Influenced to Death

In this episode (that you should probably not listen to on your lunch break), Hannah & Victoria welcome back guest Jameson Simpson (of episode #8 fame) to talk about medicinal leeches. Jameson has been using leeches medicinally for over 15 years, and he and Victoria share their personal tales of leech therapy while Hannah does her best not to puke.In this episode, they discuss:* The history of leech therapy, dating back over 3500 years* Some interesting leech facts, like the fact that leeches are FDA-approved* Personal leech stories, including Victoria showing off some of her leech bite scars* Graham Rook’s “Old Friends” hypothesis and the interesting connection between our health and what we now consider unsavory but possibly beneficial bacteria, parasites, and other creatures* The risks of leech therapy and why YOU SHOULD NOT TRY THIS AT HOME 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 discussion, Dr. Deanna Minich, a nutrition scientist and author, dives into the fascinating world of melatonin. She unpacks the molecule's rich history, from its discovery linked to the pineal gland to its unique antioxidant properties. The conversation explores how melatonin aids not just in sleep but also in digestive health and immune function. Dr. Minich also sheds light on the impact of constant light exposure, the aging process, and the controversies and nuances surrounding melatonin supplementation.

Dr. Sharon Bergquist, a scientist and medical doctor known for her research on stress and author of "The Stress Paradox," dives into the surprising benefits of stress. She reveals how moderate stress can make you biologically younger and why it might be unwise to lower it completely. The discussion explores the concept of hormesis, emphasizing how small stressors promote resilience. They also tackle misconceptions about diets and stress responses, suggesting that understanding stress can lead to better health outcomes.

Jenny McGruther, a talented cookbook writer and recipe developer, returns to dive deeper into The Weston A. Price Foundation. She tackles the controversial review of Nina Planck’s book on traditional diets and questions the nutritional impacts of phytic acid. The conversation evolves around the merits of raw milk versus pasteurized and the balance between Nutritional Heritage and modern choices. They also explore the complexities of dietary guidance, questioning traditional narratives and advocating for informed, personal food decisions.

In this episode, Hannah and Victoria have the extreme pleasure of speaking with Dawn Whitten, a clinician, researcher, educator, and clinical mentor in naturopathic medicine specific to perinatal and early life health for over twenty years. (This woman knows her stuff, y’all.)Today’s topic? Maternal exclusion, aka elimination diets, as a way to address eczema or other symptoms in the baby. Does it work? Is it safe? What does the evidence say? What is Dawn’s clinical experience? Learn more about Dawn here.See all of Dawn’s publications here. 🤯………….Resources & research notes for this episode: The Australian Breastfeeding Association is a wonderful resource—it's a volunteer-run non-profit organization that uses a peer-support model. They have put together many resources for parents and are a place to go for reliable informationAnd, of course, La Leche League.The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is more of a professional organization, but they do have a find a practitioner function that can help parents find a practitioner fluent in breastfeeding medicine. They also have a few great handouts.And they have some great parent handouts.On maternal peanut allergen consumption while breastfeeding and infant allergy:* Reduced risk of peanut sensitization following exposure through breast-feeding and early peanut introduction* Reduced peanut sensitization with maternal peanut consumption and early peanut introduction while breastfeedingOn breastfeeding and the effect of policies and marketing of breastmilk substitutes:* Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices?* Marketing of commercial milk formula: a system to capture parents, communities, science, and policy* Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect(this is considered a seminal paper)On donor milk:* Australian Breastfeeding Association Position Statement on Donor Milk* Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s 2017 Position Statement on Informal Breast Milk Sharing for the Term Healthy Infant 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

Dr. Jordan Robertson, founder of The Confident Clinician Club and educator in integrative medicine, joins to unpack how the internet influences health decisions. They explore the challenges of discerning reliable medical information in a sea of wellness trends. The conversation highlights outrageous health claims and the need for critical thinking. Robertson emphasizes the evolution of Google’s algorithms towards accuracy and discusses the importance of effective communication between patients and providers in navigating health information.

