Day 256 - 04 Jun 96 - Page 46
1 then there are additional factors in addition to dietary
2 fibre that can contribute to disease prevention.
3
4 Q. But even at such a level -- and correct me if I have my
5 logic completely wrong -- which, as you point out, is a
6 great deal higher than the US recommendation, the inverse
7 relationship, in other words the beneficial effect (if it
8 is one), is still a weak one?
9 A. But significant.
10
11 Q. So be it. But if you are looking overall for a benefit
12 from consuming large amounts of plant food -- which is what
13 you are recommending ---
14 A. Yes.
15
16 Q. -- one most look elsewhere than fibre?
17 A. One must look elsewhere, in addition to looking at
18 fibre itself; so we are looking at the total package.
19
20 Q. It would, perhaps you would agree, be difficult to eat a
21 plant-dominated diet without consuming more fibre?
22 A. Of course.
23
24 Q. But what, if one is interested, one is looking for are the
25 beneficial characteristics of that kind of diet; and fibre,
26 from this, it would appear, is not one of the leading
27 candidates; do you agree?
28 A. No, I really cannot agree with that. We have not been
29 able to actually segregate out the contributions of all
30 these individual components, to say "this is worth this
31 much" and "this is worth that much" and "fibre is worth" --
32 on a scale of things. On a scale of things, fibre
33 certainly makes its contribution; maybe not as much as, for
34 example, the antioxidants in the case of lung cancer, and
35 maybe not as much as dietary fat intake in the case of
36 breast cancer, for example; but, nonetheless, it
37 contributes.
38
39 Q. I missed the word you used in relation to -- oh, dietary
40 fat intake. In relation to antioxidants, can you turn
41 next, please, to your chapter -- I am afraid it is
42 discourteous of me, but I do not know the name of the book,
43 because I only have the chapter. It should be next after
44 your paper in that bundle.
45 A. I do not have it here.
46
47 Q. I am sorry. That is not my fault. It is called the China
48 study. It was apparently sent with the letter of
49 22nd August.
50 A. I know the chapter you are referring to.
51
52 Q. It is a chapter from the book.
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: The one headed "The Dietary Causes of
55 Degenerative Diseases".
56
57 MR. RAMPTON: That is right. I have a thing called Diet and
58 Chronic Degenerative Diseases, which apparently arrived
59 with Professor Campbell's letter of 22nd August.
60
