What is the main message of Eat to Beat Disease?

The main message of Eat to Beat Disease is that the right foods can help prevent and fight disease.

How long does it take to read Eat to Beat Disease?

The reading time for Eat to Beat Disease varies, but it usually takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Eat to Beat Disease?

The author of Eat to Beat Disease is William W. Li.

Health & Nutrition

Eat to Beat Disease Book Summary - Eat to Beat Disease Book explained in key points

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Eat to Beat Disease summary

Name: Eat to Beat Disease
Rating: 4.5 (386 reviews)
Author: William W. Li

William W. Li

The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself

4.5 (386 ratings)

19 mins

Brief summary

Eat to Beat Disease by William W. Li offers practical insight and research-based strategies for harnessing the power of nutrition to prevent and fight disease, emphasizing a personalized approach to health and wellness.

Topics

Diseases & Illnesses Diet

Table of Contents

Eat to Beat Disease
Summary of 6 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Good health starts at the dinner table.

Cancer, heart disease and stroke are some of the world’s most deadly and feared diseases. You’ve likely heard about the lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of them, such as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake and getting more exercise. But you may be overlooking another weapon in your arsenal against disease: your diet.

Now, for the first time, William W. Li explains what scientists have known for some time. Your body has several sophisticated systems which it uses to defend its health, and you can turbo-charge these defense systems by making the right food choices. From tomatoes to tuna and from cheese to cashew nuts, you’ll explore how different foods support your immunity, your gut bacteria – and even your DNA. Drawing on the latest scientific evidence, Li examines the hidden health benefits in your favorite foods and outlines how you can support your body’s efforts to protect your health and guard against the effects of aging.

Read on to discover

how nuts affect your DNA;
what spicy food can do for your health; and
why cheese doesn’t deserve its unhealthy reputation.

Soy foods and broccoli can help boost your body’s cancer-fighting defense system.

It’s a frightening but true fact that you are developing cancer right now as you read this. Indeed, microscopic tumors start growing when your body’s cells divide incorrectly. And shockingly, your body makes around ten thousand of these mistakes every day. The result? Cancer formation isn’t just common; it’s inevitable.

Fortunately, your body has a natural defense system that stops these cancers from ever becoming a problem. It’s called angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is the process by which your body grows and maintains blood vessels. Under normal circumstances, your blood vessels support you by carrying nutrients and oxygen to your body’s organs. However, if blood vessels grow irregularly, then they’re just as likely to deliver this nourishment to your microscopic cancers instead, providing them with the fuel they need to grow, spread and eventually invade your organs.

Angiogenesis stops this from happening by controlling where and when blood vessels grow, and thus stops tumors from becoming dangerous. And encouragingly, you can boost this cancer-starving defense system by eating certain foods.

Soybeans, for example, have been found to have a powerful influence on angiogenesis. A 1993 study by the University of Heidelberg found that soy foods contain genistein, a potent cancer-fighting substance that suppresses the blood vessels that feed nutrients to tumors. Furthermore, it was found that genistein prevented the growth of several types of cancer cells, including Ewing’s sarcoma cells, which lead to bone and soft-tissue tumors. Studies have found you’ll need to consume a daily portion of at least 10 grams of soy protein to enjoy the cancer-fighting benefits. You can achieve this through eating foods like tofu, soy milk and edamame as well as fermented soy products like miso and soy sauce.

And if you’re not a fan of soy, then don’t worry, because broccoli has also been found to have a potent effect on angiogenesis too.

Broccoli contains brassinin and sulforaphanes, substances that help angiogenesis keep blood vessel production in balance and fight cancer. For instance, research conducted by Harvard University has shown that broccoli consumption is associated with a 33 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer, a 59 percent lower risk of prostate cancer, and a 28 percent lower risk of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. So to reduce your risk of cancer, add between one and two cups of broccoli to your diet each week.

Read on to discover how what you drink, as well as what you eat, can protect you from disease.

Drinking cocoa can boost your body’s ability to repair and regenerate itself.

