Thomas M. Campbell II

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Was a bit surprised at how little time the China Study itself makes up of the book (a short section midway through). Sure, there are a few things that I wonder about - like why is a vegan diet any better than a low animal product diet? I think his broad points are accurate and I agree with his assessment of "fad" diets. He keeps things simple and bangs the drum (perhaps too much!) on the whole-food, plant based diet. Worth a read and a good book to have in your bookshelf.… (mehr)

What is The China study? It is " the culmination of a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine." Dr. Thomas M. Campbell of Cornell University was the U.S. project partner. It is the most comprehensive study of nutrition to date.

Just as the cigarette industry came out with M.D.s and their own "studies" countering evidence regarding smoking and lung cancer, sectors of the food industry with a lot to lose should people read The China Study came out of the woodwork. As a result, the internet is replete with nay-saying about the findings.

Science insists that claims be repeatable. Dr. Dean Ornish-Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Fransico- repeated the findings clinically and became the standard for reversing heart disease after employing The China Study principles. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Cleveland Clinic cardiovascular surgeon, replicated the results and set up a program to prevent and reverse heart disease. Then there is that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit health organization promoting preventive medicine and clinical research, has reproduced the findings.

Eating habits resulting from the China Study are gaining ground in the U.S.

So, after wading through the commotion, what did the China Study find? It's simple. The less access people had to meat, the less heart disease they developed. The less access to dairy, the less cancer they had.

Cancer and heart disease are the two leading causes of death in this country. Is it because we love dairy and meat?

Reading The China Study is not for everyone. Clinicians will get the most from it. A DVD that resulted from the study entitled "Forks Over Knives" targets the non-medical population. My wife and I watched the DVD before I read the book. She turned to me at the video's end, proclaiming, "We can't un-know this."… (mehr)