Dr. William Li Serves TED Cancer Prevention Tips on a Plate

Speaking to the TED2010 conference currently underway in Long Beach, Calif., cancer researcher and Angiogenesis Foundation president William Li tells attendees that "what we eat is really our chemotherapy." The foods we select can play a critical role in preventing the development of blood vessels that help fuel the development and growth of cancerous tumors. You can read more about Dr. Li and his remarkable organization on the Tonic Profile of The Angiogenesis Foundation.

Reporting from the conference, Kim Zetter of Wired.com writes that Li explains that understanding angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels in the body, is at the heart of what he maintains to be the most promising arena of progress in cancer treatment. Cancer starts as a cluster of a few mutated cells, but can only develop into something larger and more dire with the aid of new blood vessels that support it. Dr. Li tells conference attendees that diet can play a significant role in keeping unwanted angiogenesis at bay.

Mark Frauenfelder, reporting on the conference for Boing Boing, writes that Li speaks enthusiastically about anti-angiogenesis drug developments that have shown promise in pruning back these unwanted blood vessels, with the end result of tumor starvation and even disappearance.

The additional good news Li delivers is that there are a host of foods that exhibit a strong ability to prevent superfluous vessel formation in the first place. Among these are several varieties of citrus and berries, leafy greens such as kale, olive and grapeseed oils, and red wine and green tea.

Photo by redmaxwell via Flickr