The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health

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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, Thomas M. Campbell II

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 7,306 ratings · 1,339 reviews

Even today, as trendy diets and a weight-loss frenzy sweep the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, typically an �adult” disease, at an alarming rate. If we’re obsessed with being thin more so than ever before, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?

In The China Study, Dr....more

Paperback, 417 pages

Published May 11th 2006 by BenBella Books (first published 2006)

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Aug 31, 2012 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: critical thinkers since the book is unfortunately very biased :(

UGH! I totally loved this book as of page 150 or so! At the beginning you find out about this really interesting research that showed that feeding milk protein (casein) to rats encouraged them to develop cancerous growths after the rats had been exposed to a carcinogen called aflatoxin, and the cancer barely grew at all in rats that were fed low amounts (5% of calories) of casein. The cancer also barely grew at all in rats that were fed low to medium to high amounts of PLANT protein (wheat prote...more

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Sep 30, 2012 John added it

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For openers, I'm biased because I already believe that for me to be a vegetarian is better for the animal, better for you, and better for me. So I find myself wanting to believe this book. I also found a possible conflict of interest: the author is on the advisory board of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that reportedly gets funding from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. And the book advocates a diet that avoids animal products.

Having sa...more

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Jul 26, 2007 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone concerned with preventing sickness

Wow! Time to start cutting down on animal protein! This is a well supported (with real scientific evidence) on the dangers of eating animal protein...from cancers, to arthritis to osteoporosis. It also provides good insight into how some in the scientific community, government and industry work together to keep valuable nutritional information from the public. The most interesting and surprising point for me was the dangers of milk and how increased milk consumption can actually cause osteoporos...more

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Aug 19, 2008 Alison rated it 2 of 5 stars

I haven’t read the whole thing yet. I have skipped around a bit and I probably won’t finish it. I am reading it because my sister in law read it and wanted my opinion. At first I had an open mind about what he had to say, but the further I got in to it the less I liked it. The first thing was the evangelical tone of the writing. You can almost hear Amazing Grace being sung in the background… I once was lost, but now am found… Then he completely disses anyone who believes that fiber can contribut...more I haven’t read the whole thing yet. I have skipped around a bit and I probably won’t finish it. I am reading it because my sister in law read it and wanted my opinion. At first I had an open mind about what he had to say, but the further I got in to it the less I liked it. The first thing was the evangelical tone of the writing. You can almost hear Amazing Grace being sung in the background… I once was lost, but now am found… Then he completely disses anyone who believes that fiber can contribute to anemia by calling them “experts” in quotes. There are a lot of real experts who have done some very good research that shows that plant components can impair mineral absorption. He demonizes animal foods, backing up his claims with epidemiological data and rat studies. I find the rat studies rather believable, but I’m not sure he is interpreting the epidemiological data entirely correctly. There are so many factors involved I have a hard time with is attribution of all diseases of affluence to animal foods. There are MANY factors (dietary, lifestyle, and environmental) correlated to animal protein intake that could just as easily be the problem. Most likely it is some combination of factors. China is so different from the US and Europe that I don’t think that you can make a straight comparison. I don’t think that the answer is to start eating like a rural Chinese peasant. The thing that bothers me the most is that he almost completely ignores the possibility and probability of malnutrition among the millions of Chinese people who are consuming these very spare vegetarian diets by attributing it to parasites and saying that it could be prevented by public health projects to provide clean water. He talks about how great it is that the girls in the villages reach menarche in their late teens and that it isn’t so important to be tall. He misses the point that it isn’t tall per se, but the other impairments that go along with not reaching your genetic potential for height.

He does make some good points about the typical American diet. We eat too much overall. We eat too much meat and fat and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Anyone taking Nutr 101 should be able to tell you that. It is no secret. In the rat studies it looks like the benefits of a low animal protein diet taper off at/below 10% of calories from animal protein. That is still a fair amount, not low protein, but less than what most Americans eat. I think that there is a diminishing return to the reduction in animal protein he talks about.

