There's a] simple reason why the name [is what it is]. What do we call skin? Epidermis. Why? What's under the skin? A layer called dermis. What's the skin above the dermis? Epidermis. Epi: Above. Epigenetics: Control above the genes. I go, "Whoa, the control is not in the genes." I said: "No, it's to control the environment that the genes live in." I go, "Well, wait, I control the environment." Aha! If you control the environment, then you control the genetics. And that's all of a sudden where the new science comes in. The genetic determinism: Victim. Epigenetics: Master. You control your genes. So basically, what I saw back in 1967 was, "The genes didn't make this decision." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 12:48 Now let's just jump ahead a second here because that's a basic science. And then I'm going to give you this, which you're totally aware of: You are a skin-covered petri dish. You have 50 trillion cells under your skin and you have the original culture medium. What is a culture medium? I didn't say it before, but I'll tell you where it is: A laboratory version of blood. When I grow human cells, I concoct a culture medium based on the constituents of human blood or mouse blood, depending on which cells I'm growing. What's the point? You are a skin-covered culture dish with what? The original culture medium. You have the blood. The blood carries the chemistry, which activates the genes. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 13:34 So the first point: Scientifically, it doesn't make a difference if the cell is in a plastic dish or a skin dish? I said, "No, it's the environment." And I say the environment in your body is the blood for the cells. Then come two questions that blow the game into a new evolution. Question number one: What controls the chemistry of the blood? The answer is the brain. It's the chemist. The big one—here it is, hold on: What chemistry should the brain put into the blood? You know what it is? Whatever picture you hold in your mind, the brain translates the picture into complimentary chemistry that matches the picture. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 14:25 I say, "So why is this important?" The picture in your head becomes material in your body. You manifest what you're thinking. I go: "Wait a minute. Would I manifest this life? Would I manifest my cancer?" I go, "Yes." I go, "You say that so affirmatively." I go: "Quantum physics—the most valid science principle number one [is that] the mind is the creator of our experience." I go: "Well, epigenetics is the biological component of that physics mechanism." Epigenetics is how the mind adjusts the genetics of the body. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 15:05 And I go, "We're facing a healthcare crisis on this planet." I go, "Yes, we are facing a healthcare crisis." And I go, "What's responsible?" We put all the money into science. You know what we're looking for? We're looking for the gene—the gene that controls that problem. Guess what? Less than 1% of all diseases on this planet have any connection with genes. Wait, then that means only less than 1% of what we diagnose as disease is connected with genes. I go, "Yes, that's a fact." Then what is really contributing to the worldwide crisis in healthcare? The answer is: Stress is 90% the cause of disease, minimum. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 15:54 I go: "Okay, come on! How could that do that?" Let's give the biology because it's not New Age again. You're ready? When you're in stress, you're in threat. When you're in threat, you engage a protection response. I say, "What is a protection response?" The protection response is: When you perceive stress, you will release stress hormones, adrenal hormones. I go, "Yes, so what?" Well, what do you think the adrenal hormones do? They prepare the body for fight or flight. I go, "So what?" I say: "First of all, there are three stages to take a body from health, happiness, joy—I'm in the garden, I love my life—to 'Ah! A sabertooth tiger's chasing me!'" I say, "So I have to switch from growth, boom, into protection." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 16:41 How does that happen? Three steps. Number one, stress hormones cause the blood vessels in the gut to constrict. Why? Because most of the blood is in the gut. I say, "Who cares?" I say: "Ah, but the blood is a source of energy. So if you need energy, you need blood." So I say, "So what's the point?" I say: "Most of the blood is in the gut, taking care of the body, cleaning, fixing, repairing, nourishing, and doing all those things. But the moment stress hormones come in, the blood vessels squeeze shut. People feel it in the body." "It's queasy. I feel very queasy when I'm in fear like this." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 17:16 I say: "But some people say butterflies in the stomach. Why?" The fluttering of the blood vessels shutting down—you can feel it. And it's a fluttering. And what's happening? The blood is being pushed to the arms and legs, and that's where I need to run away from that damn tiger. So number one, redistribute the blood. Where do I take it from? [From] growth and maintenance to protection. So I'm not funding growth and maintenance when I'm running from the tiger. I go, "No, you're not." Number two, the immune system is to protect me on the inside. If I'm being chased by a saber-toothed tiger, then what's the value of the immune system? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 17:55 I'll give you a scenario. Come on, doctors, listen to this. The patient's got a bacterial infection. They're going to have a real bad case of diarrhea coming up here and they're being chased by a saber-toothed tiger. How would you split the energy of the body? How much to support the immune system and how much of that energy to run away from the saber-toothed tiger? I'll give you a second. Okay, thank you. The answer is, of course, who cares about the immune system? If the tiger chased you, the bacteria are not your problem anymore, that's for sure. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 18:26 Listen, stress hormones shut down the immune system to conserve energy. And you know damn well that when people are sick, sometimes they don't even have the energy to get out of bed because the immune system uses a hell of a lot of energy. If you're being chased by a tiger: I can't support the immune system because if the tiger gets me, who cares about what's happening in the interior?—it's not mine anymore. It's so important—in fact, therapeutic—that when they transplant an organ from person A into person B and they don't want immunological rejection, they give the recipient stress hormones before the operation. That restricts the function of the immune system so it doesn't immediately reject the foreign graft. Ah, so stress hormones are used therapeutically to shut off the immune system. So I say, "Yes, what do you think stress does automatically?" That's number two. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 19:21 Number three, conscious processing is slow compared to reflex behavior. Conscious [processing] is like, "Oh, let me think." Reflex is boom! Boom! Like that. The point is, if you're running from a saber-toothed tiger, conscious processing is going to delay your nervous system because you'll be thinking. When that tiger is coming, guess what? Remember the role of the stress hormone—to squeeze the blood vessels here? They squeeze the blood vessels in the forebrain. I say, "Why?" Because it stops the blood flow from going to the conscious mind. Where's it going? The hindbrain—reflex behavior. Result: We become less intelligent in the fear process. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 20:11 So I say: "Let's put these all together. I shut down growth, I shut down the immune system, and I shut off conscious awareness." I go: "When was that system formed?" "Oh, a couple hundred thousand years ago." I say: "What was it responding to?" "The saber-toothed tiger?" I go: "So what was important?" "If you escape that tiger for five minutes or ten minutes, there's no more saber-toothed tiger, no more stress." So it was used for five to ten minutes. Shut it down [for] five to ten minutes; we'll come back later. In today's world—you know the whole thing—every day, every minute, we're in stress. The system was never designed for chronic stress. It shuts down the vitality, health, and maintenance of the body. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 21:01 The stresses of this world are responsible for over 90% of healthcare crises. This is recognized by the American Psychological Society: 95% of visits to doctors' offices [are] stress-related. I was a programmer. And I'm not proud now because, when I programmed, people used to believe in genetic determinism. I go: "No, no. I was wrong. Epigenetics, okay?" But we've been programmed to be victims. Dr. Jill 21:32 Yes. First of all, I think doctors are starting, at least in my realm of functional/integrative—we're talking epigenetics; we're using this. And I just want to share a personal example to bring home what you just shared. It's so important. Many of my listeners know that at 25, I had breast cancer, then Crohn's disease, and then autoimmunity. I'm the poster child. What I remember very clearly is that in my 30s, I got mold-related toxicity. My immune system was terribly trashed and overactive and I was under high stress. I remember one day walking along and realizing: "This stress that is in my body is actually killing me." I had the mentality [of] "beating cancer," "fighting cancer," "fighting this," "fighting that"—fighting, fighting, fighting—which is your saber-toothed tiger [description]. I was in fight or flight. Dr. Jill 22:16 The day I realized that was the day I realized I could also reprogram my immune system through my thoughts. That day I started thinking [up] a new paradigm, thinking about these little yellow minions being my immune system. They were helping escort mold toxicity out of my body without this fight because, [in] fight or flight, there's no healing. And now, today, I'm healed from that and from mold-related illness and all of this. But it's really that moment when I realized I could change my thought process, change the function of my immune system, recover from Crohn's, cancer, and toxic mold, and no longer fight. Dr. Jill 22:53 And the most important message, as you brought home, is that when I'm sitting with a patient, if they're in fear, if they are in fight or flight, and if they are feeling unsafe in their body, there is no amount of pills, supplements, IVs, nutrition, or even good advice that I can give them… Unless they go to that place of unsafeness, that place of fear, that place where they're still somatically running from the tiger. We have to change that, and it starts with this. Dr. Jill 23:22 So I love, love, love that you framed this. And I just want to give you credit because you've been doing this work for decades before anyone else was talking about it. And now we're seeing it. And finally, doctors in my field are starting to acknowledge and talk about it. But even in my field, functional medicine is a lot about supplements, diet, and lifestyle. That's all great. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 23:40 Well, that's environment! Dr. Jill 23:41 Right? Right. Actually, that's the thing I was going to mention too. My specialty is environmental toxicity, so I know the petri dish of how it affects our bodies. But I do believe, as you're saying, that this reprogramming of our mind… Do you have any stories or examples, maybe from your book, of a patient, client, or somebody who has read your book who really took this and changed from there? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 24:03 I've got hundreds and hundreds of letters from people who've written. There were two things about this. Let me express it even in my personal life. I understood this from a scientific point of view. Man, it was in my laboratory, my research. It was repeatable; I could do this all the time. It took 23 years before science caught up with that observation. I [inaudible] a lot of other things in between to conform. And the reality is that our own understanding about our frailty—it's an understanding. And then I give an understanding of, "No, we're very powerful." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 24:42 I was so happy to go and find an audience of doctors and people: "Let me explain how to create the most wonderful life. Here's the science!" And then they'd come to my lecture and they'd look at me and go: "Lipton, your life doesn't look that good for a guy who says you know this." Oh my God, I was caught. You know what it was? Talking the talk, not walking the talk. I knew the science. It was in my head. Did I make it part of my life? No! I say: "So what was the point? I don't care how smart you are; if you don't make a part of your life, it's irrelevant." Totally! Then all of a sudden, when I caught myself going, "Oh, do as I say, not as I do," it's like, "I can't do that!" So I had to say: "Stop lecturing. Start living your life with the principles you are telling other people. Live this now." How long did it take me to change my life? Oh, within a month, my life was completely on a whole different spectrum. And it was like, "Now, of course, I start talking about it again," because it was real. