Andy Lewis

Disclaimer: these thoughts are created by me, myself, and i. If you choose to follow my fragmented yet concrete reasoning please do so at your own risk. p.s. check out the Paleo diet by Dr. Loren Crodain, it's the best thing since sliced bread...errr, well the idea of slicing and the ease of its use is, not necessarily the whole processed grain part. That's a no-no.

So i've been reading the China Study by: T. Campbell and his son Thomas Campbell. Why would i read a book about vegetarianism when i am a larger carnivore than a T-Rex? The reason is to gain knowledge surrounding the purported claims that vegetarianism and vegan lifestyles are the correct way to live. The statement "keep your friends close but your enemies closer" seems to fit in a seamless fashion here. Vegetarianism is "correct" some might say.. Whether or not you eat meat, shellfish, fish, eggs or milk products based on the principle of saving or not harming an animal is not my problem. You are justified to believe in what you want. But are the lifestyle's inherent deficiencies healthy? And with such a "healthy" diet can you reach your fitness and/or performance goals? My answer is undeniably and justifiably NO!

First off, Dr. Campbell's repeated claim for about 60 pages and then scattered throughout the book for another 250 pages or so is that Alfatoxin and a 20% protein diet causes a significant increase in the chances of liver cancer; while a diet of 5% protein significantly lowers the chance for liver cancer. Most Americans definitely eat a surplus of animal protein plus the protein for vegetable sources. So i can make the easy assumption that most Americans on average eat at least 20% protein everyday.

I cannot lie about Dr. Campbell's findings and scientific process as the lab results are undeniably true concerning mice being used as test subjects. Unfortunately, the study of human dietary consumption versus the incidence of liver cancer across many third world countries (African countries) is quite true as well. This is because of their abnormally enormous consumption of peanut-containing products. Peanuts tend to have a high degree of contamination by Alfatoxin which is a fungus.

So yes Dr. Campbell is correct in some lab-verified tests. Further more, Dr. Campbell claims that considering most of western society eats a diet very high in protein, and when compounded with Alfatoxin ingestion from sources such as grains and peanuts we have a higher chance of contracting carcinoma of the liver. In a nutshell that is why Dr. Campbell says that a vegetarian diet is best. Less animal protein, therefore less LDL cholesterol and other health problems it MAY cause leads to a diminished chance of liver cancer because the fungus Alfatoxin does not get the chance to use protein and "other" health problems caused by protein as an accelerate for carcinoma.

After further inquiry and a search on Google.com that took approximately .20 seconds i found my answers on Wikipedia.com.

"Aflatoxins are naturally occurring Mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, most notably Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins are toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known."

"Aflatoxin-producing members of Aspergillus are common and widespread in nature. They can colonize and contaminate grain before harvest or during storage. Host crops are particularly susceptible to infection by Aspergillus following prolonged exposure to a high humidity environment or damage from stressful conditions such as drought, a condition which lowers the barrier to entry.

The native habitat of Aspergillus is in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains undergoing microbiological deterioration and it invades all types of organic substrates whenever conditions are favorable for its growth. Favorable conditions include high moisture content (at least 7%) and high temperature.

Crops which are frequently affected include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut).

The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed."

Sorry for the cut and paste, but it really saves me time as well as helping others who want a quick and nearly-certifiable answer (Wikipedia is the most referred-to site when looking for legitimate answers). So the Paleo diet huh? Why is that important? It is important because eating the way cavemen and women ate hundreds of thousands of years ago diminishes the amount of cereals, processed foods, grains, certain starches, most legumes, and certain nuts (e.g. peanuts are also a leading cause atherosclerosis of blood vessels because of its fat concentration! Maybe peanuts are the sole cause for cancer?! Just joking guys and gals, it is correlated to causing cancer. But you must remember that correlation doesn't always lead to causation). Isn't it fun to poke holes in science?!

Anyways, following the Paleo diet decreases or outright diminishes all suspect foods containing Alfatoxin inherently. Therefore animal protein is still healthy for the diet even at the 30% mark that the Paleo diet suggests because we have cut out the leading causes of Alfatoxins. So in conclusion, eat lean meats, healthy fats/oils (rich in mono- more so than poly-unsaturated fats, more omega-3's than -6's, and saturated fat is not necessarily a killer in moderation), nuts, eat your weight in vegetables, and eat fresh fruits. Refrain from eating grains, processed foods, most legumes, peanuts, cashews, and unhealthy oils. All this equals a healthy and enjoyable life. Plus you look better naked! End tirade.