The obvious thing is to think about what we could remove from our diet. But I took a completely opposite approach and began asking: What could we be adding to our diet that could boost the body’s defense system? In other words, can we eat to starve cancer?

William W. Li, a physician-scientist known for popularizing research on angiogenesis (how blood vessels feed tumors), often frames cancer prevention and resilience in terms of strengthening the body’s natural defenses rather than focusing only on restriction. This quotation reflects the premise he presents in his public talks and writing: instead of asking solely what foods to avoid, he urges audiences to consider foods that may support anti-angiogenic, immune, and metabolic pathways. The phrasing “eat to starve cancer” is closely associated with his efforts to translate biomedical research into practical dietary guidance for general audiences.

The quote contrasts a deficit model of health (“remove” harmful foods) with an additive, proactive model (“add” protective foods). Li’s rhetorical pivot suggests that diet can be framed as a tool to reinforce endogenous systems that suppress tumor growth—especially by limiting a tumor’s ability to secure resources (the metaphor of “starving” cancer). The underlying significance is motivational as well as scientific: it invites people to see everyday eating as an opportunity to participate in prevention and long-term health maintenance, while implying that dietary choices may influence biological environments that cancers exploit.