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The China Study Finding Number Five

Blood cholesterol is a predictor not only of heart disease risk, but also of cancer. Furthermore, diet is strongly linked to blood cholesterol levels. The best foods for disease prevention: unrefined, plant-based foods.

Over four decades ago, the famous Framingham Heart Study conclusively found that high blood cholesterol levels were a predictor of heart disease, and since that time, cholesterol has become a household word and one of the most common targets of pharmaceutical drugs. The China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project adds a new dimension to this debate, because researchers found that blood cholesterol, when studied for populations, was also linked to various cancers. This suggests that blood cholesterol is not just a predictor of heart disease, but cancer as well. This association was observed for relatively low total cholesterol levels (90-170 mg/dL), which were much lower than generally found in Western populations.

Furthermore, researchers found that dietary choices were strongly associated with blood cholesterol levels. To make a long story short: as intakes of plant foods increased, blood cholesterol levels went down, and as intakes of animal foods increased, blood cholesterol levels went up. Specific associations are shown in the following graphic.