Nutrition: An Amazing Health and
Medical Secret
T. Colin Campbell, PhD
Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of
Nutritional Biochemistry
Cornell University
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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T. Colin Campbell, PhD
Born1934
EducationB.S. (1956), M.S. (1958), Ph.D. (1961) in biochemistry, nutrition,
and microbiology
Alma mater Pennsylvania State University, University of Georgia, Cornell
University
OccupationJacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional
Biochemistry at Cornell
Notable worksThe China Study
RelativesThomas M. Campbell (son)
WebsiteT. Colin Campbell Foundation
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Third Degree Malnutrition,
Philippines (1967-1970)
Getting Enough
Good Quality Protein
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Getting Enough
Good Quality Protein
As a faculty member at Virginia Tech and in
collaboration with Dr. Charlie Engel (Associate
Dean), He coordinated a U.S. State Department
(USAID) contract in the Philippines to develop a
nationwide program of ‘mothercraft centers’ to
educate mothers of malnourished children that
food could be used better than drugs to
rehabilitate their children. We focused on making
sure the children they got enough protein, which
was low compared to U.S. practices.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Dietary Protein and AFB1 Induced
Liver Cancer (Rats)
Dietary Protein, %
Animals with tumors and
hyperplastic nodules
20%Getting
(regular) Enough 30/30
(100%)
Protein
5% (low)
0/12 (0%)
Getting More Cancer?
Madhavan and Gopalan, 1968.
Confirmed by Wells et al, 1974.
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While feeding malnourished children in the
Philippines he had learned that children getting
primary liver cancer were those who were
eating the most protein--as children in the
West. This study shows that dietary protein
increased liver cancer in rats administered a
chemical carcinogen that causes liver cancer.
Getting Enough Protein
Getting More Cancer?
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Dietary Protein and EARLY Cancer
(Youngman and Campbell, J. Nutr., 1991, Nutr. Cancer, 1992)
20% Protein
5% Protein
3
6
9
Weeks
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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To test the effect of protein on the
development of early stages of liver
cancer in rats, we fed diets containing
either 5% or 20% protein diets (as a
percent of total calories). Even though
both groups were fed a potent liver
carcinogen, only the animals fed the
20% protein diets developed the early
‘cancers’.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Dietary Protein and EARLY Cancer
(Youngman and Campbell, J. Nutr., 1991, Nutr. Cancer, 1992)
ON
20%
ON
20%
3
OFF
5%
OFF
5%
6
9
Weeks
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9
This shows the development of early
cancer in rats when the diet is switched
back and forth between 5% and 20%
protein diets. It dramatically shows that
early cancer growth can be turned on and
off by reasonably modest nutritional
means, in this case by altering the level of
dietary protein. At the time we first
demonstrated this (about 1982), it was
rather dramatic discovery.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Dietary Protein and EARLY Cancer
(Youngman and Campbell, J. Nutr., 1991, Nutr. Cancer, 1992)
ON
20%
5%
3
OFF
5%
OFF
5%
6
9
Weeks
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This was another way of showing the effect
of protein nutrition on the growth of liver
cancer in experimental rats. Even though
both groups of animals (5% and 20% dietary
protein) were exposed to a potent chemical
carcinogen, the cancer did not grow with
the 5% protein diets (up to 9 wks). But the
tissue ‘remembered’ the presence of the
‘seeds’ of early cancer, then grew them
when animals were switched to the 20%
diets at 9 wks.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Dietary Protein and EARLY Cancer
(Dunaif and Campbell, J. Nutr. 1987)
0.6
0.4
Cell
Cluster
Size
0.2
Traditional
Human
Consumption
Amount
Needed for
Growth
4
8 12 16 20
% Dietary Protein
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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This compares the effect of various levels
of dietary protein on early cancer growth
in experimental rats exposed to a potent
chemical carcinogen. Protein is an essential
nutrient but for these animals 5-6% is
enough and 10% is plenty to support good
body weight gain of the young. But when
the protein is fed in excess of the amount
needed, this is when its effect on cancer
development appears. Rats and humans
need approximately the same level of
protein for good health and when the level
of protein
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Experimental Protein is CASEIN
(Main Protein of Cow’s Milk)
Soy & wheat protein do not increase
pre-cancer development, even at 20%
of diet calories
Casein is the most relevant chemical
carcinogen ever identified
[Casein increases IGF (Hu et al, 1995)]
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Self-explanatory. The level of 10% protein is the
amount generally needed/recommended for good growth
and maintenance. The protein effect on tumor growth
only occurs when levels in excess of 10% are fed. Rats
and humans have about the same requirements for
