www.healingcancernaturally.com
Dr. Johanna Budwig’s Healing Diet & Protocol (1)
100 pages of authentic information on the Budwig diet & lifestyle including
diet details, exclusive book extracts, testimonials, Budwig FAQ,
research, complementary treatments & more

Dr. Johanna Budwig • Dr. Budwig‘s Major Discovery • Books • Comments
Details • Cancer Cure Testimonials • FAQ • Lignan Flaxseed Oil
Quotes • Research • Tips • Vegan Alternatives
Why Organic Dairy

 



”What she (Dr. Johanna Budwig) has demonstrated to my initial disbelief but
lately, to my complete satisfaction in my practice is: CANCER IS EASILY
CURABLE, the treatment is dietary/lifestyle, the response is immediate;
the cancer cell is weak and vulnerable; the precise biochemical
breakdown point was identified by her in 1951 and is specifically
correctable, in vitro (test tube) as well as in vivo (real)...”
Dr. Dan C. Roehm M.D. FACP (oncologist & former cardiologist)
in "Townsend Letter for Doctors", July 1990

 

Welcome to the only comprehensive & authoritative English-language website in the world offering authentic information on Dr. Johanna Budwig and her oil-protein diet & protocol as spelled out in
fourteen of her original German books and other
Budwig-related German-language sources.

© by Healing Cancer Naturally
2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008
Copyright Notice

General

• Cancer: A Problem of Right and Wrong Fats?
• Who Was Dr. Johanna Budwig?
• Dr. Budwig’s Major Discovery
• Linseed and Fatty Acids: Johanna Budwig
• Excerpted from Dr Budwig’s Book “Cancer - The Problem and
   The Solution”: Cancer Researcher Lothar Hirneise Interviews
   Johanna Budwig
• Comments on Dr Budwig’s Work
• Memorable Quotes on Dr. Budwig's Work

Budwig Diet & Protocol Details

• Basic introduction to Dr. Budwig’s Oil-Protein Diet & Protocol,
   Fats, Essential Fatty Acids & Related Subjects
• Dr. Johanna Budwig: Practical Implementation Oil-Protein Diet (I)
• Budwig Diet & Protocol: Practical Outline (II)
• How to make the flaxseed oil plus cottage cheese or quark mixture.
• Budwig Linomel Breakfast Muesli Recipe
• Oleolux Recipe
• Quark-Flax Oil Mayonnaise Recipe
• Eldi Oils for Massage & Enemas in the Budwig Cancer Treatment
• Budwig Diet and Protocol: Tips and Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
• Is the Budwig Protocol “just flaxseed oil and cottage cheese”?
• Reasons Why Plain Flaxseed Oil Is Better Than  High-Lignan Flaxoil
• Thoughts on Supplemental Vitamins & Minerals
• Dr. Johanna Budwig on what to avoid when following the
   Budwig diet & protocol (items & treatments observed to
   interfere with its healing effects)
• On Complementary Therapies: Treatment Modalities Compatible with
   Dr. Budwig’s Protocol and Natural Healing Approach to Cancer &
   Other Diseases
• Natural Cancer Pain Management & Relief: Medication Alternatives
   Compatible With Dr. Budwig’s Diet & Protocol
• How long did Dr. Budwig advise a cancer patient to stay on the
   “strict” Budwig diet & protocol as laid out in her oil-protein
   cookbook?
• Tips, Suggestions & Testimonials: How to Overcome Dairy/Cottage
   Cheese/Lactose Intolerance and Sensitivity on the Budwig diet
• Magnesium/Calcium Food Table
• FlaxOil As A True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer, And
   Other Diseases (Dr. Budwig book excerpt)
• Caveat: new breed of flaxseed (linseed) low in alpha-linolenic acid
   (an Omega 3 fatty acid): Linola/Solin
• Linola - A new form of flaxseed (linseed) low in alpha-linolenic acid
   (an Omega 3 fatty acid)
• Wichtig für deutsche Besucher

Sunlight as Essential Healing Factor

• The Fat's Syndrome & Photons As Solar Enfergy (“man as an
   antenna for sunlight”)
• Healing Cancer With Light (“ Sunlight greatly increases the body's
   consumption of oxygen. “ ~ Dr. Herbert Shelton)

Light, Food & Electrons

• Light, Eating the Wild Electron
• The Fat's Syndrome & Photons As Solar Energy (Dr. Budwig book
   excerpt)

