The China Study

You might want to look at this refutation of Campbell's "research."

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Campbell-Masterjohn.html

But good luck with your integrated protocol.

Hi MJB-

I also read the China Study and I am following the guidelines. I strongly believe that this is the best option at keeping cancer dormant and it makes the most sense to me.

I don't know if you are aware but Dr. Campbell and others of his mindset will be teaching on a cruise in March. It is called www.atasteofhealth.org and I attended it last year. It was very enlightening to me and I am so glad that I went. I took my daughters and I think it changed their lives for the better.

There are many people that don't believe in the China Study. They say that there is no proof. I don't think they have read the book because the book shows the proof. I think most people don't want to give up the food that they like and I understand because it is more difficult to go out to eat but I will tell you, I have never been healthier and I dropped 20 pounds without trying. It is a healthy, kind and environmentally friendly diet and something I feel very good about. I follow it exactly and I personally believe it is a switch to turn off cancer.

Good luck to you.

Hi Molly-

The book throughly describes Dr. Campbells research and he shows his proof. That is what the book is about...proof. If you don't think it is factual then that is up to you. I didn't say that you don't believe in the China Study, I said many people don't. You may totally believe Masterjohn and that is your prerogative.

I met Dr. Campbell and talked to him personally. He grew up on a farm and had meat and dairy daily. His research opened his eyes and he switched to a plant based diet, as did his wife and 5 children. He is not trying to sell anything (you can get his book at the library) and is just trying to educate the taxpayers who basically funded his study.

I think he has enough to do without debating his findings. He is not pushing it on anyone. He is simply telling what he found in his research. If you don't want to trust his research I am sure he is ok with that.

I think we are finding out more and more how bad that dairy really is. Katie Couric had a special on this week about the dark side of dairy. The factory farms give antibiotics out the wazoo to healthy cows. And these factory farms are so different from what the eskimos and other cultures eat that there is no comparison.

I used to be a big cheese eater. I put cheese on everything. I think cheese played a part in my cancer and I believe that a plant based diet is the best diet to fight cancer.

Iza is correct. Campbell is full of this kind of sloppy generalizations and has made stuff up.

Baywatcher, again, I realize your intentions are good, but could you please give me ONE of Campbell's proofs that plant-based diets cause less cancer?

Again, you said I "believe" Chris Masterjohn. I don't "believe" him-- which implies faith. I  observed how he refuted Campbells assertions and lies. He logically refuted Campbell.

 If you read the article you will see how Masterjohn proved Campbell misrepresented and fabricated his so-called evidence. What did you think of Masterjohn's evidence against Campbell's lies? Could you show me one single place Masterjohn is wrong?

I bought a number of informative books, when I found myself in this new world about 4 months ago...."Anti Cancer", "What Your Doctor doesn't know about Nutritional Medicine May be Killing You", "Body Toxic", "Foods That Fight Cancer", and "The China Study" to name a few...My husband is reading "The China Study" at this time, so I can not give my opinion on it yet..However, what I do know is that "FOR ME", I know that I am sane enough to take the common sense information and use it to what I believe is a new way that I look at foods.....I have choose from the info to eliminate as much dairy (even though I was buying hormone/pesticide free) I have gone to Rice Milk and amazingly it works in my world (I am not saying for you to give up milk or dairy, I am saying that with all the info that I have taken our of these books, that it is a choice that I made, we all have the ability to do what we think is best for our own personal bodies)...We eat mostly whole foods, organic when available, minimal red hormone free red meat, lots cold water fish and to me just a lot of common sense ways to rid ourselves of what is hiding in most manufactured foods....My cholesterol was 232 four months ago, it is now 200...My husband and I have both lost 10 lbs, my blood pressure used to be in the 140's, now low 130's.....So I for one have solid proof that a healthier lifestyle has made a major effect on my personal health....You don't have to agree with everything that you read in these books to make bettter choices....Just take what makes sense to you and change some of those bad eating habits to better ones...We need to power ourselves to fight this bc with as healthy of a body as we can....This is such an easy way to get some life control back.....Baywatcher lost 20 lbs and feels great by changing some of her choices with the info that she chose to follow, so it works for her and that is the bottom line, it works for her! and I think that is great!...Good luck to all....

