Beastie boy got over cancer & claims that diet aided the recovery

Beastie Boy Adam Yauch Credits Vegan Diet With Helping Beat Cancer. Obviously I'm not saying I agree that cancer can be beaten by dietary change, the evidence for such a statement isn't out there, but I thought it was just nice to see he's getting better. You can read the article here

I'm not aware of any randomized control trial where some cancer victims switched to a vegan diet and did better. But I know that the research Colin Campbell (The China Study author) did many decades ago found that a diet that was only 5% (casein) protein blocked cancer growth in already initiated rat tumors while at 20% (casein) protein in their diet the tumors grew. This experiment was successfully reproduced later also. And if the protein type was instead from a plant, higher protein levels did not cause cancer. At 20% casein protein all the rats died of cancer. (They were initiating cancer with aflatoxin). I'd imagine there exists far more along such lines concerning animal experiments. Not aware of any concerning humans. Although of course cancer is far less likely to occur in the first place in humans on a vegan diet.

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Trouble is we've not had these original assumptions tested by other researchers. Research is just that - RE-search. It is not to discover 'truth' as such, by to say this seem more or less likely to be what actually happens. So, far we have only these studies shown in the book. That can maybe say "It is possible that certain proteins can cause, or at least make more likely some forms of cancer", we can't say what factors in those labs, or by those lab technicians affected that outcome. Food chosen, stress levels, life-style factors may make one group more susceptible to illness when on a certain diet? You need studies carried out many times (& have those studies done on humans) to really get an honest idea of what's happening.

Well as I thought I wrote, the rats/casein research was reproduced independently. The author of The China Study, Colin Campbell, actually was reproducing it as it was originally done in India. And then he mentions another researched who later also did.

Originally I thought you just thought that there was no evidence that cancerous tumors could be reversed by veganism. But apparently you think there isn't sufficient evidence that veganism greatly decreases cancer risk in the first place?

Based on my reading of The China Study the evidence is overwhelming. And I must very very strongly recommend reading it. Second most important book I've ever read. Actually just finished it a few days ago.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294706648&sr=8-1

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You could argue that aflatoxin is activated to create cancer in rats by the inclusion on animal proteins into their diets..but does that mean that aflatoxin is activated to create cancer by animal proteins in humans? Does that mean that animal proteins trigger other agents that cause cancer in humans? Is aflatoxin necessary to trigger an increase in cancer (in humans?), or is the inclusion of meat or dairy proteins, if so is it all animal proteins or some?

Aflatoxin is one of many known carcinogens. Dr. Campbell used it in large part because he worked in the Phillipines were they allowed a far greater level of aflatoxin in peanut butter and were having a very high incidence of cancer in children. Which strangely seemed to be mainly affecting children from wealthy familes (whom were consuming far more meat.)

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The China study basically sets the stage for a research program really. It really takes some basic findings & says what 'may' be happening?

I assume you're referring to the rats/casein as the China Study? That was just a tidbit from the book called the China Study. The actual China study appears to be the biggest nutrition study in the history of mankind or so it's called by many.

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We know some things, the fact that dairy does seem to neutralise antioxidants in some way (as yet not determined), so could low antioxidants make us more susceptible to free radical damage & so more likely to cause us to get cancer? Does, for example a meat protein cause the same issues - I've not found the research to confirm or deny that one. We have some questions, but no real answers. It does seem fairly likely that dairy isn't that great for you. A large % of the earths population cannot digest lactose, many people also have issues with the proteins (both from whey & casein), there is the lowering of antioxidants within the body as well. It just doesn't seem like a healthy food to actually eat even without any cancer causing issues. I think the issues with meat haven't really even been looked at that much as the meat industry hasn't got a rival like the soya industry who has the cash to spend on research to find flaws their competitors product. Maybe if the fake meat industry starts to really challenge the meat industry we'll see more stuff appearing in research papers?
Saying that there is some research about cooking meat & carcinogens, which has shown the definite creation of cancer causing products on cooked meat. I actually wrote a short paper on it (well it was on raw Vs cooked food but that was part of it).
At the moment that's my view on the whole 'animal proteins cause cancer'.

As a side note I might dig out some of my old papers & put them up online as it does seem to be a waste to spend weeks digging up references & stuff & then just leave them lying around. Over the years I've got stuff on training, diet & all sorts I've written lying around that I should maybe put up on the VBB blog? I'll have to see the best way to up them, maybe on scrbdor similar?

Well I don't want to try to reproduce a summary of the whole book. I do very very strongly recommend it though. As a vegan and someone very interested in nutrition I think it's the number one book you should be familar with. (Also think everyone should be familar with it, although of course that will never happen.) I'd be very interested to hear what you think of it.

The post above was my post by the way. I think in moving the rest to another thread it somehow accidentally got changed into appearing to be Pete's post.