43. Is There Really Mold in Your Coffee? What You Need to Know About Mycotoxins and My Clean Coffee Picks

What if I told you that your morning cup of joe might be contaminated with mold and mycotoxins? I know, not the best news. But don't fret, I've been on a personal mission to discover coffee brands that prioritize quality and safety, ensuring their beans are tested for mold, pesticide, and mycotoxins.

My morning coffee is extremely important to me. So it took me a long time to arrive at a place where I felt like I had the capacity for this change. This is a great example of taking it slow and taking the least complicated next step. If switching out coffee brands is too much for you right now, save this episode for later!

I've taken taste and cost into account. Because let's be real, if I’m not willing to pay for, a lot of you won't be either.  Tune in to find out more about my flavorful discoveries and how this can potentially transform your coffee-drinking experience.

On the journey to a healthier coffee-drinking habit, I've come across brands like Four Sigmatic, Top Shelf Grind, Bulletproof, Purity, Life Boost and Fabula, which have shown incredible commitment in changing the conversation around coffee sourcing and pesticides.

You can find them all in my Amazon Shop.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there, my name is Wendy and I'm an environmental toxins lawyer who is obsessed with showing women how to toss the toxins out of their life and embrace a more holistic lifestyle. I'll be dishing up bite-sized but binge-worthy episodes on all things detox, low-tox and what's that toxin and what is it really doing to my health. I'm breaking it all down for you, separating the myths from the facts and pulling back the curtain on the products and beauty industry. You'll hear my unfiltered and sometimes unpopular, but honest opinions. No topic is off limits. We'll dive into what's really causing our thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, infertility and more. Think of it as a crash course for all things holistic living. But for real life you don't have to do everything. You just have to start somewhere. Let me show you how. This is the Detox Dilemma Podcast. Welcome to episode 43 of the Detox Dilemma Podcast. I'm your host, wendy, and today we're talking about my absolute favorite topic on the planet, and that is drinking coffee. I am definitely a team coffee drinker. I know there's a huge movement in the wellness industry right now. People are moving to mushroom coffee and just basically getting off of the caffeine, and that's so great for them. I love that for them. I don't love that for me. I won't be doing that anytime soon.

Speaker 1: 1:21

I am part of the 62% of Americans who drink coffee daily. You are, so my people. Yeah, I love my coffee. It's my morning ritual. Two cups a day, that's my limit. I'm all about moderation. If I have any more than that, I get the jitters, I get anxiety. I actually know people who had really bad anxiety, who quit coffee completely and their anxiety went away. There are people really sensitive to coffee. This is something really bio-individual, individual decisions, but I love my coffee.

Speaker 1: 1:55

Because I love my coffee, I always point to the research. That makes me happy, because it basically says what I wanted to say, which is it's really good for you. It's good for your health, it's good for liver function, it's good for physical and cognitive function. Because of the blood flow to the brain, you can live longer, according to a Harvard research study. And their coffee is really high and rich in polyphenol antioxidants, even more so than cocoa and tea. I always point to all of those because, well, I want to frankly. But today I'm not going to talk about whether or not coffee is good for you or bad for you or anything like that. We're actually just going to be talking about the quality of the coffee.

Speaker 1: 2:35

Something that I think is becoming more well-known is the idea that your coffee could have mold in it. You're just going to be totally transparent with you guys, like I always am. I have known that mold in coffee is an issue for years. For the last year, I've been asked a lot to do a blog post on it or a podcast episode about it. I just haven't been able to have the bandwidth to change one more thing in my life. I just didn't. I do a lot for my health. I have routines and I have rituals and I care a lot about having a toxin-free-ish home and life.

Speaker 1: 3:17

Changing my coffee and digging into mold was not something that I cared about. I just couldn't. I couldn't have one more thing that I cared about that I had to give up or that I had to change. This is one of the reasons why I teach that you should do one thing at a time. We are not meant to go throw away everything in our house and rebuild a whole new stash of products. This takes some mental power. It takes the ability to think and change and change habits. We don't have the bandwidth to do massive change all at one time, and that's why I don't advocate for it.

