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T. Colin Campbell Ph.D. - The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health
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The China Study -- Affluence Kills
Pros
Simple and compelling argument. Plenty of data.
Cons
Dietary habits are hard to change.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The Bottom Line is going to try and eat more like a third world peasant.
Eat all your vegetables! Reliable advice from nagging mothers (and fathers) over the millennia. It's not all that shocking. Everybody knows that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is healthy, but it wasn't until I read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell that I realized how important this recommendation might be.
The book's title refers to a massive nutrition study organized by the author and his colleagues that looked at cancer incidence throughout China and its correlation with diet. The study showed a clear and strong correlation between low cancer incidence and a diet low in protein and low in animal based foods. In general, the more affluent the diet, the more animal products consumed and the higher the incidence of numerous cancers.
Dr. Campbell has been performing nutrition research for more than four decades and is currently an emeritus professor at Cornell. As the evidence has accumulated over the years he has become an avid proponent of a "whole foods, plant-based" diet. In other words, a strict vegan diet with minimal processing. In case you're wondering, a bag of BBQ flavored Fritos® may be vegan, but it's not a "whole food".
He divides the book into four sections. First, he describes The China Study and other research in detail, explaining how too much animal protein can contribute to cancer and how a low animal protein diet can even neutralize the effects of powerful carcinogens.
Second, he discusses other diseases of affluence, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, discussing evidence that shows how his plants-only diet can help prevent or ameliorate these conditions as well.
In the third section he discusses some of the practical principles that can guide a healthy diet. He takes a vigorous stab at reductionism - the idea that taking this vitamin or that supplement will optimize health - arguing that it's the thousands of various substances in plant foods that work together to promote health. He also implies that concerns about carcinogens in the environment might not as important as diet. If you're eating right, your body can effectively defend you against any dangerous chemicals in your food or in your surroundings.
In the last section, he tells about all the resistance he has encountered as he's tried to disseminate this potentially life saving information. He repeatedly met with conflict in government, academia, medicine and business, often sacrificing his standing in these communities as he promoted his agenda. It's no great surprise that the National Turkey Federation isn't a big fan of a plant-based diet and he dispenses plenty of venom, especially when discussing the dairy industry and it's very potent and effective marketing campaigns..
I think Campbell presents a convincing argument with plenty of charts, graphs and data. He may come off sounding a bit paranoid at times, but the meat, dairy and egg lobbies are a tad more powerful than the mixed greens or squash lobbies. The animal-based food people really don't like this guy and with good reason; his recommendations have the potential to turn the food world upside down and could even be a major force in efforts to limit global climate change.
He doesn't go into this much, but I think the psychology involved here is very interesting. Our feelings about food are so deeply ingrained in our emotional lives that simply presenting persuasive facts may not be enough to really change things. When I smell a steak sizzling on the grill, the logical parts of my brain don't really have much of a chance.
Plenty of people, when presented with this information, may say that they'd rather die early of heart disease or cancer than give up cheeseburgers or pepperoni pizza for the rest of their lives. But for those who are struggling with obesity, diabetes or heart disease or who just want to pursue a simple approach to feeling healthier and staying vital into their later years, The China Study is an excellent and compelling resource.
The book's title refers to a massive nutrition study organized by the author and his colleagues that looked at cancer incidence throughout China and its correlation with diet. The study showed a clear and strong correlation between low cancer incidence and a diet low in protein and low in animal based foods. In general, the more affluent the diet, the more animal products consumed and the higher the incidence of numerous cancers.
Dr. Campbell has been performing nutrition research for more than four decades and is currently an emeritus professor at Cornell. As the evidence has accumulated over the years he has become an avid proponent of a "whole foods, plant-based" diet. In other words, a strict vegan diet with minimal processing. In case you're wondering, a bag of BBQ flavored Fritos® may be vegan, but it's not a "whole food".
He divides the book into four sections. First, he describes The China Study and other research in detail, explaining how too much animal protein can contribute to cancer and how a low animal protein diet can even neutralize the effects of powerful carcinogens.
Second, he discusses other diseases of affluence, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, discussing evidence that shows how his plants-only diet can help prevent or ameliorate these conditions as well.
In the third section he discusses some of the practical principles that can guide a healthy diet. He takes a vigorous stab at reductionism - the idea that taking this vitamin or that supplement will optimize health - arguing that it's the thousands of various substances in plant foods that work together to promote health. He also implies that concerns about carcinogens in the environment might not as important as diet. If you're eating right, your body can effectively defend you against any dangerous chemicals in your food or in your surroundings.
In the last section, he tells about all the resistance he has encountered as he's tried to disseminate this potentially life saving information. He repeatedly met with conflict in government, academia, medicine and business, often sacrificing his standing in these communities as he promoted his agenda. It's no great surprise that the National Turkey Federation isn't a big fan of a plant-based diet and he dispenses plenty of venom, especially when discussing the dairy industry and it's very potent and effective marketing campaigns..
I think Campbell presents a convincing argument with plenty of charts, graphs and data. He may come off sounding a bit paranoid at times, but the meat, dairy and egg lobbies are a tad more powerful than the mixed greens or squash lobbies. The animal-based food people really don't like this guy and with good reason; his recommendations have the potential to turn the food world upside down and could even be a major force in efforts to limit global climate change.
He doesn't go into this much, but I think the psychology involved here is very interesting. Our feelings about food are so deeply ingrained in our emotional lives that simply presenting persuasive facts may not be enough to really change things. When I smell a steak sizzling on the grill, the logical parts of my brain don't really have much of a chance.
Plenty of people, when presented with this information, may say that they'd rather die early of heart disease or cancer than give up cheeseburgers or pepperoni pizza for the rest of their lives. But for those who are struggling with obesity, diabetes or heart disease or who just want to pursue a simple approach to feeling healthier and staying vital into their later years, The China Study is an excellent and compelling resource.