He spends the last section of the book making it sound like there is some national conspiracy among scientists, industry, and policy makers to keep Americans sick in order to make money. I don’t think so.

Over all I am unconvinced. I think that he has over reacted and I still think that you can get the benefits of a vegetarian diet by eating lots of fruit and veggies (including soy) and whole grains while incorporating smaller amounts of lean meat and dairy.
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Sep 10, 2007 Linus rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone wanting to be/stay/return to a healthy life

Wow. What an impressive book! This book looks at what ails us and what is truly the cause. Based on well over 750 studies done over a 35 year period by various researchers, doctors, etc. it highlights the true cause of many of our cancers, diabetes, aches and pains: animal protein. This isn't a "vegan rules; meat eaters drool" kind of book. This is empirical data that proves that our diet overall and animal proteins specifically are the root cause for most of the diseases/ailments of affluence....more

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Nov 01, 2012 Kara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Whew, where to start with this one! I do feel compelled to explain why I see this book as a one star. it is frankly bad science. I think most people would read this book and seriously feel scared, he certainly wrote it with that purpose in mind. Many of my thoughts stem from years of math and statistics classes, years of working with statistics in environmental engineering, some come from the dozens of research studies that I’ve read over the years, some come simply from being a die-hard critica...more Whew, where to start with this one! I do feel compelled to explain why I see this book as a one star. it is frankly bad science. I think most people would read this book and seriously feel scared, he certainly wrote it with that purpose in mind. Many of my thoughts stem from years of math and statistics classes, years of working with statistics in environmental engineering, some come from the dozens of research studies that I’ve read over the years, some come simply from being a die-hard critical thinker. I truly question everything I read (and as a result can drive my ownself nuts). I don't want you to think for one minute that I think I have all the answers to what we “should” be eating. I eat based on what I personally feel is the best odds for health. This changes and evolves, and I definitely struggle with a sweet tooth (I think refined sugar may be the worst evil of all the foods, yet I love it, go figure),. If I speak my truth, based on everything I’ve read, researchers and health professionals that I respect and trust, I do strongly belief that quality meat rich in omega 3’s is the healthiest source of protein for our bodies. I would eat more fish if I didn’t feel so much concern over toxins in our oceans and thus our fish. Grass-fed beef has a better omega 3 fat profile than grain fed beef,but without the toxins of the wild fish. This is what I eat predominantly for meat.
Who knows, maybe further research will come out to show that a no-meat diet is best, but I really do not believe that any science so-far proves that to be the truth (from a health standpoint).

So if you really want to know why I think this book is bad science, here is a start (tip of the ice berge to be honest). Epidemiology is a good tool for predicting future outcomes for large communities, but is terrible for predicting individual causations. He even admits himself (very quietly and sort of as a side note) that there are incredible amounts of variables that confound the results.
Correlations does not equal causation (this is basic statistics, yet almost all of his data is based on correlations. (Rich people eat more meat than poor and rich people have more cancer than poor therefore eating meat causes cancer……don’t even get me started on how this poves nothing)

The author definitely says many things that I agree with and are scientifically backed up by lots of other studies. That’s a big thing for me, I don’t trust anything until it has been shown repeatedly in unrelated studies. The Standard America Diet (SAD as they call it) is certainly dismal. Processed and refined foods are terrible for us and he talks a lot about that in the beginning of the book. This is all very, very true. I’m not vegan (obviously) but I would consider a vegan diet and a whole-foods diet more closely related than most. Both attempt to eat whole fruits and veggies, lots of omega 3’s, fibre, and adequate protein. But there are also many technically incorrect statements this books makes, as well as leaps of logic that are truly unscientific. I could actually be more forgiving of minor technical errors, but the data has been presented in a way that I believe is irresponsible.