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 25:47 Let me just give a simple understanding, a scientific understanding, and that is this: The mind is not one thing. "Oh, the mind." I go: "No, not the mind. There are two minds. And they're interdependent, but they have different functions." The conscious mind, the latest evolution: The prefrontal cortex, right behind your forehead, [is] the seat of the conscious mind. What's that? The conscious mind is your source, your personal identity, your spiritual place. What else is it? It's creative! That's what makes humans different than all the other animals. We can take ideas, boom, build them, and create in the conscious mind. What about the subconscious mind? Oh, the original one? Hard drive, programs, habits, stored behavior. Thinking? Uh-uh. Just behavior—program. Dr. Jill 26:38 The subconscious has no way to differentiate truth, right? It does whatever you tell it to do. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 26:44 No, well, the subconscious doesn't do what you tell it to do; it does what it tells it to do. The subconscious is the autopilot. I say, yes, the mind works, but you have to understand that when I'm in the conscious mind, that is the creative side. That's the side with wishes, desires, and aspirations. What do you want? Conscious mind. Subconscious mind: Program. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 27:09 I say, "So what's the issue with our life when it comes down to it?" The monkey wrench that blows the whole thing out is that when the conscious mind is thinking, it's not paying attention to the outer world. A thought is inside. When you're present, your conscious mind is looking at the world and engaging the world. Right now, in front of it, I'm engaging it. But if I'm thinking, my conscious mind is no longer looking out; it's looking in because a thought is on the inside. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 27:38 So I say, "Wait, what if I'm driving the car and I have a thought?" And I've got to tell you, in fact: Then you're not driving the car. "What do you mean? No accident or nothing." I say: "Driving is a program. You don't have to think about driving." In fact, most of the time, if you've been driving for a long time, you never think about the details of driving. It's an automatic behavioral program. It plays when you're not paying attention. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 28:02 I go: "Aha! When the conscious mind is thinking, it's not paying attention to the outer world. Why? It's inside." So I say: Walking, driving, talking, doing your job—hey, those are habits. You've been doing it all—whatever [it is]—for a long period of time. You don't have to re-learn it. It's automatic. Do you even have to think about walking? No, you didn't even have to say: "Oh, I'm going to walk from here to there. I'm going to get that." I say: "Walking is automatic. You don't think about it—program." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 28:37 So then comes the number and this is scientific: Ninety-five percent of the day is the average person's amount of thinking. Then what does that represent? Biologically, only five percent of the day are you creating your life with the conscious mind's wishes and desires. Ninety-five percent of the day your life is coming from programs that you downloaded mainly before age seven. And I go, "Where did I get the programs?" I go: "Before age seven, your brain is not primarily functioning at the level of consciousness, which in EEG terms is alpha, beta, and gamma. When you're under seven, you're operating primarily at theta, which is just below consciousness." Theta—imagination. Hey, the tea party: Pour nothing into the cup. Drink the nothing. "The best tea I ever had in my life!" That's imagination. That's theta. That's what kids do all the time. They can have imaginary friends. They play with them all the time. It's imagination. Theta is hypnosis. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 29:41 I go, "Why is that important?" How many rules does it take to be a member of a family? How many rules does it take to be a member of a community? Now we're talking thousands. I go, "Why is that important?" I said, "Well, teach an infant a thousand rules." I go: "They can't read a book. They can't sit in a classroom. They can't understand a video." I said: "How are they going to learn?" Nature took care of that. Nature gave the first seven years theta, which is hypnosis. You want to know the behavior? Watch your mother, watch your father, watch your community. Watch their behavior; download it. Now it's your behavior! Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 30:19 So the behavior that's in your subconscious mind didn't even come from you, did it? Nope, it came from other people. And did they answer your wishes and desires—what you'd like? Not necessarily. So then, are there programs in there that give you what your wishes and desires are? Not necessarily, no. In fact, I say, "So what about these programs?" Sixty percent of the things you downloaded as a kid—sixty percent of the subconscious programs [are] disempowering, self-sabotaging, and limiting beliefs. And you operate ninety-five percent of the day from them. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 30:53 Ah, but here's the monkey wrench you didn't catch! Why am I using my subconscious programs? Because my conscious mind's not paying attention; it's thinking. Well, then, do you see the programs when they come out? I go: "Nope! You're the only one who doesn't even see the program!" Why? Everybody else around you is responding to your program. You're not even paying attention [to] what the hell is coming out. Sixty percent of it [is] disempowering yourself. So the issue is this: We are not controlling our lives. Our program controls our lives. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 31:28 I say, "Oh, this is a new science." I go: "Scientifically, this is valid. This is understanding theta activity, downloading programs, conscious, subconscious, blah, blah, blah, blah." But the Jesuits knew about programming for 400 years. They would tell their followers, "Give me a child until it is seven, and I will show you the man." Oh my God, that's 100% right! The programming is before age seven, and 95% of the life is the program. They knew it. They created Catholic schools to help the programming go along. And that idea is never lost because if you can watch an infant today, which I've seen carrying an iPad, interacting with a program on a computer, that's far better programming than Jesuits could ever have thought of. Dr. Jill 32:17 Yes, it's clear, isn't it? That's a really good transition because one of the things I see as the biggest crisis in healthcare is environment, but it's environment that is no longer socially interactive or present. We're numbing ourselves out with machines, with iPads, and with phones. They are designed to create an addictive behavior, so they're tapping into some of those subconscious programs, right? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 32:40 And let me just add this to that: It's not just that behavior, but it's also creating disempowering behaviors. So these programs—as you were just going to say, and I'll let you have it back again—were not designed to help us; they were designed to control us. Dr. Jill 33:05 Yes. And sell and control. Yes, so we are pawns in this new world of technology that is neurodynamically designed to be addictive. If you haven't seen The Social Dilemma, that's a great place to start in your education on social media and the impact. I do want to talk about this. One of the things you just got done saying is that before seven, we're programmed. I totally understand and believe that. But the truth is, we have the power to change that programming. Tell us about that. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 33:36 Most everybody out there has changed that programming. I say, "You've already done it." I say: "What, the movie The Matrix, being a documentary, everybody's programmed?" Yes, of course, that's the foundational belief of the movie and the reality. And in the movie, they offered the red pill. And I say: "What was the red pill? You get out of the program!" Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 33:54 I go, "Almost everybody out here right now listening has done that." I say: "What was the consequence? How did it happen?" I'm going to tell you. Falling in love is a red pill. I go, "What do you mean?" Because when you first fall in love, you stop thinking. Biologically, you stay present; you stay in the conscious, creative mind. You've waited for this person your whole life. They're there. What, you want to start thinking and then ignore them? Are you kidding me? You stay up conscious. You stay mindful. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 34:23 I say, "So what happened?" I say: "Your life up to meeting that person: Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You meet them [and] 24 hours later: 'Oh, man, life is beautiful. Life is so wonderful. Hey, the food's really good. That music is even better than I ever thought it was.'" And even the crappy job is not so crappy. I said: "What'd you do?" You made honeymoon. What's honeymoon? Heaven on earth. I said, "What was your heaven on earth?" Whatever you wished and desired. You and a partner coming together when you're both wishing and desiring, you're sharing the same wishes and desires, you manifest a honeymoon. Oops, I dropped something, but okay. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 35:01 Is the honeymoon already there? I go, "The honeymoon's always there." I said, "Then how come you don't have it?" Because when you start thinking, you then go back to subconscious control, the default. And the problem is, why do 50% of marriages end up in divorce? The answer is this: Marriage has started with the relationship of two conscious creative minds sharing together a belief in creating a honeymoon, and it ends when thinking enters into the people and they start playing their regular programs, which are 60% negative. The partner hears these programs. The one saying the thing doesn't hear it; the other one hears it. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 35:43 I love the response. When somebody comes out in a relationship and the loving partner hears some kind of BS come out of their other partner, they look at them and go: "Who are you? Where did you come from?" What? It was never part of the behavior. And then, all of a sudden, it shows up. And the more thinking, the more that negativity shows up. There's a point where a partner will say: "That's enough. That's not why I signed up here. I signed up because we had a great honeymoon." After you started thinking, this thing went right down the tube. The point is, that's what reality is about. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 36:18 So the idea then becomes simple, which is the obvious thing: "What if I created all programs that represented my wishes and desires—if I had those programs?" I said: "Oh, you know what? Whether you're consciously creating those wishes and desires or your conscious mind is off in left field, your subconscious will be manifesting the wishes and desires. And guess what? A honeymoon is not a short period. A honeymoon is every day of your life for as long as you live." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 36:46 Does it work? Personally, I had some very bad programming when I was young because my mother and father had a dysfunctional relationship. I downloaded my father's dysfunctional behavior. I played it when I couldn't see it. The result is that I couldn't get relationships off the ground. Then I understood the nature of the programming. Then I understand the nature of reprogramming. Around 50, I met my partner, Margaret. We just celebrated 28 years! And I'm not selling just a relationship; I'm talking honeymoon for 28 years. To wake up every day in my life and go: "Oh my God, I'm still here. Oh my God, I have another day to smell the roses, to have a piece of cake, to enjoy the love, watch the environment, and love my life." I celebrate life. Jill celebrates life. What's the result? Where's the illness? What illness? Dr. Jill 37:45 Yes! I love that. There are some points that I think are so crucial that you just made, number one, being present with our partners, watching them in real time and observing them. So often we create a program of them, a template, and then we don't expect them to change. Or, we expect them to behave the same. And when we're in real time, present with another person—whether it's a friend, family member, business associate, or lover—we can respond in real time. And that's part of that co-creation that you're talking about. It's crucial. Dr. Jill 38:15 The other thing is that with illness, I find one thing that was—I'm sure this is related to the program, [and] I'd love your comments—I never identified with the cancer. I never became the cancer. I never made that part of who I was. Even now, I'm like, "Oh yes, 20 years ago, I had cancer." And of course, it's real, but it's almost foreign because it was never part of me. And I really believe that's a huge part of why I overcame a very, very aggressive cancer at the age of 25—because it never was my identity. Do you want to talk about that a little bit? Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 38:44 Yes, let's just talk about this. The first thing is that I'm going to give a fact of science [to] which [a person might say], "He really said that?" And I'm going to say, yes, I'm going to say this. There's not one gene that causes cancer. There's not a gene [where], "You have this gene, you get cancer." The one scary one for women, of course, [is] the breast cancer gene. I go, "So what?" I go: "Women who carry the breast cancer gene don't necessarily have to have cancer. As a matter of fact, nearly half of them don't get cancer. But they have the gene." So then I say, "Then where did the cancer come from?"—because those who have the cancer with the gene and those who are healthy with the gene have the same gene. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 39:20 What's the difference? The answer is this: Cancer is correlated with a gene, not caused by a gene. Cancer is caused by disharmony in the system. Disharmony is the source of disease. Harmony is the source of health. Disharmony means your programming wasn't really good, and you're responding to things in a negative way that is going to cause a breakdown of the system. That's where the stress comes into it. So the concept is this: The image—even if once you tell a woman, "Yes, you have the breast cancer gene," what the hell image do you think is going to be in her head? The answer is: Cancer. I go: "Yes, but isn't the function of the mind to take the image of the head and turn it into reality?" I go, "Absolutely! What's the consequence?" Ninety percent of cancer has no genetic linkage at all. Dr. Jill 40:14 Yes. That was the biggest question I got as a 25-year-old. Every single person, to a T: "Oh, did you have genes?" No, I didn't have genes. I had a dysfunctional system when I was in my 20s. That goes into a whole other lecture that I could give, but I was not living consciously. And there were some things, stress-wise, that were contributing. And it was the environmental toxic load. So all of these things are the petri dish. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 40:38 And more than that, there must have been the two programs. Eighty to ninety percent of all people will not test positive for two beliefs. Number one, and I think the most important, is the belief, "I love myself." Eighty percent of people will not test positive for that belief. Number two, and this is the one where the healthcare crisis comes from: "I am safe." When you have a picture of fear, then the chemistry of fear is to manifest the fear. When they say "This is it" and [show you] a picture of the tumor and everything, then you make the chemistry of the tumor. Then the idea is that we have to own quantum physics. Consciousness is the source of our life experiences. We have to understand the nature of epigenetics. Consciousness is the source of what controls our genes. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 41:07 The third thing that I think is part of the Renaissance that we really must emphasize at some point is Newtonian physics, which separates physical from non-physical, matter versus energy. It's an illusion. It's not real. But it programs us in a very bad way because the program says: "Whatever is made out of matter can only be affected by matter. Whatever is made out of energy can only be affected by energy." And I say, "So what's the consequence?" I say: "The body is matter. And what do you think the whole foundation of the pharmaceutical company is? The body is matter and we make the matter to fix the matter." Dr. Jill 42:16 Yes. What's the matter with that? [laughs] Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 42:18 Three hundred thousand people die in the US every year from prescription drugs, that's what's the matter with it, when less than 50,000—I think 30,000—people die from illegal drugs. We have a war on illegal drugs, and 300,000 people dying from pharmaceutical drugs is called the cost of doing medicine. I go: "That's damn expensive! We don't need that." Simple law of science: If a drug works, it only works because you already had a receptor for that drug on you. Do you think nature put receptors on cells, waiting for the pharmaceutical company to make a drug? No, come on, man! If you have a receptor for a drug, it's because you have a receptor for a drug that you make. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 43:01 I go, "I can make any drug." Of course, because any drug works because you have a receptor to connect it. If you have a receptor, then you obviously have a signal that will bind to that receptor. Then you say, "Well, it's not working." And that's where everything gets screwed up because that system isn't working and then you go right away: "Oh, the body is defective. The genes aren't working right. There's an interference with the physical." I go, "Yes, there was an interference because it didn't start down here; it started up here." And once you start to understand this, yes, treat the body if there's an immediate need to treat the body, but the process of treating the patient is treating this part. Knowledge is power. They do not have the knowledge of who they are. They're programmed [to think]: "I'm a victim of my genes and I have no power." I go, "Well, there's your problem." Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 43:54 And the issue about it is that you guys are in the front of the evolution that says: Okay, I can treat the patient, but I've really got to treat the consciousness of the patient. Why? Because, as quantum physics says, consciousness is the source of this creativity, and as epigenetics says, consciousness is the source of this expression. You cannot leave that out. Dr. Jill 44:18 You just talked about two beliefs that I think are critical and it's a great place to kind of wrap up. The first one is: Do we love ourselves? Do we really, really, truly love and accept ourselves? I have written a book and done a movie on that message. The heart of healing is: How do we show self-compassion and love? Because that is the only way that our cells will respond in health. Dr. Jill 44:41 The second thing was so crucial too, and that is the fear and the unsafety. This is where a physician in the office can make all the difference, because if they add to that fear message, guess what? That's just adding to that patient's unhealth. So one thing we are obligated to do as physicians is create a safe environment and teach that patient how to start to feel safe in their body. With those two beliefs, maybe in the last couple of minutes here, could you maybe give us some practical advice for somebody who's like: "How do I start doing that, Bruce? How do I feel safe in my body? And how do I love myself?" Because that, I couldn't agree more with you, is really the core message here. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 45:19 I'll tell you, let's get right to the root of why people do not love themselves. The answer is: Because parents act like coaches on a sports team. I go, "What does that mean?" A player isn't doing well. What does the coach say? "Oh, do better." No! The coach says: "That's not good enough. Who do you think you are? You don't deserve to be on this team." Well, a player is older than seven. They're in consciousness. They understand that the coach is saying, "You better do better!" Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 45:47 Now let's say the parent is the coach and the kid is under seven. There's no consciousness operating. What's operating? Hypnosis, programming. So when the father says, "That's not good enough, you don't deserve this, you're not lovable, you don't belong," blah, blah, blah—acting like the coach who says, "This is going to make them do better"—if the kid is under seven, you just programmed them to self-sabotage because the subconscious is going to create 95% of their life. And if I get a program "I do not deserve," when I'm thinking 95% of the day, what the hell program is running? "I do not deserve." So I could say something so stupid in my corporate structure or something, and somebody says, "That guy doesn't deserve to be here." And then, all of a sudden, I'm kicked out of the structure. Why? Because I myself made behavior to conform to "not good enough" and to not love myself. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 46:41 This is why that one's so important—because if you can't love yourself, I'm going to be honest, you can't accept love from somebody else. I go, "Why?" Because they say they love you, but in your mind, you're going: "Well, they don't know me, man. I know I'm not lovable." And you'll push them away. And then you'll find yourself with nobody around. And guess what you'll say? "You see?! I'm not lovable!" [inaudible] You just did that. And when it comes to "Do I have any power?" the answer is: No, it has been systematically deprived of them. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 46:59 I've got a minute; I've got to say this because this is really cool. There's a power struggle in the world. It's always been this way. There are three levels of power. Number one, caveman. Who's the biggest badass with the biggest club? Whatever they say, do it. They've got the power. Evolution came along. There are people then who control the resources that you need. And all of a sudden they say, "If you want those resources, you've got to give me something for this." And you know what? The ones who had the resources paid the caveman to hit you over the head if you didn't pay for the resources. Dr. Jill 47:53 A personal hitman. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 47:55 That's the king who owns the resources with an army of cavemen. Then I say, "But the last of the power struggles came down to 'knowledge is power.'" And it was recognized that, yes, that is the supreme power of everything. Knowledge is power. The first thing the church of Rome did was acknowledge: "We are the source of infallible knowledge. We are the source of truth. We say it; it's true." Well, you say, "I don't care." The point about it was that people gave up their power to the belief. And I say it here very quickly: There's a code behind the power brokers. I call it the powermongers' credo. I say, "What is it?" Are you ready? Give them the fear for free and then sell them the antidote. Dr. Jill (pre-recording) 48:46 Hey, everybody. I just stopped by to let you know that my new book, Unexpected: Finding Resilience through Functional Medicine, Science, and Faith, is now available for order wherever you purchase books. In this book, I share my own journey of overcoming a life-threatening illness and the tools, tips, tricks, hope, and resilience I found along the way. This book includes practical advice for things like cancer and Crohn's disease and other autoimmune conditions, infections like Lyme or Epstein-Barr, and mold- and biotoxin-related illnesses. What I really hope is that as you read this book, you find transformational wisdom for health and healing. If you want to get your own copy, stop by ReadUnexpected.com. There, you can also collect your free bonuses. So grab your copy today and begin your own transformational journey through functional medicine and finding resilience. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 50:59 "What do you want me to do? Put a mask on? Sure. I'll mask on. I can't visit my mom, who's dying in a nursing home?" "No, you have to give that up because you can't do that." "Really?" Dr. Jill 51:09 Yes. If you're controlled, then fear created the biology of illness. It really, really is a great analogy. Bruce, this has been so fun to dive deep. I love talking to you. I love your enthusiasm. I love your wisdom. And I love most of all that you were so far ahead of the curve because people are kind of coming along to this belief. But the truth is, you were one of the very first ones writing and talking about this. And I'm just grateful that way back in the day, in the lab, you saw this and started writing about it. Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. 51:44 I can't be any happier than I am for myself! I have a different life! I have a different life than before that discovery. Dr. Jill 51:53 Yes. And it transforms us all, too. I have many stories, the same thing, of me continuing to transform because of this knowledge. Thank you for the work that you do. Thank you for spending your time with us today!](https://www.jillcarnahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Bruce-Lipton-Biology-of-Belief-Can-Your-Mind-Spontaneously-Transform-Your-Health_-WEB-1.jpg)
206 Comments
Wanting to work on detoxifying, I tried an infrared sauna about one year ago. While I really enjoyed the relaxing experience, afterward I was not able to fall asleep – AT ALL – for 48 hours! Something was triggered which induced a severe insomnia. Have you heard of this before or have any thoughts on why this might have happened?