proteins and we humans, as a population consume
protein considerably in excess of the amount needed
at about 11-22% protein, with about 75% of that
protein from animal sources! We are mostly carnivores.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Cow Feed and College Money
(Circa 1950 AD)
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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R=0.82
Same with Uterine Cancer
MILK CONSUMPTION, g/day
Ganmaa and Sato, 2005
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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A very impressive correlation between cow’s milk
consumption and breast cancer mortality rates for
different countries. The pop-up window for uterine
cancer shows that same relationship, although the
specific points are on a different scale.This
corresponds to a explanation that we developed using
our China data, which used age at onset of menarche
(17 yr in rural China), age of menopause (48 yr in rural
China), total exposure to circulating (serum) estrogen
and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Integrated
into one model, these factors are consistent with these
data shown here.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Skim Milk and Prostate Cancer…
What Next????
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Association of skim milk consumption (no fat,
higher protein concentration than whole milk) and
prostate cancer (calculated from a separate
study), suggesting that it is the milk protein
rather than milk fat that is associated with
prostate cancer. This corresponds to higher IGF1 levels among vegetarian men (dairy users)
compared to vegan men (non-dairy users). Since
these data were published, I have had several
occasions to hear that quitting dairy consumption
leads to decreased PSA levels, often used to
begin treatment for prostate cancer as soon as
the PSA level goes above 4.0.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Breast Cancer in 2,400 Chinese
Counties, 1973-1975
Cancer is a geographically
localized disease
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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One atlas (for breast) among about a dozen for
different cancers in the nationwide survey of cancer
mortality rates for China. These were the data that
led to our project in China, which added the lifestyle
factors derived from the analyses of blood samples,
urine samples, food samples, in-home record of food
consumption and food and lifestyle questionnaires. We
selected 65 counties (2 villages per county) that
represented the full range of mortality rates for 7
different cancers. The actual collection of data was
under the direction of Dr. Junshi Chen and included
about 800 person-years of professional manpower. The
pop-up entry refers to many other migrant studies
showing that cancer rates are due to lifestyle, not
genes.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Breast Cancer (cases/105/yr)
(Migration changes risk)
(K. K. Carroll, 1986)
25
20
15
10
5
Netherlands
UK
Denmark
Canada
New Zealand
Switzerland
Ireland
USA
Belgium
Australia
Sweden
Austria
Germany
Czech
Italy
Norway France
Hungary
Poland
Portugal
Hong Kong
Chile
Spain
Bulgaria
Venezuela
Romania
Greece
Panama
Yugoslavia
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Columbia
Total Fat
Mexico
Japan
Taiwan
(Animal Food?) Intake
Thailand
Ceylon
El Salvador
China
20
60
100
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
140
180
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The original graph showed impressive association of total
dietary fat with breast cancer mortality rates for different
countries (KK Carroll, 1986). Using other data of Carroll’s, I
then found that this relationship was more related to total
animal food than total fat (i.e., the association existed for
animal protein--as a correlate of animal fat--but not for
plant protein or plant fat). I also summarized what happens
when people migrate from one country to another, as from
Japan to the U.S.. They incur the diseases rates of the
country to which they move without changing their genes. The
boxed areas represent areas of the world showing where most
epidemiological studies were done--in the West, upper right,-as opposed to our China project, lower left.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Cancer as a Function of ‘Genes’
Hi Gene (AF) Dose
Normal
Cells
More adducts,
mutagenesis/initiation
More clusters
More tumors
Lo Gene (AF) Dose
Less adducts,
mutagenesis/initiation
Less clusters
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
Less tumors
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This is a schematic showing how tumors grow
according to the dose of the aflatoxin, where
the level of dietary protein is the same in
both groups. The red cells represent initiated
cancer cells, among the blue normal cells.
This shows more cancer as a function of
carcinogen dose--and when the dietary
protein level (20% of calories) is the same for
both groups.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Cancer as a Function of Nutrition
Hi Gene (AF) Dose
More initiation
Normal
Cells
Lo Gene (AF) Dose
Less initiation
More foci
More tumors
Less foci
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
Less tumors
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This is the same as the last slide, but shows
what happens when protein intake is switched
