THE BEST BINDERS FOR MYCOTOXINS.

I have coauthored three books on mold. I appreciate the coauthors, Ritchie Shoemaker and Gary Rosen, for teaching me very useful information over 20 years ago.

I am not “getting into mold.” I was helping and researching this intensely over 20 years ago. I am glad some are learning in recent years.

Please note the human body will remove some, but you cannot Breathe in immense numbers and be well. We do not have patients with long suffering from mold. Why? Because we use the master builder and PhD biochemist to remediate in North America and Europe. Dr. Gary Rosen, who has more mold and Bacterial Toxins and Building Defect Science than anyone.

He comes to my patient’s home, he fixes the problem(s), and that is it. No eternal issues.

Also, we have challenged many urine and blood mycotoxin companies that function as commercial labs reporting on these mycotoxins below. We have only recently seen top university labs be able to do this type of measure. We never needed these. If mold is easily smelled, or water intrusion was not fixed in 36 hours, we assume mold. We remove and done.

Best mold/mycotoxin binders — ranked

1. Calcium montmorillonite clay — ACCS100 / NovaSil

Evidence: 🟢 Best human evidence for a mycotoxin binder

This is the first binder I would put at the top if the criterion is actual human clinical evidence for reducing a mycotoxin biomarker.

Calcium montmorillonite is a refined clay that can adsorb aflatoxin B1 in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing its absorption.

Human trial #1 — Texas

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 234 adults with detectable aflatoxin exposure. Participants received ACCS100 or placebo for three months. The low-dose ACCS100 group had a statistically significant reduction in serum AFB1-lysine adduct, a biomarker of aflatoxin exposure. The investigators concluded that ACCS100 could reduce dietary AFB1 bioavailability.

Full reference:

Phillips TD, et al. Intervention trial with calcium montmorillonite clay in a south Texas population exposed to aflatoxin. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. 2016;33(8):1346-1354. PMID: 27321368. PMCID: PMC5145309. DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2016.1198498.

Human trial #2 — Kenya

A double-blind crossover trial enrolled 50 healthy adults in Kenya, where dietary aflatoxin exposure is an important public-health problem. ACCS100 at 3 g/day reduced urinary aflatoxin M1 compared with placebo.

Full reference:

Mitchell NJ, et al. Evaluation of the efficacy, acceptability and palatability of calcium montmorillonite clay used to reduce aflatoxin B1 dietary exposure in a crossover study in Kenya. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. 2017;34(1):93-103. PMID: 27603954.

Important limitation

These trials are aflatoxin studies. They do not establish that calcium montmorillonite removes all indoor-mold mycotoxins such as:

• ochratoxin A
• gliotoxin
• trichothecenes
• deoxynivalenol
• T-2 toxin
• fumonisins
• zearalenone

That distinction is extremely important.

Bottom line: ⭐ #1 for human mycotoxin-binder evidence, specifically aflatoxin.

2. Cholestyramine

Evidence: 🟡 Human drug with extensive clinical experience, but weak direct human evidence for mold/mycotoxin detoxification

Cholestyramine is an anion-exchange resin that normally binds bile acids.

The theoretical reason it is interesting for mycotoxins is that some lipophilic substances undergo enterohepatic circulation. Binding material in the intestine can potentially interrupt reabsorption and increase fecal elimination.

There is experimental evidence for binding ochratoxin A, but the important caveat is that the classic evidence is animal/in-vitro rather than a convincing human mold-exposure clinical trial.

Reference:

Wangikar PB, Dwivedi P, Sinha AK. Cholestyramine protection against ochratoxin A toxicity: role of ochratoxin A sorption by the resin and bile acid enterohepatic circulation. Toxicology Letters. 2000. PMID: 10606152.

Why it remains interesting

Cholestyramine has a legitimate pharmacological mechanism and extensive human use for other conditions. It isn’t simply a supplement invented for “mold detox.”

But I would not describe the evidence as proving that cholestyramine detoxifies people with chronic indoor-mold exposure.

Bottom line: ⭐⭐ Potentially interesting, but direct human mycotoxin evidence is much weaker than the ACCS100 evidence.

3. Activated charcoal

Evidence: 🟢 for selected acute poisonings; 🟠 for chronic mold/mycotoxin detox

Activated charcoal is an extraordinarily effective adsorbent for many organic substances.

In mycotoxin research, activated charcoal can bind aflatoxin and other mycotoxins in vitro and in animal/feed studies. A review of mycotoxin-binding studies found activated carbon among the highest-performing adsorbents in laboratory comparisons.

An in-vitro study found very high AFB1 binding by activated charcoal and several bentonite preparations.

Reference:

Aflatoxin binders I: In vitro binding assay for aflatoxin B1 by several potential sequestering agents. Mycotoxin Research. PMID: 12749587. DOI: 10.1023/A:1023388321713.

But here’s the problem

The strongest human evidence for activated charcoal concerns acute poisoning, not chronic mold exposure.

It can also interfere with absorption of medications and nutrients and can cause constipation, vomiting and aspiration.