Research & Validation

• Alternative Cancer Treatment Researcher Lothar Hirneise Asserts
   Primordial Importance of Johanna Budwig Protocol for
   Cancer Patients
• Two German MDs Specialising In Holistic Cancer Treatment Endorse
   Dr. Budwig’s Diet and Natural Healing Approach to Cancer at Every
   Stage of Tumor Development
• Otto Warburg On The Prime Cause & Prevention of Cancer:
   Respiration of Oxygen in Normal Body Cells vs. Fermentation of
   Sugar in Cancer Cells
• FDA Announces Qualified Health Claims for Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• New Information On Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Animal & Human Research Studies Into Effects of Flaxseed &
   Components (Lignan, Lignan Precursors & Oil) on Cancer & Tumor
   Growth

Budwig Testimonials & Support

• Two German MDs Specialising In Holistic Cancer Treatment Endorse
   Dr. Budwig’s Diet and Natural Healing Approach to Cancer at Every
   Stage of Tumor Development
• 80+ Budwig & “flaxoil/cottage cheese” Healing Testimonies
• Testimonials of brain cancer (Adenoma/Glioblastoma multiforme/
   Anaplastic astrocytoma/Glioma) cured
• Breast Cancer Healing Testimonials Thanks to Budwig Diet
• Terminal Breast Cancer Healed Via Budwig Protocol, Healthy Today
• Prostate Cancer: Healing & Other Testimonials Involving the Budwig
   Diet
• Lung Cancer Healing Testimonials Thanks to Flaxoil/Cottage Cheese
• Bladder Cancer Cure Testimonials
• Cancer Healing Story Involving Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Malignant
   Fibrous Histiocytoma of the Lung
• “Terminal” Colon Cancer (Stage 4) Cure & Other Colon Cancer Cure
   Testimonials
• Esophageal Cancer Patient’s Cure Testimonial: Terminal Cancer of
   the Esophagus Apparently Healed Via Strict Budwig Protocol
• Private Initiative Reports Remissions of Cancer, Aids and Other
   Ailments Thanks to Budwig Diet & Protocol
• Pet (Dog & Cat) Cancer Cure Testimonials
• Success Story: Cancer and Ferrets - Adrenal Cancer GONE!
• Developing massive swelling & water retention upon adoption of the
   Budwig protocol and its possible causes such as liver impairment
   allergies, insufficient LNA conversion etc.: a case of cancer
   unresponsive to the classic Budwig oil-protein diet with suggested
   remedies
• A former prostate cancer patient's report on his consultation
   with Dr. Budwig (incl. health update testimonial)
• Johanna Budwig Protocol General & Cancer Healing Testimonials

On Complementary Therapies

• Treatment Modalities Compatible with Dr. Budwig’s Protocol and
   Natural Healing Approach to Cancer & Other Diseases
• Natural Cancer Pain Management & Relief: Medication Alternatives
   Compatible With Dr. Budwig’s Diet & Protocol
• Dr. Johanna Budwig on what to avoid when following the
   Budwig diet & protocol (items & treatments observed to
   interfere with its healing effects)

Dr. Johanna Budwig Resources:
Available & Non-Available Books
Flaxseed Oil Sources

• Dr. Budwig’s Works in English & German
• Buying Quality Flax Oil

Budwig-Related Clinics & Doctors

• Mariposas Clinic in Spain
• Germany: Holistic Cancer Treatment Practice Uses Dr. Budwig’s Diet
   and Natural Healing Approach to Cancer and Other Diseases
• Foundational Health Center

Budwig Diet: The Larger Picture of Healing

• Budwig protocol & life energies blockages: on the question
   why the cancer always/sometimes will come back with a vengeance
   when the Budwig diet is abandoned (part 1)
• Dr. Budwig’s Scientific Protocol & Conventional Medicine

Budwig Diet & Protocol Information in Other Languages

German - Deutsch

• Detaillierte Informationen zur Budwigschen Öl-Eiweiß-Kost incl.
   Erfahrungsberichte: www.oel-eiweiss-kost.de

French - Français

• Le régime Huile-Protéine-Soleil du Dr Johanna Budwig:

• Introduction à l’oeuvre scientifique du Dr Johanna Budwig (centrée
   sur les bienfaits des omégas 3/méfaits des graisses hydrogénées
   (trans-fats)
• Le régime Huile-Protéine du Dr Johanna Budwig: lignes directrices,
   plan journalier, interdictions & recommendations
• Le régime Huile-Protéine du Dr Johanna Budwig: recettes de base
• Dr Johanna Budwig: L’huile de linette, comme aide véritable contre
   l’arthrite, l’infarctus, le cancer et autres maladies (I)
• Dr Johanna Budwig: L’huile de linette, comme aide véritable contre
   l’arthrite, l’infarctus, le cancer et autres maladies (II)

