Food is confusing: One day milk “does a body good”, the next day it causes cancer. One day we hear that eating meat will help us lose weight, the next day it’s the cause of obesity. How in the world can anyone make sense all these conflicting ideas?
Over the past 10 years I’ve read dozens of nutrition books, met many times with nutritionists, and experimented with various ways of eating. It’s confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. My goal is to make nutrition education more understandable. This is my first stop on that journey.
In this documentary video I tackle The China Study: What’s worth knowing? What’s the main takeaways?
Watch the video and join in on the discussion!
What is the book The China Study about?
The China Study is the most comprehensive study of nutrition that has ever been conducted.
It includes results of a research project that included 6,500 people over a 20 year period of time. It’s epic.
The entire project was overseen through a partnership between Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. The research is legit. It includes over 8,000 statistically significant associations between lifestyle, diet, and disease variables.
The book is co-authored by T. Colin Campbell (Ph.D in Nutrition and Biochemistry from Cornell University) and his son Thomas M. Campbell.
What are the results of The China Study?
The research shows a an association between the food we eat, and disease.
To repeat that more simply, The China Study shows that food is medicine. Eat the right food and you can cure cancer, heart disease, and a litany of other horrible diseases.
I can break down T. Colin Campbell’s advice in three easy to remember steps:
- Eat Plants: eat the rainbow, as many colors as close to their natural state as possible.
- Eat less animal protein: less meat, fish, eggs and milk.
- Avoid processed foods: less sugars, starchy carbohydrates and vitamin supplements.