Earlier this week, I felt the light shining a LOT brighter on the path to health and well-being for people receiveing their medical advice in Grand Junction, Colorado.  Pulmonologist Jimmy Thompson, MD, was standing in front of a very full lecture arena when I walked through the doors just after 7 am. Anyone who understands what happens with medical conditions caused by 'adrenal fatigue', and how to recover, will understand why it is a sacrifice for me to interrupt the later part of my sleep cycle to go to something at 7 am.  But this one, I was EXCITED to see! 

The physicians who were in the elevator with me said to each other how they were looking forward to this one in particular.  I definitely had been, since seeing the schedule a month before.  At the seminar, I'd picked up my handout as I arrived, and the very first slide of the PowerPoint, even before the title was the famous quote by Hippocrates: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

Outside the doors to the seminar auditorium is the usual array of foods and drinks provided with the medical education for providers in our region, which they so generously extent to all medical providers, not just physicians (how smart is that! Educate the TEAM of players!): -- assorted bagles (wheat, no gluten-free options), donuts (wheat and sugar and fats), fruit, bottled water bathing in a pretty bowl full of crushed ice, tea/hot water and coffee, none of which is organic/free trade, any of that 'good stuff' that those living 'outside the box' of conventional medicine tend to serve.  Just so interesting to see both paradigms existing today, I'm not putting judgment, just noticing, observing, and 'sayin'... as as the saying goes.   

When the Grate Groove of the Grand Valley gets together to discuss health care, I noticed EVERYONE orders water without ice and years back with the Fibromyalgia Forum I co-hosted in the Primary Care Partners/Docs on Call building, everyone with FM brought their own water bottles everywhere they went and nobody wanted cold water and they had 'gotten the memo' about why to get chlorine and fluoride out of their water.  So it made me realize that even when it comes to the basic 'water', there's such a continuum of beliefs and desires and two very different 'schools of though'.    

 "You are what you eat" I think extends beyond what one individual eats, it has much to do with 'modeling' for others. In my work in the early 1990s in brain injury prevention through helmet safety, which I did collaboratively with Rollerblade and their local distributor in Fort Collins, Colorado (USA) for a project at Colorado State University, I brought together departments and organizations from the University and outside community to create change related to outdoor activities and safety.  The #1 factor that lead to a child having a helmet on their head when they needed it, which is anytime they're on a bike, skates, skis, boards, horses, etc.,  based on my researching the subject in 1992/3, was seeing adults model the behavior/wearing helmuts.  Food for though.....?, and yes, pun's intended.  

On my way out, I noticed the waters were all gone and the fruit was mostly taken, as were most of the donuts.  There were a LOT of bagels left though. So this particular group of attendees even had a vast array of eating habits when provided a wide variety. I wonder if peeled hard boiled eggs had been included, if they'd have been taken, as those seem to be popular at the less expensive hotels that do a complimentary breakfast.

Had the foods been made available AFTER the education and not before, I'd be interested to see how the same array of foods would have been consumed. You should have heard the conversations of people as they left to go on to their day at 8 am. I have rarely been in a room when I have felt such 'momentum' shift, such an 'aha' go on.  The other time was a much smaller audience and was with the FibroForum when local expert Chris Young, PhD presented on Adverse Childhood Experiences and the relationship to chronic illness in adulthood, but you could literally feel the lightbulbs going on in the minds of people who were taking the time that evening to come and learn about something that might change their future wellness/illness reality.  

The attendance at this seminar was awesome, and there were many spouses in the room, too! I personally like to see that because it takes 'systems' to make changes, including in the homes of medical providers! Many companies do employee wellness programs but if you don't extend that to their families for education, the change is very difficult to make, for instance.  

In the LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley, we started with providers getting to know each other in the winter/startup and then in summer we got together out at an outdoor concert so the spouses and children could come too, just to get to know each other better, wholistically. And we were just doing normal things, eating BBQ, drinking whatever beverage we chose, and getting to know each other. That continues to be part of our M.O., but we also are doing more education within the professionals and plan to then be able to expand gradually with invitations to providers and consumers and ultimately be able to expand and reach a good number of people, if the demand is there for what we are doing and what we have to say! I look forward and hope to have Dr Jimmy come sometime. 

Coming out of the seminar area, I noticed many people in white uniforms, mostly women, perhaps nursing student/interns, walking behind me saying "what am I going to eat?  I eat TONS of chicken, I thought that was good for you! ... I had no idea about ...... "  I LOVED IT!  

I literally felt the paradigm shift as well for 'values based' medicine as the volume based medicine of years and decades past has clearly lead us down an unfortunate path and now we have dead-ended and have to work our way back and find the OTHER path and take it.  Which is work -- for those who have already done the work of figuring out that foods are causing diseases and changed how you eat, you're on that path and ahead of many, so thank you. I left feeling MUCH more hopeful that day about what that hospital and all medical and nonmedical people in our community and country might experience in the future.  Lower costs and happier, more fulfilling lives because we feel better and have more money for other aspects of our life than 'physical and mental health'.   

