7 Things To Eat And Drink To Help Beat Disease – According To A Harvard-Trained Doctor
In his new book, Dr William Li explores how certain food stuffs can influence our health
25 March 2019
All Credits: PA
“Health is more than the absence of disease, it’s the result of our defences that are hardwired in our body, defences that protect us against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, dementia, autoimmune disease, and even cancer,” says Dr Li.
“There is no ‘silver bullet’ for any one disease or for overall health and longevity. But my research shows we have something even better. There is a way to boost our own defence systems so the body will heal itself. If your goal is to extend the number of healthy years you have ahead, your food choices can tip the odds in your favour.
“Taking deliberate preventive measures using our diet is just plain common sense. What’s important to know is that we can now shift our attention towards what to add to our diet, not just what to eliminate.”
What we eat can support out body’s health systems (iStock/PA)
There are five defence systems which Li says are the key pillars of health and are influenced by diet. These are angiogenesis (the process by which blood vessels taking oxygen and nutrients to our cells are formed), regeneration (more than 750,000 stem cells repair, regenerate and maintain our bodies), microbiome (almost 40 trillion bacteria inhabit our bodies, producing health-supporting metabolites from food and also controlling the immune system and influencing angiogenesis), DNA protection (DNA’s genetic blueprint is designed to protect itself against damage), and immunity.
Of course, these processes are influenced by more than diet alone, but food, as Dr Li explains, can play a significant role in supporting, promoting or dampening their function.
Curious to know what the ‘magic foods’ are? Here are seven disease-beating ingredients from Dr Li’s book…
1. Soya
Public confusion over soya rests on a mistaken belief that an oestrogen-like compound found in soya can cause breast cancer, says Dr Li, who explains that research shows plant oestrogens in soya may actually be protective against breast cancer. Large epidemiological studies of women with breast cancer show that eating a diet high in soya foods is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer recurrence. “A reason to love and not fear soy foods,” he says.
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