Influenced to Death

Episode #50: Coffee, Conspiracies, & the Cost of Certainty

What started as a casual conversation about tea and coffee preferences quickly evolved into one of our favorite episodes yet…a wide-ranging discussion about science communication, tribalism in wellness spaces, and why being wrong in public might be the most important skill we’re not teaching. In this spontaneous episode, Hannah, Amanda, and Victoria explore the messy middle ground between absolutism and nuance in health conversations. From the Free Birth Society controversy to emerging research on mRNA vaccines and cancer treatment, they tackle why picking sides often prevents us from finding real solutions and why healthcare providers are increasingly facing hostility for presenting evidence that doesn’t fit predetermined narratives. This episode covers: * Why some people react dramatically differently to coffee versus other caffeinated beverages (plus Amanda’s near-death experience in a Mexican church) * The Free Birth Society investigation and the dangerous psychology of birth influencers * What it’s really like giving birth in a hospital * A new Nature study showing mRNA vaccines may boost cancer immunotherapy outcomes, and the hostile response it received * Why scientists being wrong is actually a feature, not a bug, of the scientific process * The vaccine-autism debate and why refusing nuance hurts everyone * How tribalism and emotion override facts in health conversations * The radicalization of wellness communities and what it means for practitioners Timestamps & Topics 00:00 - Tea, Coffee & Individual Reactions 07:10 - Cannabis Allergies & Adverse Reactions 09:30 - Cross-Reactive Foods & Celiac Disease 17:56 - The Free Birth Society Investigation 24:13 - Birth Experiences & Hospital Reality 30:32 - The Trad Wife Connection 33:01 - Sarah Ballantine & Being Wrong in Public 33:51 - Science Communication During COVID 39:10 - The Marketing of Health Information 39:29 - Dr. Kara Fitzgerald & the mRNA-Cancer Study 46:58 - When “Functional” Becomes Dysfunctional 52:16 - The Myth of the All-Knowing Expert 54:30 - Healthcare Providers Under Attack 56:39 - The Vaccine-Autism Debate 1:01:56 - The CDC Website Changes 1:04:17 - Radicalization & Tribalism 1:07:47 - AI Healthcare Coaches Resources & Links Studies & Articles Mentioned: * SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccines Sensitized Tumors to Immune Checkpoint Blockade - Nature, October 2025 [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09655-y] * The Guardian's investigation into the Free Birth Society [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/23/five-key-findings-from-our-investigation-into-the-free-birth-society] * CDC Page on Autism and Vaccines [https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html] A note from the hosts: This spontaneous format felt like some of our best work—let us know if you’d like more episodes like this. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com [https://influencedtodeath.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode #49: IV Nutrient Therapy

We’re back from our December break with a hot-topic episode: a deep look into the research on IV nutrient therapy and whether you should partake in the currently hot trend. Guest host Amanda Jones and Victoria discuss: * The history of IV therapy, including its start in conventional medicine and the connection to orthomolecular medicine * The role of Linus Pauling and Dr. John Myers [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12410623/] (more on him here [https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/special-subjects/dietary-supplements-and-vitamins/intravenous-vitamin-therapy-myers-cocktail]) in promoting the popularity of ingesting large doses of nutrients and the Myers’ IV Cocktail * The IV torch was passed to Dr. Alan Gaby (author of Nutritional Medicine), who continued the tradition and research of IV nutrient therapy * Who might benefit most from IV therapy, and possible concerns when nutrients are used as drugs * Amanda’s experience with IV magnesium therapy during labor when she had pre-eclampsia * How IV nutrients made their way into spa/aesthetic/influencer culture, and the way these nutrients are spoken about in a way that sounds “medical-y” but won’t attract the ire of the FDA * Are IV spas safe? [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2840178] Amanda and Victoria discuss possible risks * Some concerns include a lack of randomized research, the possibility of the placebo effect, contaminants such as heavy metals or microplastics [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389424027729?via%3Dihub%5C] (we found multiple [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202500128X#] studies on this 😬), bypassing the stomach and first pass metabolism, individual reactions to the nutrients (such as heart arrhythmias), vitamin and antioxidant overload, medication interactions, allergic reactions, etc. * Situations when the possible benefits of IV nutrients likely outweigh the risks * The conflation of aesthetics and looking a certain way with being healthy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com [https://influencedtodeath.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode #48: Urine therapy

