PRAISE	FOR	
THE	CHINA	STUDY
“
The	China	Study
	gives	critical,	life-saving	nutritional	information	for	every
health-seeker	in	America. But	it	is	much	more;	Dr.	Campbell’s	exposé	of	the
research	and	medical	establishment	makes	this	book	a	fascinating	read	and
one	that	could	change	the	future	for	all	of	us. Every	health	care	provider	and
researcher	in	the	world	must	read	it.”
—-J
OEL
	F
UHRMAN
,	M.D. Author	of	the	Best-Selling	Book,	
Eat	To
	Live
“Backed	by	well-documented,	peer-reviewed	studies	and	overwhelming
statistics	the	case	for	a	vegetarian	diet	as	a	foundation	for	a	healthy	life-style
has	never	been	stronger.”
—B
RADLEY
	S
AUL
,	OrganicAthlete.com
The	
China	Study
	is	the	most	important	book	on	nutrition	and	health	to	come
out	in	the	last	seventy-five	years. Everyone	should	read	it,	and	it	should	be	the
model	for	all	nutrition	programs	taught	at	universities. The	reading	is
engrossing	if	not	astounding. The	science	is	conclusive. Dr.	Campbell’s
integrity	and	commitment	to	truthful	nutrition	education	shine	through.”
—D
AVID
	K
LEIN
,	Publisher/Editor
Living	
Nutrition	Magazine
“
The	China	Study
	describes	a	monumental	survey	of	diet	and	death	rates	from
cancer	in	more	than	2,400	Chinese	counties	and	the	equally	monumental
efforts	to	explore	its	significance	and	implications	for	nutrition	and	health. Dr.
Campbell	and	his	son,	Thomas,	have	written	a	lively,	provocative	and
important	book	that	deserves	widespread	attention.”
—F
RANK
	R
HODES
,	P
H
.D. President	(1978-1995)	Emeritus,	Cornell	University
“Colin	Campbell’s	
The	China	Study
	is	an	important	book,	and	a	highly
readable	one. With	his	son,	Tom,	Colin	studies	the	relationship	between	dietand	disease,	and	his	conclusions	are	startling. The	China	Study
	is	a	story	that
needs	to	be	heard.”
—R
OBERT
	C.	R
ICHARDSON
,	P
H
.D. Nobel	Prize	Winner,	Professor	of	Physics
and	Vice	Provost	of	Research,	Cornell	University
The	
China	Study
	is	the	account	of	a	ground-breaking	research	study	that
provides	the	answers	long	sought	by	physicians,	scientists	and	health-
conscious	readers. Based	on	painstaking	investigations	over	many	years,	it
unearths	surprising	answers	to	the	most	important	nutritional	questions	of	our
time:	What	really	causes	cancer? How	can	we	extend	our	lives? What	will
turn	around	the	obesity	epidemic? The	China	Study
	quickly	and	easily
dispenses	with	fad	diets,	relying	on	solid	and	convincing	evidence. Clearly
and	beautifully	written	by	one	of	the	world’s	most	respected	nutrition
authorities,	
The	China	Study
	represents	a	major	turning	point	in	our
understanding	of	health.”
—N
EAL
	B
ARNARD
,	M.D.,	President
Physician’s	Committee	for	Responsible	Medicine
“Everyone	in	the	field	of	nutrition	science	stands	on	the	shoulders	of	T.	Colin
Campbell,	who	is	one	of	the	giants	in	the	field. This	is	one	of	the	most
important	books	about	nutrition	ever	written—reading	it	may	save	your	life.”
—D
EAN
	O
RNISH
,	M.D.,	Founder	&	President
Preventive	Medicine	Research	Institute	Clinical	Professor	of	Medicine,
University	of	California,	San	Francisco
Author,	
Dr.	Dean	Ornish’s	Program	for	Reversing	Heart	Disease
	and	
Love	&
Survival
“
The	China	Study
	is	the	most	convincing	evidence	yet	on	preventing	heart
disease,	cancer	and	other	Western	diseases	by	dietary	means. It	is	the	book	of
choice	both	for	economically	developed	countries	and	for	countries
undergoing	rapid	economical	transition	and	lifestyle	change.”
—-J
UNSHI
	C
HEN
,	M.D.,	P
H
.D.,	Senior	Research	Professor
Institute	of	Nutrition	and	Food	Safety,
Chinese	Center	for	Disease	Control	and	Prevention
“All	concerned	with	the	obesity	epidemic,	their	own	health,	and	thestaggering	environmental	and	social	impacts	of	the	Western	diet	will	find
wise	and	practical	solutions	in	Dr.	Campbell’s	
The	China	Study.”
—R
OBERT
	G
OODLAND
,	Lead	Advisor	on	the	Environment
The	World	Bank	Group	(1978-2001)
“Dr. Campbell’s	book	
The	China	Study
	is	a	moving	and	insightful	history	of
the	struggle—still	ongoing—to	understand	and	explain	the	vital	connection
between	our	health	and	what	we	eat. Dr.	Campbell	knows	this	subject	from
the	inside:	he	has	pioneered	the	investigation	of	the	
diet-cancer	link	since	the
days	of	the	seminal	China	Study,	the	NAS	report,	
Diet,	Nutrition	and	Cancer
and	AICR’s	expert	panel	report,	
Food,	Nutrition	and	the	Prevention	of
Cancer:	A	Global	Perspective. Consequently,	he	is	able	to	illuminate	every
aspect	of	this	question. Today,	AICR	advocates	a	
predominantly	plant-based
diet
	for	lower	cancer	risk	because	of	the	great	work	Dr.	Campbell	and	just	a
few	other	visionaries	began	twenty-five	years	ago.”
—M
ARILYN
	G
ENTRY
,	President
American	Institute	for	Cancer	Research
The	
China	Study
	is	a	well-documented	analysis	of	the	fallacies	of	the	modern
diet,	lifestyle	and	medicine	and	the	quick	fix	approach	that	often	fails. The
lessons	from	China	provide	compelling	rationale	for	a	plant-based	diet	to
promote	health	and	reduce	the	risk	of	the	diseases	of	affluence.”
—S
USHMA
	P
ALMER
,	P
H
.D.,	Former	Executive	Director
Food	and	Nutrition	Board,	U.S.	National	Academy	of	Sciences
The	
China	Study
	is	extraordinarily	helpful,	superbly	written	and	profoundly
important. Dr.	Campbell’s	work	is	revolutionary	in	its	implications	and
spectacular	in	its	clarity. I	learned	an	immense	amount	from	this	brave	and
wise	book. If	you	want	to	eat	bacon	and	eggs	for	breakfast	and	then	take
cholesterol-lowering	medication,	that’s	your	right. But	if	you	want	to	truly
take	charge	of	your	health,	read	
The	China	Study
	and	do	it	soon! If	you	heed
the	counsel	of	this	outstanding	guide,	your	body	will	thank	you	every	day	for
the	rest	of	your	life.”
—J
OHN
	R
OBBINS
,	Author	of	the	Best-Selling	Books
Diet	for	a	New	America
	and	
The	Food	Revolution
“
The	China	Study
	is	a	rare	treat. Finally,	a	world-renowned	nutritional	scholarhas	explained	the	truth	about	diet	and	health	in	a	way	that	everyone	can	easily
understand—a	startling	truth	that	everyone	needs	to	know. In	this	superb
volume,	Dr.	Campbell	has	distilled,	with	his	son	Tom,	for	us	the	wisdom	of
his	brilliant	career. If	you	feel	any	confusion	about	how	to	find	the	healthiest
path	for	yourself	and	your	family,	you	will	find	precious	answers	in	
The
China	Study. Don’t	miss	it!”
—D
OUGLAS
	J.	L
ISLE
,	P
H
.D.,	&	Alan	Goldhamer,	D.C. Authors	of	
The	Pleasure	Trap:	Mastering	the	Hidden	Force
That	Undermines	Health	and	Happiness
“So	many	diet	and	health	books	contain	conflicting	advice,	but	most	have	one
thing	in	common—an	agenda	to	sell	something. Dr.	Campbell’s	only	agenda
is	truth. As	a	distinguished	professor	at	Cornell	University	Dr.	Campbell	is
the	Einstein	of	nutrition. The	China	Study
	is	based	on	hardcore	scientific
research,	not	the	rank	speculation	of	a	Zone,	Atkins,	SugarBusters	or	any
other	current	fad. Dr.	Campbell	lays	out	his	lifetime	of	research	in	an
accessible,	entertaining	way. Read	this	book	and	you	will	know	why.”
—J
EFF
	N
ELSON
,	President
VegSource.com	(most	visited	food	Web	site	in	the	world)
“If	you’re	looking	to	enhance	your	health,	performance	and	your	success	read
The	China	Study
	immediately. Finally,	scientifically	valid	guidance	on	how
much	protein	we	need	and	where	we	should	get	it. The	impact	of	these
findings	is	enormous.”
—-J
OHN
	A
LLEN
	M
OLLENHAUER
,	Founder
MyTrainer.com	and	NutrientRich.comThe	China	StudyTHE
China	Study
The	Most	Comprehensive	Study	of	Nutrition	Ever
Conducted	and	the	Startling	Implications	for	Diet,
Weight	Loss	and	Long-term	Health
T.	Colin	Campbell,	Ph.D.
WITH
	Thomas	M.	Campbell	II,	MD
Nothing	written	in	this	book	should	be	viewed	as	a	substitute	for	competent
medical	care. Also,	you	should	not	undertake	any	changes	in	diet	or	exercise
patterns	without	first	consulting	your	physician,	especially	if	you	are	currently
being	treated	for	any	risk	factor	related	to	heart	disease,	high	blood	pressure
or	adult-onset	diabetes. Copyright	©	2006	by	T.	Colin	Campbell,	Ph.D.,	and	Thomas	M.	Campbell	II,
MD
First	BenBella	Books	Paperback	Edition	2006
All	rights	reserved. No	part	of	this	book	may	be	used	or	reproduced	in	any
manner	whatsoever	without	written	permission	except	in	the	case	of	brief
quotations	embodied	in	critical	articles	or	reviews. BenBella	Books,	Inc.
