Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Centenarians, SuperAgers, flow-mediated dilation, gene therapy, microplastics, and food as medicine with Dr. William Li
Your body already has a built-in cancer defense system, and the foods you eat can rival prescription drugs at activating it. In this episode, you'll discover what 720,000 living centenarians reveal about longevity, why microplastics are reaching your brain through your nose, and how your blood vessels hold the real key to biological aging.
Host Dave Asprey sits down with Dr. William Li, an internationally renowned physician, scientist, and two-time New York Times bestselling author of "Eat to Beat Disease" and "Eat to Beat Your Diet." As President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, Dr. Li's groundbreaking research has led to the development of more than 40 new medical treatments impacting care for over 70 diseases including diabetes, heart disease, blindness, and obesity. His TED Talk, "Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?", has surpassed 11 million views, making him one of the most trusted voices at the intersection of functional medicine and food as medicine science.
Together they dig into the biology of SuperAgers, the vascular markers that predict how long you'll live, and why flow-mediated dilation may be the most underrated biohacking measurement tool available today. Dave shares what happened after four separate gene therapies, including klotho and VEGF, and Dr. Li explains why your metabolism, mitochondria, and gut microbiome show up in the data on every centenarian ever studied. They also get into the microplastic crisis, the cribriform plate pathway that delivers airborne particles directly to your brain, and why your tongue is the first place your body quietly stores fat.
You'll Learn:
-What centenarian research reveals about immune function, gut health, and vascular resilience
-Why 50% of food extracts matched or outperformed cancer drugs in head-to-head angiogenesis testing
-How microplastics travel through your nose directly to your central nervous system
-What flow-mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity tell you about your true biological age
-Why your hind-third tongue fat is an overlooked early warning sign for sleep apnea and metabolism problems
-What Dave's four gene therapies (klotho, VEGF, follistatin) actually did to his body
-How the vagus nerve connects gut health to brain optimization, stress resilience, and longevity
-Why genetics now accounts for roughly half of longevity outcomes, and what that means for the future of gene therapy
-How to use biohacking tools to compound your health the same way you compound financial returns
Resources:
• Learn More About Dr. Li’s Work At: drwilliamli.com
• Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to daveasprey.com to join Inside Track today.
Thank you to our sponsors!
- Beyond Wonderland Conference | Oct 13 - 14, 2026. Get your ticket now at wonderlandconference.com.
- Amp | If you're ready to make fitness fit into your life, go to amp.ai to check it out
- Caldera + Lab | A small habit with big results. Go to CalderaLab.com/DAVE and use code DAVE for 20% off your first order.
- Calroy | Go to Calroy.com/DAVE for exclusive discounts on Arterosil HP, Vascanox HP and all Calroy products.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Trailer
00:50 – Intro
06:21 – Food vs. Cancer Drugs
14:09 – Gene Therapy
23:50 – Centenarian Research
27:41 – Stress & the Vagus Nerve
37:31 – Vascular Health
42:34 – Microplastics
53:19 – Novel Biomarkers
Connect with Dave Asprey!
Website: daveasprey.com
TikTok: tiktok.com/@daveaspreyofficial
Instagram: instagram.com/dave.asprey
Facebook: facebook.com/Daveaspreyofficial
X: https://x.com/daveasprey
YouTube: youtube.com/c/daveaspreybpr
The Human Upgrade Podcast: instagram.com/TheHumanUpgradePodcast https://m.facebook.com/Thehumanupgrade
Danger Coffee: dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15?
Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: beyondconference.com
Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
Dave's favorite supplements: shopsuppgradelabs.com/discount/DAVE15
Join my Substack: substack.daveasprey.com
Upgrade Labs: upgradelabs.com
40 Years of Zen: 40yearsofzen.com
Centenarians, SuperAgers, flow-mediated dilation, gene therapy, microplastics, and food as medicine with Dr. William Li
Your body already has a built-in cancer defense system, and the foods you eat can rival prescription drugs at activating it. In this episode, you'll discover what 720,000 living centenarians reveal about longevity, why microplastics are reaching your brain through your nose, and how your blood vessels hold the real key to biological aging.
Host Dave Asprey sits down with Dr. William Li, an internationally renowned physician, scientist, and two-time New York Times bestselling author of "Eat to Beat Disease" and "Eat to Beat Your Diet." As President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, Dr. Li's groundbreaking research has led to the development of more than 40 new medical treatments impacting care for over 70 diseases including diabetes, heart disease, blindness, and obesity. His TED Talk, "Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?", has surpassed 11 million views, making him one of the most trusted voices at the intersection of functional medicine and food as medicine science.
Together they dig into the biology of SuperAgers, the vascular markers that predict how long you'll live, and why flow-mediated dilation may be the most underrated biohacking measurement tool available today. Dave shares what happened after four separate gene therapies, including klotho and VEGF, and Dr. Li explains why your metabolism, mitochondria, and gut microbiome show up in the data on every centenarian ever studied. They also get into the microplastic crisis, the cribriform plate pathway that delivers airborne particles directly to your brain, and why your tongue is the first place your body quietly stores fat.
You'll Learn:
-What centenarian research reveals about immune function, gut health, and vascular resilience
-Why 50% of food extracts matched or outperformed cancer drugs in head-to-head angiogenesis testing
-How microplastics travel through your nose directly to your central nervous system
-What flow-mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity tell you about your true biological age
-Why your hind-third tongue fat is an overlooked early warning sign for sleep apnea and metabolism problems
-What Dave's four gene therapies (klotho, VEGF, follistatin) actually did to his body
-How the vagus nerve connects gut health to brain optimization, stress resilience, and longevity
-Why genetics now accounts for roughly half of longevity outcomes, and what that means for the future of gene therapy
-How to use biohacking tools to compound your health the same way you compound financial returns
Resources:
• Learn More About Dr. Li’s Work At: drwilliamli.com
• Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to daveasprey.com to join Inside Track today.
Thank you to our sponsors!
- Beyond Wonderland Conference | Oct 13 - 14, 2026. Get your ticket now at wonderlandconference.com.
- Amp | If you're ready to make fitness fit into your life, go to amp.ai to check it out
- Caldera + Lab | A small habit with big results. Go to CalderaLab.com/DAVE and use code DAVE for 20% off your first order.
- Calroy | Go to Calroy.com/DAVE for exclusive discounts on Arterosil HP, Vascanox HP and all Calroy products.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Trailer
00:50 – Intro
06:21 – Food vs. Cancer Drugs
14:09 – Gene Therapy
23:50 – Centenarian Research
27:41 – Stress & the Vagus Nerve
37:31 – Vascular Health
42:34 – Microplastics
53:19 – Novel Biomarkers
Connect with Dave Asprey!
Website: daveasprey.com
TikTok: tiktok.com/@daveaspreyofficial
Instagram: instagram.com/dave.asprey
Facebook: facebook.com/Daveaspreyofficial
X: https://x.com/daveasprey
YouTube: youtube.com/c/daveaspreybpr
The Human Upgrade Podcast: instagram.com/TheHumanUpgradePodcast https://m.facebook.com/Thehumanupgrade
Danger Coffee: dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15?
Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: beyondconference.com
Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
Dave's favorite supplements: shopsuppgradelabs.com/discount/DAVE15
Join my Substack: substack.daveasprey.com
Upgrade Labs: upgradelabs.com
40 Years of Zen: 40yearsofzen.com