Amazingly, your body is made up of around 37 trillion cells. Of this gigantic number, only around 0.002 percent are classified as stem cells. But don’t let their small number fool you, because stem cells are absolutely crucial to your health. So much so, that if these cells were to stop functioning suddenly, you couldn’t survive longer than a week.

Stem cells form the basis of one of your body’s key health defense systems: your regenerative system. Stem cells can regenerate, replace and repair dead cells almost anywhere in your body, keeping your organs in tip-top shape.

Feed your body’s health-giving bacteria with fruit, sauerkraut and cheese.

Believe it or not, you are not simply a human being. In fact, you are a sophisticated ecosystem, and everywhere you go, you take multiple other species along for the ride. These other species are bacteria, and there are trillions of them living both within and on the surface of your body.

Remarkably, three pounds of your overall body weight is composed of these bacteria, collectively known as the microbiome. And more remarkably still, these minuscule beings have a huge impact on your health.

Mushrooms and olive oil help your immune system fight everything from colds to cancer.

Your immune system is probably the one health defense system of which you’ve definitely heard. Not only can it prevent you from catching a cold but it also helps stop that paper cut on your hand from becoming infected and combats the nasty germs your fellow bus passengers have been coughing all over you. But it doesn’t just protect you against everyday illnesses; your immune system is also responsible for stopping malignant cells from developing into full-blown cancer.

The cells in the immune system can do this because they’re highly skilled at distinguishing between friends and enemies. Cancerous cells are enemies, so when your immune cells spot them, they call for a swift attack. Specialist cancer-destroying immune cells are then sent into battle and eradicate these abnormal, malignant cells before they ever become a problem.

You can help protect your DNA by snacking on nuts and berries.

Your body’s DNA is your genetic design plan, located within your cells. It’s shaped like a twisting staircase, and each step of this staircase is a gene your parents passed on to you. Good health depends on this genetic source code, and yet, worryingly, your DNA is being damaged continuously throughout your life.

It experiences around 10,000 destructive events every day! Many of these events are merely side effects of other things that are happening either inside or outside your body; for instance, DNA is damaged when your body is infected or inflamed. Damage is also caused by toxic chemicals, like those found in polluted air and even in common household cleaning products.

Health benefits can also be found in some surprising foods.

Most of us don’t need a book about healthy eating to tell us that we should eat more health-enhancing foods like fruits and vegetables. But what about things that we don’t tend to think of as healthy, such as alcohol, processed meat and confectionery? Do they have any place in our shopping cart if we want to eat a disease-beating diet? Well, recent scientific research indicates that some incredible health benefits can be found in the most unexpected places.

Let’s start by taking a look in the alcohol aisle. Although beer is high in calories and shouldn’t be overindulged in, this popular beverage does have some redeeming qualities.

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What is Eat to Beat Disease about?

Eat to Beat Disease (2019) shines a light on the sophisticated systems the body uses to defend itself from deadly diseases. Drawing on the latest scientific research, these blinks explore how your dietary choices support these defense systems and explain how, when it comes to your health, food truly is medicine.

Eat to Beat Disease Review

Eat to Beat Disease (2019) by William W. Li is a fascinating book that explores the relationship between food and our body's ability to ward off diseases. Here's why you should give this book a read:

With its groundbreaking research and scientific evidence, the book provides actionable steps to prevent and combat diseases through our diet.
The author's accessible language and relatable examples make complex medical concepts easy to understand, ensuring that readers stay engaged throughout.
Through insightful case studies and personal stories, the book highlights the power of food as a tool for healing and maintaining optimal health, making it anything but boring.

Best quote from Eat to Beat Disease

Eating fermented foods can increase the diversity of your gut microbiome, which improves your health defenses.

—William W. Li

Who should read Eat to Beat Disease?

Couch potatoes trying to lose weight
Fitness freaks wanting to optimize their diet
Health professionals looking for an insight into nutrition

About the Author

William W. Li is a scientist, doctor and author. His work with the Angiogenesis Foundation has led to the development of multiple groundbreaking medical therapies and devices. Through his work, he has impacted the health of over 50 million people around the world. Dr. Li has also held faculty posts at both Harvard and Tufts University, and his TED talk “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has been viewed more than 11 million times.

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Health & Nutrition

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