Therefore:

Acute poisoning: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chronic mold/mycotoxin detox: ⭐⭐

I would not rank daily activated charcoal above calcium montmorillonite for a chronic mycotoxin question.

4. Bentonite clay

Evidence: 🟡/🟠

Bentonite is a broad category, not one chemically identical substance.

Some bentonites are predominantly calcium montmorillonite, which explains why they can perform well against aflatoxin.

An in-vitro study comparing multiple commercial binders found bentonite products could bind AFB1 at very high rates, but these are laboratory findings—not evidence that taking generic bentonite detoxifies a human.

Reference:

Aflatoxin binders I: In vitro binding assay for aflatoxin B1 by several potential sequestering agents. Mycotoxin Research. PMID: 12749587.

Another in-vitro study found bentonite, montmorillonite and clinoptilolite could bind multiple mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol and ochratoxin A.

Reference:

In vitro mycotoxin binding capacities of clays, glucomannan and their combinations. Toxicon. 2022;214:93-103. PMID: 35597522. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.05.006.

Bottom line: Generic bentonite is considerably less compelling than a well-characterized calcium montmorillonite preparation with human trial data.

5. Zeolite / clinoptilolite

Evidence: 🟡/🟠

Zeolites are porous aluminosilicate minerals with ion-exchange and adsorption properties.

Clinoptilolite has been investigated for mycotoxin binding, and laboratory experiments demonstrate binding of several mycotoxins.

For example, one study found clinoptilolite bound:

• AFB1: 72–90%
• DON: 61–68%
• OTA: 52–62%

under the experimental conditions used.

Reference:

In vitro mycotoxin binding capacities of clays, glucomannan and their combinations. Toxicon. 2022;214:93-103. PMID: 35597522. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.05.006.

Critical limitation

That is in-vitro evidence, not proof that oral zeolite removes mycotoxins from humans.

Bottom line: Interesting mechanistically; not comparable with the ACCS100 human trials.

6. Smectite / diosmectite

Evidence: 🟢 human GI adsorbent; 🟠 for mycotoxin detox

Diosmectite is a natural clay used clinically as an intestinal adsorbent, particularly for diarrhea.

It demonstrates that a clay-based intestinal adsorbent can be used in humans, but that does not mean it has been proven to remove indoor-mold mycotoxins.

Reference:

Khediri F, et al. Efficacy of Diosmectite (Smecta) in the Treatment of Acute Watery Diarrhoea in Adults. Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2011;2011:783196.

Bottom line: Real human intestinal adsorbent, but not established mold detoxification.

7. Enterosgel / polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate

Evidence: 🟢 human GI evidence; 🟠 mycotoxin evidence

Enterosgel is an intestinal adsorbent.

Human randomized trials have evaluated it for acute diarrhea and demonstrated clinical benefit. That establishes human use of the adsorbent, but not that it removes mold mycotoxins from tissues.

Reference:

Wickham M, et al. Enterosgel for the treatment of adults with acute diarrhoea in a primary care setting: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Gastroenterology. 2019;6:e000287.

My ranking

Potentially useful as a GI adsorbent, but I would not call it a proven mold binder.

8. Calcium silicate / hydrated sodium-calcium aluminosilicate preparations

Evidence: 🟡/🟠

These are mineral adsorbents closely related conceptually to the clay-binding approach.

Their strongest mycotoxin data are for aflatoxin.

Reviews categorize mineral clay binders into materials including hydrated sodium/calcium aluminosilicates, montmorillonite and related phyllosilicates.

Reference:

Dietary Mycotoxins: An Overview on Toxicokinetics, Toxicodynamics, Toxicity, Epidemiology, Detection, and Their Mitigation with Special Emphasis on Aflatoxicosis in Humans and Animals. Toxins. 2024;16(11):483.

9. Glucomannan / modified yeast-cell-wall products

Evidence: 🟠

Glucomannan and yeast-derived products have been studied extensively as feed mycotoxin binders.

Laboratory experiments demonstrate binding of certain mycotoxins, and animal studies provide additional evidence.

But the leap from:

“binds mycotoxin in feed”

to

“detoxifies a human with mold exposure”

is not justified without human trials.

Reference:

In vitro mycotoxin binding capacities of clays, glucomannan and their combinations. Toxicon. 2022;214:93-103.

10. Chitosan

Evidence: 🟠

Chitosan is a positively charged polysaccharide capable of adsorption and interaction with various molecules.

It has been studied as a potential toxin/mycotoxin adsorbent, but human clinical evidence for treating mold-related mycotoxin exposure is inadequate.

Reference:

Reviews of mycotoxin mitigation classify organic adsorbents including polysaccharides and yeast-derived materials among experimental mycotoxin-sequestering approaches.

11. Pectin / modified citrus pectin

Evidence: 🟠

Pectin is interesting because it can interact with certain metal ions and other compounds in the GI tract.

But claims that modified citrus pectin broadly “pulls mold toxins out of the body” go substantially beyond the clinical evidence.