Yes, anytime you mobilize toxins quicker than you can eliminate them you will have symptoms…
DrJill where may I purchase the GIDetox & Upgraded Coconut Charcoal at? Thank you.
just added links for you
This is an excellent blog! Thank you for sharing in such an accessible way.
I do take GI detox as well as charcoal. I take homeopathic drainers too.
If I take a time release medicine, would the binders interfere with it’s efficacy?
Yes, Diane it is possible. But usually if you time binders 2 hours away from most medications you will be ok
I have been recommemded after a Metatrone Hospital Reading that I should take L-Lysine for bloodcirculation, heart and brain. I also have a heavy metal burden, lead, mercury, aluminium. And some mold exposure, as well as Lyme. Can I take GiDetox parallell with Lysine? Do I take them at the same time? Now I take Nac, L-lysin and 1-2 gram c-vitamin först thing in the morning. Some months ago I used Serrapeptase as well. Maybe I can take that alongside Lysine?
I felt that both GiDetox and Serrapeptase were good to take. My guestion primarily is about taking these things together, how they should be administered.
Hi Kicki,
Best to get a comprehensive plan in conjunction with your doctor but these should be safe. Unfortunately, I cannot give medical advice on the blog
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Jill
Great article!
My question/problem is that I have Crohn’s Disease and my current situation/problem is a fissure/fistulas & perianal abscess/es. We’ve now lived in 2 water damaged rentals and we can’t move – there are no rentals available here to move to that we can afford – due to Covid. I tested positive to mould toxins & I’d like to try what you’ve said, but I cannot afford to get constipated. Will these things cause constipation?
Kind regards & blessings,
Louise
I had been binders than one naturopath doubled the dose and I had terrible reflux.. can I take something with binders to avoid reflux?
Hi there, so grateful for your thoughtful article. I have a myriad of mycotoxins in my body, still working on protocol. Using GI digest, but only 2 per day and taking Interfase as a biofilm disrupter. 6 mo ago I tried the Interfase plus (which has EDTA) and I got a bit sicker. Blood pressure way too low, likely pulling more than body could excrete. I have severe mitochondrial Metabolic dysfunction (Per NutrEval) and on very high doses of mitochondrial cocktail. As I am healing, I find I need less of my supplements for energy. I know I am in the right track. I am going to purchase a near infrared sauna and add that to protocol. And add the coconut charcoal you mentioned. I have dealt with mito dysfunction for so many years. Am very functional but I am so hopeful to rid my body of these toxins and to totally reclaim my body. I have studied with Terry Wahls, MD….. her Wahls seminars and take the healthcare certif program. So nice to see you doing this important work and sharing. Do you take on new clients?
What is the solution to this phenomenon?if that is the right word.
If you are mobilizing toxins too quickly, you need to decrease dose and/or frequency of binders and work on excretion – lymphatic drainage, epsom salt baths, dry brushing, hydrotherapy and other methods of enhancing excretion of toxins.
Dr. Jill – a friend just forwarded your article to me. Wondering if you’ve worked with individuals with a double MTHFR mutation A1298c? Both of my kids show varying degrees of “autism” as we know that is toxicity with the inability to flush properly – however it becomes tricky to pull said toxins when the methylation pathways are screwed up — I’m curious if you work with autistic population and with all the trickiness a double mutation brings?
Yes, MTHFR is one of many detox impairments but there are still ways to mobilize and excrete toxins and support the process…
What type of symptoms are most common? I usually have major stomach pain when I take the tablets. Initially I didn’t. Can the tablets go bad?
Should these be used before or after infrared sauna?
Safe while breastfeeding?
best after infrared sauna
You might of been going thru detox. After the sauna you may experience blemishes, sleeplessness, and other heximer symptoms.
Hi my name is Lisa, I have been sick for 6 years. I had parotid gland cancer in 1996, which ruined my Thyroid, due to Radiation treatments. I started getting sick 6 years ago and thought it was my Thyroid. I have seen various conventional and 3 naturopath drs. 2 of them said I had lyme’s 1 put me on antibiotics and another on IV treatments which did not work. I started thinking it could be mold, cause I have all the symptoms. I took a urine test and was positive for mold. the molds are Sterigmatocystin 0.399 and Aflatoxin-m1 7.86. With my armour thyroid can I take any active form of charcoal, and how many mg’s and how often? I read you have to take it 4 hours prior or after taking the thyroid medication. Is this safe to do and any other suggestions.
You may take charcoal or prescription binders 4 hours away from thyroid
I knew I needed to remove the byproducts of candida dieoff, and testing showed too high levels of bad bacteria related to clostridia.
So I started on two caps of coconut shell activated charcoal in the middle of the night. The first day after, I felt just a little run down. The second day after taking two more in the middle of the night, I felt awful all day, having two bouts of diarrhea, mid-morn and afternoon.
The awful feeling intensified right before I would have diarrhea, on the edge of being nauseated, then went down just a little the next hour. But I continued to feel bad all day and was achy in the evening.
I am taking today off (didn’t take anything in the middle of the night last night) and starting again tonite, but switching to the same GI Detox you mentioned. Thinking I should only take one capsule.
Is this kind of bad reaction with binders normal at all? Seems like I detox way worse than others mention, as if genetics makes me over detox, similar to how B2 and B6 supplements have made me overmethylate and make me rundown.
Is it safe to begin taking activated charcoal for mold exposure before I’m able to leave the moldy environment?
yes
Hi Dr Jill, please I will like to know the best way to test for heavy metals if you were exposed 2 year ago. I’ve been ready sick since then and Doctors haven’t found anything.thank you
HI Dee
I recommend starting with whole blood heavy metal testing through you local lab
warmly
Dr. Jill
I was exposed 9 years ago to mycotoxins and am still fighting to get better and stay better.
I have the HLA-DR gene and keep getting re-exposed. It is a vicious cycle and one I am not winning. Do you have any suggestions on how to win this war I am fighting. I am living a reclusive lifestyle in hopes of avoiding these toxins and yet they continue to show up in my urine tests. It is impossible to test every supermarket I frequent or every medical office. I have taken CSM and activated charcoal and will get better then find another mycotoxin has shown up during testing.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Don’t rely on urinary mycotoxin testing for your health improvement. You will excrete more toxins as you are detoxing appropriately and should not follow the urine levels for success in treatment. Most patients urinary levels increase as they are doing the appropriate healing regimen to enhance detox and excretion.
I was basing my mold toxicity on my urine tests. Can you please explain or provide an example or a non urine test for mold that can show me/us the level of toxins? Mine were off the charts on 4. I’ve purchased the GI detox and charcoal from your site. My functional medicine doctor defers to your protocols with mold so thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. My next step after binders is to add your nasal spray but I don’t want to detox to much to quick so am holding off until I run the binders for a month. Thank you I just need a way to check if they are decreasing.
Thank you for your comments, Summer!
Other testing for environmental toxins can be done through Great Plains Laboratory or Genova Diagnostics.
You can download my complete guide to mold treatment here
Dr. Carnahan,
I use Great Plains’ GPL-Mycotox. For my 3rd such test, gliotoxin was added as a mycotoxin that’s tested for. My result was 0. For my 4th test fourteen months later (June 2020), my level of gliotoxin went to 3002.88. For my 5th test three months later (September 2020), my level of gliotoxin increased further to 4589.63.
To detox the gliotoxin after my 4th test, I had added bentonite clay, S. boulardii, and NAC to my regimen. My prior regimen consisted of three tablets of Welchol every other day, along with GI Detox and Activated Coconut Charcoal on the alternating days. I’m still taking my “prior” regimen, along with the additional supplements.
