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EAT THIS To Starve Cancer & Prevent Disease TODAY! | Dr. William Li & Mark Hyman

Mark Hyman, MD・2 minutes read

Dr. Lee highlights the power of food in treating diseases, showcasing how certain foods impact our health and immunity. He emphasizes the importance of viewing food as medicine and incorporating beneficial foods into daily meals for overall well-being.

Insights

  • Dr. William Li emphasizes the significant impact of food on treating diseases, showcasing how everyday foods like green tea, soy, red wine, and broccoli contain powerful drugs that can aid in disease prevention and treatment.
  • The microbiome, composed of beneficial bacteria in the body, plays a crucial role in overall health, with factors like antibiotics, lifestyle choices, and diet influencing its health. Specific foods like pomegranates, cranberries, mushrooms, and fiber can positively impact gut bacteria, while FDA-approved food additives may harm the microbiome.
  • Viewing food as medicine is essential for healthcare, with a focus on enhancing flavor and phytochemical content in foods. The shift towards promoting food as medicine is inspired by observing veterans' health decline due to lifestyle factors, highlighting the effectiveness of diet and lifestyle changes over medications like statins for heart disease.

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Recent questions

  • How does food impact disease treatment?

    Food plays a crucial role in treating diseases, as highlighted by Dr. Lee's work and research. He emphasizes the power of food over drugs in combating diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Dr. Lee's TED talk, "Can We Eat to Starve Cancer," garnered millions of views, showcasing the significant impact of food on health. His research led to the discovery of potent drugs in everyday foods like green tea, soy, red wine, and broccoli. By focusing on common denominators of health and writing "Eat to Beat Disease," Dr. Lee highlights over 200 foods supported by science, advocating for viewing food as medicine and incorporating beneficial foods into daily meals.

  • What are the defense systems of our bodies?

    Our bodies have five defense systems: angiogenesis, stem cells, microbiome, bile, and DNA. These systems work together to protect our health and immunity. Diseases like cancer occur when these systems fail to defend the body effectively. Traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy are toxic and not targeted, leading to the exploration of new approaches like immunotherapy. Immunotherapy enhances the body's defenses to fight cancer, with the microbiome playing a crucial role in determining the response to this treatment. Certain bacteria, like Akkermansia, can enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy, showcasing the intricate relationship between our defense systems and disease prevention.

  • How can stem cells be enhanced through diet?

    Stem cells play a vital role in regenerating organs like the heart and brain, and their activity can be negatively impacted by factors like excessive alcohol consumption and stress. While the biotech industry is working on stem cell therapies, individuals can enhance their own stem cells through dietary choices. The Mediterranean diet has been linked to increased stem cell count in circulation, benefiting overall health. Consuming foods like green and black tea can boost stem cell numbers, contributing to longevity and health. Additionally, dark chocolate with high flavonol content can double stem cell count and improve blood flow, showcasing the impact of diet on stem cell health.

  • How does the microbiome influence health?

    The microbiome, consisting of bacteria in the body, plays a crucial role in overall health and is influenced by factors like antibiotics, lifestyle, and diet. Understanding and supporting the microbiome through proper diet, exercise, and stress management can positively impact health and longevity. Certain foods like mushrooms and fiber can benefit gut bacteria, while excessive alcohol consumption and unknown ingredients in food can harm the microbiome. FDA-approved food additives, many untested, can also negatively impact the microbiome, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and avoiding harmful substances to maintain microbiome health.

  • What foods can boost the immune system?

    Foods like oysters, oyster mushrooms, pomegranates, and tea can boost the immune system, while green tea can also calm an overly active immune response. Curcumin from turmeric, when paired with black pepper, aids in absorption and acts as a beneficial inflammation fighter. Cooking tomatoes with olive oil enhances lycopene absorption, showcasing the importance of food combinations for optimal health benefits. Traditional Chinese medicine views food as medicine, emphasizing balance and health through natural means. Functional medicine focuses on creating health to reverse disease, with a shift towards understanding the impact of food on overall well-being, highlighting the transformative power of food in healing and maintaining health.

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Summary

00:00

"Eat to Beat Disease: Food as Medicine"

  • Dr. Mark Hyman hosts the Doctors Pharmacy for important conversations, focusing on beating disease through food.
  • Dr. Lee, a scientist and author of "Eat to Beat Disease," emphasizes the power of food in treating diseases over drugs.
  • Dr. Lee's work with the Angiogenesis Foundation explores how new blood vessel growth affects diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
  • Dr. Lee's TED talk, "Can We Eat to Starve Cancer," garnered 11 million views, showcasing the impact of food on health.
  • Dr. Lee's research led to the discovery of powerful drugs in everyday foods like green tea, soy, red wine, and broccoli.
  • Dr. Lee's focus on common denominators of health led him to write "Eat to Beat Disease," highlighting over 200 foods supported by science.
  • Dr. Hyman and Dr. Lee discuss the importance of viewing food as medicine and incorporating beneficial foods into daily meals.
  • Dr. Lee's research shows how certain bacteria in the gut, like Akkermansia, can impact responses to immunotherapy for cancer treatment.
  • Dr. Lee's personal experience with his mother's successful cancer treatment using immunotherapy and added polyphenols from foods like pomegranate and cranberry.
  • Dr. Hyman and Dr. Lee advocate for integrating the science of food as medicine into everyday life, emphasizing the importance of knowledge and making healthy eating second nature.

