Dr. Campbell,
I was recently directed to the film, Forks Over Knives, by my primary care physician, Dr. Benjamin Gozun (Brooklyn, NY), which film convinced me to give the plant-based whole foods diet a try (just about a week ago). I'm already feeling a difference, despite having been a fitness enthusiast already for many years. Previously, I've been a vegetarian and an omnivore, alternatively, for several periods of my life, as I've continued to explore the evidence for either, as well as according to personal factors not directly related to scientific/health considerations. Yours is the most comprehensive, compelling case I have come across for what appears to be a most healthy diet/lifestyle. (As a philosophy professor, I am not easily fooled by specious reasoning, and I am usually very slow to accept anything, much less embrace anything whole-heartedly, in advance of sufficient evidence.) I want to thank you for your life's work, and compliment you on the virtues you exhibit in your response to your critics. You strike me as an exemplary human being, and your integrity is inspiring to me.

Ah, Denise -- the Michelle Malkin of the meat industry!

Mark, Spark's question is valid, in fact anybody's questions are valid, and he was quite reasonable. His question is interesting, and KEY to go from a somewhat informed omnivorous diet to an informed vegan/vegetarian diet, when Health is what is valued. I am vegetarian more because of my ethics than health, but some people are more interested in what diet would be optimal, not ethical. Plus defining well what an optimal diet REALLY is, its important regardless. A diet abundant with vegetables & leafy greens, herbs, Ancient grains (no wheat), some tubers & fruit, and supplemented with some quality animal protein and fat seems to be close to optimal, from what I've learned. Personally Im only interested in optimizing my vegetarian diet, but still itch to know what would be optimal, and what diets are best for treating & preventing illnesses like cancer. Steve Jobs didnt survive his cancer, and he was seemingly going with the Ornish approach (I am aware of the other problems that may have gotten in the way of sucessful diet/lifestyle intervention), now I would love to see someone that believes in a lower carb, meat, fat & plant rich diet, intervene with THAT diet and see if its more protective.