Speaker 1: 3:58

This is an example where I had everyone in the wellness industry. I had coffee companies reaching out to me we want to partner with you, and I was buying my organic whole coffee beans from my grocery store in my local town and that was it. I wasn't going to change it for anyone because I just couldn't. I couldn't do one more thing. Some of my friends thought it was really funny. That that's where I drew the line. They were like you teach on all of these complicated topics about cosmetics and skincare and drinking water and all of these things, but you can't deal with coffee. I'm just like, yeah, I don't touch my coffee, I just can't with that right now. All that changed, I would say, about three months ago. I have no idea what changed.

Speaker 1: 4:42

I just woke up one day and I was like, okay, I have the bandwidth, I have the interest and I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna deep dive on this topic. I'm gonna buy up a bunch of coffee from companies that are selling. You know, they're pesticide free, they're mycotoxin free, and we'll talk about what that means in a second. They're mold free. They test for it, and I kinda just went through each and every company and I did my same process that I do for all companies. What's your sourcing? What's your testing? Are you public with your testing? What kind of policies do you have in place? Do you care about regenerative agriculture? You can tell a lot from a company just by looking on their website, and then for a handful of them, I made some calls and I sent some emails, and then I also bought the coffee so I could drink it, so I could determine if it was garbage or not.

Speaker 1: 5:31

I'm really picky when it comes to coffee. I love a nice dark roast, but I realize that people also want variety, and so I taste tested all of them. I now have a new coffee that I love that is realistically priced, because that was a big problem that I had when I started digging into this was these things were fucking expensive. I wouldn't pay that kind of money for coffee. And if I wouldn't pay for that kind of money for coffee, then you probably won't pay Maybe some of you, and that's fine. But because I drink coffee every day, my husband drinks coffee every day, my daughter drinks coffee in the morning, we go through a lot of coffee, so I'm not going to spend $30 on a bag of coffee. I'm just not going to do it. So I found some amazing coffees, and the good news is they are all on Amazon. Not all of them, but most of them you can find on Amazon, direct from the companies on Amazon, and I made an entire Amazon storefront list full of all of the coffees that I'm about to talk about. But before we get into the coffees that I ended up loving, that are my top picks, let's talk about why mold and coffee is a thing for a second, so that you understand what the concern is and why maybe you should be looking for a mold-free coffee.

Speaker 1: 6:49

So way back when, I've always, always, always purchased organic coffee, because I know that pesticides when it comes to making and growing coffee. Coffee is one of the most chemically treated crops in the entire world. So all of these places where coffee is grown, there is a massive amount of pesticides being put on that coffee. I think that I saw a report from CS Monitor up to 250 pounds of chemical fertilizers are sprayed per acre on conventional, non-organic coffee. So I don't want to be drinking pesticides. That is a lot of fricking. I mean, I don't do pesticides in general. But that is a lot of fricking pesticides Like a lot like more than anything else you're ever going to consume, eat, drink, you know, in your house, in your life. Coffee is up there as the absolute worst. I also don't love that, that amount of pesticides. It's destroying the soil, it's running off into other ecosystems, it's destroying everything, and I also think about the workers, the people who are out working in these coffee crops that are being exposed. I think there's over 40 different pesticides being used on these crops worldwide and I can also tell you this these crops are being grown in countries that are not playing by the rules and they're not complying with standards, and there are banned illegal pesticides that are absolutely horrific for your health that are still being used in countries and being sold as cheap coffee in America. So for that reason, I have always purchased organic coffee. So I would say, at an absolute minimum, if you're a coffee drinker, if you're not buying your grocery stores, whatever it is that you're buying, try to buy the organic version, because that is a huge amount of pesticides. But what about mold and mycotoxins? You might be seeing this everywhere.

Speaker 1: 8:52

So, aside from all the pesticides and herbicides that are being used, there's another piece of coffee cultivation that everyone should be aware of, and that is mycotoxins. So what are mycotoxins? Mycotoxins are toxins that are naturally occurring and they're produced by certain molds and fungus. They're mostly found in coffee, but you can also find them in dried fruits, chocolate and some other common foods, but coffee is probably the worst of all of them. These aren't things that are purposely added to the process. These aren't ingredients. It's basically contamination and it can happen at any point in the process, whether it happens when the coffee is being grown, whether it's when it's being stored or when it's being transported, and it's typically. More of it is found in lower quality coffee brands and it's, most of it, better off from only rich 한번. Check out this statistic. One study showed and I'll post this study in the show notes showed that 91.7% of green coffee beans are contaminated with mold. That's 91.7% of all green coffee beans are contaminated with mold. So yeah, this is a widespread issue.