I would imagine anyone who would take the time to read this book as it stands would certainly be afraid of dairy. I am not. When you start looking into the real data and how it was interpreted that the problems start to surface and I lost faith in the rest of his possibly accurate data.

Anyway, most people don't take enough interest in their diet to even read one book or they are not open minded enough to consider whether meat, or wheat or big macs are good for their health. I'm not emotionally tied to my “diet” and I read a lot, so I am happy to read and consider what is best for my personal health. I want to believe I am open to change. Sorry for the rambling review.
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Jul 28, 2008 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting read. Comparing how what we eat affects our health. Brad and I mostly skimmed it. I think the author makes alot of assumptions. He is trying to convince us to be vegans, but cannot prove that NO animal products is the better that 10% animal products. What it did was make us go back to the word of wisdom and compare. I hadn't realized how little meat we should eat..."Flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air...to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should...more

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Anittah I agree that he fails to demonstrate that no animal protein is better than a diet whose caloric intake consists of 5% animal protein, but he pretty cl...more
Mar 05, 2009 09:59am

Rachel I thought the author was unclear about this. At one point, the author says that 12% is the "amount of dietary protein needed to satisfy their body gro...more I thought the author was unclear about this. At one point, the author says that 12% is the "amount of dietary protein needed to satisfy their body growth rate" (of rats) (p. 58). Yet most of his graphs show comparisons of 5% versus 20%!!! What the heck! I'm not sure, because he doesn't say this explicitly, but it sounds like 5% protein is basically not enough for proper nutrition, so if you're starving, the cancer cells will starve as well; i.e., you'll starve or suffer malnutrition, but you won't have cancer. Also he doesn't say in these sections whether he is talking about protein as a percent of calories or weight or what. That really bothers me! I guess he means calories because in another chapter he is talking about protein as a % of calories (p. 74).

When it comes to plant vs. animal protein, I agree with you, from the author's findings, it appears that low amounts of animal protein are not harmful. However, he did show that HIGH amounts of animal protein (casein) are harmful (at least in rats and mice), whereas HIGH amounts of plant protein are NOT. I wish he had also tested other types of animal protein besides casein, and more types of plant protein, but I guess he didn't.

My understanding is, if you want to eat a lot of protein, make it plant protein. If you're only going to eat a small amount, then animal protein is fine. OR ... you could probably eat a lot of plant protein with a just a little animal protein once in awhile.

Which, Lisa, is exactly what you are talking about in your review. Following the Bible's advice and just eating small amounts of meat, such as once a week. I think Campbell would agree that this is a healthy path. As my own personal opinion, the way I see it, eating animals should be a last resort when you don't have enough plant foods to sustain you.

Oh, and Lisa, I want to applaud you for protecting your family's health and cutting back on animal products in your diet! I think that is what the author is trying to have people do. I don't think he's trying to make anyone vegan, although he himself is almost completely vegan.

One note of warning, although it is a happy one: once you start cutting back, the same thing might happen for you as what happened for me. Once I started cutting back on my meat/dairy consumption, I realized how unnecessary it was. It hit me that I was eating such a small amount of animal products that they really can't be contributing any significant amount to my dietary health. Then I realized how cruel some of the dairy, meat, fish, and egg industries are, and how much more resource-intensive some of those industries (such as beef) are, compared to plant agriculture, and I'm really big on treading lightly on the environment, so that was a big deal to me. With all this information, I realized that anything other a vegan diet is unethical, given that I don't need animal products for health reasons, and I am certainly affluent enough that I can purchase any kind of food I want. In no way could I say that I have to eat beef or ham because I can't afford fruits, vegetables, corn, and beans. If I told myself that, I'd be living a lie. So I became almost 100% vegan, without meaning to. When I was in my early 20's, I had cholesterol over 200, and now I'm in my mid-30s; thankfully, my cholesterol is 167, with very high HDL and very low LDL. (Hey, now that I'm reading the China Study, I see it's possible to get my cholesterol even lower! I will try.) It's wonderful to be in such good health; I'm so thankful for that. Meanwhile, it feels good to know that I am contributing to that good health by taking care of myself, as well as helping the planet and being kind to the animals, with my food choices.

