The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health is a book by T. Colin Campbell and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II, first published in 2005. I consider it highly recommended reading.
Center for Nutrition Studies
The China-Oxford-Cornell Research
The book is based on the results of the “China-Oxford-Cornell Study on Dietary, Lifestyle and Disease Mortality Characteristics in 65 Rural Chinese Counties”. This was a large observational study conducted throughout rural China, a partnership between Cornell University, the University of Oxford, and the government of China. The study compared the health consequences of diets rich in animal-based foods to diets rich in plant-based foods among people who were genetically similar.
Sixty five counties in 24 different provinces were selected for the survey. Most were located in rural China where people lived in the same place their entire lives and consumed locally-produced food. It was a correlation study that compared the diet, lifestyle, and disease characteristics of 100 adults (half male, half female) in each of the 65 counties (making a total of 6,500 participants).
All participants volunteered blood samples (half also provided urine samples) and completed a diet and lifestyle questionnaire. Survey teams went to 30% of the participants and measured food consumed over a 3-day period. Samples of food representing typical diets at each survey site were collected from local marketplaces and analyzed for dietary and nutritional factors.
The survey was the most comprehensive of its kind ever undertaken. The New York Times called it “The Grand Prix” of epidemiological studies.
Research Results
The Study revealed a strong statistical correlation between diets high in animal protein and the prevalence of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. High consumption of animal products correlated with elevated cholesterol, inflammation, and increased tumor growth. Populations consuming a predominantly plant-based diet had drastically lower rates of these “western” diseases compared to meat-heavy diets.
China Study Principles
The authors of The China Study enumerate eight principles baes on the research: (1) Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances–the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. (2) Dietary supplements are not a panacea for good health. (3) There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants. (4) Genes do not determine disease on their own, they function by being activated or “expressed” and nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes are expressed. (5) Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals. (6) The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages. (7) Nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board. (8) Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence–all the parts are interconnected.
China Study Conclusions
The authors conclude that people who eat a predominantly whole-food, vegan diet will escape, reduce, or reverse the development of numerous diseases. They are critical of reductionist approaches to the study of nutrition, whereby certain nutrients are blamed for disease, as opposed to studying patterns of nutrition and the interactions between nutrients.
To explore the data, methodology, and dietary protocols directly, visit the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. For an academic perspective on the study’s conclusions, you can read the McGill University Office for Science and Society review.
Related Reading
I also recommend the following books related to The China Study:
Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook, by Del Sroufe, 2012.
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Chef Del’s Better Than Vegan: 101 Favorite Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes That Helped Me Lose Over 200 Pounds, by Del Sroufe with Glen Merzer, 2013.
The China Study Solution: The Simple Way to Lose Weight and Reverse Illness Using a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet, by Thomas Campbell, 2015.
The China Study Quick & Easy Cookbook: Cook Once, Eat All Week With Whole-Food, Plant-Based Recipes, by Del Sroufe, edited by LeAnne Campbell, 2015.
The China Study Family Cookbook, by Del Sroufe, edited by LeAnne Campbell, 2017.
