Why Don't The Amish Get Cancer ? ?

Have you ever looked at the health statistics of Amish people in comparison to some of their neighbors?

Let me just start by saying that this research has done something, to the way that I look at the FDA and the American food industry in general. It all started a while back when a very curious question has been laid at my feet. For reference I have Chronic Pancreatitis, and a close friend asked me the following question.. “What do the Amish with Pancreatitis do for treatment?”

Well, as you can imagine that set off a marathon of looking at studies, medical research trials, and any other info I could get on this topic.

Health Differences Between the Amish and the General U.S. Population.

The Amish in general exhibit significant health differences, compared to the general American population. This is due to their unique lifestyle, their genetics, and a vast array of very unique cultural factors that limit their exposure to many harmful substances found in common American foods. Here’s a breakdown of the major key differences:

1. Lower Rates of Hypertension and Heart Disease.

The Amish have significantly lower rates of high blood pressure and heart disease compared to the general population. A 2020 study found hypertension prevalence among Amish adults to be 127 cases per 1,000 people, compared to 378 per 1,000 in the general U.S. white population *(Zhao, 2020).

My conclusion, the lower rates are largely attributed to high physical activity levels, with many Amish adults walking an average of 18,000 steps per day. This number is far above and beyond the U.S. average of 4,000 to 5,000 steps.

2. Diabetes: Significantly Lower Prevalence

Type 2 diabetes is far less common in the Amish, likely due to low obesity rates and higher daily physical activity. Diabetes affects only 33 per 1,000 Amish individuals compared to 132 per 1,000 in the general U.S. population *(Zhao, 2020).

All of the statistics seem to point to the fact that even though the Amish diet is high in both carbohydrates and a mix of healthy and unhealthy fats, their overall metabolism and activity levels prevent widespread insulin resistance.

3. Obesity: Much Lower Rates

Obesity rates among the Amish are much lower than those in the general U.S. population. A key reason for this is that Amish adults perform up to 10 times more physical labor than the average American, with their work involving manual farming, carpentry, and walking instead of using vehicles or machinery.

This could be a lack of television, sedentary entertainment, and processed foods. These factors play a major role in Amish obesity rates being much lower.

4. Cancer: Lower Overall Incidence but Similar in Some Areas.

The Amish have lower overall cancer rates all the way across the board, compared to the general U.S. population. The experts say this is likely due to low tobacco and alcohol use, along with minimal exposure to industrial chemicals largely in foods.

In my opinion it's a combination of not having contact with the dangerous chemicals, including FDA and USDA approved fertilizers, FDA approved preservatives, along with the Amish peoples regular diet that includes homegrown organic foods.

However, certain cancers—such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer—have been found at similar or slightly lower rates in Amish communities. Some researchers speculate this may be due to genetic predisposition in a relatively closed gene pool, or environmental contaminants as many of the cases appear to be among pockets of Amish in certain areas.

5. Chronic Kidney Disease: Limited Data, Possibly Due To Much Lower Prevalence.

Studies on chronic kidney disease (CKD) among the Amish are sparse. However, CKD prevalence in the general U.S. population is 150 per 1,000 people. *(NIDDK, 2023).

Given their healthier metabolic profiles and lower rates of diabetes and obesity, CKD prevalence is much lower among the Amish. To the degree that there are not enough to study.

6. Chronic Pancreatitis: Insufficient Data on Amish Population, Due To Lack Of Sufficient Sample Group.

There is little specific data on chronic pancreatitis in the Amish, but since pancreatitis is often linked to alcohol abuse and poor dietary habits, it is likely much rarer among the Amish than in the general U.S. population. In the general population, chronic pancreatitis occurs at a rate of 0.4 to 0.8 cases per 1,000 people. *(CDC, 2023).

This one hits close to home for me. People who have access to their own organic foods, are much less likely to have chronic pancreatitis. The prevalence among the Amish is so little, there is not a stitch of research to find on this particular topic. So it answered my question, the way that the Amish treat Chronic Pancreatitis is simply by not getting it. This may have multiple factors as to why, including but not limited to, very low amounts of Alcohol consumption, just generally having lower cholesterol levels, plus more active lifestyles, and very limited contact with harmful industrial chemicals. (Desiccants, pesticides, and preservatives.)

7. Cholesterol Levels: Lower Risk of Hypercholesterolemia

Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) affects 262 per 1,000 Amish individuals versus 357 per 1,000 in the general U.S. population. *(Zhao, 2020). Despite a diet high in animal fats, the Amish remain physically active enough to burn those unhealthy fats, and utilize the healthy fats.

Believe it or not, chronically high cholesterol is a huge contributing factor to diseases of the pancreas, kidneys, and liver. This includes very common diseases like diabetes, fatty liver disease, and chronic pancreatitis to name just a few. Recent studies even seem to point towards Glyphosate a component of the common herbicide Roundup™, which has also recently been found to cause several other health conditions. The USDA and FDA have approved the use of this particular herbicide as a desiccant on grains and oats as they are being dried. For instance, when the wheat that goes into mass produced loafs of bread sitting on the grocery store shelves, in preparation for grinding that dried wheat into flour, it gets sprayed heavily with Roundup. It causes all of the wheat to dry at once. Just know that both the FDA, and the USDA have approved this as a safe method. Then they design the food pyramid so that grains are the biggest portion. This has been the icing on the cake when it comes to the poison that gets positive approval for human consumption by the Agencies that are supposed to protect us.

Just a thought….

Do you know what IS NOT stamped on the side of the food you buy from an Amish farm stand…. U. S. D. A. Approved ✅

Their tax money also want’t taken by force, then used to approve these poisons for consumption. Let that little nugget roll around in your head.

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Links and Sources :

1. Miller, F. H., & Anderson, C. (2020). Physical health conditions of the Amish and intervening social mechanisms. https://coryanderson.org/physical-health-conditions-of-the-amish-and-intervening-social-mechanisms/?

2. Zhao, W., Rasooly, R. S., Anderson, J. L. (2020). Prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia among the Old Order Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. BMJ Diabetes Research & Care, 8(1), e000912. https://drc.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000912?

3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). (2023). Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease?

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Chronic Disease in America: Key Facts.

https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html?