Topic: Stevia

Recent media reports criticizing the sweetener erythritol (Splenda) are framed as an attempt to undermine the popular keto and carnivore diets. The discussion shifts to alternative sweeteners like Stevia and honey, concluding with a personal recipe for salmon involving a maple syrup drizzle and lemon pepper.

Joshua Theodorsen from Perth, Australia, donates $69.69 and requests karma for his brother and father, who was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. He also asks for a "shout out" to his wife, whom he describes as a "smoking hot MILF" who is skeptical of the show.

A listener email prompts a discussion on the health risks associated with aspartame and high fructose corn syrup. One host shares a personal anecdote about discovering high fructose corn syrup in a cereal from Whole Foods and experiencing immediate health improvements after removing it from their diet. The conversation touches on natural alternatives like xylitol and stevia.

A media campaign is promoting Stevia and Truvia as safer alternatives to other artificial sweeteners, which are now being linked to weight gain in reports by Time magazine. Separately, the FDA issued a warning advising dog owners not to feed their pets real animal bones due to splintering risks. The hosts view the FDA's involvement in pet care as an example of unnecessary federal overreach into daily life.

The maker of aspartame, Ajinomoto, is reportedly rebranding the sweetener as "AmnioSweet" to market it as a natural product. The hosts predict a similar rebranding for high fructose corn syrup in the near future. The episode concludes with a final appeal for listener donations and a sign-off from the Southern California and Silicon Valley studios.

The sudden promotion of Stevia as a natural sweetener is theorized to be a "red herring" designed to make consumers accept a future, potentially toxic, artificial sweetener. The history of Aspartame's approval under Donald Rumsfeld's influence is cited as a precedent for corporate-government collusion in the food industry. Listeners are asked to research upcoming chemical sweeteners in scientific literature.

The hosts discuss the sudden FDA approval of Stevia as a sweetener following a global sugar price spike. They cite older laboratory reports suggesting Stevia may cause mutagenic effects or reproductive issues in males, framing its introduction as a potential eugenics tool.

The sweetener market is shifting toward Stevia, a natural plant-based substitute being promoted by Cargill and PepsiCo under the brand Truvia. This move follows historical bans on Stevia that some believe were intended to protect the aspartame market. Meanwhile, the high fructose corn syrup industry faces potential legal threats similar to the asbestos industry due to health concerns.