We need to study the dietary and lifestyle habits of the healthiest populations in order to understand what works. People who are genetically predisposed to numerous degenerative conditions manage to live their lives free of disease because they have made wise choices.

We don’t need to be confused when we evaluate a dietary or lifestyle regimen if we ask two important questions:

(1)   What research studies support the regimen?

(2)   What conclusions have researchers drawn from the studies?

The most reliable information concerning the connection between dietary and lifestyle habits and disease is found in the epidemiological studies. The following is an example of one comprehensive epidemiological study (and it is still in progress):

Chen J.; T.C. Campbell; Li J.; and R. Peto. Diet, Lifestyle, and Mortality in China: A Study of Sixty-Five Chinese Counties. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press; Ithica, NY: Cornell University Press; Beijing, PRC: People’s Medical Publishing House.

This study, commonly known as the China-Cornell-Oxford Diet and Health Project, reveals that people who are genetically similar enjoy very different levels of health and wellness. The study also underscores the significant connection between dietary habits and disease.

Epidemiologists and nutritionists have also studied the lifetime dietary habits of the people living in Crete, much of Greece, and southern Italy.

Other studies reveal that currently the healthiest people in the world live throughout the Pacific Rim, in parts of Africa and in parts of South America. What do these healthy populations have in common? What dietary habits allow them to escape most - or all - of our diseases?

The dietary habits of the healthiest people in the world have these common characteristics:

• They eat an abundance of plant-based foods, or they eat only plant-based foods.
• They consume minimally processed, seasonally fresh, locally grown foods.
• They consume little, or no, sweets.
• They eat an abundance of dietary fiber.

We need to study the dietary and lifestyle habits of the healthiest populations in order to understand what works. People who are genetically predisposed to numerous degenerative conditions manage to live their lives free of disease because they have made wise choices.

The important findings of the China-Cornell-Oxford Diet and Health Project further clarify the connection between dietary habits and disease:

• The healthiest people in China get only 7 to 10 percent of their protein from animal sources (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy). Note: Americans get 70 to 80 percent of their protein from animal sources.
• Those who are genetically predisposed place themselves at risk for disease when they consume even small amounts of animal protein.
• A dietary regimen high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat (as opposed to a regimen high in refined carbohydrates, low in fiber, and high in fat) enables people to consume significantly more calories without gaining weight.
• The Chinese do not suffer from iron deficiency while consuming plant-based regimens, nor do they suffer (as do many Americans) from iron overload.
• The Chinese drastically reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis by avoiding foods high in phosphates (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, and dairy).

Dr. Dorian - author, radio and television personality and authority on the use of whole foods in the prevention and cure of degenerative disease - has been an investigative researcher in the field of health and nutrition for over twenty-five years. Her books – addressing critical issues concerning health, education, marriage and family – include Health Begins in Him; Anyone Can Homeschool; The Cookbook and Hormonal Imbalance: the Madness and the Message. For more articles by Dr. Terry Dorian, go to the Health Channel.