10300	N.	Central	Expressway
Suite	400
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www.benbellabooks.com
Send	feedback	to	
feedback@benbellabooks.com
www.benbellabooks.com
Printed	in	the	United	States	of	America	29
ISBN	978-1932100-66-2
eBook	ISBN	978-1-935-25100-2
The	Library	of	Congress	has	cataloged	the	hardcover	edition	as	follows:
Campbell,	T.	Colin,	1934-
The	China	study	:	the	most	comprehensive	study	of	nutrition	ever
conducted	and	the	startling	implications	for	diet,	weight	loss,	and	long-
term	health	/	by	T.	Colin	Campbell	and	Thomas	M.	Campbell	II. p.	cm. ISBN	978-1932100-66-2
1. Nutrition. 2. Nutritionally	induced	diseases. 3. Diet	in	disease.I. Campbell,	Thomas	M.	II. Title. RA784.C235	2004
613.2—dc22
2004007985
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	or	(214)	750-
3628.To	Karen	Campbell,	whose	incredible	love	and	caring	made	this
book	possible. ____________
And	to	Thomas	Mcllwain	Campbell	and	Betty	DeMott	Campbell	for
their	incredible	gifts.Acknowledgements
This	book,	from	its	original	conception	to	its	final	form,	was	in	the	making
for	many	years. But	it	was	the	last	three	that	gave	the	book	form. And	this
happened	because	Karen,	my	lifelong	love	and	wife	of	forty-three	years,
made	it	so. I	wanted	to	do	it,	but	she	wanted	it	even	more. She	said	it	had	to
be	done	for	the	children	of	the	world. She	cajoled,	she	pushed	and	she	insisted
that	we	keep	our	nose	to	the	grindstone. She	read	every	word,	those	kept	and
those	discarded—some	several	times. Most	importantly,	Karen	first	suggested	that	I	work	with	Tom,	the
youngest	of	our	five	children. His	writing	skills,	his	persistence	in	keeping
integrity	with	the	message	and	his	exceptionally	quick	learning	of	the	subject
matter	made	the	project	possible. He	wrote	several	chapters	in	this	book
himself	and	rewrote	many	more,	bringing	clarity	to	my	message. And	our	other	children	(Nelson—and	wife	Kim,	LeAnne,	Keith,	Dan)	and
grandchildren	(Whitney,	Colin,	Steven,	Nelson,	Laura)	could	not	have	been
more	encouraging. Their	love	and	support	cannot	be	measured	in	mere	words. I	also	am	indebted	to	another	family	of	mine:	my	many	undergraduate
honors	students,	post-graduate	doctoral	students,	post-doctoral	research
associates	and	my	fellow	professorial	colleagues	who	worked	in	my	research
group	and	who	were	the	gems	of	my	career. Regretfully,	I	could	only	cite	in
this	book	a	small	sample	of	their	findings,	but	far,	far	more	could	have	been
included. Yet	more	friends,	associates	and	family	contributed	mightily,	through	their
meticulous	reading	of	various	versions	of	the	manuscript	and	their	detailed
feedback. Alphabetically,	they	included	Nelson	Campbell,	Ron	Campbell,
Kent	Carroll,	Antonia	Demas,	Mark	Epstein,	John	and	Martha	Ferger,
Kimberly	Kathan,	Doug	Lisle,	John	Robbins,	Paul	Sontrop	and	Glenn
Yeffeth. Advice,	support	and	generous	help	also	came	in	many	other	forms
from	Neal	Barnard,	Jodi	Blanco,	Junshi	Chen,	Robert	Goodland,	Michael
Jacobson,	Ted	Lange,	Howard	Lyman,	
Bob	Mecoy,	John	Allen	Mollenhauer,
Jeff	Nelson,	Sushma	Palmer,	Jeff	Prince,	Frank	Rhodes,	Bob	Richardson	andKathy	Ward. Of	course,	I	am	grateful	to	all	those	at	BenBella	Books,	including	Glenn
Yeffeth,	Shanna	Caughey	Meghan	Kuckelman,	Laura	Watkins	and	Leah
Wilson	for	turning	a	messy	Word	document	into	the	book	you	now	have. In
addition,	Kent	Carroll	added	professionalism,	understanding	and	a	clear
vision	with	his	valuable	editing	work. The	heart	of	this	book	is	the	China	Study	itself. It	was	not	the	whole	story,
of	course,	but	it	was	the	“tipping	point”	in	the	development	of	my	ideas. The
actual	study	in	China	could	not	have	happened	without	the	extraordinary
leadership	and	dedicated	hard	work	of	Junshi	Chen	and	Li	Junyao	in	Beijing,
Sir	Richard	Peto	and	Jillian	Boreham	at	the	University	of	Oxford	in	England,
and	Linda	Youngman,	Martin	Root	and	Banoo	Parpia	in	my	own	group	at
Cornell. Dr.	Chen	directed	more	than	200	professional	workers	as	they	carried
out	the	nationwide	study	in	China. His	professional	and	personal
characteristics	have	been	an	inspiration	to	me;	it	is	his	kind	of	work	and
persona	that	makes	this	world	a	better	place. Similarly,	Drs. Caldwell	Esselstyn,	Jr.,	and	John	McDougall	(and	Ann	and
Mary,	respectively)	generously	agreed	to	participate	in	this	book. Their
dedication	and	courage	are	inspiring. All	of	this	was	possible,	of	course,	because	of	the	exceptional	start	given
to	me	by	my	parents,	Tom	and	Betty	Campbell,	to	whom	this	book	is
dedicated. Their	love	and	dedication	created	for	me	and	my	siblings	more
opportunities	than	they	ever	dreamed	of	having. I	must	also	credit	my	colleagues	who	have	worked	to	discredit	my	ideas
and,	not	infrequently,	me	personally. They	inspire	in	a	different	way. They
compel	me	to	ask	why	there	is	so	much	unnecessary	hostility	to	ideas	that
should	be	part	of	the	scientific	debate. In	searching	for	answers,	I	have	gained
a	wiser,	more	unique	perspective	that	I	could	not	have	considered	otherwise. Lastly,	I	must	thank	you,	the	taxpaying	American	public. You	funded	my
work	for	more	than	four	decades,	and	I	hope	that	in	telling	you	the	lessons
I’ve	learned,	I	can	begin	to	repay	my	debt	to	you. —T	Colin	Campbell,	Ph.D. In	addition	to	all	those	listed	previously,	I	acknowledge	my	parents. My
involvement	in	this	book	was,	and	still	is,	a	gift	from	them	I	shall	cherish	for
the	rest	of	my	life. Words	cannot	describe	my	good	fortune	in	having	parents
who	are	such	wonderful	teachers,	supporters	and	motivators. Many	lifetimes	of	work	from	many	different	people	went	into	creating	the
ideas	and	information	in	this	book. I	am	humbled	and	thankful	to	play	a	rolein	making	these	ideas	known	and	inspired,	in	turn,	to	dedicate	my	own	career
to	those	of	you	searching	for	better	health. —Thomas	M.	Campbell,	II,	MDContents
Copyright
Introduction
Part	I:	The	China	Study
		
1. Problems	We	Face,	Solutions	We	Need
		
2. A	House	of	Proteins
		
3. Turning	Off	Cancer
		
4. Lessons	from	China
Part	II:	Diseases	of	Affluence
		
5. Broken	Hearts
		
6. Obesity
		
7. Diabetes
		
8. Common	Cancers:	Breast,	Prostate,	Large	Bowel	(Colon	and	Rectal)
		
9. Autoimmune	Diseases	183
10. Wide-Ranging	Effects:	Bone,	Kidney,	Eye	and	Brain	Diseases
Part	III:	The	Good	Nutrition	Guide
11. Eating	Right:	Eight	Principles	of	Food	and	Health
12. How	to	Eat
Part	IV:	Why	Haven’t	You	Heard	This	Before? 13. Science—The	Dark	Side
14. Scientific	Reductionism15. The	“Science”	of	Industry
16. Government:	Is	It	for	the	People? 17. Big	Medicine:	Whose	Health	Are	They	Protecting? 18. Repeating	Histories
Appendix	A.	Q&A:	Protein	Effect	in	Experimental	Rat	Studies
Appendix	B. Experimental	Design	of	the	China	Study
Appendix	C.	The	“Vitamin”	D	Connection
ReferencesPreface
T.	C
OLIN
	C
AMPBELL
,	at	his	core,	is	still	a	farm	boy	from	northern	Virginia. When	we	spend	time	together	we	inevitably	share	our	stories	from	the	farm. Whether	it	is	spreading	cow	manure,	driving	tractors	or	herding	cattle,	both	of
us	share	a	rich	history	in	farming. But	from	these	backgrounds,	both	he	and	I	went	on	to	other	careers. It	is
for	his	other	career	accomplishments	that	I	came	to	admire	Colin. He	was
involved	in	the	discovery	of	a	chemical	later	called	dioxin,	and	he	went	on	to
direct	one	of	the	most	important	diet	and	health	studies	ever	conducted,	the
China	Study. In	between,	he	authored	hundreds	of	scientific	papers,	sat	on
numerous	government	expert	panels	and	helped	shape	national	and
international	diet	and	health	organizations,	like	the	American	Institute	for
Cancer	Research/World	Cancer	Research	Fund. As	a	scientist,	he	has	played
an	instrumental	role	in	how	our	country	views	diet	and	health. And	yet,	as	I	have	gotten	to	know	Colin	on	a	personal	level,	I	have	come
to	respect	him	for	reasons	other	than	just	his	list	of	professional
accomplishments. I	have	come	to	respect	him	for	his	courage	and	integrity. Colin	seriously	questions	the	status	quo,	and	even	though	the	scientific
evidence	is	on	his	side,	going	against	the	grain	is	never	easy. I	know	this	well
because	I	have	been	a	co-defendant	with	Oprah	Winfrey	when	a	group	of
cattlemen	decided	to	sue	her	after	she	stated	her	intention	not	to	eat	beef. I
have	been	in	Washington,	D.C.,	lobbying	for	better	agricultural	practices	and
fighting	to	change	the	way	we	raise	and	grow	food	in	this	country. I	have