Dr Thompson went out of his way to thank the research librarians/support staff who he said worked extensively for many months helping him with his research/learning so that he could teach.  They say the best way to learn a subject is to teach it.  He did well and I want to thank him for putting in the time to do so, and helping shift things, or 'raise the bar' related to the knowledge of the area's providers. (This only took him 50 minutes to present and took me about 50 hours to keyboard/input here. I exaggerate, but I whittled away at it for many sessions. So I hope that you appreciate what you find here, and that it serves many who find it at Lumigrate.com.) 

Here is what he presented:

Physicians' nutritional education has about 20 contact hours; for comparison, registered dieticians have 500, and it tends to be in the form of biochemistry and not applied nutrition.  So kudos to ALL the providers who were at the seminar to learn more. I encourage the consumers or providers who read this to let your providers or colleagues know about this piece on Lumigrate if you feel they could be inspired to learn more about nutrition in order to meet YOUR needs. And be sure to check back over time.  Topics like these continue to get additional input from the Grate Group of providers who contribute their time and energies to educate here! 

Next, obesity was covered; trends in the US, definitions, and most interesting to me, a 2011 Gallup poll of actual body weight comparing with a poll twenty years before.  On average men were 16# heavier and women 18# heavier in 2011!  Which leads into life expectancy. 

The US is ranked TOP of the list of the world in obesity and chronic diseases; in 2005, almost half our country's people had at least one chronic disease.  I was aware of this long ago, because in 2007 I took a business planning class and started developing the concept of what turned out to be "Lumigrate.com" in 2009.  Initially I thought to have a website about fibromyaliga only, and then it was like unraveling a sweater and I saw the overall 'chronic illness' concept -- there really is such overlap with other conditions.  I thought integrative medicine's concepts were suited to presenting about and giving information about solving the whole ballywick.  But I'm always wanting to be sure others know this incredible statistic, and was pleased to see it included by Dr Thompson.  

With the western diet the following diseases occur in increased rates: cardiovascular disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, autoimmune disease. 

Inflammation = (equals) Chronic Disease

Research shows all chronic diseases share the same underlying biochemical etiology -- a diet-induced pro-inflammatory state. This increases with age, obesity and the western diet.  It decreases with a whole food, plant-based diet of fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes.  There is an inverse association with fitness and inflammation.  Most chronic diseases reveal elevated markers including: CRP, IL-1, IL-6, TNF, homocysteine, and arachidonic acid (AA).  

I remember hearing about AA from a friend of mine who has Chron's disease and who was seeking advice from a naturopathic doctor.  It was the first year I lived in Grand Junction, 2004, and extensively seeking the advise of an MD who I thought knew a lot about fibromyalgia, but instead of being taught about AA, I was being educated about other theories which were not really valid as I understand things today.  However, they were doing a lot of things which don't have evidence-based research and I did get better because more things they were trying with people helped than hindered or were neutral. But my new dentist thought I was a nut for asking them to not use mint-flavored products or latex gloves in my treatment!    And more importantly, the efforts I put into gooing down that path too AWAY from time/energy/money I could put into what was REALLY going to help. So I really appreciate now, more than in the past, providers who do more 'vetting' of information and am working to bring a cache of information to Lumigrate from those types of 'validating-minded providers' with MUCH experience at what they do.  We're a work in progress, so please hang in there with us through the infancy and toddler phase -- we turn THREE remember, soon. 

I'm encouraged because I'm seeing things which are first embraced by the 'progressives' might get the funding to prove or disprove them in the western medicine way of researching things.  It's kind of how the political system used to work -- one side would get into the power seat or seats, then the other side, and IN THE LONG RUN, things progressed and had a good foundation underneath.   

The pro-inflammatory western diet includes: red/processed meats, refined grains, sweets/ candies and desserts, chicken, high fat dairy, soft drinks, pizza, eggs.  Overall, the #1 beverage in the US is soft drinks. (I did not know this statistic.)  And interestingly, as a sidenote, Dr Thompson said the US Congress went into a special session years back related to how to show more vegetables being consumed in school lunches, and french fries and pizza were deemed to be vegetables! I believe, if I recall correctly, ketchup was as well. I did not know it was a special session however, to create that 'wonderful' step backwards for us in the past.  

Whole food, plant based anti-inflammatory diet: Fruits, vegetables, unrefined grains/whole grains, nuts, legumes, and the most important concept of all, in my opinion: Variety and quantity.  

Then he went into "Proposed Nutritional Mechanisms of Chronic Illness and Aging", which included mitochondrial theory of aging, nutritional epigenetics, omega 6/3 ratio, advanced glycation end products.  

