A Plant-Based Study: The China Study

No matter how far medical science has come, individuals unfortunately still experience poor health. Why is this so? The answer may be that too much emphasis is being placed on medical care, instead of other measures to improve general health. Take for instance the difficulty in understanding carcinogenesis - the formation of cancer cells- which modern healthcare has yet to grasp a handle on. Additionally, increased investment into healthcare systems does not necessarily mean better overall public health. In fact, Americans' well-being has declined over time despite there now being almost 300 percent more GDP spent on healthcare than existed forty years ago! This can be seen through the increasing number of people dying from cancer as well as a 70 percent uptick in diabetes diagnoses among 30-39 year olds between 1990 and 1998.

The relentless pursuit of medical solutions to remain "healthy" has been detrimental by blinding us to the drawbacks. In fact, approximately 7 percent of hospital patients who take medication as prescribed suffer severe side-effects – or worse, death. This stark truth reveals that the idea of a “magic pill” for health is expensive and incredibly dangerous.
Rather than pursuing medical cures, we should be focusing on improving nutrition. Harnessing the power of a healthy diet has been proven to prevent disease since every cell in our body is composed from nutrients that are derived from it! Nutrition provides not only a logical cornerstone for good health but also an easier option when compared with more elaborate and costly medical cures.
Evidence shows that maintaining a diet focused on good nutrition can effectively prevent illnesses such as early-stage heart disease and diabetes - even cancer!

But first, it’s important to understand what is healthy when it comes to nutrition.

Many of us scrutinize what we eat in terms of fat or carbohydrates, while at the same time also worrying that not enough protein is being consumed. In actuality, there is much less requirement for protein in our diets than one might think. German nutritionist Carl Voit established during the nineteenth century that only 48 grams a day were necessary for optimal health. Despite this finding, Voit instated an incredibly higher amount; 118 grams per day. Nevertheless, given the prevalence of contaminants in today's environment, a diet abounding with animal proteins can increase the risk of cancer development.

During the 1960s, a study was conducted with rats which were exposed to aflatoxin, a toxic mold that can cause liver cancer. This experiment separated two groups of rats - one given a 20 percent caseine diet and the other given 5 percent caseine. Astonishingly, every rat from the first group developed liver cancer or lesions while each rat from the second stayed healthy. This suggests that different types of animal protein may have similar effects on human health as well. Evidence of this is shown by Filipino children who experienced accidental exposure to aflatoxins; those who ate higher protein diets were most likely to develop liver cancer.

Contrary to what one may think when they hear the word “protein,” not all of it needs to come from animal sources. Plant proteins, such as beans, nuts and soy-based items, can provide a healthy alternative that comes without many of the adverse health effects associated with meat and other animal proteins.

The renowned China Study was born from the ambitious partnership between Cornell University, the University of Oxford, and the Chinese government. Starting out as one of the most expansive public health analyses ever performed, its purpose was to comprehend how nutrition and environment influence our wellbeing. So why did experts select China? As there is a lack of genetic variability among Chinese citizens -- meaning they possess equal potential to contract any disease -- genetic discrepancies wouldn't contort their results.

Despite vast genetic differences, the rates of disease in China vary significantly between different parts of the country. In some locations, cancer rates are reportedly 100 times higher than in others, leading researchers to investigate environmental causes for the disparity. Thus it was a prime location for exploring how environment and diet can impact one's health.
In China, scientists observed that diets range from primarily plant-based protein to those higher in animal-based proteins. This opened up an excellent opportunity for them to assess any potential correlations between types of protein intake and disease prevalence.

In the 1970s, the Chinese government led an effort to map cancer cases in the country which resulted in a publication called the Cancer Atlas. With this data as a basis, researchers were well-prepared to launch their own project known as The China Study. This study utilized various data sets that studied how dietary choices may be associated with certain diseases. To collect their data, experiments were conducted and 60 different regions of China were visited where food and urine samples were taken and questionnaires were filled out. Consequently, for these reasons and many more, China was an ideal choice for this project.

In order to explore the potential connection between nutrition and disease, including certain cancers and heart disease, scientists gathered their individual findings and compared them to data from Cancer Atlas.

Cancer is a serious medical condition and it can be caused, in part, by dietary choices. The results of the China Study illustrate this point clearly, as increased intake of protein from animals proved to be much more important for cancer risk than exposure to carcinogens.
So what did the project tell us? It turns out that when a normal cell becomes cancerous a number of things happen; potential cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) need enzymes to enable them to work on normal cells. This is where diet plays an important role.
By making sure we consume fewer proteins in our foods, enzyme activity in the body decreases - which means that even with high levels of carcinogens in the body, there will be less chance for any transformation into cancerous cells.

'Foci', or groupings of cells with the potential to become cancerous, are generally seen as precursors to the development of solid tumors. Surprisingly though, it is not carcinogens that primarily determine the number and size of these foci, but rather the amount of animal protein consumption. Studies on rodents showed that those with a diet containing greater than 20% animal protein grew triple the amount of foci when compared to those fed just 5%. This effect was even more notable when factoring in aflatoxin exposure -- animals who consumed high levels of animal proteins while being subjected to low doses of aflatoxin developed nine times as many tumors as did animals exposed to high amounts of aflatoxin with low-protein diets.

The research of the China Study indicated that when it comes to preventing cancerous tumors, our best bet might be to cut down on consuming animal-based proteins. These findings were supported by other studies with rats that received aflatoxin and either wheat or soy protein. It was observed that rats fed the plant proteins did not have an increase in pre-cancerous growths, suggesting plant-based diets could be a better solution.

The latest studies have revealed that diets based on animal proteins can be risk factors for cancer, while diets composed of plant-based proteins can protect against it. Consequently, the best way to look after your health and well-being is by opting for veganism or adhering to purely plant-based meals. Going down this route will not only help safeguard you from cancer but also decrease the likelihood of other illnesses.

Research has shown that women who follow vegan diets are at less risk for breast cancer. Animal products, such as milk and butter, contain high levels of fat, which can increase the level of estrogen in the body. Estrogen is known to be linked with an elevated chance of developing cancer.
The China Study demonstrated that when rural Chinese women cut their dietary fat down to six percent or below their total caloric intake, their risk for breast cancer was smaller than those whose consumption was greater than 24 percent. The correlation between consuming fewer fatty foods and animal proteins was particularly apparent within this study.

Based on the China Study findings, a diet rich in fiber appears to be linked with better health. This type of diet is typically made up of mostly plants and has been found to reduce the risk for colon and rectal cancer, as well as lower cholesterol levels. The average Chinese adult gets around 33 grams of fiber from their mainly vegetable-based meal plan whereas, in comparison, the North American only gets around 11 grams daily.

The human body needs antioxidants to fend off free radicals, which can damage cells and cause ailments such as macular degeneration. Sources of these powerful nutrients include fruits and vegetables, plus Irish sea moss, chlorella, spirulina, tumeric, sacha inchi, olive oil and cocoa. All of these provide the body with powerful protection from potentially harmful molecules.