I gather I must have had a new exposure between tests 3 and 4 (and I never figured out what it was). However, do you think it’s likely my level of gliotoxin increased between tests 4 and 5 because I’m doing the appropriate healing regimen to enhance detoxification and excretion? Or might I have an ongoing exposure that my current regimen can’t fully address?
I’m feeling quite discouraged. I’m 60 years old and have two copies of ApoE4, and results like I’m getting don’t help. Thanks in advance for your response.
Alysson – it is important to remember that urine mycotoxin testing is measuring excretion. That does not necessary equal exposure. In addition, you might try Real Time Labs Elisa or Vibrant Mycotoxins which I prefer for urinary testing accuracy.
Hi Dr Jill! 😊
My new fm doc has me taking the ultra binder (positive Ochratoxin & slightly Aflatoxin on the urine Great Plains Mycotox urine, SIBO, adrenal fatigue, 7 ferritin & low D3 & folate, & histamine issues) & I wanted to see if you felt this was safe since still having about 6 amalgam fillings in?
Also, I read you don’t advise the urine Mycotox test for retesting? What test should we retest with then? And Do you think it’s okay for an initial diagnoses?
I’m getting ready to test 4 of my 6 kids…
Thanks for your time!
2 months ago injured disc in low back(L-3,L-4 & L-5) took pain meds for 3 six hour intervals & woke up sinus congested, anxious & constipated!! Started Donna Gates “Body Ecology Diet”, which eliminates all sugars & stresses an alkaline diet with cultured veggies, coconut water kefer & 20/80 ratio for acid to alkaline foods. I have done enemas, had to colonics, which am told I have an abundance of toxins. Tried many laxative with magnesium oxide from oxygen- cleanse to magnesium citrate with minimal results. Still not having normal bowel movements, ups & downs with anxiety & only able to sleep 3 hours a night. I am a walking zombie! Was taking digestive enzymes, apple cider vinegar in warm water (before &after each meal),. Most meals are puréed veggie soup, green smoothies, fermented protein shake, millet & quinoa with steamed veggies or salmon burger with steamed veggies. I drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day. This has been going on for almost 2 months. The advice I get is very opposing & I am way beyond my real of knowledge or experience. I really need help. “Body Ecology” says to do a colon & liver cleanse, which my body has been forced to do. I lost my gallbladder about 10 yrs ago so my elimination system is comprised to what extent, I don’t know! I have ordered your G.I. Detox, Upgraded Coconut Charcoal & Ultra Binders & wait for any wisdom and direction you can advise. Thank you Greg
I’ve used Biocidin sublingual and tablets and detox with good effect for mold and yeast. Much much much better than Rx nyastatin. Apparently, the product based on konjak root, called Glycomannan, is even better as a mold and yeast killer. (According to the poop watch.) Warning: taking the recommended dose may be too much, as evidenced by constipation, easily solvable with prunes.
Greg, sorry to hear what’s going on. Taking the medicines for such a short time would not have triggered this reaction in my experience. Consider instead that it was a neurological straw that broke the camels back. This sounds much more like Vagus Nerve triggering than toxicity. Look up Dr. Porges, SSP Protocol. Also google “Stanley Rosenberg Basic exercise” takes a few minutes and helps reset nervous system. Also look up calming the Vagus Nerve, I bet if you do these things in a few weeks all will be well. In Addition you may wish to look up Quantum Neurology practitioner (AFTER) the other work
does chlorella and bentonite clay work as well ? I thought chlorella binds to toxins to eliminate them. please clarify thanks:)
yes, these are good binders as well
Is it safe to use charcoal and other detoxifiers if you have been diagnosed with stage 3-4 liver fibrosis? I have been told my liver is fully compensated and working just fine. Would like to try to regenerate or help reduce further damage. My condition is not due to alcohol use. Thanks.
Charcoal is not absorbed by the body so likely safe for you to use
For some reason I feel severely, deathly, MORE ill during my cycle? (I feel more ill than normal, if that’s even possible….) Is there a possibility that mycotoxins or biotoxins could gather in the uterus? And then during a womans cycle as they are being released or flushed out it causes severe ill feeling? If so, is it a good sign? Is the body getting rid of the toxins during the uterine lining shedding?
Thank you in advance for your response
Hormones can absolutely affect detoxification because the compete with toxins in the liver
Hi. I’ve heard about using different binders through the day. Any recommendations for use of multiple binders? Great combos? Combos to avoid?
Yes, almost any binder can be combined and that is typically how I prescribe them…
Thanks for answering my question about combining binders. Just to be clear, do you mean that almost any binder can be combined as in taking two binders at once? Or do you mean staggering different binders through the day? Sorry. Just trying to get the best effect.
Yes, you may combine multiple binders in the same dose
Dr. Carnahan,
Can I combine the Rx Welchol with GI Detox, Upgraded Coconut Charcoal, and bentonite clay? That would simplify my life. It sounds like “yes” will be your answer, but you said “almost” any binder can be combined. So I’m just wanting to be sure. I’ve been on this journey for years now and don’t want to mess up now.
yes these can all be combined
Stunning article you have shared with us and it will be very valuable for me to increase my skills. I really impressed by your blog because you have good knowledge of activated charcoal. I really thankful to you.
Dr. Carnahan,
Thank you for the article. I am wondering if the following scenarios are possible or are very common:
1. The patients who has mold/fungus living in them and creating mycotoxins rather than someone just being sick acutely when exposed to an environment full of mycotoxins. For example, is it common to have mold living in deep sinuses (say ethmoid) and therefore such a person has a factory of mycotoxin producing mold? even after leaving the mold site years later. In this case would an anti-fungal treatment be the first step rather than binding the toxins? Would using binders alleviate the symptoms even if the infection is not cleared?
2. Could a person “not” have a mold infection but instead they are full of mycotoxins and have symptoms for years even after leaving the mold infested site?
Thanks!
MB
Mold is not an “infection” it is usually an exposure
Dr. Carnahan,
Thanks for clarifying this. So then, would fungual overgrowth living in the sinus be able to produce these mycotoxins and therefore induce CIRS? or is it just that the patients with CIRS have an overload from chronic environmental/home exposure and these toxins are stored in the body and released slowly?
Thanks
MB
MB I get your confusion. This is not very straightforward.
Hi there!
Can you please tell me the best binder for mold detox but also have bad acid reflux issues?
Thank you !!
Probably clay or charcoal
You say that ‘G.I. Detox’ contains Phyrophyllite clay; however, the Bio-Botanical Research Inc. webpage that shows the product for sale states very clearly that they use Zeolite clay, which is a distinctly different clay. So, I am confused. I do understand that both are equally effective binders. I am just curious how a professional such as yourself could make such a glaring, obvious mistake:
“Ingredients
Proprietary Herbal Blend: Zeolite clay, Activated Charcoal, Aloe Vera, MMST Silica, Apple Pectin, Humic / Fulvic Acid”
They changed the formula since I wrote the article
Can you recommend anything to help “detox” after exposure to radiation such as a CT scan with contrast? Would these same types of detoxification agents be effective for this as well?
Yes, IV glutathione and binders, possibly chelating agents under medical supervision
Hello,
I’ve been suffering now for 3 years with odd symptoms which I’ve newly learned is mold toxicity along with parasites, gut issues, EBV and other things. My brain has been severely compromised by this and it’s given me cognitive and mental issues. I’ve tried so many detox methods and have found no relief. I’ve started this GI detox supplement and just wondering if it’s so strong to give me odd brain/cognitive/mental. I’ve found no relief from the bizarre mental and cognitive.
I enjoyed your article it was very informative. My apartment flooded a few years back and the carpet wasn’t changed. I used to have a lot of energy but, since that happened I have been sick and, probably for that first year could hardly get out of bed. I have Activated Charcoal in powder form so, how much would I need to take? I have been taking a tsp. a day and, I’m thinking maybe it’s not enough since your recommendation is 1000-1500mg. in capsule form. How much is that in powder form. Thank you for the great information and your time.
Diana
you are welcome, Diana
Charcoal dosing varies from 1000-2000mg twice daily
Is it safe to use a binder if I have mercury fillings?
I would not recommend chelating agents like DMSA or EDTA but binders like clay and charcoal are perfectly safe
What about ToxinPul by Research Nutritionals? It contains humic/fulvic powder, cilantro, chlorella, quercetin, silica, and vitamin C. My understanding is that it can specifically help with Ochratoxin-A. I just don’t know if it would be safe if I have amalgams.
Yes! ToxinPul is an excellent new binder that I like to use in addition to Researched Nutritionals MycoPul.
Zeolite clay would be fine with fillings?
Yes, zeolite safe to use but better after filings are removed.
Sorry to re respond, and it also won’t let me respond to your comment to me just now for some reason.
But unfortunately I can’t get the 2 fillings removed at the moment, but really need to start the GI detox and it has the zeolite clay in it. Just wanted to confirm that it’s okay even with the 2 fillings?
I have been sick for almost 2 years now. I just recently found out that I have 3 different mold toxins in my system, Ochratixin A (level 61.95), Mycophenotic Acid (level 12.84) and Zearalenone (level 74.04). My naturopathic dr started me on Activated charcoal, Olive leaf extract and a sinus cleanse. It has been 4 weeks. I recently started my own diet of trying to get off sugar, gluten and dairy. I have also been taking a probiotic, B12 and vitamin C for months now. I know this process takes time but I was wondering if you had any advise on anything that can help with fatigue? That is one of my biggest struggles. I haven’t had caffeine in 12 years, it has given me heart palpitations and jitters (which is one symptom that has gotten better from the mold.)
Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Thank you.
Hi Kristin,
The process is slow and as you clear toxins you may at first feel worse… check out my free guide here
warmly
Dr. Jill
Hi. Most other articles I’ve read about using binders include psyillium husk or some other fiber as being pertinent to help transport toxins out. I don’t see that as being recommended in your article. Is there any particular reason you don’t recommend it? Thanks
Yes, while psyllium and other fibers are essential to bowel regularity and overall health, I don’t know of specific binding affinity for mycotoxins
Hi Jill. Thanks for this great article and your work. I’m interested in using binders as opposed to a colon hydrotherapy. Touching on a point made previously, I thought binders were meant to be used long with something like psyllium husk in order to reach the deep pockets in your colon? i.e. the places where impacted fecal matter and such is found. Without something like psyllium husk I thought binders could not reach those hard to reach places. Do you have any thoughts on that? Thanks if you can help.
Psyllium husk is a great fiber for colon health. I am not aware of any data on it “getting to the deep pocket of colon” or that this is necessary.
I have some concerns about the nutrient absorption from the use of binders. Is my thinking correct in that any nutrients you eat will be bound to the binders UNTIL you have a bowel movement? As in, things you eat (nutrients) are going to bound to the binders until the binders are out of your system?
yes, binders may also bind nutrients in food if taken with meals
Dr. Jill, are the GI Drtox and Coconut Charcoal safe for children ages six and eight to take (they have been exposed to mold toxicity). Should the dosage recommended be cut in half or more? Thank you!
Hi Chasya
Generally binders are safe in children in lower doses but I do not give to children under 4y/o
warmly
Dr Jill
I’m glad you shared this step by step process for effect detox. we can try this when we feel full
When taking the GI Detox and Bulletproof Activated Charcoal, do you take them both at the same time of day? And do you recommend taking a probiotic while doing this? If so, do you like a particular one? And should there be a time gap between the probiotic and the binders?
Yes, all binders may be combined
Dr. Jill can you confirm whether the following statement is something you have heard of and if so how could I be tested for it? About 25% of Americans also carry a gene called HLA-DR (human leukocyte antigen) that makes it more difficult for them to excrete mycotoxins, toxic metabolites produced by a variety of different molds.
Yes, there is a subset of the population that is at increased genetic risk of having more trouble eliminating mycotoxins from the body and thus more prone to inflammatory response.
Jill,
Have you ever hear of Okra Pepsin E3 being used as a binder? Also, is the binder used according to what mold you have in your house?
yes, different binders have different affinities for molds and mycotoxins. I have not used Okra pepsin E3
Thank you for sharing this information. Is a binder meant to be taken indefinitely or is there a length of time I should be using it for or an indicator for when I no longer need to take it?
when symptoms have resolved and VCS is normal you may discontinue binders
Thank you, Dr. Carnahan!
Do you recommend to take Biocidin drops together with the GI Detox pills?
Your response is greatly appreciated
yes, you can use both but biocidin is not a binder, it is an antimicrobial formulation
Hi Dr Jill
Please could you recommend a good metal detox for my 3yrs old non-verbal autism son. We recent did a test and found out he has a high reading of Metal. I will like to start detoxing him, Do you also recommend footbath if yes. Could you send me a link to order it.
Do you ship stocks to Australia
Hi Saint,
Quicksilver Scientific makes my favorite products for heavy metal detox
warmly
Dr. Jill
As I have pretty bad IBS with constipation I have stayed away from binders as I would not be able to move anything out. Was happy to see Apple Pectin could help but may cause constipation. Can’t risk this. How can it be used to eliminate mycotoxins from mold poisoning with constipation? I am now working on my constipation problem with a good aloe product and a probiotic as I am on an antibiotic due to a colon infection. From the mold toxin exposure I became very allergic to just all herbs so that eliminates a lot of remedies. Also going to try infrared sauna.
Thank you for your time, Carmen F.
Yes, you must first treat the constipation and identify root cause issues, such as methane SIBO before you take binders. Constipation in and of itself is a risk for toxicity…
Just an addition to the Carmen Frenkel Comment just left. I was left with a high blood pressure problem from the year-long toxic mold exposure, so I have to be pretty careful what I ingest. Many things that don’t bother others cause quite a problem for me. This is another reason I must remove toxins. Really glad to see your site. Looks like you have many followers. Do you work with people my phone?
Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
Carmen Frenkel
310-847-9893
carfrenk789@gmail.com
Hello Dr Jill,
I have problems swallowing capsules. Are there any binder options for mycotoxins that are in a different form? Or can the capsules be opened and consumed in food?
Also, I signed up for your upcoming Mold webinar but no date was listed…has this been scheduled?
Thank you for your expertise and your time.
Hi Dr. Jill,
I have high levels of Ochratoxin A. & Candida. I have H-pylori & stomach inflammation I would like to use Chlorella
to bind the mycotoxins from the Orchratoxin A.
If I took the Chlorella 2x daily empty stomach could it be successful over time to bind to the Ochratoxin A?
How many mg of Chlorella?
Thank you!
Hi Pamella
I like Chlorella but I have never used it alone to detoxify mold – I suggest you add clay or charcoal to your regimen
warmly,
Dr Jill
Dear Dr Jill, I am taking charcoal and cholestyramine to bind ochratoxines (very high level). Do you think I can take them together at the same time of the day? Thank you so much.
yes absolutely
Dr. Jill,
I work in a granite fabrication company and am exposed to silica particles in the air on a daily basis. I have a persistent cough that the doctors cannot seem to cure. Do you know what binding agents might work best for me?
Hi Karen
I don’t know if a binder will work for your situation.
warmly
Dr. Jill
Hi Dr, Jill,
I would like to start a cleanse but I’m concern with my dental work will release mercury. Is it safe to take binders with dental amalgam fillings?
I do not recommend any intensive metal detox with DMSA or EDTA with mercury filings in mouth. However, clay and charcoal are generally safe as they are not strong chelators of metals
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Thanks for this great article. You mentioned that the binders work only when the biofilms are broken up. Does that mean it is necessary to take a biofilm buster during the day as well or are the binders good enough?
yes, ideally
Thanks very much for all of your blogs and replies to questions. I have a couple of follow-up questions to previous posts.
What biofilm busters do you recommend and do you take them at the same time as the binders?
Can you take fiber at the same time as the binders?
When I have tried some of the binders, it seems that they make me to have more fatigue and general weakness, sort of like flu like symptoms. Could this happen with some patients and if yes, is it because the binders are mobilizing/moving around the toxins so to speak? What do you recommend when this occurs with some patients?
Hi David
I do use certain fibers like FiberMend and propalmannan with binders and sometimes helps prevent constipation.
Hi Dr. Jill,
I appreciate your website. I’ve been creating a ‘protocol’ for myself based on Keto Keri, and her work with Autism. I have chronic migraine, Fatigue, memory issues, etc… from as far back as I can remember. For a month now I’ve been taking MMS/CD/Chlorine Dioxide as a “biofilm buster” and neutralizing metals… along with Humic/Fulvic, Bentonite Clay, MSM (Methyl Sulfonylmethan) as Chelation. I’m planning to add Zeolite and EDTA, and now activated charcoal based on what I read above. I also am taking Chondroitin as a supplement to the protocol. I’m also planning to work on a parasite protocol to add (Mebendazole, Albendazole, Blackseed oil) to rid my system of potential parasites that could be playing into the mix.
Can you share your thoughts about my modified protocol, and recommend where I may be lacking?
Thanks so much,
John
yes, this sounds excellent, John!
Dear Dr. Carnahan,
Thank you for your post and reply. Can I take Ecklonia Cava, Takesumi Supreme, Chlorella and Enterosgel together for Aluminum detox?
Lisa
Hi Lisa
Yes, you may absolutely take these together for detox
warmly
Dr Jill
Hello Dr. Carnahan, I am used the GI Detox because I was exposed to Fluoroquinolone toxicity. Are you familiar?
yes, I am
I do not think that GI detox will do anything for this problem
Would using reduced glutithione capsules by jarrows be okay for the glutithione
Hi, How long after taking an antimicrobial do you recommend taking a binder?
I recommend taking binders 1 hour before food/supplements/meds or two hours after
Hi Jill,
I am wondering if you have had experience with Quicksilver Ultra Binder and how you think it compares with GI Detox? I saw some articles online indicating bentonite may be more effective than zeolite with mycotoxins. Thoughts on this?
Orchratoxin, Zearalenone, and Chaetoglobosin are what I am trying to bind!
Thanks for your thoughts. Your article was very helpful to me.
Jenny
Minneapolis
Yes, the UltraBinder is excellent and the low sulfur version which is part of my Miracle Mold Detox Box is preferred for mold exposure.
Hi Jill
Any ideas why one would get really nauseated on these? Threw up on Chlorella. Nauseated on 1/4 dose of quicksilver ultrabinder. Awaiting the low sulfur version as you recommended. However, I read online the silica is supposed to be helpful with removing the aluminum that’s naturally occurring in the zeolite, and lead that’s possibly in bentonite. Should I be concerned about heavy metal problems developing without the silica in the low sulfur version?
My daughter struglles with fluid and electrolyte balance as she has no ADH due to mold. In trying to take coconut charcoal she she is becoming constipated. What can she take/eat to counteract this. She has high glutamate issues. Thank you. Kate
Hi Kate
Electrolytes may help your daughter – you can try Thorne Catalyte.
