The Mycotoxin-Mitochondria Trap: Why Standard Detox Fails in Chronic Illness, and How to Escape It — The Host Capacity Model: Reframing Chronic Illness

The Host Capacity Model interprets chronic illness as a consequence of the body's diminished ability to maintain physiological balance. A central node in this framework is colonocyte bioenergetic compromise, the inability of gut lining cells to generate sufficient energy from butyrate oxidation. This energy deficit weakens the barrier, disrupts the oxygen gradient at the mucosal surface, and creates conditions favorable to dysbiosis, immune amplification, and systemic symptoms. When host capacity is low, the body struggles to manage stressors, including mycotoxins.