taken	on	some	of	the	most	influential,	well-funded	groups	in	the	country	and	I
know	that	it’s	not	easy. Because	of	our	parallel	paths,	I	feel	connected	to	Colin’s	story. We	started
on	the	farm,	learning	independence,	honesty	and	integrity	in	small
communities,	and	went	on	to	become	established	in	mainstream	careers. Although	we	both	had	success	(I	still	remember	the	first	seven-figure	check	I
wrote	for	my	massive	cattle	operation	in	Montana),	we	came	to	realize	that
the	system	we	lived	in	could	use	some	improvements. Challenging	the	systemthat	provided	us	with	such	rewards	has	demanded	an	iron	will	and	steadfast
integrity. Colin	has	both,	and	this	book	is	a	brilliant	capstone	to	a	long	and
dignified	career. We	would	do	well	to	learn	from	Colin,	who	has	reached	the
top	of	his	profession	and	then	had	the	courage	to	reach	even	higher	by
demanding	change. Whether	you	have	interest	in	your	personal	health	or	in	the	wretched	state
of	health	in	the	United	States,	this	book	will	richly	reward	you. Read	it
carefully,	absorb	its	information	and	apply	it	to	your	life. —Howard	Lyman,	author	of	
Mad	CowboyForeword
I
F	YOU	ARE	LIKE	MOST
	A
MERICANS	TODAY
,	you	are	surrounded	by	fast	food
chain	restaurants. You	are	barraged	by	ads	for	junk	foods. You	see	other	ads,
for	weight-loss	programs,	that	say	you	can	eat	whatever	you	want,	not
exercise	and	still	lose	weight. It’s	easier	to	find	a	Snickers	bar,	a	Big	Mac	or	a
Coke	than	it	is	to	find	an	apple. And	your	kids	eat	at	a	school	cafeteria	whose
idea	of	a	vegetable	is	the	ketchup	on	the	burgers. You	go	to	your	doctor	for	health	tips. In	the	waiting	room,	you	find	a
glossy	243-page	magazine	titled	
Family	Doctor:	Your	Essential	Guide	to
Health	and	Well-being. Published	by	the	American	Academy	of	Family
Physicians	and	sent	free	to	the	offices	of	all	50,000	family	doctors	in	the
United	States	in	2004,	it’s	full	of	glossy	full-page	color	ads	for	McDonald’s,
Dr	Pepper,	chocolate	pudding	and	Oreo	cookies. You	pick	up	an	issue	of	
National	Geographic	Kids,
	a	magazine	published
by	the	National	Geographic	Society	“for	ages	six	and	up,”	expecting	to	find
wholesome	reading	for	youngsters. The	pages,	however,	are	filled	with	ads
for	Twinkies,	M&Ms,	Frosted	Flakes,	Froot	Loops,	Hostess	Cup	Cakes	and
Xtreme	Jell-O	Pudding	Sticks. This	is	what	scientists	and	food	activists	at	Yale	University	call	a	toxic
food	environment. It	is	the	environment	in	which	most	of	us	live	today. The	inescapable	fact	is	that	certain	people	are	making	an	awful	lot	of
money	today	selling	foods	that	are	unhealthy. They	want	you	to	keep	eating
the	foods	they	sell,	even	though	doing	so	makes	you	fat,	depletes	your	vitality
and	shortens	and	degrades	your	life. They	want	you	docile,	compliant	and
ignorant. They	do	not	want	you	informed,	active	and	passionately	alive,	and
they	are	quite	willing	to	spend	billions	of	dollars	annually	to	accomplish	their
goals. You	can	acquiesce	to	all	this,	you	can	succumb	to	the	junk	food	sellers,	or
you	can	find	a	healthier	and	more	life-affirming	relationship	with	your	body
and	the	food	you	eat. If	you	want	to	live	with	radiant	health,	lean	and	clear
and	alive	in	your	body,	you’ll	need	an	ally	in	today’s	environment.Fortunately,	you	have	in	your	hand	just	such	an	ally. T.	Colin	Campbell,
Ph.D.,	is	widely	recognized	as	a	brilliant	scholar,	a	dedicated	researcher	and	a
great	humanitarian. Having	had	the	pleasure	and	privilege	to	be	his	friend,	I
can	attest	to	all	of	that,	and	I	can	also	add	something	else. He	is	also	a	man	of
humility	and	human	depth,	a	man	whose	love	for	others	guides	his	every	step. Dr.	Campbell’s	new	book—
The	China	Study
—is	a	great	ray	of	light	in	the
darkness	of	our	times,	illuminating	the	landscape	and	the	realities	of	diet	and
health	so	clearly,	so	fully,	that	you	need	never	again	fall	prey	to	those	who
profit	from	keeping	you	misinformed,	confused	and	obediently	eating	the
foods	they	sell. One	of	the	many	things	I	appreciate	about	this	book	is	that	Dr.	Campbell
doesn’t	just	give	you	his	conclusions. He	doesn’t	preach	from	on	high,	telling
what	you	should	and	shouldn’t	eat,	as	if	you	were	a	child. Instead,	like	a	good
and	trusted	friend	who	happens	to	have	learned,	discovered	and	done	more	in
his	life	than	most	of	us	could	ever	imagine,	he	gently,	clearly	and	skillfully
gives	you	the	information	and	data	you	need	to	fully	understand	what’s
involved	in	diet	and	health	today. He	empowers	you	to	make	informed
choices. Sure,	he	makes	recommendations	and	suggestions,	and	terrific	ones
at	that. But	he	always	shows	you	how	he	has	arrived	at	his	conclusions. The
data	and	the	truth	are	what	are	important. His	only	agenda	is	to	help	you	live
as	informed	and	healthy	a	life	as	possible. I’ve	read	
The	China	Study
	twice	already,	and	each	time	I’ve	learned	an
immense	amount. This	is	a	brave	and	wise	book. The	China	Study
	is
extraordinarily	helpful,	superbly	written	and	profoundly	important. Dr.
Campbell’s	work	is	revolutionary	in	its	implications	and	spectacular	in	its
clarity. If	you	want	to	eat	bacon	and	eggs	for	breakfast	and	then	take	cholesterol-
lowering	medication,	that’s	your	right. But	if	you	want	to	truly	take	charge	of
your	health,	read	
The	China	Study,
	and	do	it	soon! If	you	heed	the	counsel	of
this	outstanding	guide,	your	body	will	thank	you	every	day	for	the	rest	of	your
life. —John	Robbins,	author	of	
Diet	for	a	New	America,	Reclaiming	Our
Health
	and	
The	Food	RevolutionIntroduction
T
HE	PUBLIC’S	HUNGER
	for	nutrition	information	never	ceases	to	amaze	me,
even	after	devoting	my	entire	working	life	to	conducting	experimental
research	into	nutrition	and	health. Diet	books	are	perennial	best-sellers. Almost	every	popular	magazine	features	nutrition	advice,	newspapers
regularly	run	articles	and	TV	and	radio	programs	constantly	discuss	diet	and
health. Given	the	barrage	of	information,	are	you	confident	that	you	know	what
you	should	be	doing	to	improve	your	health? Should	you	buy	food	that	is	labeled	organic	to	avoid	pesticide	exposure? Are	environmental	chemicals	a	primary	cause	of	cancer? Or	is	your	health
“predetermined”	by	the	genes	you	inherited	when	you	were	born? Do
carbohydrates	really	make	you	fat? Should	you	be	more	concerned	about	the
total	amount	of	fat	you	eat,	or	just	saturated	fats	and	trans-fats? What
vitamins,	if	any,	should	you	be	taking? Do	you	buy	foods	that	are	fortified
with	extra	fiber? Should	you	eat	fish,	and,	if	so,	how	often? Will	eating	soy
foods	prevent	heart	disease? My	guess	is	that	you’re	not	really	sure	of	the	answers	to	these	questions. If
this	is	the	case,	then	you	aren’t	alone. Even	though	information	and	opinions
are	plentiful,	
very	few	people	truly	know	what	they	should	be	doing	to
improve	their	health. This	isn’t	because	the	research	hasn’t	been	done. It	has. We	know	an
enormous	amount	about	the	links	between	nutrition	and	health. But	the	real
science	has	been	buried	beneath	a	clutter	of	irrelevant	or	even	harmful
information—junk	science,	fad	diets	and	food	industry	propaganda. I	want	to	change	that. I	want	to	give	you	a	new	framework	for
understanding	nutrition	and	health,	a	framework	that	eliminates	confusion,
prevents	and	treats	disease	and	allows	you	to	live	a	more	fulfilling	life. I	have	been	“in	the	system”	for	almost	fifty	years,	at	the	very	highest
levels,	designing	and	directing	large	research	projects,	deciding	which
research	gets	funded	and	translating	massive	amounts	of	scientific	researchinto	national	expert	panel	reports. After	a	long	career	in	research	and	policy	making,	I	now	understand	why
Americans	are	so	confused. As	a	taxpayer	who	foots	the	bill	for	research	and
health	policy	in	America,	you	deserve	to	know	that	many	of	the	common
notions	you	have	been	told	about	food,	health	and	disease	are	wrong:
Synthetic	chemicals	in	the	environment	and	in	your	food,	as	problematic
as	they	may	be,	are	not	the	main	cause	of	cancer. The	genes	that	you	inherit	from	your	parents	are	not	the	most	important
factors	in	determining	whether	you	fall	prey	to	any	of	the	ten	leading
causes	of	death. The	hope	that	genetic	research	will	eventually	lead	to	drug	cures	for
diseases	ignores	more	powerful	solutions	that	can	be	employed	today. Obsessively	controlling	your	intake	of	any	one	nutrient,	such	as
carbohydrates,	fat,	cholesterol	or	omega-3	fats,	will	not	result	in	long-
