The China Study
Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health
by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, T. Colin Campbell, Thomas M. Campbell · first published 2004
34% recommend45% neutral21% critical
Why HN recommends it
Makes the case for a whole-food, plant-based diet and for cutting animal protein, drawing on the author's research on casein and cancer and the China data; suits readers wanting a science-backed push toward veganism.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Referred to as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing and reversing these ailments as well as curbing obesity, this text calls into question the practices of many of the current dietary programs, such as the Atkins diet, that are widely popular in the West
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2008–2010The South Beach diet
Arthur Agatston, Arthur Agatston M.D.
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 22 recommend · 2 mention2 recommend · 22 recommend
2008–2026In Defense of Food
Michael Pollan
Recommended by 40 · mentioned by 6140 recommend · 61 mention40 recommend · 6140 recommend
2008–2025Good calories, bad calories
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 91 · mentioned by 13291 recommend · 132 mention91 recommend · 13291 recommend
2013–2026How Not to Die
Michael Greger, Gene Stone
Recommended by 54 · mentioned by 7254 recommend · 72 mention54 recommend · 7254 recommend
2011–2026Why we get fat
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 45 · mentioned by 6345 recommend · 63 mention45 recommend · 6345 recommend
2011–2019Why we get fat and what to do about it
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 12 · mentioned by 1512 recommend · 15 mention12 recommend · 1512 recommend
2009–2024The end of overeating
David A. Kessler
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 128 recommend · 12 mention8 recommend · 128 recommend
2008–2022Eat to live
Joel Fuhrman
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 1814 recommend · 18 mention14 recommend · 1814 recommend
…protein is associated with disease) Go outside! (Sunshine promotes vitamin D which is critical for immune function, and vitamin D strongly prevents cancer.) While you're there, exercise! :) Read: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Cancer-Gate by Dr. Samuel Epstein
on “Calorie restriction and intermittent fasting can help regenerate brain matter” ↗…good diet. I wonder if most people will ever become aware of this. Probably not - they don't read much, and certainly not non-mainstream stuff like that book. Edit: I would also recommend reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, since Weston A. Price did not get everything right.
on “Dentists reveal new tooth decay treatment” ↗…And here comes meat and diary into play. Ppl tend to look on a lean muscular body but do not consider what makes the body work. Pls have a look into Michael Greger's How not to die, or Colin Campbell China Study. Vegan is not always healthy. Plant based, unprocessed food does the trick. Fatty and salty french fries are technically vegan. There is a lot of junk food on the vegan side, which is also highly processed…
on “Ultraprocessed Foods – A New Theory of Obesity” ↗I am not overweight and not a specialist for diets. However, recently I read one book about nutrition that made a big impression on me: The China Study by Colin Campbell. It doesn't give you a specific diet plan, except for the recommendation to avoid all animal proteins. But if that sounds hard, the book provides ample motivation, because it summarizes…
on “Ask YC: How do you lose weight?” ↗I agree with your comment, and I want to clarify that Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of "The China Study", is a Professor Emeritus at Cornell University, not MIT. He is likely the foremost nutritional researcher, not only of our time, but of history. The work he and his team did in the decades-long China…
on “Your arteries on Wonder bread” ↗no discussion about cancer is complete without mentioning "the china study" by Collin Campbell conclusion? eat whole food, plant-based diet and we don't need labels like vegetarian/vegan. why? because eating fried fries, potatoe chips, smoking, drinking, sodas, candies ...…
on “Antioxidants and Cancer: Have we got it Backwards?” ↗Not much time to reply right now, but I really, really recommend this book: The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Im...
on “How Western Diets Are Making The World Sick ” ↗The China Study[1] is a really good book that contains a lot of research about the effect on chronic disease a vegan diet has. I found it very interesting. [1] http://www.amazon.com/The-China-Study-Comprehensive-Implicat...
on “How to Satisfy the World’s Surging Appetite for Meat” ↗You start by saying Reason 1 is the weakest then go on to admit you aren't qualified to be making that statement? Good breakdown regardless. I'd recommend checking out The China Study [1] [1] https://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-I...
on “Ask HN: Have you gone vegan or vegetarian?” ↗It's amazing how illogical people are when thinking about food/nutrition. Here are some sources: First, read The China Study: http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Im... The incredibly thorough, epidemiological study conducted shows that consumption of animal protein (meat, fish, dairy) correlates hugely…
on “How to be a person - Dale Carnegie and The Game” ↗…really is to eat less meat. There are many health benefits to eating less meat, in addition to the antibiotics problem. Two books that explain this well are The Enzyme Factor by Hiromi Shinya and The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. This matches my own experience as well. I used to have a nasty acne problem. Cutting down on meat (and dairy) has made my skin much nicer. Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home…
on “Farmaceuticals: The drugs fed to farm animals and the risks posed to humans” ↗The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Study it’s the Red Pill…
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗The China Study by T. Colin Campbell PhD.
on “How cancer cells fuel their growth” ↗Organic meat may be good in small doses. However most of the meat today is not the same as it was centuries ago. The book "The China Study" does a good job at explaining the diseases caused by meat.
on “Meat based diets made us smarter” ↗…corporations for polluting the environment and we would shame a person for abusing their pets in the way factory farming does animals, so why is it ok if they do it by proxy? I read a nutrition book called "The China Study" about 6 months ago and it was the push I needed to seriously give veganism a try. I don't deny it, I love the taste of certain meats and at times I do miss them and I do occasionally still eat fish (sushi…
on “How to Satisfy the World’s Surging Appetite for Meat” ↗