The China Study by Thomas Campbell

240 THE CHINA STUDY

farm animals. John Robbins has done more than any other person to

bring this issue to the front of American consciousness, and I strongly

recommend reading his most recent book, The Food Revolution.

Our food choices have an incredible impact not only on our metabo-

lism, but also on the initiation, promotion and even reversal of disease,

on our energy; on our physical activity, on our emotional and mental

well-being and on our world environment. All of these seemingly sepa-

rate spheres are intimately interconnected.

I have mentioned the wisdom of nature at various points in this

book, and I have come to see the power of the workings of the natural

world. It is a wondrous web of health, from molecules, to people, to

other animals, to forests, to oceans, to the air we breathe. This is nature

at work, from the microscopic to the macroscopic.

WHO CARES, ANYWAY?
The principles outlined in this chapter began, for me, with a narrowly
focused question on diet and cancer in rats, then grew into an ever-ex-
panding universe of questions about human and societal health around
the world. In large measure, the principles in this chapter are the an-
swers to the far-reaching questions that I could not help but ask during
my career.
The applicability of these principles should not be underestimated.
Most importantly, they can help to reduce public confusion regarding
food and health. The latest fads, the newest headlines and the most re-
cent study results are put into a useful context. We need not leap from
our seats every time a chemical is called a carcinogen, every time a new
diet book hits the shelf or every time a headline screams about solving
disease through genetic research.
Simply put, we can relax. We can take a much-needed deep breath
and sit back. Moreover, we can do science more intelligently; and ask
better questions because we have a sound framework relating nutrition
to health. In effect, we can interpret new findings with a broader context
in mind. With these newly interpreted findings, we can enrich or modify
our original framework and invest our money and resources where they
matter to increase our society's health. The benefits of understanding
these principles are wide-ranging and profound for individuals, societ-
ies, our fellow animals and our planet.