Eat Chinese!

Have you heard of this China Diet Study?

It's a pretty comprehensive epidemiological study conducted by Cornell.

Some of the results are pretty amazing. For instance, they eat many more carbs, much less fat and much less animal protein (the two usually going together).

China
carbs 71%
fat 14%
protein 10%
(including animal protein: 1%!)
alcohol 5%.

US
carbs 42%
fat 36%
protein 15%
(including animal protein 10%)
alcohol 7%

BTW: their carbs are not from sugar and white flour. They're from rice and millet, grains and beans.

And they have far less cancer, heart disease, etc.

There's a book on the subject.

While they eat far more carbs than I do, they're also a lot less sedentary.

I don't know if I'd cut protein so much. But cutting fat clearly seems beneficial.

The book (and the web site) make arguments about the mechanisms at work in their better health. It's a bit vague. But the basic idea seems to be that plant matter blocks degenerative disease, while animal fat (and possibly protein) amplify the same degenerative mechanisms.

It makes me wonder about the amount of low-fat dairy I eat. Too much protein? It's animal-based, so less good? But low in fat?

If moderation is the key, then I should do fine.

Check back to find out--in about 20 years.

--E. R. O'Neill