the China Project
The China Project is the most comprehensive epidemiological study ever undertaken on the links between diet and disease. This is a joint venture between Oxford and Cornell Universities with Chinese collaboration which started in 1983.
The study protocols and data sheets are updated as the study continues and can be downloaded and interrogated in a stats program or spreadsheet. The data provides ongoing opportunities for any one to research. Many papers are written drawing on it.
The results show health benefits from eating less animal products, including fish, even for people eating very little animal products.
the China Study
The China Project is popularised in the book “The “China Study“ o-authored by one of the principal researchers. Drawing on data from the China Project and other research the authors outline the epidemiological and physiological evidence for the links between the consumption of animal products and diseases including cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiac and autoimmune diseases. Particularly in the USA where the rate of diseases of affluence is the highest in the world.
They estimate that the consumption of animal products is a very much higher risk factor for cancer than environmental carcinogens or genetic influences.
Autoimmune diseases are increasing rapidly in industrialised countries. Sufferers typically experience more than one. For example arthritis, Lou Gehrig's Disease(ALS), Crohn's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, fibromyalgia, systemic lupus, scleroderma, Type1 diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS) and endometriosis. Most of these diseases are significantly associated with presence of dairy protein antibodies. Withdrawal of dairy products from the diet often brings improvement.
disinformation campaigns
Websites aligned to the meat and dairy industries criticise the study One of the persistent claims is that the data is not published.
This is reminiscent of the early days of the tobacco, GM and anti global-warming lobbies. Thier campaigns have achieved some coverage as you can see if you search the internet for “The China Study.”
It is only possible to evaluate food claims by reading the original research and cross checking references and commentary against independent sources. And looking around to see if they make sense.
osteoporosis
A more well known campaign is the one that promotes dairy products for calcium to build bone and prevent osteoporosis despite calcium and the other minerals needed for bone formation being abundant in other foods.
Osteoporosis is at low levels in countries that don't use dairy products. The epidemic of osteoporosis in western countries has been known for decades to be associated with the increased acidity of blood induced by high intake of animal products, particularly dairy. Minerals are leached out of the system which mines bone to replace them.