The mitochondrial theory of aging essentially attributes aging to the level of free radical damage accumulating in cells.  Mitochondria are the cells where nutrients are converted to usable energy with oxidation and free radical formation as byproducts.  

(For those who study Lumigrate with an interest in chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia, there's a belief by those specializing in this field that the mitochondia in people with these disorders are problematic and might even need intravenous supplementation of nutrition in order to have the levels in the blood they need to function properly, even when the gut is working properly for food digestion and elimination of wastes. Hence the long-time success with Myers Cocktails in this population.  I refer you to my topic on Milton Hammerly, MD's book on integrative approaches to fibromaylgia.  Thankfully, I saw an article about him when reading my newspaper in 1996 when I moved there for OT internships at the Denver VA, and the first time I became sick with a cold/bronchitis, he became my personal physician.  I would not have had a career in OT if it weren't for that, I strongly believe. Hence you'd not be reading at Lumigrate at this moment, naturally.   

Enzyme superoxide dimutase allows antioxidants into the mitochondria; levels of SD correlate to longevity. The enzyme activity is higher in women, which might explain why women typically live longer than men.  Vegetarians, compared to omnivores, had 300% increase in enzyme activity, and the only reliable source of antioxidants is a plant-based, whole foods diet.  HUH?  "ONLY" SOURCE of antioxidants IS FOOD?  

Oh, I see, he's pulled out the studies that I've been covering with Robin Thomas' collaboration related to supplements.... It's very handy that Robin has 25 years experience in the field of science, and many years in medical research. And since her personal history was related to chronic illness in her son, which took her into closely studying these things in order to help him in his wellness/illness, she's been up to her knees at least in these controversies about supplements and nutrition (and many other things such as heavy metals and etc.) for a while.   that I can get to this point and defer to her expertise to hop in with a comment on this topic and help clarify for us ALL.  I'm learning along with the rest of you on many things! Just as Dr Thomas and the other providers in the room, myself included, were all continuing to learn through this seminar.  I would LOVE to see this topic on Lumigrate serve as a means for him and others in the room who might become aware of it, to continue the learning process rather than it be a  for an hour and then no way to follow through.

Observational studies were cited about vitamin E (from Ann Intern Med 2005;142:37-46), vitamin A (JAMA 297(8): 842-857 2007), beta carotine (JAMA 297(8): 842-857 2007), zinc and increased prostate cancer in men (Cancer Causes Control; 2009 July 20(5) 691-698).  The Iowa Women's Health Study which was in the mass media last year, leading us to work to clear up the misconceptions the public was getting and revealing the flaws in the study, was cited, found in Arch Intern Med 2011; 171(18); 1625-33). Swedish study related to increased breast cancer with multivitamin use (Am J Clin 2010;91:1268-72) and a study of 36,282 women which showed calcium supplements increased the risk of cardiovascular events by 24% for MI, 15% for CVA (BMI 2011:342:d2040).

Here is the link to the topic here at Lumigrate which Robin provided last year, at my suggestion, when I saw this study hit the media and was concerned about the effects it might have on the consumers whose health I'm trying to help by providing valid yet progressive information, streamlining their health education time/energy and saving them money in the long run and allowing the best body/mind/spirit health and well-being for ALL who are 'on board'.  www.lumigrate.com/forum/how-do-you-know-your-supplements-are-safe-and-effective

Nutritional epigenetics, which is the altering gene expressions through environmental exposure without changing DNA sequence, is now considered an important mechanism in gene expression and disease. DNA methylation, histone modification and chromatin remodeling are some of the the mechanisms which cause these alterations. Dietary compounds have been shown to activate or suppress gene expression.

Note: A recent National Geographic cover story on twins is a fascinating piece, as is a PBS show and Time magazine had a story in recent years which cited a study of a society which has to bunker in for the winter with their food stores.  One year they had an abundance so gorged themselves over the winter.  It was their grandchildren who had a change, not them -- or their children, the next generation.  FASCINATING when you look at 'why did things JUST NOW seem to 'pop' which chronic illness:  When did Americans start eating horribly unnatural foods, including being grown in depleted soils.  I'm just sayin'....... it's all making a LOT of sense to me. So what's the most important thing we can do about it? Foods/nutrition.  I want to take this opportunity to remind that there are topics on Lumigrate related to mental health and nutrition, including early intervention with teens in public school who were showing early signs of schizophrenia.  Changes in diet and home behaviors with the family included in training reduced 'breaking' into schizophrenia by 50%! When you take into consideration what most people score related to full compliance on things, it might indicate an almost virtual ability to change outcomes of illness with strict compliance.  See, THAT's the kind of information I need to inspire myself.  It's VERY difficult to eat VERY differently than most or all of your surroundings.  The grocery store used to irritate and almost depress me becasue there were so many things I'd like to eat and was chosing not to for my well-being. That takes stamina and endurance.     