Reference:

Dietary Mycotoxins: An Overview… and Their Mitigation with Special Emphasis on Aflatoxicosis in Humans and Animals. Toxins. 2024;16(11):483.

12. Alginate

Evidence: 🟠

Alginate can interact with metals and other substances and has been investigated as an adsorbent.

However, there is not sufficient human clinical evidence to recommend oral alginate as a general mold/mycotoxin detoxifier.

Reference:

Current mycotoxin-binding reviews discuss polysaccharide/organic adsorbents as experimental approaches.

13. Activated carbon + clay combinations

Evidence: 🟠

Combining adsorbents can theoretically broaden the spectrum of mycotoxins bound.

A systematic analysis of 68 publications and 1,842 data points reported mean adsorption capacities of approximately:

• activated carbon: 83%
• montmorillonite: 76%
• bentonite: 62%

in the experimental literature. However, these are laboratory/feed results, not human clinical outcomes.

Reference:

Optimization of modified bentonite mycotoxin binders for enhanced adsorption efficiency under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions. Scientific Reports. 2025.

14. Polyvinylpyrrolidone / PVP

Evidence: 🔴/🟠

Synthetic polymers such as PVP have been investigated as mycotoxin adsorbents.

The mechanism is scientifically interesting, but human evidence is inadequate.

Reference:

The 2024 review of dietary mycotoxins identifies synthetic polymers, including PVP, among investigated mycotoxin-binding technologies.

15. Cholestyramine + other sequestration strategies

Evidence: 🟡/🟠

Cholestyramine is worth separating from ordinary supplements because it is an established pharmaceutical that can interrupt enterohepatic recirculation.

Its potential relevance to mycotoxins depends heavily on the toxin’s pharmacokinetics.

The evidence is strongest mechanistically and experimentally—not in randomized human trials for indoor mold.

Reference:

Wangikar PB, Dwivedi P, Sinha AK. Cholestyramine protection against ochratoxin A toxicity… Toxicology Letters. 2000. PMID: 10606152.

16. Bile-acid sequestrants generally

This includes:

• cholestyramine
• colesevelam
• colestipol

Evidence for mycotoxin detox: 🟠

These are legitimate intestinal sequestrants, but evidence shouldn’t automatically be extrapolated from one bile-acid sequestrant to every mycotoxin.

What I would NOT put high on a mold-binder list

Diatomaceous earth

Despite extensive online marketing, I would not rank it among the evidence-based human mycotoxin binders.

Generic “detox clay”

The chemical composition and contaminant profile can vary considerably.

Random zeolite products

The fact that clinoptilolite binds something in a laboratory doesn’t establish clinical toxin removal.

Chlorella

Often marketed as a “binder,” but the evidence for removing mold mycotoxins in humans is inadequate.

Psyllium/fiber

Good dietary fiber, but calling it a proven mycotoxin binder would overstate the evidence.

Apple pectin

Same problem.

Fulvic/humic acids

Interesting laboratory chemistry, but inadequate clinical evidence for mold detoxification.

My overall ranking for mold/mycotoxins

If we’re being strict about human evidence, rather than marketing claims:

Rank	Binder	Human evidence specifically relevant to mycotoxins
🥇 1	Calcium montmorillonite / ACCS100 / NovaSil-type clay	Best direct human evidence — aflatoxin
🥈 2	Cholestyramine	Human drug + strong mechanistic/animal evidence; limited direct human mycotoxin evidence
🥉 3	Activated charcoal	Strong human adsorbent evidence for selected toxins; weak chronic-mold evidence
4	Bentonite/montmorillonite	Strong laboratory evidence; human evidence mainly with characterized calcium montmorillonite
5	Zeolite/clinoptilolite	Laboratory + some human non-mycotoxin evidence
6	Diosmectite/smectite	Established human GI adsorbent; little direct mold evidence
7	Enterosgel	Human GI evidence; inadequate direct mycotoxin evidence
8	HSCAS/calcium-sodium aluminosilicates	Strong experimental aflatoxin evidence
9	Glucomannan/yeast-cell-wall binders	Mostly animal/feed evidence
10	Chitosan	Mostly experimental
11	Modified citrus pectin	Preliminary
12	Alginate	Preliminary
13	PVP/synthetic polymers	Experimental

The most important conclusion

If someone tells you “Binder X removes mold toxins from your body”, the scientifically meaningful questions are:

1. Which specific mycotoxin?
2. Does the binder bind it at intestinal pH?
3. Does it prevent absorption in humans?
4. Has it reduced a validated human biomarker?
5. Has it improved a clinical outcome?
6. Was the study actually in humans exposed to that toxin?

By that standard, calcium montmorillonite has the strongest direct human evidence—but specifically for aflatoxin, not for the entire collection of mycotoxins associated with indoor mold. The Texas and Kenya randomized trials are particularly important because they measured actual human aflatoxin biomarkers rather than simply demonstrating binding in a test tube.

The broader literature also shows why caution is needed: experimental binding differs dramatically by toxin. One study found clay materials could bind aflatoxin, DON and OTA, but those were in-vitro experiments, not human treatment trials.