Book review - The China Study

Just got done reading a great book by T. Colin Campbell called the China Study . It was recommended by my son and daughter. The book examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products and illnesses such as cancers of the breast, prostate, and large bowel, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis, degenerative brain disease, and macular degeneration. The study is a survey of death rates for twelve different kinds of cancer for more than 2,400 counties and 880 million of their people conducted jointly by Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine over the course of twenty years. The results were amazing. Animal proteins (meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy) are responsible for many of the diseases we have.

From the study the author advocates a whole-foods, plant-based diet (a type of vegan diet which also restricts refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods) as a means to minimize and/or reverse the development of chronic disease. The authors also recommend that people take in adequate amounts of sunshine in order to maintain sufficient levels of Vitamin D. The authors criticize "low carb" diets (such as the Atkin's diet), which include restrictions on the percentage of calories derived from complex carbohydrates.

The China Study describes 8 princples of food and health:

* Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances.
* Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.
* There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants.
* Genes do not determine disease on their own, they must be activated or expressed, and that nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good and bad, are expressed.
* Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.
* The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages can also halt or reverse it in its later stages.
* Nutrition that is beneficial for a particular chronic disease will support good health across the board.
* Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence.

Hum, if this study is so good then why aren't doctors, the media, and government promoting a plant based diet more? Who stands to lose when we change our eating habits? The drug companies from all the prescription drugs that we'll no longer need to control our diabetes, high blood pressure etc? How about farmers who raise the meat and provide the dairy needs of the country? I'm sure there are many other people who will suffer economically if we eat better and are healthy....Oh, how about the funeral homes....not as many people dieing prematurely.

Dr. Dean Ornish has a great program designed on the same basis that this study found. He has has a lot of success in reversing heart disease. If you are interested in his life modification plan check out your local library for a number of books by Ornish.

After reading this book I've decided that Tim and I will try going vegetarian once a week. I'll pick a day of the week, and on that day all our meals we'll be vegetarian. After that we'll see what we think and possibly introduce another day. Not sure if can go totally without meat,chicken, and fish but we'll try.