Congratulations on adopting a mostly plant-based diet, Lisa! Best of luck in your journey!
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updated Jun 10, 2009 04:32pm

Oct 04, 2009 Lisa Vegan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those ignorant about the health benefits of a plant based diet

Shelves: non-fiction, social-culture, science, bookclub, reviewed, altta

I have to say that I was not in the mood to read this book. In fact, I’d decided I wasn’t interested in reading it at all. When it first was published I’d heard good things about it so I bought it, but then heard some negative things and put it aside. However, my real world book club decided to read it as our October selection so I read it, but I was not enthusiastic.

I was a bit irritable reading this as I felt as though I should be taking notes and memorizing material as I would while reading a...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Eliece rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book details one study after another that demonstrate the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet and/or the negative effects of animal protein. I have been interested in this subject lately, so the information in the book was good BUT so very boring to read, no practical applications provided, and the author was so annoying (he lets you know about every 3rd page what a distinguished researcher he is and how amazing his work is or give you the stats on his distinguished collegues) I ha...more

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Dec 30, 2008 Brooke rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is based on years of research, both in the real world and in labs. It is basically about the remarkable relationship between the foods we eat and cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses. It is information that food companies, doctors, drug companies, etc. don't want you to know about.

On a related note, if you have not seen the documentary "Super Size Me" yet, I highly recommend you go rent it. The DVD also has bonus features. Go to the extra interviews and watch the interv...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Chanelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a must-read for every American. You will love and hate reading this book at the same time, because once you are presented with the facts about how our Western diet is killing us, you will never be the same. This book provoked me to read more and more about it, and after all the reading I've done on the benefits of a plant based diet, my shopping list to the grocery store is forever changed.

I've always tried to eat from a spiritual point of view, I figure we are only supposed to eat the t...more

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May 04, 2013 Beatriz Rosales rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fué necesario leer este libro para preparar una conferencia sobre los beneficios de una dieta vegetariana. Resultado: positivo. Respaldandome en la frase de Hipocrates: "Existen, en efecto, dos cosas: saber y creer que uno sabe. El saber es la ciencia. Creer que uno sabe es ignorancia". Y claro que respecto a la alimentación, y por ende a la nutrición, todos creemos que sabemos, pero en realidad cuando o cuanto nos hemos preparado par hacerlo de la manera adecuada, ya que nos limitamos a comer l...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

The most important book I've read in a long time. Changed the way I eat. Strongly recommended, if you're interested in the latest research on nutrition and health, disease, cancer, energy, and longevity.

I came to this with an eager and open mind, since it was highly recommended by someone I respect greatly, Art Eggertsen, founder of ProBar. I have long been seeking out the best approach to nutrition for two reasons: 1) maximize athletic performance. I am an avid cyclist, formerly a fanatical tr...more

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May 10, 2011 Sarah Ehmke rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a very important book for our health, and it has prompted myself and my family to make some changes that I'm sure will lead to better health and well being for us all. Everyone should read this!
ONE WEEK LATER FOLLOW UP: After being on an animal protein-free, whole food diet for almost 2 weeks, I called my hubby at work this morning and he told me he was having a good day, feeling optimistic. WHAT?! This is a man who hates his job and struggles to find a single thing to look forward to wh...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Brad rated it 2 of 5 stars

COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT BOOK!!! BUT LEFT OUT TOO MUCH SIGNIFICANT DATA!!!

