A Global Food Reform is the Answer to COVID-19, Part 2 of 2

In this episode, we will discuss ways you can boost your body's immune system against major diseases like COVID-19. The first person we might look to is Hippocrates, the Father of Western Medicine, who said 2,500 years ago: “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” But what kind of food is best for us? One of the largest and most comprehensive studies ever conducted in this area is a joint effort between Cornell University of the USA, Oxford University of England, The Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, and The Chinese Cancer Institute, tracking 6,500 rural Chinese over a 20-year period. The study finds conclusively that there are no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants. Not only that, it also finds that animal food of any kind, even in small amounts, is damaging to health. This highly regarded long-term is chronicled in the iconic book “The China Study,” released in 2004 by one of the lead scientists of the project, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. Today, at the age of 86, Dr. Campbell remains active in the promotion of the whole food plant-based diet as a vital solution to chronic diseases, environmental degradation, and climate change. In an interview conducted by his eldest son Nelson Campbell in April 2020 about COVID-19, Dr. Campbell sheds light on the role of plant-based food in managing viral infections. “The greater the consumption of animal-based foods, the greater there was of the antigen – that’s the active form of the virus.” Further, in an article published on PlantPureCommunities.org in April 2020, entitled, “Our Most Important Defense Against COVID-19: Finding Hope Through Scientific Evidence,” Dr. Campbell wrote: “In my opinion, good evidence exists to show that the beneficial effects of a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet also applies to viral diseases like COVID-19.” An analysis of plant foods reveals why they are far superior to animal foods. Apart from providing the necessary fuel and nutrition for our body, a balanced vegan diet contains sufficient levels of many immunity powerhouses, including vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, selenium, and zinc. These super-antioxidants enhance the production and activities of two important immune system defenders – white blood cells and antibodies, and protect them from oxidative damage. As we have seen, a wholesome vegan diet is beneficial to the immune system in many ways.