In this episode, Hannah and Victoria are joined by fellow balanced babe Jenny McGruther of Nourished Kitchen fame for the beginning of a deep dive (yep, expect part 2) into the Weston A. Price Foundation.Interview with Sally and Kelly the Kitchen Kop (Kelly Moeggenborg) on how the WAPF was bornThe Nina Planck book review: Real Food for Mother and BabyDr. Kaayla Daniel’s original publication on fermented cod liver oil 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. Mark Messina, an international expert and soy researcher. We read his research. We emailed him with high hopes. He responded! Dr. Mark brings the juice on soy, “myth-busting,” and even sheds some light on GLP-1 agonists. DO NOT SLEEP on this episode! Dr. Mark isn’t some dull researcher…he’s passionate, engaging, and one of the most knowledgeable guys on the planet when it comes to soy. 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 and Victoria have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Sarah Ballantyne about her stance switch from anti- to pro-seed oils.Hi everyone, Vic here. Hannah and I asked Dr. Sarah to come on the podcast to speak with her about some of the science backing why she switched her viewpoint, but mainly about the dynamics of telling her millions of followers she was wrong. This episode is my favorite we’ve recorded so far. Why?If you’ve spent any time in the wellness world, you may have noticed that big names don’t shift their stance very often, and they especially don’t do it loudly. But in this case, Dr. Sarah not only changed her mind, she did it very publically. And very loudly. We’ve seen some nasty social media comments pointed in her direction…everything from she’s hit her head to she’s being bought by “big oil.” While I was transparent in our interview that I wasn’t so sure I was committed to incorporating vegetable oils into my diet, I fully believe she’s come to this conclusion on her own (extremely intelligent) accord and is in no way being influenced by anything other than saying what she thinks is right. And I also believe that the characteristics and skills she displays—curiosity, willingness to change her mind and say she was wrong, research literacy and commitment to staying up to date on current research, clear communication—are the EXACT qualities that will keep us moving toward the best wellness solutions EVEN IF it happens that you don’t like what she’s saying right now. These qualities starkly contrast with what we usually see from wellness influencers…the ones who are so blindly committed to a concept or idea (and the money they make from it) that they’ll lead themselves and you into illness in order to stay the course. The opposite is happening here. And I love it. We hope you enjoy the episode as much as we liked speaking with Dr. Sarah.For more on the science behind her views on vegetable oils, please click here to listen to Dr. Sarah and Stacy Toth’s discussion on The Whole View, and click here for Dr. Sarah’s interview on The Unbiased Science podcast.Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s bioDr. Sarah Ballantyne, PhD, is the founder of Nutrivore.com and the New York Times best-selling author of Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat. She creates educational resources to help people improve their day-to-day diet and lifestyle choices, empowered and informed by the most current evidence-based scientific research. With Nutrivore, Dr. Sarah has created a positive and inclusive approach to dietary guidance, based in science and devoid of dogma, using nutrient density and sufficiency as its basic principles: Nourishment, not judgment. 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 and Victoria explore the hyper-controversialized world of soy, one of the most studied yet misunderstood foods in our diet.History:Isoflavones first came to the attention of the scientific community in the 1940s because of fertility problems observed in sheep grazing on a type of isoflavone-rich clover. * The most economically important bean in the world* China 7000 BCE* Soybeans were introduced into the United States in 1804 and became particularly important in the South and Midwest in the mid-20th century - the majority of soybean crops are genetically modified for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate*. Brazil and Argentina are also major producers.Evidence:“Soy” = 23,500ish results in PubMed, Last 10 years, about 10K results.Phytoestrogens are a broad group of compounds that consist of isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans. Of these, isoflavones are heterocyclic phenols, the main constituents of which are genistein, daidzein, and glycitein. They have a similar structure to 17 beta-estradiol and have been shown to have biological activity exerting estrogen-like effects both in vitro and in vivo. Interesting note on isoflavones and cultural differences in consumption and genetic differences in metabolism, from M. Messina, Soy and Health Update https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188409/ : “...mean isoflavone intake among adults ranges from about 30–50 mg/day in Japan but is less than 3 mg/day in the United States, Canada, and Europe [60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67]”Understanding soy intake by milligram:It is difficult for the average consumer to even understand the consumption of isoflavones. For example, according to United States Department of Agriculture data and an assumption of about a half-cup serving, most vegetables contain <1 mg, miso soup 1–2 mg, cooked edamame 15–20 mg, raw pistachios 1–3 mg, most soymilks 1–10 mg, and some higher soy content cereals 20–100 mg (5). “Meatless” meats contain anywhere from very little to high amounts of isoflavones depending on how they are produced. Much of the content of all soy products depends on processing, whether alcohol or water extracted, and the crop or variety. Needless to say, it is quite complicated. https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(19)30621-1/fulltext Glyphosate residue potentially disrupting our microbiomes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8959108/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10561581/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534722002294 Equol:“In regard to isoflavone metabolism, a striking difference among individuals is that only about 25% of non-Asians and 50% of Asians host the intestinal bacteria that convert daidzein into the isoflavonoid equol* [80]. In 2002, Setchell et al. (2002) proposed that those individuals who host these bacteria are more likely to benefit from soyfood consumption [81]” Equol [7-hydroxy-3-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-chroman], an isoflavan produced by intestinal bacteria in response to soy isoflavone intake in some but not all humans, exhibits a wide range of biological properties: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20519411/ More on equol: https://gutpathogens.