EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF FOOD, WHICH prolongs life (as Colin Campbell)

Biochemist Colin Campbell specializes in the study of the power effects on health. He grew up on a dairy farm, where the main food products were dairy products. Campbell studied at Cornell University and then worked in the MTI. In 1980 he headed the study, dubbed "China Project", in which researchers from the three countries in the world have studied the effect of diet and lifestyle on human health and the power connection with chronic diseases.

As a result of this work, Campbell was one of the main advocates of vegetarianism: in his view, vegetable products have a great advantage over products of animal origin, which are often harmful to human health. In 2005, his book The China Study, which has become one of the best-selling American book market (sold over 1 million copies). Eight years later, the book will be published in Russian. With the consent of the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Farber» Forbes publishes abbreviated 8 major principles of nutrition, formulated by Campbell.

Principle 1: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Once the food is mixed with your saliva, your body begins a magical process of digestion. Each of the chemical substances contained in the food begins to specifically interact with other chemicals in food and your body. It is infinitely complex process, and it is impossible to determine exactly how the substances interact. We will never be able to figure out exactly how the whole complex process.

In the course of evolution in the human body has developed a very complex system of chemical reactions, aimed at obtaining the maximum benefit from solid food in the form in which it exists in nature. You can proclaim the favor of one particular nutrient, but this is too simplistic approach would be misleading. The human body has learned to extract for themselves the benefit of chemicals in food, rejecting some and using others as he sees fit.

Principle 2. Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for health
Since the power is infinitely complex biochemical process, which involved thousands of substances, different effects on your health, it is unlikely or almost impossible to separate the nutrients taken as supplements, could be a substitute for whole foods. Supplementation does not guarantee good health for a long time and may cause unexpected side effects. Moreover, those who rely on dietary supplements to push yourself to move right diet.

It's not that the nutrients are not important for the organism. They are important, but only when it comes in the form of food and non-food supplements. Selection of nutrients and try to get from them the same benefits as in the use of whole foods, suggests ignorance of the processes that are triggered in the body during a meal.

Principle 3: Almost all of the nutrients are better represented in the plant than in the animal food
In plant foods contain more antioxidants, fiber and minerals than animal. In fact, animal products are almost completely devoid of some of these nutrients. At the same time, animal foods more cholesterol and fats. Furthermore, there are several more proteins than plant, as well as vitamin D and vitamin B12, even if vitamin D is caused artificially by adding it to the milk.

Of course, there are exceptions: some nuts and seeds are rich in fats and proteins (e.g., peanuts, sesame seeds), while some animal products contain little fat, usually through artificial degreasing (for example, skimmed milk). But on closer inspection it turns out that in the nuts and seeds contain other fats and proteins: they are much healthier fats and proteins in animal foods. Moreover, they are combined in such plant foods with antioxidant substances.

Principle 4: The genes themselves do not cause disease
I can state with certainty that the occurrence of each specific disease is caused by genes. They determine everything that happens in our body: both good and bad. No corresponding genes would have no cancer or obesity or diabetes or cardiovascular disease. And without genes would not have life.

However, with this increased attention to genetic issues often overlooked a simple but very important point: not all genes are constantly fully active. If there is no activation, or expression, of genes are from a biochemical point of view, remain "asleep" and have no effect on our health.

Observations show that the incidence of certain diseases is changing with time so much that is biologically impossible to attribute it to the influence of genes. Until recently, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other diseases were rare and rich our genetic code could not change so much in the last 25, 100 or even 500 years.
Therefore, although we can say that genes play a key role in all biological processes, we have very strong evidence that it is much more important is the expression of genes, and it is determined by environmental factors, especially diet.

Principle 5. The adverse effects of harmful chemicals can be largely controlled with power
The press regularly reports on chemicals that cause cancer. Acrylamide, artificial sweeteners, nitrosamines, nitrites, Alar, heterocyclic amines and aflatoxin - in experimental studies have found a relationship between all of these substances and the onset of cancer.

