Plant Based ANTI Cancer Seminar
Published 8.26.2025: After the heart health seminar debacle, I wasn't sure that I would ever listened to one again. However, then Dr Fuhrman decided to host a plant based anti-cancer one. Spoiler alert, the recommendation is to eat more plants… but not plant exclusive from all participants.
Fuhrman doesn't tend to do his own research, instead he reads the work of others. He was the sole host of this seminar, and he both presented first on 4 of the 5 days (basically he broke one presentation into 4 parts) and interviewed all the participants. I didn't listen to any of the non-medical doctor interviewees, nor did a listen to any of the commercials. All of which were clearly marked as commercials, and all of which touted some product or other of Dr Fuhrman's.
Still, all in all, a much better seminar where I learned a few things. It's possible that I just know less about cancer treatments and that's why I stayed interested, but it's also possible that Fuhrman came to the seminar with a bad taste in his mouth after the heart one (based on comments he made elsewhere) and was determined to make the cancer one better.
In any event, I will be recapping most of the talks I listened to, and a few of them might even be stand alone pieces. This one will cover all of the Fuhrman presentations that I watched over the 5 days (only 4 of which he presented on.)
On day one, Fuhrman basically went over his "Nutritarian" way of eating, which hasn't changed since he wrote Eat to Live back in 2012, I think. The only thing he changed in Eat for Life, written more recently is that in Eat to Live, he allowed for 10% of the calories to be for eating meat and other non-nutritarian options. Now he's of the opinion that allowing people any leeway leads to them falling off the wagon. And he's clearly had many clients fall off the wagon.
His way of eating will result in rapid weight loss, but then — as he has noted in interviews — they will go on a cruise and stop eating his way and rapidly regain the weight. His services are not cheap, so I'm going to guess that these are well-heeled clients. Another thing that's changed, though he didn't mention this is that Fuhrman has decided that nuts and seeds, despite being high fat, are necessary. In Eat to Live, the diet was definitely low fat. Nutritarian diet is now roughly 60-20-20 (Carbohydrate-fat-protein) or 70-15-15.
On day two, his talk was about the supplements that he uses when treating people with cancer. So first his is way of eating, then he adds supplements. To be fair: Fuhrman has always been on the "vegans need to supplement more to thrive" band wagon. he's always been of the opinion that a B12 supplement is not adequate long term. And, of course, he sells a supplement line, which for many people makes him a quack. Vegans need supplements, "Buy mine" and all that.
In any event, these eight supplements can be used instead of chemo… but he is careful to say that chemo and conventional treatment is required for fast growing cancers. In the case of fast growing cancers, these supplements can be complementary.
Before going to the supplements, he goes over the baseline nutrition for cancer patients. First thing he mentions are sprouts (and he does have the Sprouting guy on as a speaker on the last day). Next is fresh juice… because he wants you to eat so many vegetables, and the fiber would be too much. Beets and carrots (as juice? not clear from my notes). Cruciferous vegetables and a salad, basically a nutritarian diet (except for the juice).
Supplements:
1. Mixed Mushrooms extract or powder;
2. Specific types of green tea;
3. Turmeric supplement with black pepper;
4. Raw garlic granules (dried because otherwise he won't eat them);
5. Pai pereira and rauvolfia vomitoria which are herbs from Africa The first can be bought on Amazon. The second is listed as homeopathy on Amazon…
6. Fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE) Here he says don't take it without cancer; and don’t use for breast cancer (or prostate cancer).
7. Fermented soy drink Haelan 951 (is a specific product) In a lab, it kills pancreatic cancer cells- Tastes bad, and used in conjunction with cancer treatment.
8. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) inhibits growth and spread (in animals). It's also supposed to lower PSA — which I thought had been discounted as a cancer marker.
This was new content, I'll give him that. UPDATE: Well, it was new to me. It turns out that he's presented this data previously, I just hadn't heard it. /end update.
On day three, he bashes the keto diet and goes over 10 of his case studies. Did not make it to the end of this one. On day 4 he claims that mammograms cause more damage that help, mostly due to the radiation involved. It is nutritional excellence that prevents cancer, not screenings. I don't know, if you have a fast growing tumor, you might appreciate the screening. I do think that surgeons are very quick to cut, and they tend to cut out more than you think (based on comments of friends and family). Fuhrman did not give a presentation on day 5, though he did still interview all the participants.
All commercials were for Fuhrman products, not that I watched any of them. There were other sponsors of the seminar, and his "intro" (separate from his presentation) always highlighted them. But they got no commercials.
The only other thing I'll mention is that Fuhrman is very fond of the Glycemic Load, which I recently learned is related to, but different than the glycemic index. My thinking was that the glycemic index had be disproven, and that not wrong. However, the glycemic load is basically the index times the amount in grams of the food you're eating, divided by 100. Because load takes into account the amount of food you're eating, not just the type, it's far more practical and useful. Fuhrman refers to it quite often— so I'm glad I have an explanation that makes sense.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT any type of medical professional. Do NOT take medical advice from me!!