term	health. Vitamins	and	nutrient	supplements	do	not	give	you	long-term	protection
against	disease. Drugs	and	surgery	don’t	cure	the	diseases	that	kill	most	Americans. Your	doctor	probably	does	not	know	what	you	need	to	do	to	be	the
healthiest	you	can	be. I	propose	to	do	nothing	less	than	redefine	what	we	think	of	as	good
nutrition. The	provocative	results	of	my	four	decades	of	biomedical	research,
including	the	findings	from	a	twenty-seven-year	laboratory	program	(funded
by	the	most	reputable	funding	agencies)	prove	that	eating	right	can	save	your
life. I	will	not	ask	you	to	believe	conclusions	based	on	my	personal
observations,	as	some	popular	authors	do. There	are	over	750	references	in
this	book,	and	the	vast	majority	of	them	are	primary	sources	of	information,
including	hundreds	of	scientific	publications	from	other	researchers	
that	point
the	way	to	less	cancer,	less	heart	disease,	fewer	strokes,	less	obesity,	less
diabetes,	less	autoimmune	disease,	less	osteoporosis,	less	Alzheimer’s,	less
kidney	stones	and	less	blindness. Some	of	the	findings,	published	in	the	most	reputable	scientific	journals,
show	that:
Dietary	change	can	enable	diabetic	patients	to	go	off	their	medication. Heart	disease	can	be	reversed	with	diet	alone. Breast	cancer	is	related	to	levels	of	female	hormones	in	the	blood,	which
are	determined	by	the	food	we	eat.Consuming	dairy	foods	can	increase	the	risk	of	prostate	cancer. Antioxidants,	found	in	fruits	and	vegetables,	are	linked	to	better	mental
performance	in	old	age. Kidney	stones	can	be	prevented	by	a	healthy	diet. Type	1	diabetes,	one	of	the	most	devastating	diseases	that	can	befall	a
child,	is	convincingly	linked	to	infant	feeding	practices. These	findings	demonstrate	that	a	good	diet	is	the	most	powerful	weapon
we	have	against	disease	and	sickness. An	understanding	of	this	scientific
evidence	is	not	only	important	for	improving	health;	it	also	has	profound
implications	for	our	entire	society. We	
must
	know	why	misinformation
dominates	our	society	and	why	we	are	grossly	mistaken	in	how	we	investigate
diet	and	disease,	how	we	promote	health	and	how	we	treat	illness. By	any	number	of	measures,	America’s	health	is	failing. We	spend	far
more,	per	capita,	on	health	care	than	any	other	society	in	the	world,	and	yet
two	thirds	of	Americans	are	overweight,	and	over	15	million	Americans	have
diabetes,	a	number	that	has	been	rising	rapidly. We	fall	prey	to	heart	disease
as	often	as	we	did	thirty	years	ago,	and	the	War	on	Cancer,	launched	in	the
1970s,	has	been	a	miserable	failure. Half	of	Americans	have	a	health	problem
that	requires	taking	a	prescription	drug	every	week,	and	over	100	million
Americans	have	high	cholesterol. To	make	matters	worse,	we	are	leading	our	youth	down	a	path	of	disease
earlier	and	earlier	in	their	lives. One	third	of	the	young	people	in	this	country
are	overweight	or	at	risk	of	becoming	overweight. Increasingly,	they	are
falling	prey	to	a	form	of	diabetes	that	used	to	be	seen	only	in	adults,	and	these
young	people	now	take	more	prescription	drugs	than	ever	before. These	issues	all	come	down	to	three	things:	breakfast,	lunch	and	dinner. More	than	forty	years	ago,	at	the	beginning	of	my	career,	I	would	have
never	guessed	that	food	is	so	closely	related	to	health	problems. For	years	I
never	gave	much	thought	to	which	foods	were	best	to	eat. I	just	ate	what
everyone	else	did:	what	I	was	told	was	good	food. We	all	eat	what	is	tasty	or
what	is	convenient	or	what	our	parents	taught	us	to	prefer. Most	of	us	live
within	cultural	boundaries	that	define	our	food	preferences	and	habits. So	it	was	with	me. I	was	raised	on	a	dairy	farm	where	milk	was	central	to
our	existence. We	were	told	in	school	that	cow’s	milk	made	strong,	healthy
bones	and	teeth. It	was	Nature’s	most	perfect	food. On	our	farm,	we	produced
most	of	our	own	food	in	the	garden	or	in	the	livestock	pastures. I	was	the	first	in	my	family	to	go	to	college. I	studied	pre-veterinary
medicine	at	Penn	State	and	then	attended	veterinary	school	at	the	University
of	Georgia	for	a	year	when	Cornell	University	beckoned	with	scholarshipmoney	for	me	to	do	graduate	research	in	“animal	nutrition.”	I	transferred,	in
part,	because	they	were	going	to	pay	me	to	go	to	school	instead	of	me	paying
them. There	I	did	a	master’s	degree. I	was	the	last	graduate	student	of
Professor	Clive	McCay	a	Cornell	professor	famed	for	extending	the	lives	of
rats	by	feeding	them	much	less	food	than	they	would	otherwise	eat. My	Ph.D.
research	at	Cornell	was	devoted	to	finding	better	ways	to	make	cows	and
sheep	grow	faster. I	was	attempting	to	improve	on	our	ability	to	produce
animal	protein,	the	cornerstone	of	what	I	was	told	was	“good	nutrition.”
I	was	on	a	trail	to	promote	better	health	by	advocating	the	consumption	of
more	meat,	milk	and	eggs. It	was	an	obvious	sequel	to	my	own	life	on	the
farm	and	I	was	happy	to	believe	that	the	American	diet	was	the	best	in	the
world. Through	these	formative	years,	I	encountered	a	recurring	theme:	we
were	supposedly	eating	the	right	foods,	especially	plenty	of	high-quality
animal	protein. Much	of	my	early	career	was	spent	working	with	two	of	the	most	toxic
chemicals	ever	discovered,	dioxin	and	aflatoxin. I	initially	worked	at	MIT,
where	I	was	assigned	a	chicken	feed	puzzle. Millions	of	chicks	a	year	were
dying	from	an	unknown	toxic	chemical	in	their	feed,	and	I	had	the
responsibility	of	isolating	and	determining	the	structure	of	this	chemical. After	two	and	one-half	years,	I	helped	discover	dioxin,	arguably	the	most
toxic	chemical	ever	found. This	chemical	has	since	received	widespread
attention,	especially	because	it	was	part	of	the	herbicide	2,4,5-T,	or	Agent
Orange,	then	being	used	to	defoliate	forests	in	the	Vietnam	War. After	leaving	MIT	and	taking	a	faculty	position	at	Virginia	Tech,	I	began
coordinating	technical	assistance	for	a	nationwide	project	in	the	Philippines
working	with	malnourished	children. Part	of	the	project	became	an
investigation	of	the	unusually	high	prevalence	of	liver	cancer,	usually	an	adult
disease,	in	Filipino	children. It	was	thought	that	high	consumption	of
aflatoxin,	a	mold	toxin	found	in	peanuts	and	corn,	caused	this	problem. Aflatoxin	has	been	called	one	of	the	most	potent	carcinogens	ever	discovered. For	ten	years	our	primary	goal	in	the	Philippines	was	to	improve
childhood	malnutrition	among	the	poor,	a	project	funded	by	the	U.S.	Agency
for	International	Development. Eventually,	we	established	about	110	nutrition
“self-help”	education	centers	around	the	country. The	aim	of	these	efforts	in	the	Philippines	was	simple:	make	sure	that
children	were	getting	as	much	protein	as	possible. It	was	widely	thought	that
much	of	the	childhood	malnutrition	in	the	world	was	caused	by	a	lack	of
protein,	especially	from	animal-based	foods. Universities	and	governments
around	the	world	were	working	to	alleviate	a	perceived	“protein	gap”	in	the
developing	world.In	this	project,	however,	I	uncovered	a	dark	secret. Children	who	ate	the
highest-protein	diets	were	the	ones	most	likely	to	get	liver	cancer! They	were
the	children	of	the	wealthiest	families. I	then	noticed	a	research	report	from	India	that	had	some	very	provocative,
relevant	findings. Indian	researchers	had	studied	two	groups	of	rats. In	one
group,	they	administered	the	cancer-causing	aflatoxin,	then	fed	a	diet	that	was
composed	of	20%	protein,	a	level	near	what	many	of	us	consume	in	the	West. In	the	other	group,	they	administered	the	same	amount	of	aflatoxin,	but	then
fed	a	diet	that	was	only	composed	of	5%	protein. Incredibly,	every	single
animal	that	consumed	the	20%	protein	diet	had	evidence	of	liver	cancer,	and
every	single	animal	that	consumed	a	5%	protein	diet	avoided	liver	cancer. It
was	a	100	to	0	score,	leaving	no	doubt	that	nutrition	trumped	chemical
carcinogens,	even	very	potent	carcinogens,	in	controlling	cancer. This	information	countered	everything	I	had	been	taught. It	was	heretical
to	say	that	protein	wasn’t	healthy,	let	alone	say	it	promoted	cancer. It	was	a
defining	moment	in	my	career. Investigating	such	a	provocative	question	so
early	in	my	career	was	not	a	very	wise	choice. Questioning	protein	and
animal-based	foods	in	general	ran	the	risk	of	my	being	labeled	a	heretic,	even
if	it	passed	the	test	of	“good	science.”
