The China Study by Thomas Campbell

116 THE CHINA STUDY

CHART 5.1: HEART DISEASE DEATH RATES FOR MEN AGED 55 TO 59

ACROSS 20 COUNTRIES, CIRCA 195516

800 II

700 I

g 600 I

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Why were we succumbing to heart disease in the sixties and seven-
ties, when much of the world was relatively unaffected?
Quite simply, it was a case of death by food. The cultures that have
lower heart disease rates eat less saturated fat and animal protein and
more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In other words, they subsist
mostly on plant foods while we subsist mostly on animal foods.
But might it be that the genetics of one group might just make them
more susceptible to heart disease? We know that this is not the case,
because within a group with the same genetic heritage, a similar rela-
tionship between diet and disease is seen. For example, Japanese men
who live in Hawaii or California have a much higher blood cholesterol
level and incidence of coronary heart disease than Japanese men living
in Japan.^19 • 20
The cause is clearly environmental, as most of these people have the
same genetic heritage. Smoking habits are not the cause because men