Fuhrman doesn't tend to do his own research, instead he reads the work of others. He was the sole host of this seminar, and he both presented first on 4 of the 5 days (basically he broke one presentation into 4 parts) and interviewed all the participants. I didn't listen to any of the non-medical doctor interviewees, nor did a listen to any of the commercials. All of which were clearly marked as commercials, and all of which touted some product or other of Dr Fuhrman's.
Still, all in all, a much better seminar where I learned a few things. It's possible that I just know less about cancer treatments and that's why I stayed interested, but it's also possible that Fuhrman came to the seminar with a bad taste in his mouth after the heart one (based on comments he made elsewhere) and was determined to make the cancer one better.
In any event, I will be recapping most of the talks I listened to, and a few of them might even be stand alone pieces. This one will cover all of the Fuhrman presentations that I watched over the 5 days (only 4 of which he presented on.)
On day one, Fuhrman basically went over his "Nutritarian" way of eating, which hasn't changed since he wrote Eat to Live back in 2012, I think. The only thing he changed in Eat for Life, written more recently is that in Eat to Live, he allowed for 10% of the calories to be for eating meat and other non-nutritarian options. Now he's of the opinion that allowing people any leeway leads to them falling off the wagon. And he's clearly had many clients fall off the wagon.
His way of eating will result in rapid weight loss, but then — as he has noted in interviews — they will go on a cruise and stop eating his way and rapidly regain the weight. His services are not cheap, so I'm going to guess that these are well-heeled clients. Another thing that's changed, though he didn't mention this is that Fuhrman has decided that nuts and seeds, despite being high fat, are necessary. In Eat to Live, the diet was definitely low fat. Nutritarian diet is now roughly 60-20-20 (Carbohydrate-fat-protein) or 70-15-15.
On day two, his talk was about the supplements that he uses when treating people with cancer. So first his is way of eating, then he adds supplements. To be fair: Fuhrman has always been on the "vegans need to supplement more to thrive" band wagon. he's always been of the opinion that a B12 supplement is not adequate long term. And, of course, he sells a supplement line, which for many people makes him a quack. Vegans need supplements, "Buy mine" and all that.
In any event, these eight supplements can be used instead of chemo… but he is careful to say that chemo and conventional treatment is required for fast growing cancers. In the case of fast growing cancers, these supplements can be complementary.
Before going to the supplements, he goes over the baseline nutrition for cancer patients. First thing he mentions are sprouts (and he does have the Sprouting guy on as a speaker on the last day). Next is fresh juice… because he wants you to eat so many vegetables, and the fiber would be too much. Beets and carrots (as juice? not clear from my notes). Cruciferous vegetables and a salad, basically a nutritarian diet (except for the juice).
Supplements:
1. Mixed Mushrooms extract or powder;
2. Specific types of green tea;
3. Turmeric supplement with black pepper;
4. Raw garlic granules (dried because otherwise he won't eat them);
5. Pai pereira and rauvolfia vomitoria which are herbs from Africa The first can be bought on Amazon. The second is listed as homeopathy on Amazon…
6. Fermented wheat germ extract (FWGE) Here he says don't take it without cancer; and don’t use for breast cancer (or prostate cancer).
7. Fermented soy drink Haelan 951 (is a specific product) In a lab, it kills pancreatic cancer cells- Tastes bad, and used in conjunction with cancer treatment.
8. Modified citrus pectin (MCP) inhibits growth and spread (in animals). It's also supposed to lower PSA — which I thought had been discounted as a cancer marker.
This was new content, I'll give him that. UPDATE: Well, it was new to me. It turns out that he's presented this data previously, I just hadn't heard it. /end update.
On day three, he bashes the keto diet and goes over 10 of his case studies. Did not make it to the end of this one. On day 4 he claims that mammograms cause more damage that help, mostly due to the radiation involved. It is nutritional excellence that prevents cancer, not screenings. I don't know, if you have a fast growing tumor, you might appreciate the screening. I do think that surgeons are very quick to cut, and they tend to cut out more than you think (based on comments of friends and family). Fuhrman did not give a presentation on day 5, though he did still interview all the participants.
All commercials were for Fuhrman products, not that I watched any of them. There were other sponsors of the seminar, and his "intro" (separate from his presentation) always highlighted them. But they got no commercials.
The only other thing I'll mention is that Fuhrman is very fond of the Glycemic Load, which I recently learned is related to, but different than the glycemic index. My thinking was that the glycemic index had be disproven, and that not wrong. However, the glycemic load is basically the index times the amount in grams of the food you're eating, divided by 100. Because load takes into account the amount of food you're eating, not just the type, it's far more practical and useful. Fuhrman refers to it quite often— so I'm glad I have an explanation that makes sense.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT any type of medical professional. Do NOT take medical advice from me!!