Why your morning coffee might be doing more than waking you up.
Mycotoxins in Coffee
Why Your Coffee Might Be Giving You the Jitters
It's not just the caffeine - meet the hidden fungi in your morning cup
Now I love my morning coffee and it’s been a part of my morning ritual for a long time. When I found out I had mould toxicity I sought out a mycotoxin free coffee as I couldn’t quite let my morning coffee go at that time.
I used to take my coffee with cream and a drop of maple syrup (delicious). When I was deep into my healing process I took my mycotoxin free coffee weaker with coconut cream and my palate has now changed to prefer this lighter way of taking coffee.
If you feel wired, foggy, and vaguely anxious after coffee Caffeine is the most obvious suspect, but there's another group of culprits that rarely make headlines: mycotoxins.
(If coffee gives you an adrenal response it’s well worth considering giving it a break or switching to a decaf as an experiment. Leave it out for 30 days and then reintroduce it and see what you notice)
What are mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain species of mould (fungi). The word comes from the Greek mykes — meaning fungus — and toxikon — meaning poison. These aren't mould itself, but chemical byproducts that moulds secrete as they grow on food, particularly crops stored in warm, humid conditions.
They're are very common and you've likely encountered them without knowing it. Aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, and zearalenone are among the most studied, and they turn up in grains, nuts, dried fruit, spices — and yes, coffee beans.
KEY FACT
Mycotoxins are chemically stable which means that many survive roasting, cooking, and processing at temperatures that would kill any mould. The mould may be long gone, but the toxin remains.
How mycotoxins affect the body
The effects depend heavily on the type of mycotoxin, the dose, and individual sensitivity. Exposure can be acute (a large dose at once) or chronic (small amounts over time). Chronic low-level exposure is the concern with everyday foods like coffee. When we do our detox course one of the reasons we omit grains, nuts, seeds, spices and coffee is to limit mycotoxin exposure.
Symptoms can include:
Brain fog
Cognitive dulling, poor concentration
Fatigue, Unexplained tiredness, crashes
Anxiety
Heightened stress response
Gut issues
Bloating, nausea, IBS-like symptoms
Immune strain
Suppressed immune response
Inflammation
Systemic inflammatory signals
Ochratoxin A in particular — one of the most common in coffee — has been linked to kidney toxicity in animal studies and is classified as a possible human carcinogen by the WHO. It also has neurotoxic properties, meaning it can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect brain chemistry.
Mycotoxins in coffee: the facts
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages on the planet, and coffee beans, particularly cheaper, mass-produced varieties - are prone to mould contamination. This happens during harvesting, processing, and storage, especially when beans are kept in humid environments before they're properly dried and roasted.
Studies have found ochratoxin A in a significant percentage of commercial green coffee samples. A 2020 review of the scientific literature found OTA present in coffee across multiple countries, with levels varying significantly by origin, processing method, and storage conditions.
The good news? Roasting does reduce mycotoxin levels — by roughly 69–96% for ochratoxin A depending on roast temperature and duration. The bad news? It doesn't eliminate them. Residual amounts can and do make it into your cup.
THE JITTERS CONNECTION
So if you’re feeling more anxious, wired, or unwell than the caffeine content alone would explain. Mycotoxins may be amplifying your stress response. Ochratoxin A can interfere with dopamine and serotonin pathways — layering a neurological edge onto the cardiovascular buzz of caffeine.
How to reduce your exposure
01
Choose specialty-grade or single-origin coffee. Higher quality beans are sorted more rigorously and dried more carefully — less chance of mould taking hold before roasting.
02
Look for wet-processed (washed) beans. The washing process removes the fruit pulp quickly, reducing the window for mould growth compared to natural or dry-processed methods.
03
Buy from small-batch roasters who work directly with farms. Shorter supply chains mean less time sitting in potentially humid warehouses. If you’re lucky enough to have a local roastery seek them out and talk to them about the quality of their craft.
04
Opt for lighter roasts — counterintuitively, darker roasts aren't necessarily cleaner, as lower-quality beans are often used for dark roast blends to mask defects.
05
Store your beans in a cool, dry, airtight container. Humidity at home can also introduce post-purchase mould, even if the beans were fine leaving the roastery.
06
Some brands now test for mycotoxins and publish results. It's worth seeking these out if you're particularly sensitive or drink large amounts daily.
If you’re local to leamington check out Ginger Elephant Coffee. They are a new roastery business in the heart of Leamington and pride themselves on the quality of their beans, they take great care with their sourcing of high quality beans which naturally has a lower mycotoxin presence. They also do a lovely decaf using the spring water method to decaffeinate the beans so no use of chemicals which is great.
https://www.gingerelephantcoffee.co.uk
Should you panic?
Not at all. Regulatory bodies in the EU and beyond set maximum permitted levels for ochratoxin A in coffee, and for most people drinking moderate amounts of decent-quality coffee, the risk is low. But if you find yourself regularly experiencing symptoms that seem out of proportion to your caffeine intake - anxiety, headaches, digestive upset - it's worth considering whether the quality of your beans is part of the picture.
Coffee can be a genuinely healthy habit. It's one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the Western diet. But not all coffee is created equal, and the difference between a well-sourced, properly stored specialty bean and a bulk commodity blend isn't just flavour - it's what's riding along with every sip.
If you have mould toxicity becoming aware of sources of mycotoxins, apart from black mould itself, can really help you manage your symptoms and flares while you are on your road to recovery.
Coffee Mycotoxins Gut health Nutrition Wellness
This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about mould sensitivity or chronic health symptoms, consult a qualified healthcare professional.