But	I	never	was	much	for	following	directions	just	for	the	sake	of
following	directions. When	I	first	learned	to	drive	a	team	of	horses	or	herd
cattle,	to	hunt	animals,	to	fish	our	creek	or	to	work	in	the	fields,	I	came	to
accept	that	independent	thinking	was	part	of	the	deal. It	had	to	be. Encountering	problems	in	the	held	meant	that	I	had	to	figure	out	what	to	do
next. It	was	a	great	classroom,	as	any	farm	boy	can	tell	you. That	sense	of
independence	has	stayed	with	me	until	today. So,	faced	with	a	difficult	decision,	I	decided	to	start	an	in-depth	laboratory
program	that	would	investigate	the	role	of	nutrition,	especially	protein,	in	the
development	of	cancer. My	colleagues	and	I	were	cautious	in	framing	our
hypotheses,	rigorous	in	our	methodology	and	conservative	in	interpreting	our
findings. I	chose	to	do	this	research	at	a	very	basic	science	level,	studying	the
biochemical	details	of	cancer	formation. It	was	important	to	understand	not
only	
whether
	but	also	
how
	protein	might	promote	cancer. It	was	the	best	of	all
worlds. By	carefully	following	the	rules	of	good	science,	I	was	able	to	study	a
provocative	topic	without	provoking	knee-jerk	responses	that	arise	with
radical	ideas. Eventually,	this	research	became	handsomely	funded	for
twenty-seven	
years
	by	the	best-reviewed	and	most	competitive	funding
sources	(mostly	the	National	Institutes	of	Health	(NIH),	the	American	Cancer
Society	and	the	American	Institute	for	Cancer	Research). Then	our	results
were	reviewed	(a	second	time)	for	publication	in	many	of	the	best	scientificjournals. What	we	found	was	shocking. Low-protein	diets	inhibited	the	initiation	of
cancer	by	aflatoxin,	regardless	of	how	much	of	this	carcinogen	was
administered	to	these	animals. After	cancer	initiation	was	completed,	low-
protein	diets	also	dramatically	blocked	subsequent	cancer	growth. In	other
words,	the	cancer-producing	effects	of	this	highly	carcinogenic	chemical	were
rendered	insignificant	by	a	low-protein	diet. In	fact,	dietary	protein	proved	to
be	so	powerful	in	its	effect	that	we	could	turn	on	and	turn	off	cancer	growth
simply	by	changing	the	level	consumed. Furthermore,	the	amounts	of	protein	being	fed	were	those	that	we	humans
routinely	consume. We	didn’t	use	extraordinary	levels,	as	is	so	often	the	case
in	carcinogen	studies. But	that’s	not	all. We	found	that	not	all	proteins	had	this	effect. What
protein	consistently	and	strongly	promoted	cancer? Casein,	which	makes	up
87%	of	cow’s	milk	protein,	promoted	all	stages	of	the	cancer	process. What
type	of	protein	did	not	promote	cancer,	even	at	high	levels	of	intake? The	safe
proteins	were	from	plants,	including	wheat	and	soy. As	this	picture	came	into
view,	it	began	to	challenge	and	then	to	shatter	some	of	my	most	cherished
assumptions. These	experimental	animal	studies	didn’t	end	there. I	went	on	to	direct	the
most	comprehensive	study	of	diet,	lifestyle	and	disease	ever	done	with
humans	in	the	history	of	biomedical	research. It	was	a	massive	undertaking
jointly	arranged	through	Cornell	University	Oxford	University	and	the
Chinese	Academy	of	Preventive	Medicine. The	
New	York	Times
	called	it	the
“Grand	Prix	of	Epidemiology.”	This	project	surveyed	a	vast	range	of	diseases
and	diet	and	lifestyle	factors	in	rural	China	and,	more	recently,	in	Taiwan. More	commonly	known	as	the	China	Study,	this	project	eventually	produced
more	than	
8,000	statistically	significant	associations	between	various	dietary
factors	and	disease! What	made	this	project	especially	remarkable	is	that,	among	the	many
associations	that	are	relevant	to	diet	and	disease,	so	many	pointed	to	the	same
finding:	people	who	ate	the	most	animal-based	foods	got	the	most	chronic
disease. Even	relatively	small	intakes	of	animal-based	food	were	associated
with	adverse	effects. People	who	ate	the	most	plant-based	foods	were	the
healthiest	and	tended	to	avoid	chronic	disease. These	results	could	not	be
ignored. From	the	initial	experimental	animal	studies	on	animal	protein
effects	to	this	massive	human	study	on	dietary	patterns,	the	findings	proved	to
be	consistent. The	health	implications	of	consuming	either	animal	or	plant-
based	nutrients	were	remarkably	different. I	could	not,	and	did	not,	rest	on	the	findings	of	our	animal	studies	and	themassive	human	study	in	China,	however	impressive	they	may	have	been. I
sought	out	the	findings	of	other	researchers	and	clinicians. The	findings	of
these	individuals	have	proved	to	be	some	of	the	most	exciting	findings	of	the
past	fifty	years. These	findings—the	contents	of	
Part	II
	of	this	book—show	that	heart
disease,	diabetes	and	obesity	can	be	reversed	by	a	healthy	diet. Other	research
shows	that	various	cancers,	autoimmune	diseases,	bone	health,	kidney	health,
vision	and	brain	disorders	in	old	age	(like	cognitive	dysfunction	and
Alzheimer’s)	are	convincingly	influenced	by	diet. Most	importantly,	the	diet
that	has	time	and	again	been	shown	to	reverse	and/or	prevent	these	diseases	is
the	same	whole	foods,	plant-based	diet	that	I	had	found	to	promote	optimal
health	in	my	laboratory	research	and	in	the	China	Study. The	findings	are
consistent. Yet,	despite	the	power	of	this	information,	despite	the	hope	it	generates
and	despite	the	urgent	need	for	this	understanding	of	nutrition	and	health,
people	are	still	confused. I	have	friends	with	heart	disease	who	are	resigned
and	despondent	about	being	at	the	mercy	of	what	they	
consider	to	be	an
inevitable	disease. I’ve	talked	with	women	who	are	so	terrified	of	breast
cancer	that	they	wish	to	have	their	own	breasts,	even	their	daughters’	breasts,
surgically	removed,	as	if	that’s	the	only	way	to	minimize	risk. So	many	of	the
people	I	have	met	have	been	led	down	a	path	of	illness,	despondence	and
confusion	about	their	health	and	what	they	can	do	to	protect	it. Americans	are	confused,	and	I	will	tell	you	why. The	answer,	discussed	in
Part	IV
,	has	to	do	with	how	health	information	is	generated	and
communicated	and	who	controls	such	activities. Because	I	have	been	behind
the	scenes	generating	health	information	for	so	long,	I	have	seen	what	really
goes	on—and	I’m	ready	to	tell	the	world	what	is	wrong	with	the	system. The
distinctions	between	government,	industry,	science	and	medicine	have
become	blurred. The	distinctions	between	making	a	profit	and	promoting
health	have	become	blurred. The	problems	with	the	system	do	not	come	in	the
form	of	Hollywood-style	corruption. The	problems	are	much	more	subtle,	and
yet	much	more	dangerous. The	result	is	massive	amounts	of	misinformation,
for	which	average	American	consumers	pay	twice. They	provide	the	tax
money	to	do	the	research,	and	then	they	provide	the	money	for	their	health
care	to	treat	their	largely	preventable	diseases. This	story,	starting	from	my	personal	background	and	culminating	in	a
new	understanding	of	nutrition	and	health,	is	the	subject	of	this	book. Six
years	ago	at	Cornell	University,	I	organized	and	taught	a	new	elective	course
called	Vegetarian	Nutrition. It	was	the	first	such	course	on	an	American
university	campus	and	has	been	far	more	successful	than	I	could	haveimagined. The	course	focuses	on	the	health	value	of	a	plant-based	diet. After
spending	my	time	at	MIT	and	Virginia	Tech,	then	coming	back	to	Cornell
thirty	years	ago,	I	was	charged	with	the	task	of	integrating	the	concepts	and
principles	of	chemistry,	biochemistry,	physiology	and	toxicology	in	an	upper-
level	course	in	nutrition. After	four	decades	of	scientific	research,	education	and	policy	making	at
the	highest	levels	in	our	society,	I	now	feel	I	can	adequately	integrate	these
disciplines	into	a	cogent	story. That’s	what	I	have	done	for	my	most	recent
course,	and	many	of	my	students	tell	me	that	their	lives	are	changed	for	the
better	by	the	end	of	the	semester. That’s	what	I	intend	to	do	for	you;	I	hope
your	life	will	be	changed	as	well.Part	I
THE	CHINA	STUDY1
Problems	We	Face,	Solutions	We	Need
“He	
who	does	not	know	food,	how	can	he	understand	the	diseases	of
man?”
—Hippocrates,	the	father	of	medicine	(460-357	
B.C.
