Patrick Holford: Simple Wisdom for a Healthy Life

Cancer - Is It Metabolic or Genetic?

Patrick Holford: Simple Wisdom for a Healthy Life

Show Notes

Professor Thomas Seyfried is renowned in the field of cancer for helping keep people with aggressive cancers stay alive by following his science-based protocols. How? That’s what we will find out. Thomas Seyfried is Professor of Biology at Boston College and received his PhD in Genetics and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois back in 1976 when genetics was in its infancy. He was Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Academy of Complimentary and Integrative Medicine among others and the Uncompromising Science Award from the American College of Nutrition for his work on cancer. Tom has over 200 peer-reviewed publications to his name and is author of the book, Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer. You can read more about cancer and my ketogenic/low carb Hybrid diet on my website.

More from Patrick Holford: Simple Wisdom for a Healthy Life

Jul 3, 2026

My guest today is Bob Quinn - a true pioneer of ancient, organic grains. In this rare opportunity to meet with him in his 80th year, en route to Italy, recorded in the car on the way to the airport, we unpack the whole story from the origins of the organic, wholegrain movement in the 80’s, up to now. He explains why it isn't gluten that’s causing so many people to react to wheat (other than coeliacs), what’s really happening, and what needs to happen to our food supply. His hat contains Kamut Khorosan grain - mine is made from our alpacas.

May 15, 2026

My guest today, Professor Robert Lustig - neuroendocrinologist and Professor Emeritus from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), world-renowned for unravelling how sugar, fructose and ultra-processed foods degenerate health - proposes that there is one messed up underlying process that almost all contributors to cognitive decline compound. This is an overload of reactive oxygen species (ROS), or oxidants, due to a four step dance that grinds healthy metabolism to a halt. If this is right - and I think it is - this means there are four avenues open to us all to prevent the damping down of energy, both in the brain, but also in the body. Find out how in this podcast. For more about brain health see my books Upgrade Your Brain and Alzheimer's: Prevention is the Cure and Brain Health topic on my website. Take part in Alzheimer's Prevention Day on Tuesday 19 May. Take the 3 minute test and learn more.

Mar 27, 2026

My guest is Dr Tommy Wood, who is Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Paediatrics at the University of Washington. He also heads research at the Food for the Brain Foundation and brain trains professional athletes including Olympians and Formula 1 racing drivers.

Feb 13, 2026

In today’s podcast, my guest is Dr Bill Wilson, a front-line physician who practiced medicine in Minnesota and Massachusetts for over 40 years. Three years ago, Dr Wilson was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment - often described as pre-dementia. Instead of accepting it as inevitable, he took action. The result? He reversed it. Now, drawing on both his medical background and personal experience, Dr. Wilson has developed a sharp, highly practical focus on neuroscience. In this conversation, he breaks down exactly what helped restore his cognitive function - and, just as importantly, what truly matters for anyone on the slippery slope of cognitive decline. If brain health is something you—or someone you love—are thinking about, this episode is essential listening.

Jan 9, 2026

Happy New Year! As we head into 2026, what actually matters when it comes to protecting your health - and what’s just noise? In this month’s podcast, I share my top health predictions for the year ahead and the habits truly worth adding to your New Year Resolutions. We go behind the headlines to unpack health politics, misinformation, and some uncomfortable truths - from vaccines and new Alzheimer’s drugs to how nutritional medicine is really moving forward. In this episode, you’ll discover:

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