Advanced glycation end products (AGE), are macromolecules that are formed by nonenysmatic glycation of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The western diet is high in AGEs, which are formed when food is 'cooked' at high temperatures, such as frying, broiling, roasting, grilling.  They have been proven to accelerate multisystem decline by increasing oxidative stress that occurs with aging.  Since many of us start our health journey related to how we look, I'm pleased he specifically pointed out this is the primary component of 'aging of the skin'.  

Dr Thompson also interjected that cereals and sugars are a primary example.  This raised the question later of 'what to eat for breakfast' and he responded with 'fruit' and I talked with him afterwards about how I'd gone down that path in the early 1990s, after a medical provider, who helped me a lot overall, had me following The Fit for Life Diet. Unfortunately, that didn't lend itself well, for me, related to adrenal fatigue recovery due to the blood sugar issues that come from fruit/vegetable/juice only until mid-day. One of my medical providers said 'yeah, I've heard that a lot about that diet', so I hope my life experience pays off by sharing it here. That was for many years and might still be, the #1 selling diet program in the US.  And it had a HUGE flaw in it, which, I believe, was about 1/4ish of what tanked my health recovery into fibromyalgia when I was in OT school.  (Cadaver fumes/chemicals and stress of of the intentionally difficult 'weed out' first semester was the other, and interestingly, my not being able to eat meat after cadaver anatomy at a time 'carb loading' was popular, so I enjoyed pizza and pasta and breakfasts out on weekends without meat increasingly and didn't know I was allergic to wheat, dairy, and eggs.)   

Throw a palmfull of nuts in with the fruit eating, and I can get on board with it for myself, because what I've gleaned from nutrition experts writing on Lumigrate, your brain needs fats in the morning.  Eggs are what most providers might recommend, but in this paradigm of eating, which is getting away from animal-based and towards plant-based, then we need to look at other options. Again, we're all somewhere on the spectrum of what we're learning and doing and it's up to each of us to decide what is right for us and then do it -- or not.  As Yoda would say "there is no 'try' ".   

I personally like to have an apple and peanut or almond butter for a bedtime snack to help me not have a blood sugar drop in the early morning hours that wakes me up saying 'you're needing to wake up and go forage to feed me, your brain'.  But that would be my suggestion for families to look into for breakfast.  Kids could even eat it in the car or on the bus. Perhaps the providers at Lumigrate who are reading this might comment if they feel inclined within their realm of expertise.    

He then provided a really interesting graphic from the J Gerontol A Biol Scie med Sci 2010; 65A(9):963-75 which is the "Conceptual Model of the effects of AGES in multiple organs systems during aging". He mentioned this was including things such as eye desease (such as macular degeneration, a particularly problematic and concerning factor for people as they age) and heart disease.   And then AGE levels and Mortality was the next slide, which was based on a study of 1,200 people without diabetes over eight years.  

Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.  

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in processed foods, grains, animal products, and some oils (soybean, corn, etc.)

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, leafy green vegetables, seeds including the popular flax seed, chia seeds. 

The current ratio consumed is 20:1; approximately 150 years ago it was 1:1.  That blew me away!

This current imbalance is associated with ALL chronic diseases.  Multiple studies have shown dramatic decreases in chronic disease with increased omega-3 intake.  (Experimental biology and medicine, 2008, 233:674-688 cited for this info. 

The way these fatty acids end up contributing to or curbing inflammation is as follows (in abbreviated form):

Omega-6 fat/linoleic acid/gabba linolenic acid/acadhidonic acid /pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes

Omega-3 fat/alpha-linolenic acid/eicospentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid/ anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes

CHICKEN gets it's very own slide, and Ann NY Acad Sci 1140:346-357, 2008 is cited.  The highest concentration of omega-6 compared to other animal products. Today, chicken contains 10x fat compared to 100 years ago (2gm vs. 20gm/serving). (Note added: Due to preferences by consumers for having 'moist', juicy chicken when cooked in the ways we have cooked them, refered to above related to AGE.)

Chicken provides the highest level of arsenic, which is a heavy metal so is stored and becomes concentrated in fat as they all do; arsenic can be used to decrease parasitic infection in the birds and improve pink pigmentation of the meat they yield. Arsenic is associated with increased cardiovascular disease/CVD, diabetus millitus/DM, cancer/CA, and neurocognitive deficits.  

Now he focuses on arachidonic acid with a slide citing National Cancer Institute 2010; Ten top sources of AA:

Chicken, eggs, beef (by far he noted), sausage, fish, burgers, cold cuts, pork, mexican mixed dishes, pizza. 

Lipid profile was covered next, with the 'take home message' being that cholesterol increases with ALL chronic dieseases.  He referenced The China Study which determined one of the strongest predictors of western diseases is cholesterol level.  With 10 ml/dl increase in HDL ("good cholesterol") there was a 36% decrease in cancer risk.  A noted community of 420,000 people averaged cholesterol at 127 mg/dl and there was no recorded mortality related to heart disease under the age of 64 in the three year timeframe of the study. 

