The China Study
The Quick Answer: We worry that exposure to carcinogens in pollutants—which we can’t completely control—will give us cancer. Yet a mountain of research shows the quality of our diet—which we can control—is more important to avoiding cancer than carcinogen exposure. The conclusion of The China Study is that animal protein above 5% of calories is a potent cancer initiator and plant protein is not.
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The China Study, written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, is on my top ten list of nutrition books everyone should read. Campbell addresses the causes of overweight, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases, but cancer was his primary research focus. Cancer is a big worry for Americans: per the ACS, 47% of American men will get cancer during their lives; the threat is 38% for women. Here’s what Campbell learned about preventing cancer:
Though there are other contributing factors (tobacco use, sugar consumption, family history, etc.), dietary animal protein above 5% greatly increases the risk of cancer and lower levels can be protective. Campbell’s early work involved feeding alfatoxin—a highly potent carcinogen found in moldy peanuts—to rats. He learned that rats fed a diet of 20% animal protein, a level many meat-eating Americans consume, got cancer while rats fed plant protein did not. Campbell makes two more points:
• The amount of animal protein consumed was more important than the amount of aflatoxin. Stop worrying about pollution—diet is more important than carcinogen exposure!
• Meat and animal products have a place in the healthy diet, but it’s best to limit animal proteins to 5% of total calories.
The prior post suggested a reasonable diet that kept animal proteins to about 5% (based on 2500 daily calories). The shopping list for one week included these foods which we greatly enjoy:
a. 1 lb. of meat or fish,
b. 4 eggs,
c. 7 cups of milk,
d. 4 servings (1 oz. each) of cheese.
How-To-Do-It:
Sleeping with a carnivore? Men like to see meat in the center of their plate; it’s something they can get their teeth into. Women usually eat less meat (sugar is more likely their health risk) so the key to reducing meat intake is to win the cooperation of your man. A few suggestions:
1. For the readers, three books will help: The China Study, my favorite, Righteous Porkchop, Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farms; and Mad Cowboy, Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat.
2. Consider the cost. Eating less meat takes pressure off the wage earner as meat is more expensive, besides being less healthy, than the alternatives. Meat runs about $8/lb; plant protein wisely purchased runs about $1/lb.
3. Learn from Chinese cuisine: The Chinese get just 10% of their protein from animal sources (vs. 80% in the US); meat is used more to flavor food and give it a little chewing texture.
4. Stew is a good example of a tasty man dish flavored by a little meat. Add traditional favorites like chili, chicken noodle soup, and clam chowder to the meat-for-flavor-and-chew list. And I'll post my scalloped potato recipe later this week.
5. Make a list of your carnivore’s favorite foods and come up with low-meat versions. (The 1 lb./week noted above can provide 1-2 oz. of meat most days and still allow a roast dinner on Sunday.)
6. Check this N.Y. Times article, “An Almost-Meatless Diet”, for more information.
The Best Meat
We’ll return to the subject of finding healthy meat in the near future, but here is a reminder: Processed meats (hot dogs, pepperoni, salami, bologna, bacon, etc.) are most linked to cancer risk. The best meats are pasture-fed and are available at health food stores for a modest premium. Mainstream supermarkets are even starting to offer better meats.
Please share your favorite ideas or recipes for dinners even a carnivore can live on.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 10:59PM | by Skip Hellewell | 20 Comments | Share Article | in cancer, meat, nutrition books | Email Article
Reader Comments (20)
Should we really limit the amount of dairy we are eating? We don't eat a lot of meat on a regular basis, but we do use cheese in many of our dishes. I'm just wondering if it really the same as meat as far as protein and how our bodies process it. We aren't milk drinkers -including our children- so we go through up to one gallon of milk per week. We buy raw dairy products that are free from hormones, and when we have meat it is grass fed beef. We usually have 1-2 lbs of beef and it is split between 6 of us. We usually only have meat once a week, but sometimes we splurge and have it twice. Maybe the total amount of our animal protein isn't really adding up to all that much?
just sent this to all of my children. i choose to eat this way and it's not difficult. ccc
I've been wanting to read The China Study and just haven't gotten to it yet. Most people I know that have read it have completely given up meat and dairy, so it's nice to hear that you read it and didn't completely give that up. My husband and I both love meat. Seriously, love it. However, we do try to limit our intake for health and budget reasons.
