If you’ve spent any time in the wellness corner of the internet, you have probably seen a clip or two of Dr. William Li. He is absolutely iconic in the wellness space. Lauryn and Michael have had Dr. William Li on their list of ideal guests for quite some time, and for good reason.
Michael first found Dr. Li years ago through his food content… the kiwi stuff, specifically (IYKYK), but Dr. Li has so much more insight than just recommending kiwi in his arsenal of health knowledge. He is a wealth of longevity and chronic illness prevention knowledge. So when the chance finally came to sit down with him and pick his brain, The Bosstick’s were ready to ask all your burning questions.
You can of course tune in to the full conversation, but first let’s get to know him. Who is Dr. William Li, what is his medical background and expertise? What is his main focus? And what does he actually recommend for improving your health?
This post answers the questions people ask most about him, and pulls the best moments from his conversation on the show. Here is everything you need to know about Dr. William Li, plus where to watch the full interview.
Who Is Dr. William Li?
Dr. William Li is a Harvard-trained internationally renowned physician, scientist, and New York Times bestselling author best known for two things: his pioneering research on angiogenesis (how the body grows blood vessels, which he says is the common denominator impacting health) and his work on food as medicine.
Dr. Li is president, medical director, and co-founder of the Angiogenesis Foundation. His work has impacted more than 50 million people worldwide and has led to the prevention, treatment, and even the actual reversal of diseases spanning from cancer, to chronic wounds, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and vision loss. He is the creator of the Eat to Defeat Cancer program, which has spread awareness of how you can use food to beat cancer to over 40 countries.
His groundbreaking research has helped lead to more than 40 new medical treatments that impact care for more than 70 diseases, including diabetes, blindness, heart disease, and obesity. And his TED talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?“, has racked up more than 11 million views.
He is also the author of two bestselling books, Eat to Beat Disease and Eat to Beat Your Diet.
Dr. William Li’s Background and Education
Dr. Li’s credentials run long and deep, he is extremely accomplished in his area of expertise. He is a serious academic, not just a media figure or wellness influencer.
He got his undergraduate degree with honors from Harvard College and his MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, then completed his internship, residency, and fellowship training in general internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Dr. Li is a protégé of medical pioneer Dr. Judah Folkman, who is known as the founder of angiogenesis research. Dr. Li has been engaged in translational research and clinical applications of angiogenesis-directed therapeutics in ophthalmology, cancer, wound and tissue repair, cardiovascular diseases, and other pathologies.
That early work with Folkman is where his interest in blood vessels as the “common denominator of health” began.
He has authored over 100 scientific publications in leading journals such as Science, the New England Journal of Medicine, and The Lancet, and has served on the faculties of Harvard, Tufts, and Dartmouth Medical School.
Is Dr. William Li a Real Doctor?
Yes. Dr. William Li is a real, licensed medical doctor and scientist, with peer-reviewed, published research papers in actual medical journals, that has taught in three major medical schools. He is completely legit and knows what he is talking about intimately.
William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned Harvard-trained medical doctor, researcher, and president and a founder of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and his work has directly impacted how we think about, treat, and prevent diseases including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease, and obesity.
Does Dr. William Li See Patients?
Today Dr. Li’s work is built around research, writing, education, and leading the Angiogenesis Foundation rather than a traditional clinical practice working one on one with patients.
However he does make an effort to get as much information out to the public as he can through his social media, books, and what he calls his “grand rounds series”, where shares the latest research communicated for regular, non medically trained people in an easy-to-understand way.
What Is the Angiogenesis Foundation?
In the simplest terms, the Angiogenesis Foundation is a nonprofit focused on fighting disease through its common denominators (blood vessels), and Dr. Li has led it from the start as President, Medical Director and CEO.
Dr. Li Explains Why Angiogenesis is the Common Denominator For Health
On the show, Dr. Li explained that “angio” means blood vessels and “genesis” means how your body grows them. His big idea and the work the foundation does is around the fact that blood vessels are the common denominator of health. As he put it, if you have healthy blood vessels, the rest of your body, your organs, and your cells have a chance to become healthy, and if your circulation is wrecked, it doesn’t matter what else you do.
