The following is a partial list of diseases which the authors assert are linked to diet.
Autoimmune diseases
The authors state that the risk of developing Type I diabetes is strongly correlated with the consumption of cow's milk by infants. The authors also state that autoimmune diseases such as Type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have certain common features and may share the same cause or causes. The authors state that autoimmune diseases are more prevalent among people who live at higher geographic latitudes, and also among people who consume a diet high in animal protein, particularly cow's milk. The authors state that Vitamin D is plausibly connected to both of these correlations.The authors state that Vitamin D is important for the proper regulation of the immune system. The authors state that for people who live at higher geographic latitudes, a lack of exposure to ultraviolet sunlight can result in their having a deficiency of Vitamin D. They also state that the consumption of animal protein, especially cow's milk, results in higher concentrations of calcium in the blood, which inhibits the process by which the body activates Vitamin D in the kidneys to a form that helps repress the development of autoimmune diseases.
Brain diseases
The authors state that cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, are linked to hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and damage caused by free radicals, and that these risk factors can be controlled by diet.Breast cancer
The authors state that breast cancer is linked to the long-term exposure to higher concentrations of female hormones, which in turn is associated with early menarche (age at first menstruation), late menopause, and a high concentration of blood cholesterol, and that all of these risk factors are linked to growth and a diet high in animal protein. The authors state that the average Chinese woman is exposed to about 35% to 40% of the lifetime estrogen exposure of the average British or American woman, and that the rate of breast cancer among Chinese women is about one-fifth of the rate among Western women.Colorectal cancer
The authors state that The China Study provides evidence that lower rates of colorectal cancer are associated with the consumption of plants high in fiber, such as beans, leafy vegetables and whole grains.Diabetes
The authors described a diet study conducted by James D. Anderson, M.D., of 50 patients—25 with Type I diabetes and 25 with Type II diabetes—who were taking medication in the form of insulin injections to control their blood glucose concentrations. The authors reported that after these patients switched from the American-style diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association to a high-fiber, low-fat, plant-based diet, the patients with Type I diabetes were able to reduce their medication by an average of 40% within 3 weeks of changing their diet and 24 of the 25 patients with Type II diabetes were able to stop taking their medication within weeks of changing their diet.Eye diseases
The authors state that diet studies show that a diet that includes carotenoids, which are found in colorful vegetables, provide protection from macular degeneration, an eye disease that can cause blindness, and that a diet that includes lutein, a particular antioxidant found in spinach, provides protection from cataracts.Heart disease
The authors state that cholesterol, saturated fats, and animal protein are three nutrients that characterize animal-based foods, and they ask, "...isn't it perfectly reasonable to wonder whether animal-based food, and not just these three isolated nutrients, causes heart disease?" The authors state that studies show that eating plant protein has a greater power to lower cholesterol levels than reducing fat or cholesterol intake.They add that "Western" diseases were relatively rare in China by Western standards, adding for example that "at the time of our study, the death rate from coronary heart disease was seventeen times higher among American men than rural Chinese men."
Kidney stones
The authors state that the consumption of animal protein is linked to risk factors for the formation of kidney stones. They state that increased levels of calcium and oxalate in the blood may result in kidney stones, and that recent research shows that kidney stone formation may be initiated by free radicals.Metabolism and incidence of obesity
The authors report that "the average calorie intake per kilogram of body weight was 30% higher among the least active Chinese than among average Americans. Yet, body weight was 20% lower." The authors add that "consuming diets high in protein and fat transfers calories away from their conversion into body heat to their storage form as body fat (unless severe calorie restriction is causing weight loss.)"The authors state that "diet can cause small shifts in calorie metabolism that lead to big shifts in body weight," adding that "the same low-animal protein, low-fat diet that helps prevent obesity also allows people to reach their full growth potential."
Osteoporosis
The authors state that osteoporosis is linked to the consumption of animal protein because animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acidity of blood and tissues. They add that to neutralize this acid, calcium (a very effective base) is pulled from the bones, which weakens them and puts them at greater risk for fracture. The authors add that "in our rural China Study, where the animal to plant ratio [for protein] was about 10%, the fracture rate is only one-fifth that of the U.S."Adapted from the Wikipedia article The China Study, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
