Dr. Synnove Knutsen of Loma Linda University discusses the intersection between faith, diet, and health outcomes.

1. The power of faith to
address non-communicable
diseases.
Findings from the Adventist Health Study

2. • Is faith in itself associated with risk of
developing chronic disease?
• Is faith a vehicle or driving force for
reduction in risk factors?

3. Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) have a
long tradition of focus on healthy lifestyle
to reduce risk of disease.

4. 8 “keys” to healthy living:
•Nutrition – focus on vegetarian diet
•Exercise
•Water – inside and outside
•Smoking – non-smoking
•Temperance
•Air – fresh air
•Relaxation – adequate sleep
•Trust in God

5. Dan Buettner – author of “Blue
Zones” - 9 health
recommendations:
•Nutrition – reduce calories by 20%
•Plant based foods - legumes
•Move – moderate and regular exercise
•Life Purpose
•Downshift–calm down, smell the roses
•Belong to a spiritual community
•Family – make it a priority (parents, spouse, children)
•Social network with similar values
•Grapes – wine from red grapes

6. • Is faith in itself associated with lower
risk of chronic disease?
• Is faith a vehicle or driving force for
reducing risk factor levels?

7. Overview –
of studies that can possibly address
this

8. Adventist Health Studies
USA, 1958-2012 BRHS
2006-
11,000
AMS 1958-1985
1958 1966 1974
23,000 SDA
1988 2001 2002-
AHS-2 2011
96,000 SDA
25+ years 5,700 30+ years
California overlap USA & Canada
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
AHSMOG 1977-2002 AHSMOG-2
6,328 SDA 2002-
25+ years 96,000 SDA
12,000 California 30+ years
overlap AHS-1 1974-1988
USA & Canada
34,192 SDA
25+ years
California

9. Studying Seventh-day Adventists
STRENGTHS –
• homogeneous in many lifestyle choices
• heterogeneous in nutritional habits - wide range from
strict vegetarian to regular American diet.
• Very low smoking and alcohol use: can study effect of
lifestyle without the confounding or modifying effects of
these.
.

10. Adventist Religion & Health Study
(BRHS): 2006-Present
BRHS –
• a sub-study of AHS-2
• 11,000 Adventist Americans aged 50+
• Aim: to understand what specific aspects of religion,
life stressors and other health behaviors account for
better or worse health
• trace some of the biopsychosocial pathways to
health.

11. AHS-1
Longevity

12. Survival of Adventist (1980-88) and other California
(1985) women aged 30+. (p < .001)

13. Survival of Adventist (1980-88) and other
California (1985) men aged 30+. (p < .001)

14. AHS-1
Age at death according to lifestyle choices
• Diet – vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian
• Exercise
• Nut intake
• Maintaining normal body weight (as in BMI)
• Smoking
• HRT in females

15. Expected age at death among Adventist women according to high or low
levels of various lifestyle factors. Years, (95% CI)

16. Expected age at death among Adventist men according to high or low levels
of various lifestyle factors. Years, (95% CI)

17. Persons unable to exercise due to disease, e.g. arthritis, CHD, stroke, etc are not penalized.

19. US Adventist vegetarians who increased their
meat intake to weekly consumption of meat over a
17-year interval experienced a 3.6 year decrease
in life expectancy
Increased Maintained
meat intake Zero Meat
Intake
Singh PN, Sabate J, Fraser GE. Does low meat consumption increase life expectancy in humans? Am J Clin Nutr 2003, 78(3): 526-532

20. From the 1 (1960) to the 2nd study (1976),
st
some Adventists changed from vegetarian diet
to some meat. Incident diseases next 6 years
(‘76-’82).
RR
(Singh et al.)

21. Diet & Risk of Cancer

22. Meat intake and risk of different
incident cancers. AHS-1.
RR
2.5 P (t): 0.01 ns <.01 0.02
2
1.5
Never
1 < 1/week
1+/week
0.5
0
Colon
Colon Prostate Ovary
Ovary Ovary
Postmenopausal

23. Total meat intake and risk of colon
cancer
RR
2 P (trend)=0.01
1.85
1.5 (1.16-2.87)
1.5
(0.92-2.45)
1
1
0.5
0
Never < 1/week 1+/week

24. Meat intake and risk of different
incident cancers. AHS-1.
RR
2.5 P (t): 0.01 ns <.01 0.02
2
1.5
Never
1 < 1/week
1+/week
0.5
0
Colon
Colon Prostate Ovary
Ovary Ovary
Postmenopausal

25. Total meat intake and risk of colon
cancer
RR
2 P (trend)=0.01
1.85
1.5 (1.16-2.87)
1.5
(0.92-2.45)
1
1
0.5
0
Never < 1/week 1+/week

26. Meat intake and risk of different
incident cancers. AHS-1.
RR
2.5 P (t): 0.01 ns <.01 0.02
2
1.5
Never
1 < 1/week
1+/week
0.5
0
Colon
Colon Prostate Ovary
Ovary Ovary
Postmenopausal

27. Total meat intake and risk of colon
cancer
RR
2 P (trend)=0.01
1.85
1.5 (1.16-2.87)
1.5
(0.92-2.45)
1
1
0.5
0
Never < 1/week 1+/week

28. Meat intake and risk of different
incident cancers. AHS-1.
RR
2.5 P (t): 0.01 ns <.01 0.02
2
1.5
Never
1 < 1/week
1+/week
0.5
0
Colon
Colon Prostate Ovary
Ovary Ovary
Postmenopausal

29. Total meat intake and risk of colon
cancer
RR
2 P (trend)=0.01
1.85
1.5 (1.16-2.87)
1.5
(0.92-2.45)
1
1
0.5
0
Never < 1/week 1+/week

30. Diet & Cancer
Screening Behaviors

34. Biopsychosocial
Religion & Health Study
Overview & Early Findings

55. Lifestyle choices and
environment
•Future research important
•Lifestyle has great effect on
environment

56. So, is the power of faith a tool for addressing non-
communicable diseases?

57. • Only to the degree that lifestyle becomes a part
of faith, I think
• E.g. do we as believers have a responsibility to
take care of our health as well as the health of
our environment?