A couple weeks ago I tried a recipe for Curry Chickpea Cakes. They were fantastic, and my carnivore husband announced that it might as well have been meat because of the great texture. The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
dissapointing you would delete a comment just for presenting a different view
I hope lots of people share their recipes, because after 14 years of marriage, it's still like pulling out teeth to get the carnivore I live with to reduce his meat consumption. (A vegetable aversion doesn't help.)
Love this post. Love your blog.
I grew up this way. Being Chinese helps I suppose. Meat was never the main event - it was an accessory to the colorful, tasty, veggie laden dishes my parents cooked up for us. My hubby who is Caucasian grew up your standard meat potatoes kind of a guy. Luckily, he served a mission in Cebu and learned to like variety. In our home we rarely have red meat. We'll do fish, occasionally poultry - I guess I have an aversion to touching meat... but not fish. I know, weird.
I still can't stomach a big slab of mooing cow on a plate. It scares me. I prefer tiny bits of meat...and in extreme moderation.
I just put this book in my reading queue. Thank you for your insight, research and time spent teaching us.
Cheers!
I love this blog! I think it's a shame that in the LDS culture, most people realize the word of wisdom means abstaining from alcohol, coffee and tea and then stop there. There is so much more! Have you read Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions? It seems like you have a lot of the same ideas.
I love that you broke down how to get 5% of calories from meat. When I read part of the book, I thought 5% would be much less, almost vegan, so this seems much more doable!
Jen, your comment was deleted, not for offering a different view, but for making an unjustified and unsupported attack on a respected scientist. I think I saw a similar attack a few months ago on another site, so I wonder who you represent. Sorry.
no, I do not represent a Secret Legion of the American beef Council (the position was filled), but rather am someone who is interested in health and has chosen to seek out information via blog; and also happens to be the child of a medical researcher. you don't grow up in my house without learning a little bit about research; and realizing the fact that you can skew any research to fit what you are trying to say. there is such a thing as poor research, just because someone does a study does not mean it's credible. while I realize that this blog is your perogative, it's a little bit discerning that when presented with a different opinion that you blow it off, and not even consider it when aren't you trying to get your readers to see different opinions as well? (ie weekly change cards) needless to say, you lost me as a reader.
Jen, Make your own blog and say what you want. Certainly don't insult our intelligence, as readers, assuming we won't view both sides of the issue. We are all adults and can think for ourselves. We have the same access to information as you do.You are right that research can be and is often not credible, however with THOUSANDS of years of history to support Skip -not to mention the Word of Wisdom ( notice the title).... you defiantly are barking up the wrong tree.
Skip good for you to me on top of those with personal agendas
In the previous post, Protein 101, Skip wrote, "People vary in their needs and “sparingly” allows for a range of interpretation, but I have taken it to mean something like 10% of all calories." He is just stating what is written and his interpretation. He didn't say it was a hard, fast rule and anyone who breaks it will be punished.
Jen, having read your original comment before it was deleted, I have to agree with Skip's decision to delete it. It wasn't just an opinion, but an outright attack. If I read something I don't agree with then I just move on- and it happens with this blog too.
I think Heather made an excellent point. This blog is a combination of religion and scientific beliefs about what it means to have a healthy diet. if biases exist, I believe they are toward what Skip (and myself and other LDS members) believes to be the directive of God. There are many ways to live a good lifestyle, but we believe God has revealed what is best.
Skip, I hope you won't feel discouraged by commenters like Jen. I also have people who will at times make a big stink about "exiting" my blog and claim that they will never come back. It can be frustrating, and sometimes hurtful. You are putting a lot of time into a free service that so many peole greatly appreciate, and if such comments brought down a bit please don't pay them any mind!
Jenna, Laura, and Heather, your comments are appreciated. Reader comments make this blog work, it really is a community sharing. For us to have success against Food Inc., we must find areas of consensus and avoid dissipating our energy in arguments. Perhaps we should dig deeper into this in a future post. Best.
I took one readers suggestion and bought "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook." LOVE IT!!
Even if one isn't vegetarian it has TONS of delicious easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, desserts, smoothies, etc. I have been so excited to make some of the stuff in there. It is also packed with nutritional info. for each recipe. I want to buy it for all my friends.
Anyway, just wanted to second it as a great resource for cutting down on meat and introducing some non-meat dishes. And many thanks to the reader who suggested it in the comments on one of your past posts.
I've been a little busy and fallen behind on my reading here and and am quite suprised to find a little controversy going on! This has encouraged me to comment again after being a reader from the beginning, but only commenting once before now. I agree the comments make this blog what it is: a community of people expanding their knowledge and interest in food. And you know what, it can be tough to find people who simply want to 'chew the fat' on a topic instead of change/challenge minds.
