Dr T. Colin Campbell
Dr T. Colin Campbell is perhaps one of the most influential medical professionals in the vegan health movement.
Dr Campbell studied pre-veterinary medicine before obtaining a Masters in nutrition and biochemistry followed by a PhD in biochemistry, nutrition, and microbiology, both from the prestigious Cornell University.
In 2005, Dr Campbell published The China Study: the Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted, which has gone on to be arguably the most impactful book about plant-based diets. The book examines the link between the consumption of animal products and chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and bowel cancer. Much of its research is taken from the China–Cornell–Oxford Project, a 20-year study which looked at mortality rates from cancer and other chronic diseases from 1973 to 1975 in 65 counties in China, and correlated this data with 1983/84 dietary surveys and blood work from 100 people in each county. Dr Campbell concluded that those who follow a wholefood plant-based diet can not only prevent but reverse many chronic illnesses.
Although Dr Campbell doesn’t identify as an ethical vegan, he does follow a wholefood plant-based diet (WFPB) and often speaks of its benefits.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Campbell suggested that a WFPB diet may decrease the severity of the virus.1Campbell, T. Colin. 2020. Could Changing Our Diets Defeat COVID-19? Center for Nutrition Studies. Available: https://nutritionstudies.org/could-changing-our-diets-defeat-covid-19/ [Accessed 25 January 2022].
“The findings from this study [the China study], when combined with experimental studies of cancer in my laboratory and clinical human studies on heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and related illnesses by others, showed that a whole-food, plant-based diet could not only prevent but also reverse these diseases.”1Campbell, T. Colin. 2020. Could Changing Our Diets Defeat COVID-19? Center for Nutrition Studies. Available: https://nutritionstudies.org/could-changing-our-diets-defeat-covid-19/ [Accessed 25 January 2022].
“In our research, we also found that people consuming more animal protein had fewer antibodies, even in those consuming a very low amount of animal protein […] Switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet should lessen the severity of disease symptoms while simultaneously increasing COVID-19 antibodies, a win-win effect.”1Campbell, T. Colin. 2020. Could Changing Our Diets Defeat COVID-19? Center for Nutrition Studies. Available: https://nutritionstudies.org/could-changing-our-diets-defeat-covid-19/ [Accessed 25 January 2022].
