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

* The Guardian's investigation into the Free Birth Society

* CDC Page on Autism and Vaccines

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

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 (more on him here) 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? 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 (we found multiple 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

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, including a (highly likely) misinterpretation of the Biblical Proverb 5:15

* 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 and here)

* Is fermented urine the way to go? Seems not 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

In this episode, Victoria & guest co-host Amanda Jones get to speak with John O’Connor, founder of Gene Food, 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

* You can find critiques of the study on John’s website here and also a more technical but really excellent write-up from Alex Leaf here.

* Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-Based Recommendations: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

* 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

* 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 (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.

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

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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…

In this episode, guest host Amanda Jones and Victoria speak with Sara Russell about the MTHFR gene (the gene that leads to the creation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme) and the different variants that might (emphasis on MIGHT) impact your health.

Be prepared before you dive in…this is a longer discussion that covers many aspects of MTHFR, both hypothetical (primarily what we’ve seen in influence-y spaces like social media) and actual (what we’ve read in research studies and seen in clinical practice).

We discuss the role of MTHFR variants in autism spectrum disorders, infertility, and other diagnoses, as well as the use of methylated B vitamins versus folic acid and folinic acid.

Some of the studies Amanda, Victoria, and Sara reference include:

* Overview of MTHFR and variant biochemistry

* Basic write-up on MTHFR variants from the CDC

* Connection to autism - here, here, and here

* The connection between one variant (C677T) and blood folate levels

* Homocysteine in disease

* Helpful overview of homocysteine and why low levels might also be problematic

* The connection between homocysteine and infertility

* Genetic Biomarkers of Metabolic Detoxification for Personalized Lifestyle Medicine

* Adverse Effects of Excessive Folic Acid Consumption and Its Implications for Individuals With the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Genotype

* Homocysteine and Psychiatric Disorders

* Slow overmethylation of housekeeping genes in the body mucosa is associated with the risk for gastric cancer

* Active Folate Versus Folic Acid: The Role of 5-MTHF (Methylfolate) in Human Health

* DNA methylation in cancer: too much, but also too little

* Homocysteine Imbalance: a Pathological Metabolic Marker

* Homocysteine metabolism as the target for predictive medical approach, disease prevention, prognosis, and treatments tailored to the person

* Disturbed homocysteine metabolism is associated with cancer

* Intake of Methyl-Related Nutrients and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in a Population-Based Case-Control Study in Minnesota

* Association of MTHFR C677T and A1298C Polymorphisms with First-Episode Myocardial Ischemia: A Case–Control Study

* https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3294042/

* https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5536672/

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37187267/

* https://reference.medscape.com/drug/leucovorin

* https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6346075/

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22369260/

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18355335/

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6781067/

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12566489/

* https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10759136/

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

In this episode, Hannah & Victoria speak with Dr. Heather Zwickey about vaccines.

About Dr. Zwickey:

Heather Zwickey earned a Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center with a focus on infectious disease and vaccine development. Dr. Zwickey went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship and teach at Yale University School of Medicine, where she worked on immunotherapy for cancer.

She was then recruited to the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR, where she launched the Helfgott Research Institute and served as its director for 17 years. In 2009, Dr. Zwickey established the School of Graduate Studies, developing programs in integrative medicine research, nutrition, and global health, among others. As the founding dean of the graduate school, she continues to teach many courses.

Dr. Zwickey currently co-leads an NIH-funded clinical research training program focused on training the next generation of integrative medicine researchers. She teaches at many universities and speaks at conferences worldwide. At Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Zwickey applies her immunology expertise to natural medicine, with a specific interest in the gut-brain axis in neuroinflammation.

With expertise in infectious disease and vaccine development, Dr. Zwickey has been sought out for her knowledge regarding COVID-19. She’s spoken on more than 50 podcasts, written articles, and been a resource for people with tough questions.

They cover these questions:

* Do some kids need certain vaccines while others don’t?

* What is the optimal schedule for a healthy baby, toddler, or child based on the changes occurring in their immune system?

* What determines the current vaccine schedule?

* Is there a greater potential for adverse effects when multiple vaccines are given in tandem, ex., MMR?

* What might make some children or adults more susceptible to adverse effects compared to others?

* Why has the vaccine schedule changed so much in the past 25 years?

* What would you say to a parent who is hesitant to vaccinate their child because they are worried about vaccine side effects?

* What would you say to someone who is angry that some people choose not to vaccinate their children?

* How do you think vaccines have affected health outcomes over the last 100 years?

Note: We didn’t record with video because Dr. Zwickey was on hour 14 of interviews the day we spoke.

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

In this episode, Victoria and guest host Amanda Jones are joined again by Bob Block, PharmD (be sure to watch our episode with him on ivermectin).

We asked Bob to come back just a few days after publishing our ivermectin episode to offer a more complete baseline of information on acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol.

In this episode, they discuss:

* Acetaminophen, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (APAP) or paracetamol in many countries, a non-opioid analgesic and antipyretic agent utilized for treating pain and fever

* Acetaminophen’s mechanism of action, aka how it works to relieve pain and fever

* The recent press conference that put acetaminophen in the spotlight

* FDA news release: Evidence of Possible Association Between Autism and Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy

* Research on this topic, including:

* Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology

* Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability

* Click here for an excellent interview with this study’s author

* The relationship of prenatal acetaminophen exposure and attention-related behavior in early childhood

* Fever during pregnancy as a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders: results from a systematic review and meta-analysis

* Maternal fever during pregnancy and offspring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

* Maternal inflammation may increase the risk of NDDs independent of treatment

* Effects of maternal psychological stress during pregnancy on offspring brain development: Considering the role of inflammation and potential for preventive intervention

If you have questions about this episode, please leave a comment on Substack or email us directly at [email protected].

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

In this episode, Victoria & Hannah are joined by Bob Block, an acute care pharmacist, to discuss ivermectin.

He provides a balanced and highly informed take on an extremely influenced drug.

They discuss:

* The history of ivermectin, from use for river blindness to roundroom to rosacea

* Ivermectin, wonder drug from Japan (the paper Hannah references)

* Bob provides an easy-to-understand but expert overview of ivermectin and how it works

* Why it’s not a good idea to take ivermectin from the feed store

* Hannah and Victoria discuss their biases about ivermectin

* Bob provides a thorough walkthrough of what studies show about the use of ivermectin in COVID-19

* Some states, like Texas, have made ivermectin available over the counter

* What the research shows for ivermectin’s potential in cancer

* The Relationship Between News Coverage of COVID-19 Misinformation and Online Search Behavior

* Ivermectin, a potential anticancer drug derived from an antiparasitic drug (explaining possible anti-cancer mechanisms)

* Even though there’s promise for ivermectin in cancer treatment, all current studies are human cell studies or human cell in combination with animal arm, like this one and this one

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

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In this episode, Hannah & Victoria discuss Apeel, a company that creates edible treatments for produce to reduce food waste (and is surrounded by a maelstrom of negative press from the natural health community).

This episode is for paid subscribers. If you’d like to support our 2-person mission to bring balance back to highly influenced topics, use the b…