Dihydrocitrinone (DHC) is the main substance your body makes after it has been exposed to citrinin (CIT or CTN)—a toxin produced by certain molds, especially Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Monascus. Your kidneys filter DHC into your urine, so finding DHC on a urine test (like the MycoTOX Profile™) is a sign that your body has recently encountered citrinin and is clearing it.
Common exposure routes include:
Food: stored grains/cereals, spices, herbal products, and fermented foods; Monascus/red yeast rice products can carry citrinin as an unwanted contaminant.
Air & dust: inhalation in damp/water-damaged buildings or dusty indoor spaces.
Skin contact: far less common, but possible.
Key idea: DHC in urine = evidence of recent citrinin exposure that your body is excreting. It does not tell you precisely where the exposure came from.
Sensitive biomarker of exposure: DHC is the major urinary metabolite of citrinin and is widely used in human biomonitoring studies. Detecting it in urine reflects recent intake/exposure.
Public health relevance: Surveys in Europe and elsewhere commonly detect CIT and/or DHC in a large share of urine samples, indicating that low-level dietary exposure is widespread.
Kidney focus: Citrinin is best known for its kidney (nephrotoxic) effects; experimental work links its toxicity to mitochondrial dysfunction/oxidative stress in kidney cells.
The MycoTOX Profile™ (Mosaic Diagnostics) is a urine test that measures multiple mycotoxins, including citrinin via its metabolite DHC.
Results are creatinine-corrected to reduce the impact of how diluted or concentrated your urine is (e.g., from hydration differences). This improves the reliability of comparisons over time.
Dietary sources: foods from the citrinin literature include grains and cereals, spices/herbs, and Monascus/red yeast rice products (a potential contaminant in some supplements/foods).
Indoor environments: water-damaged buildings and dust can contribute to inhalation exposure; this test cannot identify the location of the source.
Co-exposures: citrinin can occur alongside other mycotoxins; some research explores combined effects with ochratoxin A (OTA), so your clinician may view your DHC result in the context of the full panel.
Always interpret results with your clinician; the following is educational, not medical advice.
Undetectable / very low DHC: Suggests minimal recent exposure or effective clearance. Keep healthy storage and environmental habits.
Borderline / slightly elevated DHC: May reflect recent dietary exposure (e.g., spice/heavy-grain meals or a red yeast rice supplement). Consider diet and environment review; retest after changes.
Elevated to high DHC: Indicates meaningful recent exposure. Work with your clinician to:
Review diet (including supplements that contain or may be contaminated with red yeast rice) and how foods are stored.
Screen your indoor environment (home/work) for moisture intrusion or visible mold and address sources.
Recheck in 4–8 weeks after interventions to confirm trends.
Evidence shows creatinine-indexed urine values help track change over time more reliably than raw concentrations.
Citrinin’s primary target is the kidney, where it can impair mitochondrial function and increase membrane permeability in experimental models. Regulatory reviews characterize citrinin as nephrotoxic and set conservative intake reference values due to limited human dose-response data. Animal and mechanistic studies also discuss genotoxic/embryotoxic signals, which is why minimizing exposure is advised.
Food & supplements
Avoid/limit red yeast rice products unless medically indicated and quality-controlled; citrinin contamination is a known issue.
Rotate grains and cereals; do not consume food that smells musty or shows spoilage. Store grains/flours/spices cool, dry, and sealed.
Buy from reputable brands with robust quality testing; be cautious with informal/herbal products lacking batch controls.
Home & workplace
Address leaks, humidity, and condensation; fix water damage quickly.
Improve ventilation and consider HEPA filtration for particulates/dust.
Professional inspection may be warranted if you suspect hidden moisture/mold (the urine test doesn’t identify the building source).
General
Support good hydration and nutrition; while creatinine correction reduces urine-dilution effects in reporting, avoiding extreme over- or under-hydration before sample collection is still sensible.
If your DHC was elevated, many clinicians retest after diet/environment changes to document improvement.
Consider viewing DHC alongside other mycotoxins on the panel to understand the broader exposure pattern.
Is DHC the same as citrinin?
No. DHC is the metabolite your body makes from citrinin; measuring DHC in urine is a practical way to see recent citrinin exposure.
Does a high DHC level mean kidney damage?