He also referenced a prolific researcher named Dr William Roberts, who was the editor of the American Journal of Caridiology, and authored more than 1,600 studies and 25 books, claiming that cholesterol is THE cause of heart disease. (This is perhaps a topic for discussion elsewhere, there is much to this subject to debate.) 

The Framinhgam study stated heart disease is not seen if cholesterol is less than 150 and LDL less than 70.  

Next was a portion about Esselstyn et al., J Fam Prac 1995, American J Cardiol 1999, Prev Cardiol 2000 which reported on 18 seriously ill "heart patients".  (If you ask me, I put "people first" and say "patients with heart disease" but that does take more space and keystrokes or syllables when talking.)  They all ate plat-based diet and took low dose statins and had 49 coronary events during the eight years prior to the study.  During the 12 years of follow up, there were no coronary events in 17 of 18 patients they could use for follow up.  IMPRESSIVE visuals /slides followed from Esselstyn, 2007, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease , showing three, six, and 12 weeks of intense plant-based diet on vessles which were occluded. Why does diet allow this to happen? It's affecting the WHOLE BODY.  

Think about that.  I'm pausing to do so. The WHOLE body, the brain, the toes, the hair, skin, intestines --- fast results showing up in the cardiovascular system, and imagine what else it impacts with more or less time.   

The Lifestyle Heart Trial was also presented, which is reported on by Ornish et al., Lancet 336 (1990:129-133).  Also in Am J Cardiol 2010: 105: 362-367.  Basically, regression of disease occurred in 82% of the group that followed the experimental regimen of low fat, platn-based diet, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, 1 egg white, one cup of milk/yogurt, stress reduction techniques, exercise 3x/week and used no drugs or surgery.  The control group used standard medications and care.  Dr Thompson verbalized that statins don't stop it all together and have side effects at this point.  

What he recommended: The Mediterranean Diet, and utilized resources from American Jounral of Clinical Nutrition (1997: 1882-6), Circulation 1999, 99: 779-785, N Engl J Med 2003; 348-2599-608).  The overview of the history of the benefit for people eating it is this and goes beyond diet, it includes exercise: Walking 5-10 miles per day, high fruit/vegetable, legume, nut intake, saturated fat <6% of total fat calories, 40% of calories from fat is mostly olive oil, and meat 1-2x/MONTH, fish WEEKLY.  Our American/western diet has increased meat, cheese and fish, decreased intake of whole plant foods, and we're physically inactive; greater than 50% of the population is "overweight".  

The more impressive slide he had about cardiac disease was an article from JAMA 152 (1953):1090-1093.  Autopsies on 300 American soldiers killed in action during the Korean war with an average age of 22 and showed 77% with gross evidence of heart disease, 6% with severe disease and 3% with complete obstruction of one or more coronary arteries. Comparatively, Korean soldiers were randomly autopsied as well without significant evidence of coronary disease.  

CANCER

There is an increased rate of cancer across the world - 12 million cases in 2008 and an estimated projection of 21 million cases in 2030.  In the United States, in 2010, the lifetime risk was 47% for males and 38% for females.  There is an increasing correlation between diet and cancer being shown.  Multiple studies reveal dietary intake has major effects during cancer initiation and promotion through epigenetic changes.  There is also a correlation with increased cancer risk and increased body weight/obesity.

A 2010 study reported that in the US, males have a 47% chance of cancer, women 38%, and there is increasing correlation between diet and cancer.  Multiple studies show dietary intake has significant effects during cancer initiation and promotion through epigenetic changes.  There is also a higher incidence in people who are obese.  (From: Free Radical Research, August 2011 45(8):864-879, American Cancer Society.)

Red Meat and Mortality 

Reported in Arch. Intern. Med., March 12, 2012, a Harvard sudy with more than 120,000 people revealed:

Unprocessed Red Meat: (Deck of card-sized):

• Increased CVD/CardioVascular Disease, 18%
• Inreased Cancer mortality: 10%
• Inreased ALL causes mortality: 13%

Processed Meat: (equivalent to one hot dog or 2 slices of cured bacon):

• Increased CVD Mortality, 21%
• Increased Cancer Mortality, 16%
• Increased ALL causes mortality, 20%

The National Cattleman's Beef Association's response, from Shalene McNeill, R.D.: "Once again, what we are seeing here is an observational study that's limitted because it can't establish cause and effect."

Dietary Protein and Cancer

Per Cancer Res. 27 (1967) 2370-2376 and Arch. Path. 85 (1968) 133-137, a study on rats performed in India:

Aflatoxin (AF) cancer initiation groups A and B:

• Group A received 20% animal protein in diet and had 100% liver cancer or precursor lesions
• Grouop B received 5% animal protein in diet and had 0% liver cancer or precursor lesions

There are multiple mecanisms that decrease initiation: Less AF/aflatoxin entered the cell, cells multiplied more slowly, 76% decrease in enzyme activity/toxic metabolite formation, 72% less DNA binding and mutation, 66% decrease in protein binding, 68% chromatin binding/creitical relevatn enzyme components.  