14:41

Enhancing immunity through microbiome and nutrition

  • Our bodies have five defense systems: angiogenesis, stem cells, microbiome, bile, and DNA.
  • These systems work together to protect our health and immunity.
  • Diseases like cancer occur when these systems fail to defend the body effectively.
  • Traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy are toxic and not targeted.
  • Immunotherapy is a new approach that enhances the body's defenses to fight cancer.
  • Only about 20% of people respond well to immunotherapy.
  • The microbiome plays a crucial role in determining the response to immunotherapy.
  • Certain bacteria, like Akkermansia, can enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
  • Foods like pomegranates and cranberries can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.
  • Plant-based foods support the microbiome and contribute to overall health and disease prevention.

28:54

"Nutrition impacts stem cells and overall health"

  • Excessive alcohol consumption can harm stem cells, leading to diabetes and high blood sugar levels.
  • Stress negatively impacts stem cell activity, hindering their ability to regenerate organs like the heart and brain.
  • Biotech industry is working on stem cell therapies, but individuals can enhance their own stem cells through dietary choices.
  • Mediterranean diet has been linked to increased stem cell count in circulation, benefiting overall health.
  • Green and black tea consumption can boost stem cell numbers, contributing to longevity and health.
  • Consuming dark chocolate with high flavonol content can double stem cell count and improve blood flow.
  • Specific food doses have been correlated with health benefits, such as cooked tomato sauce reducing prostate cancer risk.
  • Seafood like razor clams and oysters contain beneficial compounds like omega-3 fatty acids and polysaccharides that boost immunity.
  • Microbiome, consisting of bacteria in the body, plays a crucial role in overall health and is influenced by factors like antibiotics, lifestyle, and diet.
  • Understanding and supporting the microbiome through proper diet, exercise, and stress management can positively impact health and longevity.

43:00

"Microbiome Health: Food's Impact on Well-being"

  • Staying up all night can disrupt the microbiome, affecting gut health.
  • Unknown ingredients in food can harm the microbiome, so focus on recognizing and avoiding them.
  • Certain foods like mushrooms and fiber can benefit gut bacteria.
  • FDA-approved food additives, many untested, can negatively impact the microbiome.
  • Microbiome health plays a significant role in overall well-being.
  • Foods like pomegranates, cranberries, and nuts can positively influence health.
  • Consuming nuts, like almonds, can reduce the risk of death in colon cancer patients.
  • Viewing food as medicine is crucial in healthcare, with nuts being a beneficial addition.
  • Protecting DNA from mutations caused by toxins and stress is essential.
  • Foods like oranges, grapefruits, and kiwis can aid in DNA protection and overall health.

56:15

"Food as Medicine: Enhancing Flavor and Health"

  • Bitter melon is a staple in some Asian countries, known for its bitter taste and blood sugar-lowering properties.
  • Bitter melon enhances the intensity of other foods, making them more enjoyable.
  • Common fruits and vegetables have been bred for traits like disease resistance, not flavor or phytochemical content.
  • Chefs like Chef Bouley and Dan Barber are focusing on creating culinary experiences with medicinal foods.
  • Food as medicine is gaining traction, with a shift towards enhancing flavor and phytochemical content in foods.
  • The author's journey towards promoting food as medicine was inspired by observing veterans' health decline due to lifestyle factors.
  • Diet and lifestyle have been shown to be more effective than medications like statins for heart disease.
  • Organic and wild foods have higher concentrations of beneficial phytochemicals compared to conventional foods.
  • Plants produce bioactives to protect themselves, which also benefit human health when consumed.
  • The immune system acts as the body's security force, protecting against invaders through various entry points.

01:10:19

"Food's Role in Health and Healing"

  • The immune system secures the site of action, preventing disruptions, with factors like infections, smoking, aging, stress, and sleep deprivation lowering immunity.
  • Foods like oysters, oyster mushrooms, pomegranates, and tea can boost the immune system, while green tea can also calm an overly active immune response.
  • Curcumin from turmeric, when paired with black pepper, aids in absorption, with turmeric oil being a beneficial inflammation fighter.
  • Cooking tomatoes with olive oil enhances lycopene absorption, showcasing the importance of food combinations for optimal health benefits.
  • Traditional Chinese medicine views food as medicine, emphasizing balance and health through natural means.
  • Functional medicine focuses on creating health to reverse disease, with a shift towards understanding the impact of food on overall well-being.
  • A proposed change in healthcare involves mandating doctors to receive state-of-the-art nutrition education, emphasizing the importance of food in health discussions with patients.
  • The book "Eat to Beat Disease" by Dr. William Li highlights the transformative power of food in healing and maintaining health, urging a reevaluation of health and medicine practices.
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