Below is a study co-authored by Colin Campbell and is derived from the Cornell China Study.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 136 (2003) 127-140

Fish consumption, blood docosahexaenoic acid and chronic diseases
in Chinese rural populations
Yiqun Wanga, Michael A. Crawforda,*, Junshi Chenb, Junyao Lib, Kebreab Ghebremeskela,
T. Colin Campbell, Wenxun Fanb, Robert Parkerc, Julius Leytond

Here is the conclusion:

Under t...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Tamra Copanas Ahlert rated it 5 of 5 stars

In laymen's terms, the author, researcher T. Colin Compbell, PhD, demonstrates how animal proteins and animal based diets directly contribute to elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, and "diseases of affluence."

Diseases of affluence include heart disease, breast cancer, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney stones, cataracts, age related macular degeneration, cognitive dysfunction, vascular dementia, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions and more. Diseases o...more In laymen's terms, the author, researcher T. Colin Compbell, PhD, demonstrates how animal proteins and animal based diets directly contribute to elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, and "diseases of affluence."

Diseases of affluence include heart disease, breast cancer, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney stones, cataracts, age related macular degeneration, cognitive dysfunction, vascular dementia, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, autoimmune conditions and more. Diseases of affluence are diseases that are especially related to Western diets and Western peoples. Disease of affluence are not found in countries where the people eat a predominately whole-foods, plant based diet. Of course these people die from health problems as well, but their deaths are related to diseases of poverty.

The author demonstrates that this difference between Western diseases (disease of affluence) and Eastern diseases (diseases of poverty) is not related to genetics; he explains that moving a person from the East to the West and subjecting that person to a Western diet will create the same Western diseases that the Easterner had never suffered from previously. The research is also age controlled, so that it takes into consideration age and lifespans. That is to say, the studies show that just because a Western might live longer that doesn't account for his or her ability to develop a Western disease.

The author explains how he evolved from growing up on a diary farm where he assumed that animal protein created "healthy teeth and bones," to a seventy some year-old, vegetarian/ almost vegan, healthy man. It is through his extensive, honest, and impressive research that he decides to adopt--and his family as well--a diet composed of vegetables, fruits and whole foods.

Towards the end of the book, the author shows how the food industry controls and influences the information that the public believes is sound nutritional advice. He shows how the diary industry has infiltrated the public school systems and how some academic "researchers" are puppets for the food industry. The author shows how the food industry spends millions of dollars on marketing campaigns to increase interest for their products, and how the industry tries to stifle research that is damaging to their interests. Many times the food industry succeeds by creating confusion within the publics' mind about what is consider safe and healthy.

The author also discusses how physicians receive little nutritional training in medical school, and how the majority of them are unable to accept that dietary changes are really what most patients need more than anything else. Instead of trying to merely treat the symptoms of disease, e.g., heart disease, the author wants physicians to treat what is causing the disease to begin with. He has found throughout his entire career that there is much opposition to this, and many physicians do not think it is practical or possible that their patients would switch from a predominately animal based diet towards a whole-foods, plant based diet. The author believes it is the physicians' obligation to present the research and facts to his or her patient, and it is then up to the patient to decide what he or she will do. (If I was dying of cancer, I think I would try it out!)

This is a must read for anyone interested in doing all that he or she can to improve your health and lifespan. If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, another disease or you have high cholesterol or blood pressure and you are looking for something substantial, something other than another surgery or more pills, then this is a book that you should read. If you have someone in your family who has suffered from an awful disease and you are afraid that your genetic make-up is the same,then you should read this book.

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Jul 21, 2008 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who eats food

Wow. I mean...wow. This book should be required reading for anyone who...well... eats (especially the average American). I just finished listening to the audio version, and I'm ready to go back to track 1 and give it second go. I'll probably get the print version at some point, for reference, but I'm SO thankful an audio recording exists, because – to be honest – I'd probably just skim through the printed book and not really get the full impact of what Dr. Campbell has to say. The basic premise...more Wow. I mean...wow. This book should be required reading for anyone who...well... eats (especially the average American). I just finished listening to the audio version, and I'm ready to go back to track 1 and give it second go. I'll probably get the print version at some point, for reference, but I'm SO thankful an audio recording exists, because – to be honest – I'd probably just skim through the printed book and not really get the full impact of what Dr. Campbell has to say. The basic premise is: eat a plant-based, whole foods diet (basically vegan) and enjoy a long, healthy, disease-free life. But that's not doing the book justice. Many of the studies cited are just mind-boggling. I found my mouth hanging agape on more than one occasion during the listen.

