Sep28
Is Cancer Actually a Metabolic Disease with Dr. Thomas Seyfried
What if we've been looking at cancer the wrong way for more than 70 years?
In this episode of the ReThink Health Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Thomas Seyfried, a professor of biology at Boston College and author of Cancer as a Metabolic Disease. For decades he has asked a question most of oncology stopped asking long ago: what if cancer isn't driven mainly by bad genes?
This conversation is deeply personal for me. My dad battled cancer three times, and I recently lost him. Two of my close friends, one in her 40s and one in his 50s, are facing cancer right now. Dr. Seyfried's work was a source of hope for our family, and I know cancer touches almost everyone's life.
Dr. Seyfried explains why he believes cancer is primarily a mitochondrial metabolic disease. His argument builds on the work of Nobel laureate Otto Warburg and on his own lab's research into how cancer cells rely on two fuels: glucose and glutamine. He walks us through the nuclear transfer experiments that challenged the gene-centered view of cancer. He also explains why cancer cells "ferment" for energy instead of "breathing" like healthy cells.
You’ll learn:
- Why Dr. Seyfried believes the gene mutations found in cancer are an effect of the disease rather than its cause
- The difference between fermentation and respiration, and why cancer cells keep fermenting even when oxygen is present
- Why he says glucose and glutamine must be targeted together, and how his "press-pulse" strategy works
- How to use the Glucose-Ketone Index to see where your metabolism stands
- Why ketones are often called a "super fuel" for healthy cells
- How alcohol, portion size, exercise, stress, and fasting affect your glucose ketone index (GKI)
- What forever chemicals and rising childhood obesity may mean for cancer rates in kids
- What a day of eating and living looks like for a researcher who has studied cancer for 40 years
If you or someone you love has been touched by cancer, this episode offers a different perspective and practical tools to bring to your conversations with your healthcare team.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
Prefer audio? Listen below or on Spotify & Apple iTunes Podcasts.
Helfpul Resources
Paleovalley Essential C Complex
>>> Support immune health and antioxidant defenses with full-spectrum vitamin C, sourced from three organic superfoods. Save up to 20% on Paleovalley Essential C Complex.
About Dr. Thomas Seyfried
Dr. Thomas Seyfried is a professor of biology at Boston College. He holds a PhD in genetics and biochemistry and is the author of Cancer as a Metabolic Disease. His research grew out of earlier work at Yale University and Boston College on metabolic therapies for epilepsy. It led him to revisit Otto Warburg's theory that cancer originates from damaged cellular energy metabolism.
Over roughly 40 years, Dr. Seyfried's lab has studied how glucose and glutamine fuel cancer growth. The lab developed the Glucose-Ketone Index calculator and the press-pulse metabolic strategy. It has also collaborated on clinical research in brain cancer. He is helping launch MORE (Metabolic Oncology Research and Education), a network of oncologists, dietitians, physicians, and scientists working to advance metabolic approaches to cancer.
Thanks so much for spending time with us this week! Have a question or feedback? Email us at [email protected]—we would genuinely love to hear from you.
You can also follow the ReThink Health Podcast on Spotify or iTunes so new episodes are easy to find and listen to whenever it works for you. Subscribing and following makes a real difference and helps this information reach more people. Thanks again for being here. We will see you next time!