(There were then three graphs related to dietary protein and foci formation, carcinogen dose versus protein intake, and aflatoxin dose - foci response which are from Nutr. Cancer 3 (1982) 200-206 as well as J. Natl Cancer Inst: 78 (1987) 365-369 to support the above which show tumor foci response charted against dietary protein level as well as high AF/ low protein and low AF/high protein and then aflatoxin dose.  These are very interesting and well done so if you're really interested in this particular area, I suggest you find the study and the graphs at the cited sources. 

Per the J. Nutr 121 (1991): 1454-1461 related to alternating protein, rats were given equal initiating dose FA and then over 12 weeks were given high protein for three weeks, then low for three weeks and that was repeated; each time there was a correlation with increased/decreased foci.  "Multiple studies adjusting protein throughout promotion foci growth could be reversed, up and down, by protein intake alone."  A bar graph of foci promotion by dietary protein charting tumor foci development versus dietary protein is dramatic and can be found at J. Nutr 117 (19870: 1298-1302.  There is none with 2% dietary protein and 85% with 20%, 70% with 14 and then a big drop to just over 20% with 12% protein, then 10% at 10% with a taper that appears to my eye to be about 8% with 8%, 6% with 4 and 6% dietary protein.  

"Our needs are about 10% protein", Dr Thompson stated.  And then I see a slide in the presentation that cites The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, Nutr. Reps. Int. 26 (1982) 793-806. The type of protein matters: All experiments discussed above used casein, which makes up 87% of cow's milk protein.  All studies were repeated using plant-based proteins.  No increase in tumor foci, even at the 20% level.  Multiple other investigators infirmed these findings using different sources of animal proteins, initiating carcinogens and different types of cancers.  

To me, the most dramatic slide was from Carcinogenesis 13 (1992): 1607-1613 and the J. Nat'l Cancer Inst. 81 (1989): 1242-1245 plotting full tumor response at 100 weeks in three groups of 3,500 mice fed different amounts of protein.  With dietary protein at 6% (all 3,500 alive and less than 250 had cancer at 100 weeks. When given 14% protein it appears on the graph about 2,400 had tumor response, and with 22% protein diets about 3,400 of the 3,500 were with tumor responses and all were dead (which means some died of something else besides cancer, obviously, so we're then 'bridging' in my mind to see that protein at high levels affects other things besides tumor/cancer, naturally.  

More on The China Study by T. Colin Campell, PhD, but from Am. J. Cardiol 1998:82 18T-21T highlights both cancer and cardiovascular disease: 

The China Study assessed mortality rates of 890 million people and found 8,000 statistically significant associations between dietary factors and disease.  There was low migration/significant differences in dietary habits by regions and a strong correlation beween cancer and the amount of animal protein, not just animal fat; consumption of lean meats/poultry still had strong correlation with high cancer incidence.  Areas with extremely low animal intake were virtually free of cardiovascular disease and cancer.  

Cardiovascular rates varied twentyfold by region, cancer rates varied several hundredfold by region and occurred in direct poportion to animal protein intake.  People who ate the most animal-based foods had the most chronic disease, and relatively small amounts of animal-based foods had adverse effects on health.  Individuals who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and avoided chronic disease generally.  

Fat and Breast Cancer: Dr Thompson includes a slide from Cancer 58 (1986) 1818-1825 which plots age-adjusted death rate versus total dietary fat intake for females in what appears to me to be about 35-40 countries, and it's about as perfect 1:1 "linear regression line" (if I'm remembering my statistical terms) as I've ever seen!  New Zealand, Denmark and the Netherlands are the only countries beyond the US in dietary fat consumed per day.  It's really quite stunning to view.  Dr Thompson added at this point "Protein may have more role than fat".  

Related to cancer and the China Study: As animal protein intake incrased from once a week to 4x a week, breast cancer increased 70%.  Ovarian cancer in 97,000 women studied showed 1/2 the risk with diet high in plants and fruit. A study in Germany showed colon cancer and rectal cancer decreased by 50% in adult vegetarians, with 75% reduction in cancer and all causes of mortality if they were vegetarian for longer than 20 years. (Am J. Clin Nutr. 1997: 59 (suppl): S1143-52, Am. J. Epidemiol 165 (7) 802-813, 2007; J Nat'l Cancer Inst 66 (1982) 1192-1265.

Mardy's NOTE: If this showed such a magic # as 50% THIRTY YEARS AGO, why weren't we 'on it' long ago? Just sayin' to keep reading between the lines, please .. just sayin'.... LOOK at all the 50s:

Squamous cell skin cancer had 50% the risk with vegetable intake equivalent of three leaves of spinach/day, underscoring, as Dr Thompson pointed out, it doesn't have to be a lot of some types of foods to make a significant difference.  (Int J Cancer 19 (8) 1953-1960 (2006). 