Throughout, I couldn’t help thinking of my family. My father, an organic farmer who also happens to be a very Midwestern meat ‘n potatoes guy, who survived a major heart attack in his 50s and regularly takes cholesterol-lowering medication. And my mother, a former RN who has been on disability for years due to crippling rheumatoid arthritis. My brother, a trained chef who eats organic and avoids artificial sweeteners, but can’t give up his meat. And his son, my little nephew, who at ten months of age has been transitioned to raw goat’s milk, because his mother (wisely) doesn’t trust anything made with cows milk for babies (though I’m not sure if goat’s milk is that much better). I kept imagining their reactions to this book, if I could get them to really take it in. Would it change them? Sad to say, I doubt it...at least in my parents’ case...their habits are too ingrained at this point, too much a part of their identities. That will likely be the case for most meat-eaters, if they could even be persuaded to give this book a shot. But I applaud T. Colin Campbell for putting this information out there, for those of us who will read it and take it to heart. Even as a long-time vegetarian, my diet is certainly going to take some adjusting, and I look forward to one day being happier and healthier as a result.

For a free excerpt and more information, visit www.thechinastudy.com.(less)

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Sep 03, 2008 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who are genuinely interested in health and nutrition

To go from a dairy farmer who went to college to learn how to make animals produce more milk and meat, to a human nutrition expert promoting a whole foods, plant-based diet as the key to human health and disease prevention represents a remarkable shift in beliefs, career path, and personal behavior. This book tells the story of that shift - the story of Dr. Campbell's life and career as a scientist who was persuaded by what the growing body of nutrition research (including the groundbreaking epi...more To go from a dairy farmer who went to college to learn how to make animals produce more milk and meat, to a human nutrition expert promoting a whole foods, plant-based diet as the key to human health and disease prevention represents a remarkable shift in beliefs, career path, and personal behavior. This book tells the story of that shift - the story of Dr. Campbell's life and career as a scientist who was persuaded by what the growing body of nutrition research (including the groundbreaking epidemiological study he led) demonstrated. As he tells his story, he explains the science in a way that is explained for the layperson while still presenting a detailed analysis.
What I liked about this book, more than other books with a similar message, is that Dr. Campbell doesn't come across as a zealot determined to make.you.understand.dammit the glorious truth he has to share with you, the poor unenlightened dupe. He doesn't try to shame the typical Westerner for his/her diet - first of all, he begins the book explaining that he started out as exactly that: the typical (mid-)Westerner who believed that cow's milk was nature's most perfect food. Second of all, he presents a concise yet thorough case for just why the typical Westerner probably hasn't heard about all of the peer-reviewed, objective research presented in The China Study and why most people can't shake the opinion that animal protein is a necessary component of the human diet, even after they're confronted with evidence that it does more harm than good. (For a less concise and more thorough case, I recommend Food Politics by Marion Nestle).
Rather than zealotry, Campbell's tone is science-based and fact-oriented. He does have an opinion, and he is building a strong argument for a whole foods, plant-based diet, but that argument is the result of the story he's telling, rather than the starting point for an effort to prove a pre-conceived opinion.
When I read this book, I was already vegan, and I had already read a number of other books, articles, and web resources with the same essential message, so the book didn't need to persuade me of anything I hadn't already heard. But what I am grateful for, and what I got from this book that I hadn't before found so completely anywhere else, is a careful, thoughtful, detailed and organized look at the science behind all the claims and pronouncements. Other books and sources say "numerous scientific studies show..." and my instinctively cynical mind (I am the daughter of a scientist, after all!) doesn't completely trust that the science is being faithfully represented by the claims. The China Study takes the time and the care to go through those studies and to explain how those studies show what they do. So what I liked about this book, I guess, is that I found it to be a trustworthy source of objective research that, ultimately, reassures me that I have chosen a genuinely healthy diet and lifestyle.
I would love to hear what my omni friends think! I can't wait for your reviews!(less)