during the promotion period. It shows that
regardless of the dose of the carcinogen, the
amount of protein is what controls ultimate
tumor development, not carcinogen dose. We
actually demonstrated this effect even when
using a maximum tolerated dose of aflatoxin.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Correlated Disease Groups
(Campbell et al, Ecol. Food Nutr. 27:133, 1992)
‘Poverty’ Diseases
Pneumonia
Intestinal obstruction
Peptic ulcer
Digestive diseases
Nephritis
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Non-TB infectious diseases
Parasitic diseases
Eclampsia
Rheumatic heart disease
Metabolic & endocrine diseases
Diseases of pregnancy & birth
‘Affluent’ Diseases
Colon cancer
Lung cancer
Breast cancer
Leukemia
Diabetes
Coronary diseases
Brain cancer 0-14yr
Stomach cancer
Liver cancer
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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When all the disease mortality rates for rural China were
compared with each other, two distinct groups of disease
emerged, so that the correlations of each disease is
positive for diseases in its own list but inversely correlated
with diseases in the opposite list. The disease group on the
right is typically observed in the more industrialized and
affluent societies that use the rich Western diet. The
diseases on the left are those generally observed for poor
countries where public health conditions and dietary
adequacy is much less. This suggests that each disease
group shares a common etiology, whether it be economic,
cultural or biological--or a combination of these conditions.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Correlated Disease Groups
(Campbell et al, Ecol. Food Nutr. 27:133, 1992)
‘Poverty’ Diseases
Pneumonia
Intestinal obstruction
Peptic ulcer
Digestive diseases
Nephritis
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Non-TB infectious diseases
Parasitic diseases
Eclampsia
Rheumatic heart disease
Metabolic & endocrine diseases
Diseases of pregnancy & birth
‘Affluent’ Diseases
Colon cancer
Lung cancer
Breast cancer
Leukemia
Diabetes
Coronary diseases
Brain cancer 0-14yr
Stomach cancer
Liver cancer
Elevated Blood
Cholesterol***
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Total Blood Cholesterol
[mg/dL]
90
CHINA
170
Mean, 127
170
USA
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
270
33
These are ranges of county means, showing the
high for rural China is near the low for the
U.S. Initially, the very low mean of 127 mg/dL
for rural China seemed highly implausible
because it not been seen before. Therefore,
we repeated these analyses two more times,
using
different
methods
and
different
laboratories.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Chief Correlates of ‘Affluent’ Diseases
correlation (r)
variable
Plasma cholesterol
0.48***
Plasma urea-N
0.41**
Urea-N correlated with intakes of milk***, meat** and eggs**
** 2p<0.01, *** 2p<0.001
Campbell et al, Ecol. Food Nutr. 27:133, 1992.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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This shows that affluent diseases are not only
highly
significantly
correlated
with
blood
cholesterol (p<0.0001) but also with plasma urea
nitrogen, correlated in turn with the consumption
of milk, meat and eggs (each being statistically
significant)--a similar correlation for cholesterol
is shown in the next slide.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Dietary Protein Correlates of
Plasma Cholesterol (males)
Cholesterol
Total
‘LDL’
Apo B
Animal Protein
Plant Protein
+ 0.39**
+ 0.40***
+ 0.20
- 0.34**
- 0.35**
- 0.29*
* p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001
† Female correlates, same direction, less magnitude
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Blood cholesterol--total, LDL and apo B--is positively
correlated with increasing intakes of animal protein
containing foods and inversely with intakes of plant
protein containing foods. This is especially significant,
when compared with the previous two slides. In brief,
small intakes of animal protein based foods cause blood
cholesterol to increase which is correlated with the
appearance of affluent diseases. This is important
because it suggests that even small increases in animalprotein containing foods cause increases in Western
diseases, a finding consistent with a similar relationship
over the entire range of diet-disease relationship (see
slide 13).
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Observations
(50+ exposure-outcome comparisons)
Vast majority of hypothetical ‘cause-effect’
associations favoring less disease reflect
nutrient composition of plant-based foods
(most are statistically significant)
Consuming plant-based, WHOLE foods (less
total protein and fat, no animal protein)
means less chronic degenerative diseases
Consistentcopyright
withT. Colin
animal
Campbell studies
2010
39
From a comparison of 367 variables of diet,
lifestyle and disease mortality characteristics,
each correlated with every other variable (giving
about 100,000 correlations), I offer this very
practical conclusion. About 50 of these
correlations were studied in some detail, many
of which were published in the peer reviewed
literature.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Esselstyn’s 23-Year Study of 18
Seriously Ill Heart Patients
(Esselstyn et al, J.Fam.Pract., 1995; Am.J.Cardiol., 1999; Prev.
Cardiol., 2000)