) O
N	A	GOLDEN	MORNING	IN
	1946,	when	summer	was	all	tuckered	out	and	fall
wanted	to	be	let	in,	all	you	could	hear	on	my	family’s	dairy	farm	was	quiet. There	was	no	growl	from	cars	driving	by	or	airplanes	burning	trails	overhead. Just	quiet. There	were	the	songbirds,	of	course,	and	the	cows,	and	the	roosters
who	would	chime	in	once	in	a	while,	but	these	noises	merely	filled	out	the
quiet,	the	peace. Standing	on	the	second	floor	of	our	barn,	with	the	immense	brown	doors
gaping	open,	allowing	the	sun	to	soak	through,	I	was	a	happy	twelve-year-old. I	had	just	finished	a	big	country	breakfast	of	eggs,	bacon,	sausage,	fried
potatoes	and	ham	with	a	couple	of	glasses	of	whole	milk. My	mom	had
cooked	a	fantastic	meal. I	had	been	working	up	my	appetite	since	4:30	
A.M.,
when	I	had	gotten	up	to	milk	the	cows	with	my	father	Tom	and	my	brother
Jack. My	father,	then	forty-five,	stood	with	me	in	the	quiet	sun. He	opened	a
fifty-pound	sack	of	alfalfa	seed,	dumped	all	the	tiny	seeds	on	the	
wooden	barn
floor	in	front	of	us	and	then	opened	a	box	containing	fine	black	powder. The
powder,	he	explained,	was	bacteria	that	would	help	the	alfalfa	grow. They
would	attach	themselves	to	the	seeds	and	become	part	of	the	roots	of	the
growing	plant	throughout	its	life. Having	had	only	two	years	of	formal
education,	my	father	was	proud	of	knowing	that	the	bacteria	helped	the	alfalfaconvert	nitrogen	from	the	air	into	protein. The	protein,	he	explained,	was
good	for	the	cows	that	would	eventually	eat	it. So	our	work	that	morning	was
to	mix	the	bacteria	and	the	alfalfa	seeds	before	planting. Always	curious,	I
asked	my	dad	why	it	worked	and	how. He	was	glad	to	explain	it,	and	I	was
glad	to	hear	it. This	was	important	knowledge	for	a	farm	boy. Seventeen	years	later,	in	1963,	my	father	had	his	first	heart	attack. He	was
sixty-one. At	age	seventy,	he	died	from	a	second	massive	coronary. I	was
devastated. My	father,	who	had	stood	with	my	siblings	and	me	for	so	many
days	in	the	quiet	countryside,	teaching	us	the	things	that	I	still	hold	dear	in
life,	was	gone. Now,	after	decades	of	doing	experimental	research	on	diet	and	health,	I
know	that	the	very	disease	that	killed	my	father,	heart	disease,	can	be
prevented,	even	reversed. Vascular	(arteries	and	heart)	health	is	possible
without	life-threatening	surgery	and	without	potentially	lethal	drugs. I	have
learned	that	it	can	be	achieved	simply	by	eating	the	right	food. This	is	the	story	of	how	food	can	change	our	lives. I	have	spent	my	career
in	research	and	teaching	unraveling	the	complex	mystery	of	why	health
eludes	some	and	embraces	others,	and	I	now	know	that	food	primarily
determines	the	outcome. This	information	could	not	come	at	a	better	time. Our	health	care	system	costs	too	much,	it	excludes	far	too	many	people	and	it
does	not	promote	health	and	prevent	disease. Volumes	have	been	written	on
how	the	problem	might	be	solved,	but	progress	has	been	painfully	slow.SICKNESS,	ANYONE? If	you	are	male	in	this	country,	the	American	Cancer	Society	says	that	you
have	a	47%	chance	of	getting	cancer. If	you	are	female,	you	fare	a	little	better,
but	you	still	have	a	whopping	38%	lifetime	chance	of	getting	cancer. 1
	The
rates	at	which	we	die	from	cancer	are	among	the	highest	in	the	world,	and	it
has	been	getting	worse	(
Chart	1.1
). Despite	thirty	years	of	the	massively
funded	War	on	Cancer,	we	have	made	little	progress. Contrary	to	what	many	believe,	cancer	is	not	a	natural	event. Adopting	
a
healthy	diet	and	lifestyle	can	prevent	the	majority	of	cancers	in	the	United
States. Old	age	can	and	should	be	graceful	and	peaceful. CHART	1.1:	CANCER	DEATH	RATES	(PER	100,000	PEOPLE)
1
But	cancer	is	only	part	of	a	larger	picture	of	disease	and	death	in	America. Looking	elsewhere,	we	see	that	there	is	an	overall	pattern	of	poor	health. For
example,	we	are	rapidly	becoming	the	heaviest	people	on	earth. Overweight
Americans	now	significantly	outnumber	those	who	maintain	a	healthy	weight. As	shown	in	
Chart	1.2
,	our	rates	of	obesity	have	been	skyrocketing	over	the
past	several	decades. 2
According	to	the	National	Center	for	Health	Statistics,	almost	a	third	of
the	adults	twenty	years	of	age	and	over	in	this	country	are	obese! 3
	One	is
considered	obese	if	he	or	she	is	carrying	more	than	a	third	of	a	
person	above
and	beyond	a	healthy	weight. Similarly	frightening	trends	have	been
occurring	in	children	as	young	as	two	years	of	age. 3CHART	1.2:	PERCENT	OBESE	POPULATION
2
CHART	1.3:	WHAT	IS	OBESE	(BOTH	SEXES)? Height
Weight	in	Excess	of	(lbs)
5′0″
153
5′2″
164
5′4″
174
5′6″
185
5′8″
197
5′10″
209
6′0″
221
6′2″
233
But	cancer	and	obesity	are	not	the	only	epidemics	casting	a	large	shadow
over	American	health. Diabetes	has	also	increased	in	unprecedented
proportions. One	out	of	thirteen	Americans	now	has	diabetes,	and	that	ratio
continues	to	rise. If	we	don’t	heed	the	importance	of	diet,	millions	of
additional	Americans	will	unknowingly	develop	diabetes	and	suffer	its
consequences,	including	blindness,	limb	amputation,	cardiovascular	disease,
kidney	disease	and	premature	death. Despite	this,	fast	food	restaurants	that
serve	nutritionally	defunct	foods	are	now	fixtures	in	almost	every	town. We
eat	out	more	than	ever
4
	and	speed	has	taken	precedence	over	quality. As	we
spend	more	time	watching	TV,	playing	video	games	and	using	the	computer,
we	are	less	physically	active. Both	diabetes	and	obesity	are	merely	symptoms	of	poor	health	in	general.They	rarely	exist	in	isolation	of	other	diseases	and	often	forecast	deeper,	more
serious	health	problems,	such	as	heart	disease,	cancer	and	stroke. Two	of	the
most	frightening	statistics	show	that	diabetes	among	people	in	their	thirties
has	increased	70%	in	less	than	ten	years	and	the	percentage	of	obese	people
has	nearly	doubled	in	the	past	thirty	years. Such	an	incredibly	fast	increase	in
these	“signal”	diseases	in	America’s	young	to	middle-age	population	forecasts
a	health	care	catastrophe	in	the	coming	decades. It	may	become	an	unbearable
burden	on	a	health	system	that	is	already	strained	in	countless	ways. DIABETES	STATISTICS
Percent	Increase	in	Incidence	from	1990	to	1998
5
:
Age	30-39	(70%)	•	Age	40-49	(40%)	•	Age	50-59	(31	%)
Percent	of	Diabetics	Who	Aren’t	Aware	of	their	Illness
5
:
	34%
Diabetes	Outcomes
6
:
	Heart	Disease	and	Stroke;	Blindness;	Kidney	Disease;
Nervous	System	Disorders;	Dental	Disease;	Limb	Amputation
Annual	Economic	Cost	of	Diabetes
7
:
	$98	Billion
But	the	most	pervasive	killer	in	our	culture	is	not	obesity,	diabetes	or
cancer. It	is	heart	disease. Heart	disease	will	kill	one	out	of	every	three
Americans. According	to	the	American	Heart	Association,	over	60	million
Americans	currently	suffer	from	some	form	of	cardiovascular	disease,
including	high	blood	pressure,	stroke	and	heart	disease. 8
	Like	me,	you
undoubtedly	have	known	someone	who	died	of	heart	disease. But	since	my
own	father	died	from	a	heart	attack	over	thirty	years	ago,	a	great	amount	of
knowledge	has	been	uncovered	in	understanding	this	disease. The	most
dramatic	recent	finding	is	that	heart	disease	can	be	prevented	and	even
reversed	by	a	healthy	diet. 9,	10
	People	who	cannot	perform	the	most	basic
physical	activity	because	of	severe	angina	can	find	a	new	life	simply	by
changing	their	diets. By	embracing	this	revolutionary	information,	we	could
collectively	defeat	the	most	dangerous	disease	in	this	country.OOPS…WE	DIDN’T	MEAN	TO	HAVE	THAT
HAPPEN! As	increasing	numbers	of	Americans	fall	victim	to	chronic	diseases,	we	hope
that	our	hospitals	and	doctors	will	do	all	that	they	can	to	help	us. Unfortunately,	both	the	newspapers	and	the	courts	are	filled	with	stories	and
cases	that	tell	us	that	inadequate	care	has	become	the	norm. One	of	the	most	well	regarded	voices	representing	the	medical	community,
the	
Journal	of	the	American	Medical	Association
	(JAMA),	included	a	recent
article	by	Barbara	Starfield,	M.D.,	stating	that	physician	error,	medication
error	and	adverse	events	from	drugs	or	surgery	kill	225,400	people	per	year
(
Chart	1.5
). 11
	That	makes	our	health	care	system	the	third	leading	cause	of
death	in	the	United	States,	behind	only	cancer	and	heart	disease	(
Chart	1.4
). 12
CHART	1.4:	LEADING	CAUSES	OF	DEATH
12
Cause	of	Death
Deaths
Diseases	of	the	Heart
710,760
Cancer	(Malignant	Neoplasms)
553,091
Medical	Care
11
225,400
Stroke	(Cerebrovascular	Diseases)
167,661
Chronic	Lower	Respiratory	Diseases
122,009
Accidents
97,900
Diabetes	Mellitus
69,301
Influenza	and	Pneumonia
65,313
Alzheimer’s	Disease
49,558
CHART	1.5:	DEATH	BY	HEALTH	CARE
11
Number	of	Americans	Per	Year	Who	Die	From:
Medication	Errors
13
7,400
Unnecessary	Surgery
14
12,000
Other	Preventable	Errors	in	Hospitals
11
20,000
Hospital	Borne	Infections
11
80,000
Adverse	Drug	Effects
15
106,000
The	last	and	largest	category	of	deaths	in	this	group	are	the	hospitalizedpatients	who	die	from	the	“noxious,	unintended	and	undesired	effect	of	a
drug,”
15
	which	occurs	at	normal	doses. 16
	Even	with	the	use	of	approved
medicines	and	correct	medication	procedures,	over	one	hundred	thousand
people	die	every	year	from	unintended	reactions	to	the	“medicine”	that	is
supposed	to	be	reviving	their	health. 15
	Incidentally,	this	same	report,	which
summarized	and	analyzed	thirty-nine	separate	studies,	found	that	almost	7%
(one	out	of	fifteen)	of	all	hospitalized	patients	have	experienced	a	serious
adverse	drug	reaction,	one	that	“requires	hospitalization,	prolongs
hospitalization,	is	permanently	disabling	or	results	in	death.”