Speaker 1: 10:06

So there are actually two toxins that are most prevalent as far as a mycotoxins go in coffee and I'm absolutely not going to pronounce this correctly, but you know me not by now. I don't pronounce anything right. The first one is an aflotoxin B1. It's a known carcinogen and it's considered to be one of the most toxic variants of aflotoxins in general. They grow in soil, grains and coffee beans. The other one is ochrotoxin A, which has been less studied, but it's believed to be a wheat carcinogen. So it's really bad for your kidneys and it's a natural foodborne toxin that comes from fungus. There has been some studies, so for that one in particular, the National Library of Medicine found that 33% of green coffee imported from Brazil tested positive for this toxin and, interestingly, it also shows that the highest levels of aflotoxins found in coffee is in decaffeinated coffee.

Speaker 1: 11:04

Okay, so now you know the issue. You know what a mycotoxin is, you know the two most prevalent ones found in coffee, but what are you supposed to do about it? The first thing you want to do is make sure you choose organically grown whole beans. Yes, get the whole bean, not the one that already comes ground. The grounding process, when they store them in grinds, actually increases the risk that you're going to have these mycotoxins. So just by buying organic, certified organic, as well as the whole bean and then grinding it right before you brew it, that alone will make a big difference. Storing your beans in an airtight container also makes a big difference. Now, I go through about a bag a week, so I don't do this because I go through my coffee so fast. But if you're somebody who buys in bulk or buys a lot of coffee at one time, transfer it into an airtight container.

Speaker 1: 11:55

And while we're talking about making coffee, don't forget to use a filtered water while you're making your coffee, so you don't have toxins and other contaminants in your coffee that's coming from your tap water. Now, if you're a decaf coffee drinker, you're gonna want to make sure that you're getting a Swiss water process. The way the decaffeinated coffee is made is that they use a toxic solvent called methylene chloride to strip the caffeine out of the beans, and it is highly, highly, highly I can't say that word enough highly toxic. So avoiding decaffeinated coffee beans that are made that way is a really good idea. Look for what they say Swiss water process, which is a water-based process for pulling the caffeine out. And then, lastly, which is the point of this entire episode, is, purchase a coffee from a company that is sourcing clean, safe, mycotoxin, mold-free, pesticide-free coffee, and then they're testing after the fact. So the final product. They're testing the final product before they sell it on store shelves. That is the best way to know you're actually getting a product that is free of mold. Now, like I said at the very beginning of this episode, I have an Amazon store that I made that is full of all of my top choices. I'm going to give you my top three and then you can check out the Amazon store for more.

Speaker 1: 13:16

I love the company for Sigmatic. What I love about them is it's not crazy expensive. If you're getting mold-free coffee, you're going to pay a little bit more because obviously they're sourcing better beans. Their process, their manufacturing process, is much more in line with being safe and clean and protective of health, but then you're also going to get that testing on the back end that they have to pay for. You are going to pay a premium a little bit of a premium to get some of these coffees, but the one that I love the most actually is reasonably priced.

Speaker 1: 13:48

But first, if you're somebody who doesn't want to buy coffee on Amazon and have it delivered, if you're somebody who wants to be in the grocery store and you just want to grab coffee while you're at the store, for Sigmatic is a fantastic company. What I also love about them is you can get just coffee beans from them, but you can also get adaptogens. So they add things like Lion's Mane and Ashwagandha and other kinds of things that are really good for your health and they add them into your coffee for a boost. But they're also a great mycotoxin, mold-free, pesticide-free, certified organic option that is easy to grab in your grocery store. I actually grabbed some, I think, last week. Yeah, last week my grocery store was having sale and I was able to get it for $14 for a bag, which for me is fine. I'm willing to pay that kind of money. The cheap coffee and the other aisles that you find are like $11. So for me, for a few dollars more, I definitely am happy getting the better quality coffee.

Speaker 1: 14:48

But the coffee I loved the most is from a company called Top Shelf Grind. It's a Seattle company and they have a light roast called Liquid Gold and I told you at the beginning of this podcast I love a good dark roast and they have a dark roast. But this Liquid Gold, oh my gosh, it was so good. It was one of those moments where I sat down and I take my coffee regular, just like straight coffee, and then I put raw milk, a little bit of raw milk, just for a little bit of creaminess Sometimes raw cream if I've got it in stock. But I just sat down to drink it and it was one of those moments where I was like, oh good, fucking cup of coffee. It's like a I don't know sacred moment where I was like, yes, there's just nothing better than a perfect cup of coffee. So Top Shelf Grind it's in my Amazon store. It's about $15 for a 12 ounce bag and well worth it, absolutely amazing and just stupid delicious.