Dr. Li explains that we have about 60,000 miles of blood vessels feeding every organ and every cell in the body, which means the things we eat and drink can influence 60,000 miles of goodness. That is the whole foundation of his food-as-medicine approach and it makes a lot of sense when you listen to him directly about it.
Dr. William Li’s Books
Dr. Li has written two New York Times bestsellers, and both share the same philosophy: focus on the foods you add, not the foods you cut.
Eat to Beat Disease
Eat to Beat Disease is his breakthrough book, and it is genuinely different from most diet books on bookstore shelves.
The great thing about this book is it isn’t about what foods you have to avoid, instead it’s a guide to the hundreds of healing foods to add in to your meals that can support the body’s defense systems.
In it, Dr. Li describes how more than 200 foods amplify the body’s defenses, which can result in beneficial health outcomes.
On the show, he shared a tip for actually using the book to get the most out of it. He suggested going straight into the charts, then use a highlighter to circle the foods with ingredients you already like. His reasoning was that building confidence around foods you already enjoy is what makes a habit stick and we love this efficient approach.
Eat to Beat Your Diet
His second book, Eat to Beat Your Diet, is about metabolism and healthy weight without actually dieting. In the book you’ll learn how to have a healthy metabolism and still eat and drink the foods you enjoy without going on a diet (more about the book here).
In the book he also shares the grocery store “treasure hunt.” Where you shop the perimeter for produce first, then head into the middle aisles on a treasure hunt, because that is where you find things like dried beans, tinned fish, canned tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil. He is a firm believer that healthy eating should be accessible, not elite.
The conversation covered a lot, but a few moments stand out.
One of the most memorable: Dr. Li says cancer is normal.
Yes, you hear that right. But before you freak out you have to listen to the full clip. He explained that the body is made of about 40 trillion cells that constantly copy themselves, and when they make a copying mistake, that is the beginning of a microscopic cancer. When you hear it that way, it actually makes a lot of sense.
Even with the body’s built-in “spell checker,” he said about 10,000 of those mistakes sneak through every single day, and for the most part they sit there harmlessly because the body defends itself. The gut plays a real role in that defense.
He also had a surprising take on microplastics.
Most people assume they come from water bottles, but he said the most common source we are exposed to is actually car tires, which spin off microplastics as cars drive. His thoughts were that this shouldn’t make you feel fearful, it should just simply push you to double down on daily, easy things you can do to support your body’s natural processes so your body can fix those mistakes faster.
“Love your food to love your health”
That calm, inclusive approach is Dr. Li’s whole brand. His personal mantra, which he repeated on the show, is “love your food to love your health”. Diets fail, he explained, because people don’t stick with them, so he’d rather you lean into the healthy foods you already enjoy than chase extremes.
Dr William Li’s top three things to do tomorrow for your health:
- Write down 10 of your favorite foods and highlight the ones with plant-based ingredients,
- Drink more green tea (loose leaf, no dairy or sugar).
- Try not to fear produce.
For the full rundown, see our deep dive on what foods Dr. William Li recommends.
Is Dr. William Li Vegan?
No, Dr. William Li is not vegan or vegetarian. On the show, he specifically said he eats a mostly plant-based diet but still eats meat, with fish, seafood, and chicken as his regulars, and the occasional pork or beef. He pointed out that our teeth and jaws evolved to eat both meat and plants, so we are built to be omnivores.
When it comes to meat, Dr. Li is all about moderation and quality. He said eating meat the way the Mediterranean and much of Asia do, mixed into a dish with vegetables rather than a giant slab on a plate, is the healthier pattern. His bottom line: if you enjoy meat, eat it, but get the best quality you can and don’t eat too much of it too often.
How can you connect with Dr. William Li?
Well first things first, you can listen to the full episode on The Bosstick’s HERE. You can follow Dr. Li on Instagram at @drwilliamli, and he also runs a public grand rounds series you can sign up for through his website.
If you like this style of conversation, you will also love the episode with Dr. Mark Hyman, another expert who makes the science easy to understand and implement into your daily routine.
Lauryn and Michael are not doctors or nutritionists, and nothing here is medical advice. This post shares highlights from a conversation and reputable public sources, and it represents what works for Dr. Li in his own words. Everyone is different, so talk to your own doctor before making changes to your diet, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.