A couple things about me:
My family calls me the 'food nazi', but I think I could eat better
I choose local and organic as much as I can
I consume meat and dairy, but sparingly
I was not raised, nor am I now, a member of the LDS community
I feel what is shared about the Words of Wisdom here on this blog are pretty spot on with my food choices!
I love this blog, its contents, the community that suports it, and how it all pushes me to be a healthier, more conscious eater and consumer.
I always take the time to read all of the comments for additional depth and insight. Thanks everyone!
And I will be sharing some recipes soon, Skip.
Hi Skip - just wanted to let you know that this particular post has opened my carnivore husband to the idea of eating a plant-based diet. He has always preferred to get "consistent protein from lean chicken at lunch and dinner meals". Almost a week in, and he is doing great with the changes we've made. Thank you.
My husband and I are both vegetarians, so thankfully he doesn't need to be won over to a meatless diet. However, I will share one thing that I have learned over the past few years. When we moved from the US to Asia, I realized that quite a few of our vegetarian staples were not tremendously healthy. A lot of our recipes called for cheese and/or heavy cream, which are not common ingredients in Asia and not easy to find in our area. I had to basically re-vamp our menus, and we are now closer to vegan (by default, though we still eat eggs frequently). So that might be one thing to watch out for as people try to shift from a meat-centric to a vegetarian (or almost-vegetarian) diet: it can be easy to fall into a trap of replacing meat with another animal product, especially for people who are seeking comfort foods that would be appealing to Standard American eaters. I think it's important to reduce meat while also remembering some of your other recommendations to eat more whole grains and vegetables (as on the new USDA food "plate"!). Just a thought. Thanks as always!
Try watching the movie "Forks over Knives" if you can't find time to read "The China Study". The documentary covers the "meat" (pun intended) that you find in the book. My wife isn't a huge reader and I knew I could never get her to read through such an intensely scientific book without falling asleep, but she liked the movie. Just FYI.
Our family eats practically vegetarian (the wife and kids will occasionally eat a tiny bit of meat, maybe once or twice a month at social gatherings, and we still eat a little bit of dairy. Trying to cut that down still, but definately 5% or less right now) and we feel that we are following the directives found in Section 89 to eat sparingly. It was tough the first couple weeks, but we're doing great a year later. Lots of new foods to try.
I love this book. I went to see my internist because I was really ill. I asked her for a recommendation. She told me to read The China Study and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn. Both books were life altering. I recommended both books to my entire family and all my friends. My husband, myself, sister and her husband became vegan. I helped a very dear friend of mine. Her whole family wanted to switch to a vegan lifestyle as well after reading both books and watching the documentary Forks Over Knives.
I'm not vegetarian myself, but I do think it's ok if chosen wisely & a good knowledge of nutritional requirements is present. I don't however believe in veganism. At all. From an LDS point of view, I think it's absolutely against the W.O.W. I say that after reading Elder Widtsoe's W.O.W. book all the way back from 1950. This is what he said about animal & other protein: "It is unwise to eat meat & economize in milk, cheese, & eggs. However, in summer when the consumption of meat should be eliminated, great care should be exercised to secure enough protein from other sources. Food chemists & dietitians agree with few exceptions, that as a general guide about 1/6 of the food eaten should be protein, & that this amount should be subdivided into animal and vegetable proteins. 1/3 of this should be animal protein & 2/3 protein from vegetable sources. Thus only about 1/18th of the food need be animal protein & that may be from the animal derivatives - milk & eggs..... Since the inspired W.o.W. says 'yea, flesh also of beasts & of the fowls of the air, I the lord have ordained for the use of man, with thanksgiving - It would follow that the product of the beasts & fowls, milk & eggs, would be acceptable foods also."
So while vegetarianism is understandable, I do believe veganism is extreme & is going to bring lasting health problems down the road. Research is finding more & more evidence that going 100% vegan (no animal products) is detrimental to human health. Many people have realized this & are coming back to consuming clean animal food.
I am definitely grateful for the blessing of these beautiful animals from our Father in Heaven in providing important nutrients & proteins to help sustain life. I am in absolute agreement though, that it should be done sparingly with fresh produce, nuts, seeds, grains, etc... being the bulk of our diets.
I also LOVE "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, Weston A. Price foundation. It talks about clean healthy meats & dairy from animals in their natural environment. It also emphasizes what I said about, about the other foods forming the bulk of our diets. It's fun to take different books & combine them for the best of all worlds :)