In the last few years, in the nutritional field various diametrically opposed currents of thought are being born. Some based on well-established scientific research, others based on poorly verifiable individual beliefs. In particular, on the one hand there is a veritable explosion of hyper-protein slimming diets rich in animal ingredients, on the other hand the disclosure of veganism is manifested as a prevention against metabolic and neoplastic disorders.
The authors of " The China Study " argue that, in both guinea pigs and humans, the consumption of animal proteins increases blood cholesterol levels.
With them, even saturated fats and dietary cholesterol seem to participate in increasing the levels of this blood lipid, albeit to a lesser extent than in proteins.
On the contrary, foods of vegetable origin do not contain cholesterol and, with various mechanisms of action, also help in reducing cholesterol of endogenous origin; the decrease in cholesterolemia would therefore be of multifactorial origin but always linked to plant foods.
In rural China (hence the name of the study), the intake of animal proteins per individual is on average equal to 7.1g / day, while in America the average is 70g / day. As rural China is an area characterized by a very low incidence of metabolic diseases, cardio vascular discomforts and certain types of cancer, the correlation is to be considered more than significant.
To conclude, the results of " The China Study " indicate that: the lower the percentage of foods of animal origin in the diet, the greater the health benefits, even if this led to a reduction of this food component until it reached a quota between 0 and 10%.
In case of predisposition towards any degenerative disease among those influenced by the diet, it is therefore not unreasonable to think that the percentage of products of animal origin could be equal to 0.
Obviously, this is a very strong statement that has not found unequivocal results within the scientific community. It would therefore be advisable to take these results into consideration but not take them literally. In practice, by assessing the current trend in most Western countries, a reduction in food of animal origin would certainly be desirable; however, falling below 10% or even reaching 0% could lead to some nutritional deficiencies that should not be underestimated.
