Campbell&#39;s China Study for Vegetarianism

Many vegetarians lack support for their choices from conventional medicine. Eating habits have been laid down in our childhood, passed down from generation to generation (not very corrected) and supported by social stereotypes. But the 21st century is characterized by its revolutionary breakthroughs not only in the field of technology, science and art, but also in the field of food. More and more people are looking for and finding models of so-called diets that are more suitable for their worldview, health and financial capabilities. The wholesale littering of the market with various products of the chemical industry, the increase in the population and the growing popularity of fast foods and semi-finished products (due to the growth of materialism), the comprehensive promotion of heavy meat food led not only to an increase in the number and variety of incurable diseases of mankind, but also to the return of people to natural and organic products. And there are more and more doctors proving that eating plant foods improves health and is the most optimal for a person. Treating food as a key factor in health is a challenge to traditional medicine, which is based almost entirely on drugs and surgical methods.

To date, any opinion or phenomenon can be reasonably refuted. Someone opposes war, someone sees it as the only right solution, someone wholly believes in the power of medicine, and someone rejects it ... This article is not intended to kindle a fire of discussion, as it is meaningless, but to show one side medals. The choice of a person is only in which side he takes for himself. For my husband and I, the experience of changing our diet in favor of plant-based and healthier foods has been overwhelmingly positive. But the cases of each are individual, and therefore you should listen only to yourself.

I would like to tell in this article about the scientific basis for the benefits of vegetarianism, without resorting to ephemeral facts. Although even scientific research does not guarantee an absolutely reliable result. But they are more likely to be more convincing to the majority of the population. So, let's take as a basis the study of the British doctor of medicine Colin Campbell ( T. Colin Campbell ) in the light of the release of his book " Chinese Study " in Russia in 2013. Mr. Campbell is Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He was one of the lead scientists in the 1980s China-Cornell-Oxford Project, whose task was to investigate the relationship between nutrition and cancer, heart disease and metabolic problems - that is, the most common and dangerous scourges our century. It was the largest project carried out at that time. 650,000 workers, a study of 12 cancer death rates in over 2,400 counties in China, covering 880 million (96%) of the local population. , The New York Times named the study the "Grand Prize for Epidemiology .

The study of the relationship between daily diet and the risk of a number of diseases in the "China study" took twenty years. During this period, researchers conducted a large-scale analysis of medical statistics. Its essence was to determine the correlation of data on mortality in sixty-five districts of the PRC from forty-eight types of cancer and gastronomic preferences, as well as data on the biochemical composition of blood among residents of these regions. A total of 6500 clinical cases were studied. One hundred representatives were selected from each area for study. Campbell's work, along with the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Oxford and Cornell Universities, resulted in the identification of more than eight thousand statistically significant relationships between dietary factors and the development of a number of diseases.

Researchers led by Campbell, using the data obtained, determined a direct relationship between the consumption of animal products and mortality from cancer and diabetes.
A negative relationship has also been found between plant-based food intake and mortality rates. Colin Campbell, co-authored with his son Thomas, published a book in 2005 with the results of the project called The China Study. Let us briefly outline the main theses of this work:

We are surrounded by fast food chains, what scientists call a toxic food environment. The unforgiving truth is that some people make huge amounts of money selling it. They want you to continue eating the foods they sell, even though it reduces the length and quality of your life. You can make peace with it and throw yourself at the mercy of junk food manufacturers, or you can develop a healthier and more life-affirming relationship with your body.
It was widely believed that the poor nutrition of the world's children was due mainly to a lack of protein, especially from animal foods. However, in the course of this project, I uncovered a dark secret. Children whose diets were rich in protein were more likely to get liver cancer! These were children from the most prosperous families.
Proteins in the diet had such a big impact that we could stimulate and stop the development of cancer simply by changing the level of their consumption. In addition, we found that not all proteins have this effect. What protein played an invariable role in provoking cancer? Casein, which is 87% of the protein contained in cow's milk, provoked and accelerated the development of tumors at all stages of the disease. What types of proteins did not cause cancer, even when consumed in large amounts? Safe proteins were found in plant foods, including wheat and soy.
Obviously, the level of cholesterol in the blood is an important indicator of the risk of disease. Now we need to answer the main question: what effect does nutrition have on blood cholesterol levels? In short, a positive correlation has been found between the consumption of animal foods and an increase in blood cholesterol levels. At the same time, the consumption of almost without exception, the nutrients obtained from plant foods, correlated with a decrease in blood cholesterol levels.
Our findings were significant and led to the existence of important principles that could be applied to other cases of the relationship between nutrition and cancer. Whole plant foods are healthy, but animal foods are not. This was information unknown to the general public, but which could save many lives. This information led to the idea that our most powerful weapon against cancer is the food we eat every day.
The same diet that helps prevent cancer has a similar positive effect on other diseases. Moreover, this diet will benefit anyone, regardless of their genes or personal predisposition to anything.
With an increase in the consumption of animal proteins, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases also increases.
You can eat as much as you want and still lose weight as long as you eat the right foods.
Imagine the result if people were to completely switch to a healthier, whole, plant-based diet. I can safely assume that almost all cases of diabetes would have been prevented.
Published data show that animal protein intake increases levels of the hormone IGF-1, a cancer risk factor, and a diet high in casein improves the penetration of carcinogens into cells.
Good nutrition contributes to health in different planes of our existence. All of them are interconnected.
The biological relationship between food and health is extremely complex, but the basic idea is still simple. The advice is so simple that I can sum it all up in one sentence: Eat whole, plant-based foods while minimizing refined foods, extra salt, and fat supplements.

Also in the book "The China Study" the health care system that has developed in the United States and many developed countries of the world is actively criticized. The author argues that medicine and the pharmaceutical industry have as their main goal the sale of expensive drugs, and not the formation of a healthy nation. Tobacco tycoons, producers of meat and dairy products, who seek to increase profits by lobbying their own interests, are also criticized.

Everyone chooses what to eat, how to live and what to leave to their descendants. The main thing is to make your choice consciously, taking into account all the facts, listening to yourself and being sure of the correctness of the decision.

May all living beings be happy and healthy! 🙂

When writing the article, the following sources of information were used:

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