Speaker 1: 15:48

And the third brand which I think you can find in some stores I feel like I've seen it, although they don't carry it locally where I live is the Bulletproof brand. You may be familiar with Bulletproof Coffee. Well, you don't have to put butter and all that in your coffee to have Bulletproof Coffee. Bulletproof is the name of the company and they sell clean coffee. They test for all mycotoxins, for mold. They're also Rainforest certified, which I appreciate, and it's great coffee and it is priced just right. It's going to cost you about the same as the Top Shelf and the Four Sigma Tic coffees but, again, well worth it for all the testing and everything that gets included. So my Top Three, four Sigma, tic Top, shelf and Bulletproof. All of them will run you about the same. They're going to be a few dollars more than what you pay for a 12 ounce pack, but they all tasted delicious. I was happy with their testing protocols and the way that they operate their certified organic. They're everything that I look for.

Speaker 1: 16:45

Now. There are some amazing popular brands. You probably have heard about them. Purity, I think, was one of the first ones who really marketed heavy, mycotoxin-free. Life Boost is one of them. That also is popular. Fabula, which, by the way, tasted delicious. Fabula was definitely on my top list of coffees that tasted delicious. Natural Force is another one and again, you can find all of these on my Amazon. But I think I'm going to say something pretty unpopular in the wellness industry right now. I don't think you need to pay that kind of money. They average about $28. For a 12 ounce bag. I think that's stupid.

Speaker 1: 17:26

Now, having said that, these are companies that are doing everything right. They are going above and beyond. They are posting all of their testing. They are testing for, like hundreds of you know, different chemicals and pesticides, like they are over and above. So if all of that is like super important to you because you're somebody where it just really matters. But if you're looking for a decaf cup that you know is Swiss processed and all of that, then and you want to pay the money, that's fine. They're great. I have nothing bad to say about them. I also love the education. They're really changing the coffee space. They're really changing the conversation when it comes to sourcing and pesticides and mycotoxins and they're giving back to the rainforest and the ecosystem.

Speaker 1: 18:11

Like I'm all about that, and there are times and things in my life where I absolutely pay extra for higher quality products, but I personally, when it comes to the coffee I'm drinking every day, I think that those three top companies that I told you about, I think they're just as protective and they may not be doing all of the things that some of these other companies are doing, but they're safe. And for me, paying, you know, $30 for a 12 ounce thing of coffee that I know I'm gonna go through quickly, I mean it's pretty much the cost of me going to Starbucks every day, and so I don't know. We all have to decide. You know where we spend our money, and so for me, I was really happy to find some brands that are reasonably priced, that I can get safe, organic, toxin free, mold free coffee. Okay, so there you have it. Now you know why mold free coffee is a thing. You know why it's important to buy organic Hopefully you are using a filtered water to make your coffee and now you know the brands that you can choose that are also testing for mycotoxins and mold. And lastly I'm just gonna leave you with this Two other things that you can do to improve your health when it comes to drinking coffee.

Speaker 1: 19:27

Always make sure you have food first. Coffee comes after food. If you wanna stretch it a little bit, you can drink your coffee with your food, but try really hard to never drink coffee on an empty stomach. It's not good for you. And then the other thing is try to avoid disposable coffee cups. So if you're gonna go and get coffee and you're out, let's say, always bring something with you like a stainless steel coffee mug or ask for them to put it in a ceramic mug. And when you're at home, try to not use disposable cups for anything. They are full of PFAS and microplastics and other things, and maybe that's a conversation for another day.

Speaker 1: 20:04

But what I want you to be able to do is enjoy a nice, good, clean, safe, a toxin-free cup of coffee. Thank you for being here and I'll see you next week. You, my friend, have officially finished another episode of the Detox Dilemma podcast and, if you want more, head over to wendicathroncom to get all the show notes and links to discount codes from our amazing partners. If you're looking for something specific to help you detox your home, make sure you check out my toxin-free shopping guide at toxinfreeshoppingguidecom. It's organized by category and makes detoxing your home simple. I'll see you next week and until then, I hope your life is getting just a little less toxic.