The China Study by Thomas Campbell

230 THE (HINA STUDY

PRINCIPLE #3

There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods

that are not beHer provided by plants.

Overall, it is fair to say that any plant-based food has many more simi-
larities in terms of nutrient compositions to other plant-based foods
than it does to animal-based foods. The same is true the other way
around; all animal-based foods are more like other animal-based foods
than they are to plant-based foods. For example, even though fish is
significantly different from beef, fish has many more similarities to beef
than it has to rice. Even the foods that are "exceptions" to these rules,
such as nuts, seeds and processed low-fat animal products, remain in
distinct plant and animal "nutrient" groups.
Eating animals is a markedly different nutritional experience from
eating plants. The amounts and kinds of nutrients in these two types
of foods, shown in Chart 11.2/ , 8, 9 illustrate these striking nutritional
differences.

CHART 11.2: NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF PLANT AND

ANIMAL-BASED FOODS (PER 500 CALORIES OF ENERGY)

Nutrient Plant-Based Foods·

Cholesterol (mg) -

Fat (g) 4

Protein (g) 33

Beta-<:arotene (meg) 29,919

Dietary Fiber (g) 31

Vitamin C (mg) 293

Folate (meg) 1168

Vitamin E (mg_ATE) 11

Iron (mg) 20

Magnesium (mg) 548

Calcium (mg) 545

* Equal parts of tomatoes, spinach, lima beans, peas, potatoes

** Equal parts of beef, pork, chicken, whole milk

Animal-Based

Foods"

137

36

34

17

• 4
  19
  0.5
  2
  51
  252