Not necessarily. DHC reflects exposure, not injury. However, because citrinin is nephrotoxic in experimental studies, reducing exposure and following up with your clinician is recommended.
Where does citrinin most often come from?
Typically foods (grains/cereals, spices, some fermented products) and, less predictably, red yeast rice supplements if contaminated. Environmental sources include damp buildings.
How common is measurable DHC?
Human biomonitoring surveys in Europe have frequently detected CIT and/or DHC in urine, indicating widespread low-level exposure, largely from diet.
Does hydration change my number?
The MycoTOX Profile indexes results to creatinine, which helps correct for urine dilution and makes results more comparable over time.
Mechanism: mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are central to citrinin’s toxicity in kidney and liver cells.
Risk benchmarks: EFSA identifies nephrotoxicity as the critical effect and has derived conservative reference values for human exposure; citrinin contamination of Monascus/red yeast rice products is specifically noted in risk reviews.
Co-occurrence: Studies explore combined effects of citrinin with ochratoxin A (OTA), underlining the value of looking at the whole mycotoxin pattern rather than a single analyte.
Mosaic Diagnostics. MycoTOX Profile™ overview and creatinine correction FAQs. (MosaicDX)
Faisal Z, et al. Dihydrocitrinone as the major urinary metabolite of citrinin in humans. (PMC)
Kamle M, et al. Citrinin contamination in food/feed and producing species. (PMC)
EFSA & UK COT summaries on citrinin nephrotoxicity and levels of no concern. (European Food Safety Authority)
Degen GH, et al. CIT/DHC in German children and adults—widespread dietary exposure. (MDPI)
Twaruzek M, et al. Red yeast rice supplements as a potential source of citrinin. (PMC)
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Treating an elevated DHC is primarily about removing the exposure source. DHC reflects recent citrinin exposure, not necessarily a fungal infection in the body. Most people improve by tightening food/supplement quality and fixing moisture/mold issues in indoor spaces.
Itraconazole, nystatin, etc. are for confirmed fungal infections, prescribed by a clinician after diagnosis.
They are not standard treatments for mycotoxin exposure itself (like citrinin). Don’t start or stop prescription medications without your clinician’s guidance.
After changes to diet/supplements and environment, retest in 6–12 weeks to confirm DHC is trending down.
If remediation will take longer (e.g., building repairs), retest once those steps are complete.
Inspect and rotate dry goods: Discard grains, flours, cereals, nuts, and spices/herbs that are musty, discolored, or clumped. Buy smaller amounts and rotate stock.
Store smart: Keep dry goods cool, dry, and sealed. Avoid long storage in warm/humid areas.
Choose reputable brands: This matters for nuts, nut butters, and spices—processing/roasting doesn’t guarantee safety.
Check red yeast rice (Monascus) products: Citrinin can be an unwanted contaminant. Prefer quality-controlled brands or pause use and discuss alternatives with your clinician.
Diversify the diet: A varied diet reduces the chance of repeat exposure from a single food category.
Find and fix moisture: Address leaks, condensation, and water damage promptly; dehumidify to ~40–50% RH where needed.
Improve air & dust control: Ventilate well; consider HEPA filtration for particulates; vacuum with HEPA and damp-wipe dusty surfaces.
Professional help: If you suspect hidden moisture or persistent musty odors, consider an assessment by qualified indoor environmental professionals.
Some clinicians consider the following as adjuncts while you remove sources. Evidence quality for lowering DHC specifically is limited, so discuss with your clinician:
Adsorbents (“binders”) such as activated charcoal (time away from medications/supplements due to interference).
Probiotics to support gut barrier and regularity.
Nutritional antioxidants (e.g., glutathione or precursors) as part of a balanced plan.
Herbal antimicrobials (e.g., oregano oil) are not a substitute for source control and may not be necessary without a diagnosed infection.
Priority remains source removal (diet + environment). Adjuncts, if used, should be individualized and supervised.
You’re pregnant, trying to conceive, or have kidney disease.
You have persistent high DHC despite remediation.
You also have other elevated mycotoxins or concerning symptoms.
Does: Indicate recent exposure that your body is excreting.
Doesn’t: Identify the exact source or prove organ damage. That’s why the combination of diet/supplement audit, environmental check, and retesting is key.
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Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
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