Dietary fiber cut the risk of brast cancer by 50%. (Int J Epidemiol 36 (2): 431-438 (2007). 

Endometrial cancer increased/doubled with meat and animal products, whereas fruits/vegetables decreased the risk by 50% (Int J Cancer 120 (8), 1776-1781 (2007). 

Are Genes Responsible?

A report to Congress by the University of Oxford summarized migrant study research.  Migrants assume chronic disease risk of place they migrate to.  The study concludes only 203% of cancers can be attributed to genes.  (Food, Nutr. and Prevention of Cancer, a Global Perspective. Washington, DC, American Institite for Cancer, World Cancer Research Fund, 1997.  (Dr Thompson did interject here that diet AND genes is the key, it is not one OR the other).  

Protein: Only 5-6% protein is reuqired to replace the protein regularly excreted by the body, 9-10% protein is the amount recommended to assure adequate intake.  Average American in take is 15-16%.  

From Healthy Eating, Healthy World, by J. Morris Hicks: Protein is formed from amino acids, and amino acids from plant and animal sources are exactly the same, no difference in quality, only in efficiency.  Higher efficiency in animal-based protein in excess of physiologic needs has a linear relationship with chronic disease/increased health risks.  The extra protein goes, for instance, to tumor growth seen in the cancer information presented.  Plant protein intake yields slow, steady protein synthesis.  The American Dietetic Association's official position: No need for vegetarians to combine foods to achieve protein requirements.

Dr Thompson included some excellent graphs from this book for: 

samples of protein foods from this book, (spinach tops the list with 51%, broccoli 45%, lentils 36%, asparagus 38% with T-bone steak 16%, Swiss cheese 30%, meat loaf/gravy 24%, chicken 24% and one cup of pasta (7 gm protein) at 14% ..... and 

nutritent composition (cholesterol, calcium, fat, protein, beta-carotene, dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, iron, magnesum) of plants vs. animal per 500 calories: 

and finally a simple concept worth focusing on: More Bulk in the stomach means fewer calories consumed, providing a satisfied sensation.  An artistic graphic was provided of what 400 calories looks like in the stomach for

• oil
• chicken
• spinach, eggplant and beans

Nuts (per Am J. Nutr 2009; 89 (suppl): 16435-85.

Multiple studies to include Adventist Health study, Iowa women health study, physicians' health study, care study, reveal decreased ischemic heart disease and all cause of mortality.  Substitution of nuts for carbohydrates and fats resulted in 30-45% reduction in cardiovascular disease.  Antiarrhythmic and antiseizure effects dramatically reduced occurrned of sudden death (by 50%), decreased LDL, small dense LDL, increased HDL.  Inverse association between nut intake and BMI/body mass index.  Nut feeding trials show weight loss, not gain, with five servings per week of nuts.   

Alzheimer's Disease

4.5 million Americans living currently have been diagnosed witih Alzheimers and by 2050 the expected number will be 14 million. The number has increased 100-fold in the past 25 years, making Alzheimer's THE most rapidly-changing rate in the US.  Theories such as the mitochondrial theory of aging apply with this, and, in Dr Thompson's opinion, the plant based diet is the only way to address it.  

Recent studies show antioidants from dietary fruits and vegetables, not not from supplements confer protection from Alzheimers. (*Note from me to see above, related to supplement quality being a factor in studies that, in many people's opinions, has mired the studies which looked at supplements without taking into account QUALITY and efficacy of the supplements consumed by the studies' subjects.) Polyphenols from juices are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and show neuroprotection against H2O2 (oxidant).  3x/week juice consumption compared to less than 1x/week had 76% reduction in the development of Alzheimer's Disease.  

Dementia

Marilyn Albert, MD, scientific and medical researcher for the Alzheimer's Association is quoted as saying "The message is that the risk factors that are bad for the heart are bad for the brain."

A 27 year study of 9,000 patients showed high cholesterol noted for 42% increase in dementia. High blood pressure increased 24% and diabetes in middle age increased risk by 46%.  The variation is direct with homocysteine levels, doubling for those with high levels.  Women with cholesterol in the top 25% have 76% greater risk of Alzheimer's Disease than women with lower cholesterol levels.  (Neurology 25 Jan 2005 (64) 2:277-81. Arch of Neurology, March 2002). 

Osteoporosis (citing J. Gerontology 55 (2000):M585-592, Lancet May 4 (1968) 958-959 and Am J. Clin. Nutr. 73 (2001):118-122): Countries with the highest dairy intake per person have the highest hip fracture rates in the world.  The Yale School of Medicine Report states in a study of 16 countries that fracture rate is attributable to animal protein consumption.  There are multiple mechanisms at play: animal protein blocks vitamin D conversion and increases the loss of calcium from bones. A 7 year study of 1,000 women 65 years and older showed the group with  highest ratio of animal protein to plant protein had 3.7 times more bone fractures and four times the rate of bone loss.  (Graph from J Clin Nutr included in presentation related to this was included.)