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Jul 25, 2008 Maren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Maren by: Julie

First of all, I have to say that this is not light reading. There are plenty of books out there with a similar message that give more of the "how-to." This book is for people obsessed with the "why."

I must admit that I intently read the section about the link of nutrition's link to disease (my pet interest), but only skimmed the section about the American conspiracy concerning nutrition. Some of his experiences were mind-boggling, and it really explains why so many Americans eat poorly.

The autho...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-again

EVERYONE should read this book. Seriously, everyone! It lays out well-documented reasons to eat a plant-based diet, touching on the relationship between nutrition and cancer, heart disease, diabetes, as well as other diseases. T. Colin Campbell reached this conclusion after years of nutrition research; he did not set out with an agenda, which I think makes this book great for people who are skeptical about the merits of a vegan diet. It was also well written and makes the science easy to underst...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Cassandra rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Vegans, Nutrition Enthusiasts

Recommended to Cassandra by: Rosa-maria

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 10, 2009 Jenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

A gritty scientific approach to the relationship between diet and disease. Scientific citations abound. It combines his work with the work of many others from fields looking at cancer, cardiovascular, etc. diseases and their correlations to various foods. This book is oft-cited by other books of the same genre. It is for the person who wants to see the nitty-gritty details for themselves. Having said that, it is not nearly as dry as a text book, but definitely puts forth more data for the reader...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a leading book on overall nutrition, however, it isn't boring or written like a scientific study. It covers nutrition, long term health, disease prevention, the media and nutrition, and political involvment in nutrition and the nutritional beliefs in this country. It was written by a man who grew up in Pennsylvania on a dairy farm who is now a scientist and advocates a vegan life style. It is not, however, preachy, and even meat lovers will gain some good information related to thier die...more

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Oct 03, 2007 Josephine rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: I'm giving it to my parents to read

Shelves: academic-personal

This really is an amazing book. The amount of research and time spent on proving a "whole foods, plant based diet" as a MAJOR key into halting and preventing chronic illnesses such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes is AMAZING!!! [The other MAJOR key is exercise of course.]
The only tiny issue I had with the book was this fish cop-out. There a section in the book where he describes food that should be avoided/minimize/and focus on. Under the minimize section he has fish...Uh, no! Pleas...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. People who love their meat are often turned off by it, but I he has strong scientific basis (which he conducted himself) to support what he is saying about an optimal diet. After reading this book I know that I will no longer have any problems with weight. Also, I found a greater motivation to eat healthy besides losing weight, and that is to prevent disease. The correlations between food and heart disease, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and cancer are ast...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Eric Nelson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book! Very informative and is backed up by real scientific evidence. I have changed the way i view my food now. It's interesting, most of the people who gave it a bad rating didn't read much of the book at all. As was mentioned in the book, most Americans do not want to hear the truth about this issue and those who rated it without really reading it I assume fit into that group.

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Apr 05, 2010 Rebecca added it

I just can't do it. I value my non-enraged time too much.

I got a few chapters in and decided that there wasn't any point in continuing. We start off with the usual Pollan-esque call to disregard looking at individual nutrients and just eat whole foods. Wait, scratch that, protein is bad! Oh sorry, I mean, animal protein is bad! Oh whoops, my mistake, I only did my experiments using casein and rats and from there extrapolated that all the animal protein ever will give you the super-cancer. It is...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was really good for information in the areas of nutrition and chronic disease management. I would have preferred if the book was written in a more assertive manner but since the author is bucking the system it is understandable that he feels compelled to be more defensive.