In this episode, Amanda and Victoria discuss the growing popularity of urine therapy, fueled by social media personalities who use their pee for lotion, sunscreen, mouthwash, and mocktails. They cover: * Their own health adventures, including a short stint of urine therapy for Amanda * The history of urine therapy [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3032615/], including a (highly likely) misinterpretation of the Biblical Proverb 5:15 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine_therapy] * The limited mentions of urine therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (qiushi) and Vedic texts (Shivambu Kalpa) that have been referenced by modern enthusiasts * What, exactly, is in pee * The claim that there are stem cells in urine (referenced studies are here [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/uro2.16] and here [https://www.cell.com/trends/biotechnology/fulltext/S0167-7799(24)00029-5]) * Is fermented urine the way to go? Seems not [https://www.cell.com/trends/biotechnology/fulltext/S0167-7799(24)00029-5] if stem cells are what you’re after. :( * “Studies suggest that preserved 24 h urine samples provide around 140 viable USCs, while fresh urine offers a significantly higher yield of three to seven USC clones per 100 ml.” * The inaccurate idea that we’re able to convert the nitrogen or urea in urine into nitric oxide. * Kidneys’ role as detoxifying organs; they excrete mercury and other toxic metals via…urine This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com [https://influencedtodeath.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode #47: Lean Mass Hyper-Responders

In this episode, Victoria & guest co-host Amanda Jones get to speak with John O’Connor, founder of Gene Food [https://www.mygenefood.com/], Integrative Health Coach, and all-around excellent thinker. Today’s primary topic is lean mass hyper-responders (LMHR), a subset of lean people who, when they eat a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (LCHF), experience a massive increase in LDL cholesterol. Even though this group is relatively small, the concepts discussed apply to anyone interested in using a ketogenic or low-carb/high-fat diet, or any therapeutic diet (such as Carnivore, vegan, AIP, etc.), in a way that considers both the benefits and the risks. They cover: * Who are the lean mass hyper-responders and why you should care * Is unlimited saturated fat beneficial? Harmless? For everyone? * The KETO-CTA study [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40192608/] * You can find critiques of the study on John’s website here [https://www.mygenefood.com/blog/an-open-invitation-to-lean-mass-hyper-responders/] and also a more technical but really excellent write-up from Alex Leaf here. [https://alexleaf.com/lean-mass-hyper-responders-are-not-protected-from-atherosclerosis/] * Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-Based Recommendations: [https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077]JACC [https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077] State-of-the-Art Review [https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077] * Why some people in the keto/low-carb community might be pushing so hard against the risk of elevated LDL cholesterol, and continue promoting and eating the diet * Some individuals are particularly sensitive to saturated fats…are you one of these people? * The multi-faceted risk of promoting the idea that there’s no risk of unlimited amounts of saturated fat intake, elevated LDL, and ApoB * Shoutout to Peter Attia and Dr. Tom Dayspring for their series The Straight Dope On Cholesterol [https://peterattiamd.com/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i/] * What’s the difference between LDL-C and ApoB? * Amanda gives a great explanation of why our ApoB levels matter in real life * The interesting way that plausible - but not proven - ideas can gain in popularity, even with highly educated audiences * The conversations over the KETO-CTA study outcomes and why, even in the face of black and white results, some people still skew the narrative * We discuss John’s ideas on reactivity and autoimmunity - Toxicant-induced loss of tolerance for chemicals, foods, and drugs: assessing patterns of exposure behind a global phenomenon [https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-021-00504-z] (the paper he references) * The fallacy in focusing on mechanism (trying to track down the deep biochemistry of why something is happening) versus zooming out and focusing on the basics that we know work extremely well to improve health A big thank you to John for coming on the show; we hope to have him on again soon! Be sure to check out Gene Food for real-world guidance on your genetic data. [https://www.mygenefood.com/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com [https://influencedtodeath.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode #46: Public health vs. functional medicine

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit influencedtodeath.substack.com [https://influencedtodeath.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7] In this episode, Hannah & Victoria discuss what Hannah’s been learning in her first semester pursuing her Master’s in Public Health. Pretty often, we realize our off-mic conversations should be part of the show, so today we’re making it happen! This is a behind-the-scenes look at Hannah’s experience and her realization that public health and functional m…