Longevity

Seventh Day Adventists were followed for 21 years (27,530) and showed vegetarians, on average, lived 7 years longer than average nonsmoking Californians, lived and average of 14 years longer if more than half their life was as vegetarian.  Leafy greens were the greatest predictor of longevity, while meat and eggs increased mortality.  (NOTE: On first impression, we must also take into account the other aspects of medicine, such as mind and spirit, which is a factor related to a group of people who subscribe to a way of life based in spiritual doctrine. In 2000, I was involved in studying a group of older nuns related to driving ability and they were, at the start of our time together prior to learning new skills, far more 'coordinated' and with faster psycho-motor response times than the average person let alone person of their age.  Again, Just Sayin'.... think about things presented from allopathic, conventional thinkers that might be looked at differently if from a holistic, mind/body/spirit perspective instead.)

Meat and Mortality From Arch Intern Med 2009, March 23. 169 (6) 562-571. 

NIH-AARP study of 500,000 people ages 50-71 were followed for 10 years and showed statistically significant increase in mortality, cancer deaths, and CVD deaths in patients with the highest red meat and processed meat intake.  Deaths were believed to be associated with increased saturated fats, nitroso compounds, inflammatory cytokines and heterocyclic amines.  

The North Karelia Project (Public Health Magazine 2002: 4(1) 5-7) was launched in 1972 in Finland, which has the same heart disease rates as the US, in response to high cardiovascular disease and mortality rate.  They changed dietary guidelines to promote decreased saturated fat, dairy and sodium intake and increased whole plant food intake.  Education was done through primary health care and money was spent in public and youth education.  The Dairies to Berries Project was created as an incentive for dairy farmers to change to berry farming.  (Again, good graphics were included with charts showing a drop as time went on as this new program took effect over 25 years.  In men 35-64 years, age adjusted, the mortality changed as follows: All causes (-49%), all cardiovascular (-68%), all coronary heart disease (-73%), all cancers (-44%), lung cancer (-71%). 

Discussion after presentation/questions focused on questions about soy and GMO, since 98% of soy is GMO, so perhaps it is the modification that is causing the deliterious effects found from soy.  Gluten-free diets, which were virtually unheard of in the 1970s are now common/well-known/necessary and the new strains of wheat coincided with this occurrence.  There is a correlation of increased omega-6 fatty acids with the increased gluten found in the wheat modified in recent decades.  Clearly, another topic for another day / another topic on Lumigrate!  

Summary of Dr Thompson's Presentation:

Our national health care crisis is heavily attributed to our daily dietary consumption.

There is a strong correlation between diet and all chronic diseases.

Dietary choices affect chronic disease through multiple mechanisms: nutritional epigenetics, inflammatory mediators, cholesterol, etc. Dietary choices play a critical role in what genes and carcinogens will result/be expressed in cancer developing.

Human protein requirements are easily obtained through a plant-based diet, excess protein does not confer health benefits and is linked to all chronic diseases.

Increase whole foods and adopt a plant based diet for the greatest benefits; the greater the adherence to it the greater the benefits.  

Supplements to do not confer benefits and can cause increased morbidity.**Mardy's Note: See above about looking further into this, and I will be suggesting our resource about it to Dr Thompson as well, and naturally, please use the Comments area below for it so we can ALL have ONE discussion for everyone's benefit!, I believe there are differences of opinion related to fats and animal protein as well ** 

Avoid "food-like substances"/processed foods.  

Minimize animal protein intake and select high quality sources. 

The "Silver Tsunami" of baby boomers (born just after World War II and through 1964) is a formidable wave of people whose health costs will potentially be crushing to our country and is a group which is worthy of particular focus for eduction about these issues.  As always, general prevention with the most impact being on our youngest members of society and their parents is an additional key for our future wellness goals overall.  

Recommended Reading:

nutritionfacts.org/(daily 2-3 minute reviews of latest nutritional related research, is "excellent" and utlizes PubMed as reference.

Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, MD

The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD

Healthy Eating, Healthy World,  by J. Morris Hicks

The Okinawa Program, by Bradley J., Willcox, MD, Craig Willcox, PhD, Makoto Suzuki, MD

Thank you for your interest in this CRUCIAL part of health education at Lumigrate.com! ~~ Mardy

Another GRATE and similar topic in this forum is at this link, for your ease, titled 10 Ways to Stop Chronic Inflammation Now, by Dr Jeff McClusky, another doctor in Grand Junction, Colorado, or the Doctor of Chiropractic 'flavor' as I jokingly call types of doctors or types of religious 'persuasions' for that matter: www.lumigrate.com/forum/10-ways-stop-chronic-inflammation-now