Ep. #802: Dr. William Li on How to Beat Disease With Food

In this podcast, I interview Dr. William Li all about food. Specifically, we’re talking about the science of how your body defends itself and heals, and the role that food plays in that process.

I’ve talked before about “superfoods” in my book Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger and here on the podcast, but in this episode, Dr. Li dives deeper into how certain foods can affect our body’s ability to heal and prevent disease through their effects on angiogenesis (the process the body uses to grow new blood vessels), the immune system, and the microbiome.

We also talk about the specific chemicals in those foods that exert the benefits, how fiber works and affects the gut, foods that can hurt your microbiome, and more. You’ll also learn some of Dr. Li’s favorite foods to incorporate so that you can fit all of this scientific knowledge into your daily life.

In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Li, he’s an internationally renowned physician, scientist, and author of the New York Times bestseller Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.

He’s also the president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that works to promote medical innovation and breakthrough technology to disrupt disease and improve world health.

So, if you want to learn all about how food affects the body’s ability to thrive and beat disease, and what foods you should be eating on a regular basis to boost your health, listen to this podcast!

Timestamps:

7:07 - How does the body heal itself?

11:50 - What are your favorite “super” foods?

14:01 - The key to remaining fit for as long as possible

16:06 - Foods that can prune away unneeded blood vessels

19:13 - What is the chemical in cruciferous vegetables that's so beneficial?

20:23 - How do you increase absorption of isothiocyanates?

22:50 - What is the microbiome, what effects does it have on your body, and what foods can improve your gut?

26:29 - How does fiber work?

30:20 - How can we support the immune system with food?

36:47 - What foods are harmful to the microbiome?

43:03 - What does the research say about artificial sweeteners and the microbiome?

44:09 - What causes controversy in food research?

Mentioned on the Show:

Dr. Li’s Book: Eat to Beat Disease - https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Beat-Disease-Science-Itself/dp/1538714620/?tag=mflweb-20

Dr. Li’s website: https://drwilliamli.com/

Legion VIP One-on-One Coaching: https://buylegion.com/vip

Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/beyond-bigger-leaner-stronger/