Baywatcher..We have been freezing for 2 months...I believe I have an older copy of "Foods for Life", I will have to track it down and review....We did see "Food, Inc" and I have watched other recent shows on the horrible treatment and state or our meats, it was quite compelling and my husband and I were shocked into changing even more than we did before we saw it!..I have also changed everything that goes into and on my body also changed my cleaning products to non-chemical..I don't eat anything out of a can (BPA), it is amazing what the FDA has continued to allow in our foods that obviously is causing harm....Love Key West, rented a house on Sunrise, right next door to "Jimmy Buffet" and also rented a house on Caroline St., in 1988 when my ex ran a restaurant "Foley Square" on Duval st.....My now hubby and I are going to "Buffet" concert in Orlando next week......Also love your beautiful sunsets and the color of water around the Keys...Well stay warm (I can't believe houses in Key West even have furnances) stay healthy...

I read the china study a while back.  I'm not very sophisticated when it comes to the different kinds of studies (observational, double blind, etc).  I just remember thinking that Campbell sure seemed to have a high opinion of how he conducted his studies and I wasn't convinced that he had reason to be.  That saying kept coming to mind -- correlation doesn't equal causation.  While I was glad to see Campbell arrive at the conclusions he did, I'm just not sure his studies were rock solid in getting there. 

The main thing I liked about Campbell is how he stood up against the status quo and took considerable heat from colleagues when he decided to deviate from the prevailing 'wisdom.'  Considering how long ago he was doing his studies, I think it's admirable that he completed his studies and got published.  

If anyone's wavering on what to read next, I'd definitely recommend Food Inc above the China Study.  I'm especially fond of Michael Pollan too.  I didn't find the china study very interesting until he started talking about his experiences in dealing with board members of various committees he served. 

I have read so many books it is hard to keep track, but I agree with somany that AntiCancer and What Your Doctor doesn't know, are two of the best. I have heard a lot of controversy about Campbell, but  I think his intentions are right, and there is alot of sense to what he says. I also like Jane Plants book, Your life in Your hands, about the diary link. I too grew up on lots of dairy, so  I know it was a contributor for me. Like others, I lost weight when I stopped. My digestion has really improved too. I will eat a little hormone free, organic cheese now and then, and I use small amounts of organic butter, but I now only use rice milk in cereals.

You Florida gals have me laughing about how "cold" it is down there! Gee, I bet it is all the way down to 50. You poor things. I took a long walk in the snow yesterday. We had a balmy day in the low 20's.  It was beautiful! It is a shame about the Fla crops though. Hey, maybe this spring, all those college kids will keep their clothes on!

Just finished reading The China Study.  Overall, I really appreciated it.  He doesn't say anything which hasn't been said before, since there have been vegetarians and vegans choices being made forever, but he does do a very good job of giving firsthand research results, which I appreciated.  I agree that there seems to be a bit of inconsistency here and there, but honestly, give the man a break - he is a scientist, for crying out loud, not an author, so his writing is not as tight as that of a true writer.  Another thing I appreciated about him - his age.  He's seen a lot in his years, lived through a lot of pressure, met some very influential people on both sides of the issues.  In the end, this is his last "hurrah", and he knows it.  He's hoping to lay out the facts as clearly as possible, hoping to help others and motivate them to take into their hands what they are able to do to gain better health.  Given the obvious conflicts of interest with so much of the FDA/pharmaceutical/dairy board/beef lobby, etc, I appreciated that this gentleman was willing to stand alone and be vocal, sharing an accumulation of wisdom he's gained over the years.  I only regret not having read it years ago.

The China Study is what helped influence me to become a raw vegan several years before my cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, I based my decision on general concepts from the book, instead of my usual approach of reading it carefully and assessing the legitimacy of its data and conclusions.

I now believe that veganism can contribute to breast cancer by depriving you of critical cancer-fighting nutrients (such as CLA's) that are only available in certain animal products. Of coures, high amounts of unfermented soy adds a whole new risk factor to the equation.

I recently came across the article thenewme linked and also this one, which has links to other great articles and discussions that expound on the flaws of The China Study:

http://freetheanimal.com/2010/07/t-colin-campbells-the-china-study-finally-exhaustively-discredited.html