So, is mould good for you? The short, infuriating answer is: it depends entirely on the kind of mould and where you find it. Your fridge’s fuzzy intruder on a tomato is a total bastard. But the same stuff on a wheel of Roquefort? That’s a delicacy.
We’ve been taught that mold is the enemy—the green monster in the shower, the black death on drywall. But here’s the kicker: our own species owes its existence to mold. Yeah, you heard me. Without a specific mold, you’d be dead from a basic infection right now.
The Penicillin Plot Twist
Let’s talk about Penicillium. That fuzzy blue stuff on your orange? It’s a cousin of the mold that gave us penicillin, the first true antibiotic. In 1928, Alexander Fleming came back from vacation to find a mold that killed bacteria in a petri dish. That accidental discovery saved hundreds of millions of lives. So, next time you gag at a moldy lemon, just whisper “thank you” under your breath. (I do. The lemon doesn’t care.)
And it gets weirder. The same mold that makes your blue cheese blue—Penicillium roqueforti—is a champ at fighting inflammation. Some studies even suggest it might help lower bad cholesterol. But don’t go scraping bathroom mold onto your toast. That’s a different strain, and it will not give you a gourmet experience; it’ll give you a respiratory infection.
Mold Contamination and Health - Enviro Group | Integrated Environmental