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Jill
Any ideas why one would get really nauseated on these? Threw up on Chlorella. Nauseated on 1/4 dose of quicksilver ultrabinder. Awaiting the low sulfur version as you recommended. However, I read online the silica is supposed to be helpful with removing the aluminum that’s naturally occurring in the zeolite, and lead that’s possibly in bentonite. Should I be concerned about heavy metal problems developing without the silica in the low sulfur version?
As a thyroid patient on thyroid medication I take at two different times a day, I have concerns about using any kind of these binders, particularly on a regular basis. It seems there would always be remnants of these binders in your gut that will interfere with absorption of medication. Do you have any thoughts on this? I spread the dose out to try to even out the T3 in my Naturethroid.
Yes, I understand. I have found 2 hours to generally be sufficient to space binders and thyroid medication unless you are using cholestyramine in which case best to wait 3-4 hours.
warmly
Dr Jill
Dear Dr. Jill,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I have found what you wrote informative and helpful, the question and answer section is also helpful.
I have been healthy my whole life 64 yrs.
Doing yard work I was exposed to mold, working on getting back to normal, thank you for being so kind and sharing!!!
Wishing you a blessed life💫🦋😊
Sincerely Helene
What about breastfeeding and using these products? I have Sterigmatocystin and Ochratoxin A. Thanks!
non-absorbable binders and probiotics would be safe for breastfeeding mothers
Thank you, and which binders are non-absorbable?
Thank you, and which binders are non-absorbable?
Hi Dr Jill, I have been fighting aggressive breast cancer for over a year. Currently it is labeled as stage 4 metastatic – to lungs, liver, heart, and who knows where else. Has changed fro Er + to triple negative. My question is : I have been doing IV vit c infusions and glutathione infusions. The last 2 doses of glutathione have caused much discomfort in my abdomen. Pain. Can I take activated charcoal to calm some of the painful effects of the glutathione or will it undo its job?
Thank you for your thoughts.
Blessings to you!
yes, I recommend lowing dose of glutathione and adding charcoal
I have been taking cholesteramine CSM pure powder for 5l months 2-3 times a day for mold exposure. Specifically tested positive for ochratoxin A and aflatoxins. Could I switch to GI Detox and coconut charcoal and get same or better results? Would this cause toxic overload in my system? I have neuro and brain fog and anxiety currently. Thank you
Hi Marcy
Best to talk to your doctor but I do find many patients do equally well on OTC binders like clay and charcoal with or without CSM
Warmly
Dr Jill
I take a high powered multi vitamin called PH Core from Mother Earth Labs with humid and fulvic acids in it. Does the H&F have any mold removal properties? I haven’t been tested for mold but I suspect it. Also, my recent food sensitivity tests, say sensitive to brewers and bakers yeast and mushrooms. I know I’ve had candida in the past. What do these food antibiody clues mean to you? Thanks
Hi Amy,
Humid and filvic acids are also binders. I would avoid mushrooms if you are sensitive to yeast and mold
warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
Is Nature’s Plus MSM Rx-Wellness good to take for getting rid of mold in your body? I’m no a program, but want to make sure that MSM will not harm my body or encourage the mold to grow? I’m trying to make sure that it will not feed the mold and that it’s yeast free. Thank you for all of your work in making your research public. You are helping a lot of people. Thank you!
I don’t think MSM will hurt you but I don’t typically use for mold related illness.
Hello,
Sorry if this is a repeat…
I have difficulty swallowing capsules. Are there any options that aren’t in this form…or can the capsules be opened into food?
Also, is there a date for your mold webinar?
Thank you, Dr Jill, for your compassion, your time and your expertise.
Sincerely,
Susan Miller
My recent OAT test’s (and other tests’) markers indicate that I have systemic infections of yeast and mold, as well as bacterial (clostridia and HPHPA). I also have arteriosclerosis. I can’t digest disaccharides or most polysaccarides and have been on the SCD diet for over a decade.
I have tried three different binders– GI Detox, Activated Charcoal (alone), and Bentonite (alone) –but in every case have experienced a strange reaction: sinus draining, dripping in throat, and breathing problems as a result. At the moment, I have no expert to advise me (though I would appreciate that!). Gven my failure with those binders, what other binders (if any) would you recommend? Thank you very much for considering my problem!
Jane
Hi Jane
You might try the Bind Aid which is very gentle when other binders do not work.
warmly
Dr Jill
How does one know whether one has mold colonization, or just mycotoxin intoxication ? Does it show up on a CT scan ? Thanks.
Hi Rebecca
This can be a bit tricky and is based on testing for fungal and mold markers in the urine and blood. Otherwise you may still have inflammatory cytokines like TGF Beta, MMP-9, and VEGF, IL-6, etc abnormal in the blood and just have the inflammatory toxic effects from the exposure.
Hello!
I have mold toxicity but recently found out that I’m expecting. What can I/should I be doing for this during pregnancy? Would taking okra pills, doing colloidal silver nasal spray, and dandelion tea be helpful/safe? Anything else?
Hi Ashley – I would not recommend any specific binders or detox protocol during pregnancy as we don’t have any safety studies. You may try foods like okra but I would not recommend binders or silver. Nasal sprays may be ok.
Is it normal to have darker stools after starting binders like activated charcoal?
yes, it is…
Hi Dr Jill:
I had the Great Plains MycoTox panel and ZEA seems to be a huge problem. I had read that Clay was the best binder for this type of mold. I also read that to help detox ZEA supporting glucuronidation is important. What do you recommend as a good clay binder, and how does one support glucuronidation?
Thanks!
Hi Jamie
you might try adding calcium D-glucorate and GI Detox
warmly
Dr. Jill
Hi Dr. Jill,
I am taking G.I. Detox for heavy metals and pesticides toxicity. I feel bad (heavy stomach, nausea, etc) after taking it until the next day after a bowel movement, when I usually feel better. Is this normal or is it a sign that I should stop taking G.I. Detox?
Thank you very much,
Deni
Hi Deni,
If you are struggling with binder, best to take every 2-3 days or lowest tolerable dose and then ramp up slowly as you tolerate more. It doesn’t mean its the wrong binder, just that you may need to take it more slowly as you detox.
warmly
Dr. Jill
Does taking an Activated Charcoal or a Clay supplement for detoxing also temporarily cause the ALT and AST scores in a blood test to increase?
Thanks,
Mark
No it should not but the toxins being bound could aggravate the liver. If this happens you should stop or decrease dose
I agree with you
I was wondering if GI detox is ok if you have histamine issues? There is charcoal in it. Also can I use bentonite clay instead? And would I use daily?
yes, should be well tolerated. The bigger issue is not the clay or charcoal but if you have a heavy burden of mycotoxins you may feel more reactive as they are pulled out with binders.
What would it be best do detox gently after an OCTREOSCAN (also called SRS) scheduled in a few weeks (radioactive meds injected plus a CT scan on day two? healthy person, yet with EHS and autoinmune chronic gastritis. sensitive to non-ionic radiation. over 30 x-rays as a young sports person.
I too take Armour Thyroid 3 times a day last time is 2pm. I was on Cholestryamine 1/32 tsp 3 nights a week at 7:30pm, I don’t take it later because I take progresterone at bedtime, Over 6 weeks it dropped my Free T3 from 3.8 to 2.9. That didn’t feel good at all. I stopped taking the Cholestryamine and I am going to try GI Detox. Will the GI Detox be less binding to my thyroid hormones? Any advice on how much to take or when to take it? thank you
Yes, for many the CSM is way too strong and should be taken at least 4 hours away from thyroid medication to avoid interaction
I’ve read contradictory reports on what type of bentonite clay to use for internal mold detox. Some say Calcium and other say Sodium. Which type is best for mold detox and is there a brand that I can get on Amazon that you would recommend?
I have terrible itching, especially after eating even though I try to avoid high histamine foods.
Hi Harrison,
Please get only from reputable source as some clay contains heavy metals. Here are two good options GI DETOX and Bentonite Clay
May I ask what do you mean when you say your liver can act up when you use a binder as it attaches to the toxins it is mopping up?
I have a 9 year old with a clogged liver and gut issues and we are working on opening up her detox pathways. But her hormones are kicking in and she is getting terrible anxiety and worry all the time. She had an HTMA test for heavy metals and she has quite a few high metals we need to detox, possible parasites, a very small detectable level of h pylori from a GI map test, huge gut inflammation.
I have GI Detox and want to use it with her. Worries about your comment about the liver. What may help that issue. I don’t want to aggravate the estrogen or whatever causing all these hormonal issues while navigating puberty. Any suggestions to help the liver while also using GI detox
Yes, I also am wondering about the liver being aggravated by the binders. And why might this happen? Thank you!
If you are pushing mobilization of toxins too quickly, you may feel worse. Best to back up on dosing and go more slowly…
The regiment that has worked for me: 1.5Tbs Bentonite Clay, 1.5Tbs Diatomaceous Earth, 1.5Tbs Psyllium Husk, 1/2tsp Activated Charcoal. Mixed with a tall glass of distilled water and followed with a tall glass of distilled water. Side note, you do not want to leave Bentonite or Zeolite Clay in the blender very long, it’s a metal eater. I am excited to add Fulvic Acid, Humic Acid, and Apple Pectin based on your information. Thank You
Hi there!