It is widely believed that cancer is caused by toxic chemicals that get into our bodies and adversely affect it. For example, people often express concern about the possible health problems to justify its opposition to the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock.

One of the concerns causing chemical carcinogens - acrylamide which contains primarily recycled or fried foods such as potato chips. It is assumed that, if we could remove this chemical from potato chips to consume them it would be safe, despite the fact that they continue to be processed potato slices unhealthy, thoroughly soaked with fat and salt.
Very many of us seem to need a scapegoat. We do not want to hear that our favorite food is bad just because of its nutrient composition.

Principle 6: Meals that prevents disease in its early stages can also stop the development of its
it takes several years for the development of chronic diseases. For example, it is believed that the initiation of breast cancer can occur in adolescence and the disease in the future may not occur until the post-menopausal period! Therefore, it is likely that many middle-aged women around us, in which the initiation of breast cancer occurred at an early age, but the disease will manifest only after menopause. Many on the basis of this fatalistic opinion that nothing can be changed. How are we to do, considering that many of us may already be initiated by a chronic disease that will manifest itself decades later?

Fortunately for us, the right food helps to achieve the best possible state of health at every stage of the disease. We reviewed the results of studies showing that eating integral plant products contributes to the healing of cardiovascular disease at a later stage to help people who are obese, lose weight, and diabetes patients refuse medication and return to the way of life that they led to disease.

Of course, some diseases appear to be incurable. Autoimmune diseases are probably the worst, because if the body starts a war against himself, he can not stop.

Principle 7: Nutrition, which is useful in the case of a chronic disease, and help in the prevention of many other diseases
When I negotiated the publication of this book, I had a meeting with the editor of a major publishing house, and I shared with her my intention to devote some chapters certain types of diseases, to talk about the power connection with various ailments. In response, the editor asked me: "Could you develop a specific diet for each disease that was not the same recommendations in each chapter?" In other words, if I could recommend one particular food for patients with cardiovascular diseases and other - for patients with diabetes? Of course, it was understood that the same diet for different diseases have attracted little attention would be "enough readily realizable on the market»

. Perhaps it would be a coup from a marketing standpoint, but not from the point of view of science. Therefore, I'm afraid I do not have a separate recipe for each disease. I have only one recommendation in the field of power: you can easily achieve optimum health and to protect yourself from a wide variety of diseases with one simple diet, [preferring plant products to the products of animal origin].

Principle 8. Good nutrition promotes health in different planes of our existence
Recently a lot of talk about holistic, or holistic, approach to health. This concept people understand in different ways. Many include her "alternative" medicine and drugs, so their understanding of holistic medicine is associated with acupressure, acupuncture, herbs, meditation, vitamin supplements, chiropractic, yoga, aromatherapy, feng shui, and even massage sound therapy.

I support the concept of holistic medicine as, but not as popular a phrase that is used to refer to any unconventional medical practices, the use of which has not often proved. Power, for example, is of paramount importance to our health. Eating - is perhaps the most intimate contact that we have with the environment occurs; what we eat becomes a part of our body.
However, it is important to both - physical activity, emotional and mental health, as well as a comfortable environment. It is necessary to include these aspects in our concept of health, as they are all interrelated. This approach is really holistic.

This growing relationship became apparent to me during experiments on animals. Rats maintained on a low protein diet, not only did not develop liver cancer, but was below the level of cholesterol in the blood, they were more energetic and voluntarily "exercised" in a cage in two times longer than the rats, whose diets contain large amounts of squirrel. Evidence of increased activity were confirmed by a huge number of practical examples of the life that I have seen over the years that people who eat right, more energetic

. Synergy of proper nutrition and physical activity is very important, and there is evidence that these two aspects of life are interconnected. A combination of proper diet and regular exercise helps a person to achieve a better state of health than the impact of these two factors separately.

We also know that physical activity affects the emotional and mental state of a person. Much has been said about the impact of physical activity on a variety of chemicals in our body, which in turn determines our mood and concentration. And improved emotional well-being and mental abilities leads us to in order to maintain an optimal diet.