15
	These	are
people	who	took	their	medicine	as	directed. This	number	does	not	include	the
tens	of	thousands	of	people	who	suffer	from	the	incorrect	administration	and
use	of	these	drugs. Nor	does	it	include	adverse	drug	events	that	are	labeled
“possible”	effects,	or	drugs	that	do	
not	accomplish	their	intended	goal. In
other	words,	one	of	fifteen	is	a	conservative	number. 15
If	nutrition	were	better	understood,	and	prevention	and	natural	treatments
were	more	accepted	in	the	medical	community,	we	would	not	be	pouring	so
many	toxic,	potentially	lethal	drugs	into	our	bodies	at	the	last	stage	of	disease. We	would	not	be	frantically	searching	for	the	new	medicine	that	alleviates	the
symptoms	but	often	does	nothing	to	address	the	fundamental	causes	of	our
illnesses. We	would	not	be	spending	our	money	developing,	patenting	and
commercializing	“magic	bullet”	drugs	that	often	cause	additional	health
problems. The	current	system	has	not	lived	up	to	its	promise. It	is	time	to	shift
our	thinking	toward	a	broader	perspective	on	health,	one	that	includes	a
proper	understanding	and	use	of	good	nutrition. As	I	look	back	on	what	I’ve	learned,	I	am	appalled	that	the	circumstances
surrounding	the	way	in	which	Americans	die	are	often	unnecessarily	early,
painful	and	costly.AN	EXPENSIVE	GRAVE
We	pay	more	for	our	health	care	than	any	other	country	in	the	world	(
Chart
1.6
). We	spent	over	a	trillion	dollars	on	health	care	in	1997. 17
	In	fact,	the	cost	of
our	“health”	is	spiraling	so	far	out	of	control	that	the	Health	Care	Financing
Administration	predicted	that	our	system	would	cost	16	trillion	dollars	by
2030. 17
	Costs	have	so	consistently	outpaced	inflation	that	we	now	spend	one
out	of	every	seven	dollars	the	economy	produces	on	health	care	(
Chart	1.7
). We	have	seen	almost	a	300%	increase	in	expenditures,	as	a	percentage	of
GDP,	in	less	than	forty	years! What	is	all	the	extra	financing	buying? Is	it
creating	health? I	say	no,	and	many	serious	commentators	agree. Recently	the	health	status	of	twelve	countries	including	the	U.S.,	Canada,
Australia	and	several	Western	European	countries	was	compared	on	the	basis
of	sixteen	different	indicators	of	health	care	efficacy
19
	Other	countries	spend,
on	average,	only	about	one-half	of	what	the	U.S.	spends	per	capita	on	health
care. Isn’t	it	reasonable,	therefore,	for	us	to	expect	our	system	to	rank	above
theirs? Unfortunately,	among	these	twelve	countries,	the	U.S.	system	is
consistently	among	the	worst	performers. 11
	In	a	separate	analysis,	the	World
Health	Organization	ranked	the	United	States	thirty-seventh	best	in	the	world
according	to	health	care	system	performance. 20
	Our	health	care	system	is
clearly	not	the	best	
in	the	world,	even	though	we	spend,	far	and	away,	the
most	money	on	it. CHART	1.6:	HEALTH	CARE	EXPENDITURES	PER	PERSON,	1997
$US
17
	
CHART	1.7:	PERCENT	OF	U.S.	GDP	SPENT	ON	HEALTH	CARE
17,	18
Too	often	in	the	United	States,	a	doctor’s	treatment	decisions	are	made	on
the	basis	of	money,	not	health. The	consequences	of	not	having	health
insurance,	I	suspect,	have	never	been	more	terrifying,	and	close	to	44	million
Americans	are	uninsured. 21
	It’s	unacceptable	to	me	
that	we	spend	more
money	on	health	care	than	any	other	country	on	this	planet,	and	we	still	have
tens	of	millions	of	people	without	access	to	basic	care. From	three	perspectives—disease	prevalence,	medical	care	efficacy	and
economics—we	have	a	deeply	troubled	medical	system. But	I	do	not	do
justice	to	this	topic	simply	by	recounting	figures	and	statistics. Many	of	us
have	spent	awful	times	in	hospitals	or	in	nursing	homes	watching	a	loved	one
succumb	to	disease. Perhaps	you’ve	been	a	patient	yourself	and	you	know
firsthand	how	poorly	the	system	sometimes	functions. Isn’t	it	paradoxical	that
the	system	that	is	supposed	to	heal	us	too	often	hurts	us?WORKING	TO	LESSEN	CONFUSION
The	American	people	need	to	know	the	truth. They	need	to	know	what	we
have	uncovered	in	our	research. People	need	to	know	why	we	are
unnecessarily	sick,	why	too	many	of	us	die	early	despite	the	billions	spent	on
research. The	irony	is	that	the	solution	is	simple	and	inexpensive. The	answer
to	the	American	health	crisis	is	the	food	that	each	of	us	chooses	to	put	in	our
mouths	each	day. It’s	as	simple	as	that. Although	many	of	us	think	we’re	well	informed	on	nutrition,	we’re	not. We	tend	to	follow	one	faddish	diet	after	another. We	disdain	saturated	fats,
butter	or	carbohydrates,	and	then	embrace	vitamin	E,	calcium	supplements,
aspirin	or	zinc	and	focus	our	energy	and	effort	on	extremely	specific	food
components,	as	if	this	will	unlock	the	secrets	of	health. All	too	often,	fancy
outweighs	fact. Perhaps	you	remember	the	protein	diet	fad	that	gripped	the
country	in	the	late	1970s. The	promise	was	that	you	could	lose	weight	by
replacing	real	food	with	a	protein	shake. In	a	very	short	while,	almost	sixty
women	died	from	the	diet. More	recently	millions	have	adopted	high-protein,
high-fat	diets	based	on	books	such	as	
Dr.	Atkins’	New	Diet	Revolution,
Protein	Power
	and	
The	South	Beach	Diet. There	is	increasing	evidence	that
these	modern	protein	fads	continue	to	inflict	a	great	variety	of	dangerous
health	disorders. What	we	don’t	know—what	we	don’t	understand—about
nutrition	
can
	hurt	us. I’ve	been	wrestling	with	this	public	confusion	for	more	than	two	decades. In	1988,	I	was	invited	before	the	U.S.	Senate	Governmental	Affairs
Committee,	chaired	by	Senator	John	Glenn,	to	give	my	views	on	why	the
public	is	so	confused	about	diet	and	nutrition. After	examining	this	issue	both
before	and	since	that	testimony,	I	can	confidently	state	that	one	of	the	major
sources	of	confusion	is	this:	far	too	often,	we	scientists	focus	on	
details	while
ignoring	the	larger	context. For	example,	we	pin	our	efforts	and	our	hopes	on
one	isolated	nutrient	at	a	time,	whether	it	is	vitamin	A	to	prevent	cancer	or
vitamin	E	to	prevent	heart	attacks. We	oversimplify	and	disregard	the	infinite
complexity	of	nature. Often,	investigating	minute	biochemical	parts	of	food
and	trying	to	reach	broad	conclusions	about	diet	and	health	leads	to
contradictory	results. Contradictory	results	lead	to	confused	scientists	and
policy	makers,	and	to	an	increasingly	confused	public.A	DIFFERENT	KIND	OF	PRESCRIPTION
Most	of	the	authors	of	several	best-selling	“nutrition”	books	claim	to	be
researchers,	but	I	am	not	aware	that	their	“research”	involves	original,
professionally	developed	experimentation. That	is,	they	have	not	designed
and	conducted	studies	under	the	scrutiny	of	fellow	colleagues	or	peers. They
have	few	or	no	publications	in	peer-reviewed	scientific	journals;	they	have
virtually	no	formal	training	in	nutritional	science;	they	belong	to	no
professional	research	societies;	they	have	not	participated	as	peer	reviewers. They	do,	nonetheless,	often	develop	very	lucrative	projects	and	products	that
put	money	in	their	pockets	while	leaving	the	reader	with	yet	another	short-
lived	and	useless	diet	fad. If	you	are	familiar	with	the	“health”	books	at	your	nearby	bookstore,	you
have	likely	heard	of	
Dr.	Atkins’	New	Diet	Revolution,	The	South	Beach	Diet,
Sugar	Busters,	The	Zone
	or	
Eat	Right	for	Your	Type. These	books	have	made
health	information	more	confusing,	more	difficult	to	grasp	and	ultimately
more	elusive. If	you	aren’t	fatigued,	constipated	or	half-starved	by	these
quick-fix	plans,	your	head	is	spinning	from	counting	calories	and	measuring
grams	of	carbohydrates,	protein	and	fat. What’s	the	real	problem,	anyway? Is
it	fat? Is	it	carbohydrates? What’s	the	ratio	of	nutrients	that	provides	greatest
weight	loss? Are	cruciferous	vegetables	good	for	my	blood	type? Am	I	taking
the	right	supplements? How	much	vitamin	C	do	I	need	every	day? Am	I	in
ketosis? How	many	grams	of	protein	do	I	need? You	get	the	picture. This	is	not	health. These	are	fad	diets	that	embody	the
worst	of	medicine,	science	and	the	popular	media. If	you	are	only	interested	in	a	two-week	menu	plan	to	lose	weight,	then
this	book	is	not	for	you. I	am	appealing	to	your	intelligence,	not	to	your
ability	to	follow	a	recipe	or	menu	plan. I	want	to	offer	you	a	more	profound
and	more	beneficial	way	to	view	health. I	have	a	prescription	for	maximum
health	that	is	simple,	easy	to	follow	and	offers	more	benefits	than	any	drug	or
surgery,	without	any	of	the	side	effects. This	
prescription	isn’t	merely	a	menu
plan;	it	doesn’t	require	daily	charts	or	calorie	counting;	and	it	doesn’t	exist	to
serve	my	own	financial	interests. Most	importantly	the	supporting	evidence	is
overwhelming. This	is	about	changing	the	way	you	eat	and	live	and	the
