As promised, in this column we will present further excerpts from Professor Colin Campbell’s ‘The China Study’, in particular, the summary of his observations on food, health, and disease as he was collecting data for this study, which he presented in 8 Principles. 

Here they are in an abridged form: PRINCIPLE # 1: Nutrition is based on a very complex biochemical system involving thousands of chemicals and thousands of effects on your health. Intricate controls within our cells and all through our body decide what nutrient goes where and how much of each nutrient is needed. PRINCIPLE #2: Isolated nutrient and vitamin supplements do not guarantee good health. It makes little or no sense that isolated nutrients or vitamins taken as supplements can substitute for whole foods; in fact, they can be dangerous to your health by causing unforeseen side effects. It is not that these nutrients aren’t important. They are but only when consumed as part of the food, not as supplements. 

PRINCIPLE #3: There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are better than those provided by plants. Plant foods have dramatically more antioxidants, fiber, and minerals than animal foods. In fact, animal foods are almost completely devoid of several of these nutrients plus they have much more cholesterol and fat. There are four nutrients that animal-based foods have that plant-based food, for the most part, do not: cholesterol and vitamins A, D, and B12. Three of these are nonessential nutrients: Cholesterol, Vitamin A and vitamin D can be readily made by our bodies. It is estimated that we hold a three-year store of vitamin B12 in our bodies. If you do not eat any animal products, you should take a small B12 supplement regularly. 

PRINCIPLE #4: Genes do not determine disease on their own. Genes function only by being activated, or expressed, and our environment, especially nutrition, plays a critical role in determining which genes, good or bad, are expressed or made dormant. Dormant genes do not have any effect on our health. We repeat: nutrition is the most important environmental factor that determines the activity of genes. From there the expression: ‘Genes load the gun, but the environment (nutrition) pulls the trigger’! 

PRINCIPLE #5: Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals. There is a widely held perception that cancer is caused by toxic chemicals that make their way into our bodies in a sinister way. It is useful to think of this principle in another way: a chronic disease like cancer takes years to develop. Those chemicals may initiate cancer, but the disease process continues long after initiation and can be accelerated or repressed during its promotion stage by nutrition. In other words, nutrition primarily determines whether the disease will ever do its damage. 

PRINCIPLE #6: The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages (before diagnosis) can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages (after diagnosis). It is worth repeating that chronic diseases take several years to develop. For example, there is a general thought that breast cancer can be initiated in adolescence and not become detectable until after menopause! As has been abundantly shown in experimental animals, cancer can be slowed, halted, or even reversed by good nutrition. 

PRINCIPLE #7: Nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board. A whole food, plant-based diet will never be “bad” for you! PRINCIPLE #8: Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected: this is a holistic concept. It turns out that if we eat the way that promotes the best health for ourselves, we promote the best health for the planet. By eating a whole food, plant-based diet, we use less water, less land, and fewer resources, and produce less pollution and less suffering for our farm animals. Our food choices have an incredible impact not only on our metabolism, but also on the initiation, promotion, and even reversal of disease, on our energy; on our physical activity, on our emotional and mental well-being, and on our world environment. All of these seemingly separate spheres are intimately interconnected. 

We hope that by presenting these 8 principles, our readers will realise the benefits for individuals, societies, our fellow animals, and our planet to stick to a whole-food, plant-based diet, which is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, which are beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils, and nuts and seeds with no animal products, processed foods, or added salt, oil, or sugar. In the meantime, we invite you to visit METI’s Healthy Living Clinic at House No. 51 at Motootua (across from the Kokobanana Restaurant) to become acquainted with METI’s whole food plant-based diet and Lifestyle Change programs. Or call us at 30550. Learning how to follow these Programs might be your ‘game changer’!