China Study

I have read the book numerous times and had the chance to meet Colin Campbell and his wife when he was speaking in Toronto where I live. I think this book is a must -read for anyone interested in nutrition. It does not endorse veganism per say- those in rural china were not vegan but their consumption of animal products was minimal- less than 10% of their daily protein consumption. Also their diet was made up of mostly unrefined plant foods that are natually low in fat. A person on a vegan diet eating a lot of refined carbs or sugars or eating a lot of fake soy foods will not receive the same health benefits as those in rural China or in other parts of the world like Okanawa where they also eat plant based diets with minimal consumption of animal foods.

The book does not endorse veganism as a cure for everything- it focuses is on diseases which are prevalent today like cancer, osteoperosis, and heart disease. And even with cancer, campbell does not link diet wtih all cancers but mostly those that are most common. And with breast cancer he does include a section discussing environmental factors.

To me this book makes a lot of sense, particularly the finding that animal protein raises cholesterol more than saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. This would explain why so many people fail to lower their cholesterol by switching to skim milk and skinless chicken. And the last section does a great job revealing just how corrupt the government is when it comes to the dietary recommendations.

If you think about it, what would the author gain by promoting veganism? Colin Campbell grew up on a farm eating meat, and his Phd research at Cornell was devoted to finding ways to make pigs and cows grow faster to produce more animal protein- which at that point in his career was thought to be essential for optimal health. Nobody wants to suddenly find out that what that they have been eating their entire lives is disease-promoting. I certainly did not.

I know quite a few people who have read this book, some like myself were already vegan, others changed theirs eating habits halfway through. And there are others like my mother, who didnt change their eating habits at all (I think its harder for older people who are more stuck in their ways). But everyone I know who has read it certainly found it to be an interesting read.