extraordinary	health	that	will	result. So,	what	is	my	prescription	for	good	health? In	short,	it	is	about	the
multiple	health	benefits	of	consuming	plant-based	foods,	and	the	largely
unappreciated	health	dangers	of	consuming	animal-based	foods,	including	all
types	of	meat,	dairy	and	eggs. I	did	not	begin	with	preconceived	ideas,
philosophical	or	otherwise,	to	prove	the	worthiness	of	plant-based	diets. Istarted	at	the	opposite	end	of	the	spectrum:	as	a	meat-loving	dairy	farmer	in
my	personal	life	and	an	“establishment”	scientist	in	my	professional	life. I
even	used	to	lament	the	views	of	vegetarians	as	I	taught	nutritional
biochemistry	to	pre-med	students. My	only	interest	now	is	to	explain	the	scientific	basis	for	my	views	in	the
clearest	way	possible. Changing	dietary	practices	will	only	occur	and	be
maintained	when	people	believe	the	evidence	and	experience	the	benefits. People	decide	what	to	eat	for	a	number	of	reasons,	health	considerations
being	only	one. My	task	is	only	to	present	the	scientific	evidence	in	a	form
that	can	be	understood. The	rest	is	up	to	you. The	scientific	basis	for	my	views	is	largely	empirical,	obtained	through
observation	and	measurement. It	is	not	illusory,	hypothetical	or	anecdotal;	it	is
from	legitimate	research	findings. It	is	a	type	of	science	originally	advocated
2,400	years	ago	by	the	Father	of	Medicine,	Hippocrates,	who	said,	“There	are,
in	effect,	two	things:	to	know	and	to	believe	one	knows. To	know	is	science. To	believe	one	knows	is	ignorance.”	I	plan	to	show	you	what	I	have	come	to
know. Much	of	my	evidence	comes	from	human	studies	done	by	myself	and	by
my	students	and	colleagues	in	my	research	group. These	studies	were	diverse
both	in	design	and	in	purpose. They	included	an	investigation	of	liver	cancer
in	Philippine	children	and	their	consumption	of	a	mold	toxin,	aflatoxin
22,	23
;	a
nationwide	program	of	self-help	nutrition	centers	for	malnourished	preschool
children	in	the	Philippines
24
;	a	study	of	dietary	factors	affecting	bone	density
and	osteoporosis	in	800	women	in	China
23–27
;	a	study	of	biomarkers	that
characterize	the	emergence	of	breast	cancer
28,	29
;	and	a	nationwide,
comprehensive	study	of	dietary	and	lifestyle	factors	associated	with	disease
mortality	in	170	villages	in	mainland	China	and	Taiwan	(widely	known	as	the
China	Study). 30–33
These	studies,	exceptionally	diverse	in	scope,	dealt	with	diseases	
thought
to	be	related	to	varied	dietary	practices,	thus	providing	the	opportunity	to
investigate	diet	and	disease	associations	comprehensively. The	China	Study
of	which	I	was	director,	began	in	1983	and	is	still	ongoing. In	addition	to	these	human	studies,	I	maintained	a	twenty-seven-year
laboratory	research	program	in	experimental	animal	studies. Begun	in	the	late
1960s,	this	National	Institutes	of	Health	(NIH)-funded	research	investigated
the	link	between	diet	and	cancer	in	considerable	depth. Our	findings,	which
were	published	in	the	highest	quality	scientific	journals,	brought	into	question
the	very	core	principles	of	cancer	causation. When	all	was	said	and	done,	my	colleagues	and	I	were	honored	to	havereceived	a	total	of	seventy-four	grant-years	of	funding. In	other	words,
because	we	had	more	than	one	research	program	being	conducted	at	once,	my
colleagues	and	I	did	seventy-four	years’	worth	of	funded	research	in	less	than
thirty-five	years. From	this	research	I	have	authored	or	co-authored	over	350
scientific	articles. Numerous	awards	were	extended	to	me	and	to	my	students
and	colleagues	for	this	long	series	of	studies	and	publications. They	included,
among	others,	the	1998	American	Institute	for	Cancer	Research	award	“in
recognition	of	a	lifetime	of	significant	accomplishments	in	scientific
research…	in	diet,	nutrition	and	cancer,”	a	1998	award	as	one	of	the	“Top	25
Food	Influentials”	by	
Self
	magazine	and	the	2004	Burton	Kallman	Scientific
Award	by	the	Natural	Nutrition	Food	Association. Moreover,	invitations	to
lecture	at	research	and	medical	institutions	in	more	than	forty	states	and
several	foreign	countries	attested	to	the	interest	in	these	findings	from	the
professional	communities. My	appearance	before	congressional	committees
and	federal	and	state	agencies	also	indicated	substantial	public	interest	in	our
findings. Interviews	on	the	
McNeil-Lehrer	News	Hour
	program,	at	least
twenty-five	other	TV	programs,	lead	stories	in	
USA	Today,
	the	
New	York
Times,
	and	the	
Saturday	Evening	Post
	and	widely	publicized	TV
documentaries	on	our	work	have	also	been	a	part	of	our	public	activities.THE	PROMISE	OF	THE	FUTURE
Through	all	of	this,	I	have	come	to	see	that	the	benefits	produced	by	eating	a
plant-based	diet	are	far	more	diverse	and	impressive	than	any	drug	or	surgery
used	in	medical	practice. Heart	diseases,	cancers,	diabetes,	stroke	and
hypertension,	arthritis,	cataracts,	Alzheimer’s	disease,	
impotence	and	all	sorts
of	other	chronic	diseases	can	be	largely	prevented. These	diseases,	which
generally	occur	with	aging	and	tissue	degeneration,	kill	the	majority	of	us
before	our	time. Additionally,	impressive	evidence	now	exists	to	show	that	advanced	heart
disease,	relatively	advanced	cancers	of	certain	types,	diabetes	and	a	few	other
degenerative	diseases	can	be	reversed	by	diet. I	remember	when	my	superiors
were	only	reluctantly	accepting	the	evidence	of	nutrition	being	able	to	
prevent
heart	disease,	for	example,	but	vehemently	denying	its	ability	to	
reverse
	such
a	disease	when	already	advanced. But	the	evidence	can	no	longer	be	ignored. Those	in	science	or	medicine	who	shut	their	minds	to	such	an	idea	are	being
more	than	stubborn;	they	are	being	irresponsible. One	of	the	more	exciting	benefits	of	good	nutrition	is	the	prevention	of
diseases	that	are	thought	to	be	due	to	genetic	predisposition. We	now	know
that	we	can	largely	avoid	these	“genetic”	diseases	even	though	we	may	harbor
the	gene	(or	genes)	that	is	(are)	responsible	for	the	disease.
_OceanofPDF.com_The_China_Study__The_Most_Comprehensive_St_-_T_Colin_Campbell.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        PRAISE	FOR	
THE	CHINA	STUDY
“
The	China	Study
	gives	critical,	life-saving	nutritional	information	for	every
health-seeker	in	America. But	it	is	much	more;	Dr. Campbell’s	exposé	of	the
research	and	medical	establishment	makes	this	book	a	fascinating	read	and
one	that	could	change	the	future	for	all	of	us. Every	health	care	provider	and
researcher	in	the	world	must	read	it. ”
—-J
OEL
	F
UHRMAN
,	M. D. Author	of	the	Best-Selling	Book,	
Eat	To
	Live
“Backed	by	well-documented,	peer-reviewed	studies	and	overwhelming
statistics	the	case	for	a	vegetarian	diet	as	a	foundation	for	a	healthy	life-style
has	never	been	stronger. ”
—B
RADLEY
	S
AUL
,	OrganicAthlete. com
The	
China	Study
	is	the	most	important	book	on	nutrition	and	health	to	come
out	in	the	last	seventy-five	years. Everyone	should	read	it,	and	it	should	be	the
model	for	all	nutrition	programs	taught	at	universities. The	reading	is
engrossing	if	not	astounding. The	science	is	conclusive. Dr. Campbell’s
integrity	and	commitment	to	truthful	nutrition	education	shine	through. ”
—D
AVID
	K
LEIN
,	Publisher/Editor
Living	
Nutrition	Magazine
“
The	China	Study
	describes	a	monumental	survey	of	diet	and	death	rates	from
cancer	in	more	than	2,400	Chinese	counties	and	the	equally	monumental
efforts	to	explore	its	significance	and	implications	for	nutrition	and	health.
The book provides a comprehensive and scientifically-based guide to nutrition and health, emphasizing the importance of a plant-based diet in preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
What is the main focus of Dr. Campbell's book, "The China Study"?
The book has been endorsed by numerous experts in the field, including Dr. John Robbins, Dr. Robert Goodland, Dr. Dean Ornish, and many others.
Who has endorsed "The China Study"?
Dr. Campbell's work focuses on the connection between diet and health, and he has conducted extensive research to understand the relationship between diet and disease.
What is the main theme of Dr. Campbell's research?
The book emphasizes the importance of a plant-based diet in preventing and reversing chronic diseases, and provides scientifically-based evidence to support this claim.
What is the main message of the book "The China Study"?
The author, Dr. Campbell, aims to provide a comprehensive and scientifically-based guide to nutrition and health, empowering readers to make informed decisions about their diet and health.
What is the author's intention with this book?