Dr. Peter A.J. Holst

Dr. Peter Holst has had his own practice for 14 years and then worked for 20 years as a specialist in working conditions, lifestyle, indoor air and environmental factors. His interest in the link between breeding tropical birds and cancer has expanded to the health risks of intensive farming of poultry, pigs and cattle for consumption. Since the fifties of the 20th century, intensive breeding in livestock has increased sharply. An increase that keeps pace with the recent increase in cancer mortality in Western Europe. In the last 50 years, our diet has become increasingly unnatural. Meat, milk and eggs in our diet contribute more to climate change in the world than the emissions of our fleet. Oncogenic RNA viruses as chicken and bovine leukemia viruses are now detected in our food chain with more refined laboratory research. Bovine leukemia virus was detected in breast cancer tissue. Consumption of red meat is related to colorectal cancer.

His studies have been carried out with the University of Utrecht, unique by the combination of veterinary and human medicine. Diseases that from animals to humans can pass (zoonoses) are becoming more common. All breeding animals influence the climate in the world more than the exhaust from traffic. Modern meat industry causes more and more chronic diseases in humans.

With support from the Dutch Prevention Fund, he did research into new cancer cases in his own practice (ten-year general practice, cancer and premature death survey). The results were published in the Netherlands Journal of Medicine (Holst 1984). After this he began a case-control lung cancer study of all newly diagnosed lung cancer patients in the hospitals of The Hague with the aid of their own lung specialists. The results of these studies were published in the British Medical Journal (Holst, Kromhout & Brand 1988).

Bird keeping and bird breeding were proven to be a risk of lung cancer. During his PhD in 1987 he defended the thesis that malignant cell proliferation can be a result of persistent Chlamydia pneumonia infection in basal lung mucous cells. In his studies he found a significant connection between the keeping (especially breeding) of tropical birds and/or pigeons and lung cancer patients in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Three countries with the largest trade in birds and the highest rates of lung cancer in the world. In these bird related cases lung cancer is a cell infection of the lung stem cells. In our study of lung cancer patients in The Hague we found except the risk of keeping birds in the house, especially breeding of birds, we found also a decreased intake of vegetables and fruit in lung cancer patients (vitamin C).

In addition to indicating increased cancer incidence in Western Europe, these books also aim to prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases that occur later in life.

Vertical farming can produce more vegetables and fruit. Besides agriculture, food can also be safely produced in the oceans. Changing eating habits from food which are highly processed with a lot of animal proteins and low in vegetable content to plant-based food from land and animal-based food from the Oceans, may be a more cost effective way towards health and well-being than developing additional drugs. Or .. would you prefer to eat your beef- fish-hamburgers, cold cuts, BBQ, battery layed eggs, meatballs and sausages and a future with more chronic diseases and cancer, regular screening of your “food baby” and many doctor visits.

The fast-growing meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than the exhaust gases from all car traffic on earth. Melting glaciers are the result of this. Meat, milk and eggs in our food contribute more to the climate change in the world than the exhaust fumes of our fleet.

Livestock farming accounts for at least 14.5% and, according to some studies, even 51% of man-made greenhouse gases. In the USA cattle emit approximately 5.5 million m3 of methane - a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than CO2.

For half a century, Mother Earth has given man dominion over his own reproduction and the reproduction of all animals and plants on Earth. We are therefore indebted to repair the damage we cause. Meat and eggs for consumption are now exclusively produced by artificial insemination and with breeding and incubators. Coronavirus, African swine fever, annual Influenza viruses are the result of diseases in animals that can also pass to humans. The Covid-19-20-21 pandemic resulting in the global blockade shows how vulnerable society is. It is very important that we arm our selves against zoontic diseases by keeping our immune response optimal with food that contains little animal protein.