The book opens with a certification of the author's credentials and a discussion of practical and clinical study concepts and practices. Then there are a number of chapters focused on different areas of maj...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Grady rated it 5 of 5 stars

Harsh realities - we are what we eat, if given the choice....

In an age of crises, of media blitz campaigns both written and in that ominous Cloud where all data on everything and everyone is stored and available for dissecting, this volume THE CHINA STUDY by Doctors Campbell is fresh and illuminating. Early on in this tome we read, `'Hippocrates said, `There are, in effect, two things: to know and to believe one knows. To know is science. To believe on e knows is ignorance.' And what follows in...more Harsh realities - we are what we eat, if given the choice....

In an age of crises, of media blitz campaigns both written and in that ominous Cloud where all data on everything and everyone is stored and available for dissecting, this volume THE CHINA STUDY by Doctors Campbell is fresh and illuminating. Early on in this tome we read, `'Hippocrates said, `There are, in effect, two things: to know and to believe one knows. To know is science. To believe on e knows is ignorance.' And what follows in this book is a close examination or scrutiny of nutrition and how it affects health and disease.

Though the book is lengthy and dense it is surprisingly easy to read and understand. The Campbells wade through the various obsessions about weight control that come from (on the positive side) nutritionists and health gurus, to companies who are involved in the `health industry' with such plans as prepared meals for dieting, groups who gather like AA clones in the often lost battle to get thin, to `scientific articles' that take a small study and show us why we should avoid certain foods only to bow out within a year or so having found another wayward dietary measure that guarantees health, etc. This book shows how the growing epidemic of obesity in this country has nurtured Medicine Man Wagons who play on the fear of overweight citizens in order to make money - the big culprits being the food industry - and encouraged those lobbyists who pester the national government to foster communication for the good of corporate greed and not for the health of the citizenry.

But politics aside (and that is a big part of the message in this study) the main message here is to alter our perception of what foods are healthy and how we can so easily change our eating habits by depending on plants and whole foods instead of animals as our food source. No, this is not a treatise on vegetarianism. Instead this is an explanation about how our preference for animal products (`protein source') is a misconception that has foster the persistent proliferation of cancer, cardiovascular disease, the effect on early aging, obesity, diabetes, and other malfunctions of the human organism. It is an eye-opening study that is certain to benefit all those who commit to the time to read it. At least the reader will be informed as to the misconceptions that the obesity epidemic has fostered. From that point, the progress is up to us. `Eating the right way not only prevents disease but also generates health and a sense of well-being, both physically and mentally.'

Grady Harp(less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Greg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Basically a book about veganism. First 1/3 to 1/2 is very interesting. Basically correlates increased animal protein consumption (which in itself is correlated to how "advanced" countries are) to increases in the Western diseases (cancer, heart disease, etc). Shows correlations both across countries, and over time. Basic premise of the book is that our shitty health is a direct result of overconsumption of animal protein. Animal protein in developing nations is more like a treat, and the Western...more

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About T. Colin Campbell

Biochemist who specializes in the effects of nutrition on long-term health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, and the author of over 300 research papers. He was one of the lead scientists in the 1980s of the China-Oxford Cornell study on diet and disease (known as the China Project), set up in 1983 by Cornell University, the Univer...more

More about T. Colin Campbell...

Books by T. Colin Campbell

Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition

Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure

Healthy Eating, Healthy World: Unleashing the Power of Plant-Based Nutrition

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“As you will come to see, much is governed by the Golden Rule: he who has the gold makes the rules.” — 8 people liked it

“Everything in food works together to create health or disease. The more we think that a single chemical characterizes a whole food, the more we stray into idiocy.” — 4 people liked it

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