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13099-024-00625-9 Big picture view of interactions with hormones: Specifically, soy isoflavones are the phytoestrogen focus of the study published in this issue from Salsano et al., because they are very chemically similar to 17β-estradiol (2). The two predominant soy isoflavones, genistein, and daidzein, bind primarily to estrogen receptor (ER) β but remain very weak estrogens compared with endogenous E2. There is data that they may act by both hormonal and nonhormonal pathways, which include arresting or altering cellular growth through kinases or even epigenetics (3). https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(19)30621-1/fulltext A Brief Historical Overview of the Past Two Decades of Soy and Isoflavone ResearchMark Messina, 2010https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622132049#bib84Baby formula:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9217716/ Comparative Study Lancet. 1997 Jul 5;350(9070):23-7. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(96)09480-9.Exposure of infants to phytoestrogens from soy-based infant formula “From the concentrations of isoflavones in these formulas (means 32-47 micrograms/mL), the typical daily volume of milk consumed, and average body weight, a 4-month-old infant fed soy formula would be exposed to 28-47 per day, or about 4.5-8.0 mg/kg body weight per day, of total isoflavones. Mean (SD) plasma concentrations of genistein and daidzein in the seven infants fed soy-based formulas were 684 (443) ng/mL and 295 (60) ng/mL, respectively, which was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than in the infants fed either cow-milk formulas (3.2 [0.7] and 2.1 [0.3] ng/mL), or human breast-milk (2.8 [0.7] and 1.4 [0.1] ng/mL), and an order of magnitude higher per bodyweight than typical plasma concentrations of adults consuming soy foods.”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2661347/#b7-pch14109 ​​ Concerns for the use of soy-based formulas in infant nutritionPaediatr Child Health. 2009 PMCID: PMC2661347However, they are present in relatively large amounts in soy-based formulas, such that the total isoflavone content is approximately 40 μg/mL in ready-to-use soy formulas. Infants who consume these products have isoflavone plasma concentrations of approximately 13,000 to 22,000 times greater than their estradiol plasma concentrations. In contrast, the plasma concentrations of isoflavones in infants who are fed cow’s milk formula or breast milk are only 50 to 200 times greater than their estradiol plasma concentrations (7). There is concern that these isoflavones may mimic the actions of estradiol or alter estradiol metabolism, and consequently modify the processes influenced by estradiol. Despite this theoretical possibility, practical experience has shown that the millions of infants who have consumed these products since the 1960s appear to have grown and matured normally.Fertility: * Inverse association between soy intake and sperm count in men (soy lowers sperm count): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18650557/ …but, another study shows:* Dadizen (found in soy) good for sperm morphology, as well as red meat and whole milk https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/andr.12858Breast cancer:Soy Isoflavones and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35241506/ * 2022 meta of 8 studies and 477,832 women examined the AMOUNT of soy consumed and the connection to breast cancer - found the consumption of soy isoflavones can reduce the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women.Bone health:Soy Reduces Bone Turnover Markers in Women During Early Menopause: A Randomized Controlled Trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27465911/ There was a significant increase in TSH and reduction in free thyroxine (p < 0.01) with SPI supplementation (200 white women given 15 g soy protein with 66 mg isoflavone (SPI) or 15 g soy protein alone (SP), daily for 6 months) though free tri-iodothyronine was unchanged. In conclusion, soy protein with isoflavones may confer a beneficial effect on bone health, analogous to the mode of action of antiresorptive agents, albeit to a less magnitude. There was a significant improvement of cardiovascular risk markers, but a significant increase in TSH and reduction in free thyroxine after SPI supplementation indicating a detrimental effect on thyroid function. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.Soy Food Consumption, Exercise, and Body Mass Index and Osteoporotic Fracture Risk Among Breast Cancer Survivors: The Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Studyhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6527440/  High soy isoflavone intake was associated with reduced risk among pre-/perimenopausal patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.09 to 0.53, for soy isoflavone mg/d ≥56.06 vs <31.31; Ptrend < .001) but not among postmenopausal patients (Pinteraction < .01). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19794985/ Marked individual variation in isoflavone metabolism after a soy challenge can modulate the skeletal effect of isoflavones in premenopausal women“Women in the soy group were divided into subgroups according to their ability to excrete more potent metabolites. Serum osteocalcin and urine deoxypyridinoline showed a tendency to increase after a challenge in equol high-excretors. Serum osteocalcin concentration in the genistein high-excretors increased significantly after a challenge (P=0.04) but did not increase in either the placebo or genistein low-excretors. An estrogenic antagonistic effect of isoflavones on bone turnover was observed in premenopausal women who are able to produce more potent metabolites.”CVD:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29739677/ Same research group/ same participants as first bone turnover studyConclusions: Supplementation with soy protein with isoflavones for 6 months significantly improved CVR markers and calculated CVR at 6 months during early menopause compared to soy protein without isoflavones.Beneficial to CVD in early menopauseLikely beneficial for lupus:https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nutrition-research-reviews/article/an-update-on-diet-and-nutritional-factors-in-systemic-lupus-erythematosus-management/992C22937FC53A6B1D3D30BC97B331E9 Likely detrimental for people taking valproic acid: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3950581/ 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