A colleague informed him of a startling trend: liver cancer was plaguing affluent Filipinos at a much higher rate than their less - wealthy counterparts — a phenomenon that, despite a slew of other lifestyle differences, Campbell believed was linked to their higher intake of animal protein.1
Bolstering his suspicions, Campbell also learned of a recent study from India showing that a high protein intake spurred liver cancer in rats, while a low protein intake seemed to prevent it.2 Intrigued
by this gem of
little - known research, Campbell decided to investigate the role of nutrition in cancer growth himself — an endeavor that ended up lasting several decades and producing over
one hundred publications (none of which pertained to Fight Club).3