Is coffee mold actually making you sick?

Is coffee mold actually making you sick?

Author: QuickAndDirtyTips.com, Monica Reinagel March 18, 2026 Duration: 12:24

856. According to the internet, your morning brew might be hiding "mold toxins" that cause brain fog, fatigue, and digestive issues. But is mold-free coffee a bona fide health breakthrough, or just a clever marketing play?

This week, Monica takes a closer look at the science of mycotoxins in coffee, specifically Ochratoxin A (OTA). We separate food safety facts from "wellness guru" fiction to find out if standard coffee beans are actually undermining your health.

  • What Mycotoxins Are: Understanding the difference between visible mold and chemical compounds like Aflatoxin and Ochratoxin A.
  • The Roasting Defense: Why the roasting process is your best protection against toxins and why "green coffee" products carry different risks.
  • Hazard vs. Risk: A crucial distinction in food safety—is the presence of a toxin the same thing as a threat to your health?
  • Practical Prevention: 4 simple steps to minimize exposure—from checking "roasted on" dates to proper home storage—without paying a premium for specialty brands.
  • The Big Picture: How coffee compares to tea, herbal infusions, and cocoa when it comes to OTA levels.

Related Episodes:

  • Episode #517: Aflatoxins in Peanuts
  • Episode #355: The Difference Between Hazard and Risk

New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! 

We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Staying Strong as We Age, Diabetes, Weight Loss That Lasts and Gut Health! Also, find a playlist of our bone health series, Stronger Bones at Every Age

Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.

Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips. 

Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.com

Nutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.  


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


You're probably tired of the constant noise around what to eat, with every headline seeming to contradict the last. Nutrition Diva cuts through that confusion. Hosted by Monica Reinagel, a seasoned expert from QuickAndDirtyTips.com, this weekly conversation feels like getting clear, practical advice from a trusted friend who actually understands the science. Instead of pushing fads, Monica takes the latest nutrition research and unpacks it in a way that makes sense for real life, separating the solid findings from the hype. She directly tackles the questions that pop up in your own kitchen, whether you're wondering about a new superfood or just trying to pack a better lunch. The goal isn't perfection, but building a sensible, sustainable approach to food that leaves you feeling informed and in control. Tuning into this podcast means replacing anxiety with actionable knowledge, so you can make choices that are right for you without the dogma. It's a grounded resource for anyone who wants to think about health and eating well, but could do without the extreme diets and scare tactics.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 832

Nutrition Diva
Podcast Episodes
Is Leaky Gut a Legitimate Diagnosis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:09
Registered dietitian and digestive health specialist Tamara Duker Freuman joins Nutrition Diva to sort through the facts and fictions surrounding intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut syndrome.Read the transcr…
Is Eating Local Really More Sustainable? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:33
Proponents of eating local often claim that it is a more sustainable way of eating. But is it really? Nutrition Diva reviews new research that attempts to quantify the benefits of local food systems.Read the transcript.C…
Is Homogenized Milk Bad for You? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:03
How does the homogenization process affect the health properties of milk? Is unhomogenized milk better for you? Nutrition Diva gets to the bottom of the glass.Read the transcript.Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips sh…
Healthier Junk Food? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:01
What if we could make our favorite snacks and sweets healthier? Wouldn’t it be great if we could eat the foods we love without the consequences? Two new ingredients seem to offer exactly that. Nutrition Diva investigates…
Nutrition Around the World: Japanese Cuisine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:53
Registered dietitian Miho Hatanaka joins the Nutrition Diva to talk about Japanese food, culture, and nutrition. The third in an ongoing series on nutrition around the world.Read the transcript.Check out all the Quick an…
Is Coffee Good or Bad for You? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:48
Does caffeine have any negative effects? Is caffeine actually good for you? How much caffeine should you have in a day? Nutrition Diva tells all. New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collec…
Can Natural Sunscreens Protect Your Skin? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:19
Several plant oils and nutritional supplements have been promoted as natural sunscreens. How much skin protection do they provide? What are the safest and most effective sunscreen ingredients?Read the transcript.Check ou…
What Are Postbiotics? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:12
Postbiotics refers to the metabolic byproducts of those probiotic bacteria, which seem to be responsible for many of the beneficial effects of probiotics. Check out all the Quick and Dirty Tips shows.Subscribe to the new…
Your Diet and Dopamine (According to Neuroscience) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:58
Can you raise your dopamine levels with diet? Do low dopamine levels cause cravings? Will dopamine fasting help you kick food addiction? Monica talks with neuroscientist Darya Rose about the complex connections between m…
Why Weight Loss Is Harder for Some than Others [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:03
For some people, faulty hunger signals make weight loss especially difficult. Treating appetite dysregulation could be a game-changer in the fight against obesity. So why is it so under-utilized?Read the transcript.Check…