“He who does not know food, how can he understand the diseases of man?” – Hippocrates (460-357bc)
The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted exposes the inescapable fact that large food companies are making billions of dollars while making us all sick. America spends more on health care than any other society in the world, yet 65% of Americans are overweight and more than 15 million have diabetes. To make matters worse, one third of all young people are obese, and they face an uncertain future full of debilitating disease.
T. Colin Campbell, PhD, the author of The China Study, believes that these issues are the result of just three things: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Campbell was a farm boy who studied veterinary medicine before attending Cornell University to complete his graduate research in animal nutrition. For years, he advocated the ‘healthy’ consumption of meat, milk and eggs, until his research led him to investigate the role of animal protein in the development of cancer. He soon became convinced that high protein diets (>20%) cause cancer, while low protein diets (<5%) do not.
Dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its effect, that cancer growth could be switched off simply by changing the level consumed. But that’s not all. Campbell found that certain types of protein especially casein from cow’s milk, promote all stages of cancer, while plant sources of protein including soy, promoted no cancer growth.
Intrigued by these findings, Campbell went on to direct what he calls the most comprehensive human study of diet, lifestyle and disease in history. Beginning in 1983, in association with Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, he surveyed 6500 adults and their families in 130 rural villages across China. The project gathered data from urine samples, blood tests and eating habits. The result was more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between diet and disease.
In Part 2, we will detail the results of The China Study, the startling implications for our long-term health and the controversial conclusions that have spawned criticism from the scientific community.
Christopher Daniels is Executive Vice-President of Greens Plus. He studied Holistic Nutrition at the Clayton College of Natural Health and currently directs Superfood Research and Product Development.
The information above is based on the book The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II, and is presented for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