You haven’t mentioned in this article how we can break down the biofilm? Is it worth to use digestive enzymes for example nattokinase? What could you suggest?
Biofilm disruptors include garlic, NAC, proteolytic enzymes and systemic enzymes, Biocidin and EDTA.
I am being forced by my employer to get vaccinated, even though I have already recovered from the virus with minimal symptoms. I am concerned about disrupting a healthy immune system. Do you recommend G.I. Detox following mRNA vaccines, as the zeolite clay can bind to the positively charged spike protein? Or, do you have other detox recommendations? I will do infrared sauna, intermittent fasting, as well as supplements following the vaccinations.
Hi Dr. Carnahan,
I just learned recently that I have mold toxicity, specifically Sterimatocystin, I am using Beet Root Powder as my binder. I blend it with a green smoothie daily. Is this a good binder?
I am also using a sauna daily, nasal spray 3xs a day, and nystat/amphoter. I know it takes times to recover but it is there more i can be doing to feel better faster?
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!
Hi Dr. Jill,
Which binders do you recommend for fusarium and gliotoxin? I’ve been on four GI Detox and 2 Mycopuls since April/May and started anti-fungals (Nystatin) in June. Would betonite clay be better for gliotoxins? My recent urine test showed Gliotoxin only went down from 563 to 477 (normal is ~150) and Fusarium only went down 0.04 from 23.04 to 23 with normal being ~4.5. I’m going to incorporate NAC next (I’m increasing glutathione to two teaspoons a day) and am considering Cholestyramine next. I was also planning on attacking SIBO next, but not sure since I still have these molds. Glyphosate has gone down from 7.79 to 5.90 and BPA has gone down tremendously. I feel disheartened that I haven’t detoxed mold much in 4-5 months and I’m concerned I’m some how still being exposed. I have both HLA mold genes. Would you also hold off on treating sibo until urine tests show less toxins/mold?
Hi Tiff
You can use Bentonite Clay and charcoal
warmly
Dr. Jill
Which binders do you recommend for fusarium and Gliotoxin? I’ve been on four GI Detox and 2 Mycopuls since April/May and started anti-fungals (Nystatin) in June. My recent urine test showed Gliotoxin only went down from 563 to 477 and Fusarium only went down 0.04 from 23.04 to 23. I’m going to incorporate NAC next and am considering Cholestyramine next. I was also planning on attacking SIBO next, but not sure since I still have these molds. Glyphosate has gone down from 7.79 to 5.90 and BPA has gone down tremendously. I feel disheartened that I haven’t detoxed mold much in 4-5 months. Do you suggest holding off on treating SIBO until all mold is detoxed?
I’m curious what your thoughts are if someone has been detoxing using anti fungals, binders (6 a day), glutathione, along with other gut and immune supporting supplements, and after 4-5 months the glitioxin level that was at 566 is down to 477 when normal is 150 and below, and fusarium has only budged from 23.04 to 23 and they have both mold susceptibility genes. Does this mean the person is not detoxing well or that they’re still somehow being exposed to mold? Or does it just take time? Glyphosate has gone down from 7.79 to 5.20 and BPA has gone down from 18 to 6.
What’s the best binder for Fusarium B1?
Bentonite clay, activated charcoal, saccharomyces boulardii and Bind Aid
What is the best binder to use in conjunction with cilantro to remove excess ferritin? I heard that chlorella actually increases iron so it’s counter productive in binding to remove what cilantro releases in the body. I had heard that a carbon-based binder may work well to do so. What are your thoughts or advice on this? Thank you! And the excess ferritin is due to still needing to remove excess iron from transfusions years ago. Having it checked out for sure but I don’t think it’s an ongoing issue.
The best way to remove excess iron is through routine therapeutic phlebotomy. Avoiding red meat and other iron-rich foods may also help but I do not recommend any binders to chelate iron.
Hi Jill, Been following you for 6 months. Big fan. =) Love some of your recipes.
Been doing a ton of research and I feel I got a pretty good about what I’ve learned.
Moved out in January. Supporting organs of detox and beginning binders now.
I’m considering these binders
Propolmannan
OR
Activated charcoal and Sacc B
Those binders seem to address these:
Mycoph. / Ochratoxin
Sterigmatocystin
Tricothecenes, Riordin E, Verrucarin A
Zearalenon
However, I have no data on these toxins
Alternaria Toxin (Alternariol)
Aspergillus Toxin (Aspergillus Hemolysin)
Penicillium Toxin (Mycophynolic acid)
Would you kindly offer suggestions please?
Even though we have limited data on specificity of certain binders and toxins, most of the common binders, such as clay or charcoal will work on most mycotoxins so you should be well covered with activated charcoal and combo binders like MycoPul or GI Detox
warmly
Dr. Jill
Hi Dr. Jill! Thanks for your wealth of info. On average, how long does it take someone to detox from mold levels that are 5x higher than normal? Is more than a year and about two years accurate or should detox happen sooner?
My usual response if a patient practices mold avoidance is 6-18 months
Hi Dr. Carnahan,
Can GI Detox + by Bio-Botanical Research and ToxinPul by Researched Nutritionals be used as binders for people with dental amalgams?
Thank you for any help you can provide.
Hi Dr. Jill! Thanks for all of your wonderful resources on your site. Is it safe for someone to take GI Detox (4 a day), Mycopul (2 a day), Cholestyramine (2 scoops a day) and add GP’s Bentonite Clay (1-2 x per day) assuming they tolerate everything else just fine or is that too much and ill advised?
Hi Tanya,
Yes, this is perfectly safe as long as you are excreting toxins and not feeling worse on these doses. IF you do feel poorly, you can back up on dose for a while then slowly ramp up.
warmly
Dr. Jill
Dr. Jill – what’s the best binder to detox glyphosate with?
Spore probiotics and humic/fulvic acid like ToxiPull
I heard that charcoal is a safe binder to take when pregnant? Would you agree? I unfortunately am still being exposed (am still) in the moldy environment and don’t know how soon I will be able to get out.
thank you for any advice!
Hi just a question please I have gastritis and acid issues what would be a good binder that is gentle on my stomach. I was using cell core binders but it was hurting my stomach. Thank you.
You might try chlorella or ZeoBind Plus as an alternative
Hi Dr. Jill. Thank you for your wonderful article! I am giving my child the quick silver sensitive binder for emf exposure however I see that there is a lead warning on it. Are you concerned with the lead levels in these types of binders? I know anything that comes from soil has the potential for heavy metal contamination and practically all other clay or zeolite based binders have this warning. Are there any alternatives that do not have any derivatives or possible metal contamination from soil? Thank you so much 😊
You could try this one instead – ZeoBind Plus
Can you take the coconut charcoal
While
Breastfeeding ?
I do not recommend any form of detox while breastfeeding but there are no contraindication to charcoal as it is not systemically absorbed.
Hi Dr. Jill!
Thank you so much for your invaluable education on these effective binders. Esp. when it comes to mopping up heavy metals like mercury & lead. A strange paradox I’ve noticed though: Many of them (including G.I. Detox, CellCore Biotoxin Binder, etc.) have the label that warns – “Consuming this product can expose you to lead, which is known to cause birth defects & harm. Basically the P65warnings.ca.gov/food” warning.
How concerned are you that these popular binders that are designed to mop up heavy metals may potentially have lead in them?
Thank you again for all your help & insight – Mad Love!
Thank you, Bradley. Of course these binders are powerful and have the potential to contain heavy metals which is why I only recommend purchase from reputable companies. However the ones I like you can find HERE and I have vetted to make sure they are companies who regular test for impurities.
Much love
Dr Jill
I was diagnosed with severe Vomitoxin (DOM) after taking a mold test in Jan 31, 2023. I have since been having kidney issues. Bloodwork is all over the place and to doctors brush me off when I tell them about the mold toxicity test. I have been having neurological and brain fog along with other symptoms that only get worse when I eat. Activated charcoal has helped a little bit, but I was wondering if taking it with Apple Pectin would be too much…or safe.
Hi, about to start my mold detox and going to take the GI Detox, upgraded charcoal binder, and ultra binder that you recommended. How long should I take those 3 medicines daily to become mold free? Do i have to stop taking my oral glutathine pill and my probiotic?
I also want to say thank you and bless you for publishing this. It is the only clear/trustable source of information I can find. You are helping many people.
Best,
Kris
Hi Kris,
You can use just the Ultrabinder and if tolerated add the charcoal 1-2 caps together with the ultra binder. Just make sure bowels are regular and you do not need extra glutathione if you are using Quicksilver Glutathione in the Mold Detox Box. You are welcome and happy healing!
Warmly
Dr Jill
Hi Dr. Jill Carnahan,
Thank you x infinity for all the information you kindly provide on your website for people with chronic health conditions, especially mold illness / CIRS. Regarding your response to Kris taking those 3 binders, are you saying these types of natural binders are enough for removing mold from the body, or are the prescription based bile acid sequestrants (colesevelam and cholestyramine) necessary?
Kindest regards,
Wolf girl.
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, not everyone needs prescriptions binders in order to heal. I have seen many patients do just fine without them.
Great info! How can I detox from Gandolinium what they give you for MRIs so they get crisper pictures? I heard that it can cause a lot of diseases and stay in the brain and organs for a long time. Just had a few MRIs. Concerned.
ANDREA
Hi Andrea – you can read more about gadolinium toxicity here on my blog article – https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2022/11/27/is-gadolinium-helpful-or-harmful-an-exploration-of-gadolinium-retention-and-toxicity/
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