Is the science presented in "The China Study" good science and should we all go on a Vegan diet?!
Answers:
The science is good, the methods were robust and the sample sizes were sufficiently large to be reliable. However it's Campbell's conclusion that protein is responsible for illness which is questionable. This is not found in the scientific publications on which the book is based (at least not those which I have read). There are many other environmental influences other than food which could have parts to play. I do not believe health alone is a good reason to go vegan, as there isn't a great deal of evidence to indicate it is healthier than a diet which includes meat, eggs or dairy on the odd occasion. However there are plenty of other good reasons to go vegan, in fact poeple who intend to eat meat need as many people as possible to go veg in order for their diet to be sustainable.
So less meat is better than the Standard Diet, and no meat is better than that, and no animal products is better still in terms of environmental impacts, however there are a few exceptions involved such as whether the fruits and vegies someone eats are locally produced or shipped from another country.
vegan biologist
The China Study is an interesting read; but it's just what it says on the cover - a study. It doesn't prove anything, rather suggests possibilities for further research.
And in many ways it's a flawed study, and Campbell is something of an embarrassment to many vegans because of the selectivity with which he conducted, interpreted, and presented his research.
Many other vegans have accepted it uncritically because it's what they want to hear and it appears to vindicate what they've been saying. Usually it's cited to 'prove' that a vegan diet protects against cancer, or even prevents cancer - or even, in some cases, cures cancer.
Which is, of course, nonsense. Vegans get cancer too (I did), and at the same rate as non-vegans.
I think its an excellent study because Dr. Campbell is not the only one proving that animal products are horrible for you. Many doctors are coming to the same conclusion through their own studies. Also, Dr. Campbell does not suggest a vegan diet, but a plant-based diet. Plenty of vegans eat processed crap and junk food, and he is saying to get rid of that and rely on plants - fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains.
vegan :D
It's very bad science. This young woman pretty well took it apart. But, hey, it's made Dr. Campbell very wealthy.
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yes