All plant-based diet, low dose
statins

49 coronary events during 8
years prior to study


0 coronary events during 12 yrs
of follow-up in 17/18 patients. All
adherent patients survived >20
yrs
Only 1 cancer (of 8-10 expected)
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD
, is a famed surgeon from the Cleveland Clinic. Aside from his
personal background (Olympic gold medalist, 1956; Bronze Star in
Vetinam), he has had a distinguished career in medicine (President
of Cleveland Clinic faculty and staff, Chief of Breast Cancer Staff
Force). Together with his wife, Ann (her father was famed
surgeon at the Clinic, grandfather was founder of the Cleveland
Clinic) they have dedicated their lives to their family and their
patients. His findings show that these 18 seriously ill heart
patients could completely eradicate their heart disease by dietary
means (statins are not usually necessary--see next slide)
illustrating an effect that is far more efficacious and less risky
than any other strategy in medical practice.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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SAME Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet
Prevents, Suspends and/or Cures All
(All supported by published peer-reviewed research)

Cancers

Macular Degeneration

Heart Diseases

Hypertension

Multiple Sclerosis

Acne

Kidney Stones
Migraine

Cataracts
And


Diabetes (I and II)

Alzheimer’s Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Colds and Flu

Obesity
Promotes Lupus
Superior
 Osteoporosis
Physical Fitness
 Depression
Cognitive Dysfunction43
 Campbell 2010
copyright T. Colin
Surprisingly impressive evidence shows that all these
diseases, and more, favorably respond to a whole foods,
plant-based diet. The most impressive observations are
(1) the breadth of effect and (2) the fact that for
many, the effect exists to reverse disease at a fairly
advanced stage. This implies treatment as well as
prevention, when using this diet. The pop-up insert also
shows that similar benefits are now being observed for
physical fitness, as with the performance of elite
athletes.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Nutrition Definition
Involves integrated effects of countless
food constituents

Involves infinitely complex mechanisms
to produce comprehensive health

Nutrition--supported by exercise, water,
sunshine--is greater than the sum of its
parts; it is a biological symphony

copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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As opposed to the traditional definition of nutrition
that focuses on the specific effects of single nutrients
(what I was taught and what I first taught my
students), I now am confident that the best definition
is one that takes into consideration the combined
effects of the countless chemicals in food, some of
which are identified as nutrients.
This explains much better the extraordinary health
benefits of whole food, plant-based diets
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Nutrient Composition
Cholesterol
Fat
Protein
(per 100g dry wgt)
Vegetable
Blend*
Meat
Blend**
Skim Milk
(Whole)
---
142
20 (97)
2
57
2 (27)
21
32
38 (26)
* Vegetable blend includes equal parts tomatoes, spinach, lima beans, peas, potatoes
** Meat blend includes equal parts beef and pork
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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The effects of food on health are best
described as being due to the
composition of nutrients. It is here that
we seen striking differences betwen
plant and animal-based foods.
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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Nutrient Composition
-Carotene
Dietary fiber
Vegetable
Blend*
Meat
Blend**
Skim Milk
(Whole)
139
---
---
---
---
---
11
11
58
19
Vitamin C
162
Folate
459
Vitamin E
(per 100g dry wgt)
5
0.5
0.4
* Vegetable blend includes equal parts tomatoes, spinach, lima beans, peas, potatoes
** Meat blend includes equal parts beef and pork
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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This is an extension of slide
#25. There are huge
differences in the nutrient
composition of animal and
plant-based foods
copyright T. Colin Campbell 2010
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