Spanish - Español

•  Introducción y reseña general de la dieta de aceite y proteína y el
   protocolo Budwig en idioma español:

• Cáncer y Dieta Budwig : Quién fue la Dra. Johanna Budwig?
   Su Mayor Descubrimiento.
• Lo Básico de la Dieta Budwig (1) : Cómo hacer el Aceite de Linaza
   más Requesón o Quesillo
• Lo Básico de la Dieta Budwig (2): Instrucciones para hacer Muesli
   Linomel Budwig para el Desayuno
• Lo Básico de la Dieta Budwig (3): Instrucciones para hacer
   Mayonesa Budwig
• Lo Básico de la Dieta Budwig (4) : Instrucciones para hacer
   su propio Oleolux.

Cancer:
A Problem of Right and Wrong Fats & Lack of Sunlight?

What would you think if you heard someone claim that there is a diet-based protocol centered on the ingestion of two simple foodstuffs p lus sunlight that has actually helped heal numerous cases of cancer including saving the so-called terminally ill - some given a few hours to live!? If you react like many, you will think that this sounds far too simplistic to be true.

And yet it is.

As Dr Willner, M.D., Ph.D. (The Cancer Solution) writes, "Numerous, independent clinical studies published in major medical journals world-wide confirm Dr. Budwig’s findings…. Over 40 years ago Dr Budwig presented clear and convincing evidence, which has been confirmed by hundreds of other related scientific research papers since, that the essential fatty acids were at the core of the answer to the cancer problem…You will come to your own conclusions as to why this simple effective prevention and therapy has not only been ignored—it has been suppressed!". Or as someone commented, ”Over the years I have been given a lot of different advice as well, so when I heard about Dr Budwig’s protocol I too was very sceptical, until I tried it."

Before you proceed to reading any further, please know that not everybody reacts the same to this or any other treatment, and that in any healing diet or protocol one may undertake, one should never underrate the often amazing power of
the Mind, i.e. the placebo or belief effect, as well as the influence of the
emotions and energetic and spiritual factors on both the disease
and healing process.

One important piece of advice before we start: if you do decide to follow the Budwig diet & protocol, give it a fair try, meaning that you follow Dr. Budwig’s instructions to the letter for a while such as at least 1 to 3 months, and then see how you or the patient fares. Dr. Budwig’s instructions are very strict and include no supplements apart from yeast flakes (and possibly plant-derived enzymes for fat/protein digestion, with herbs in their natural form also being ok), daily fresh ground flax seeds etc. etc. You can read up on all the details on this site.

Apart from the possible placebo effect she exerted (as any healing professional who instills confidence in his patients), Dr. Budwig heavily insisted on her instructions being closely followed since she believed that only in this manner, success could be reached.

Don’t get misled by self-proclaimed “Budwig diet experts” who combine her basic flax oil/cottage cheese with a regime of their own making which supposedly “reinforces” the Budwig diet. While these regimes may well be effective against cancer and other diseases, I have seen no documentation as to whether this is true.

Who Was Dr. Johanna Budwig?

Dr. Johanna Budwig (born 30 September 1908, died 19 May 2003, pronounced Yaw-hun-nah Bood-vig), a seven-times Nobel prize nominee, was a qualified German pharmacologist, chemist and physicist with a doctorate in physics who worked as the chief expert-consultant for drugs and fats at the former Bundesanstalt für Fettforschung (Federal Institute for Fats Research). Described as ”the world's leading authority on fats and oils”, Dr. Budwig studied in-depth the effect of hydrogenated and other denatured fats upon human health and found it to be desastrous, while she discovered the truly “essential” and powerfully healing nature of essential fatty acids on all manner of degenerative diseases including cancer. She authored numerous books (among them Cancer - The Problem and The Solution, Das Fettsyndrom [The Fat Syndrome, discussing the links between fats and next to all diseases of the heart and lung as well as cancer], Krebs, ein Fettproblem [Cancer - A Fat Problem, on the right choice and use of fats], Der Tod des Tumors [The Death of the Tumor], as well as numerous scientific papers and treatises in which she published her findings on the critical importance of the right fatty acids and the deleterious effect of the wrong fats on human health (the use of “wrong fats” having become widespread since the invention and ubiquitous introduction of the hydrogenation process in order to extend the shelf life of fats and to create margarine).

Three of her works "FlaxOil As A True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer, And Other Diseases" (read excerpts here), "The Oil Protein Diet Cookbook" and the above-mentioned Cancer - The Problem and The Solution (excerpts here) have been translated into English. The former, though a slender volume of only about 60 pages, is “packed with the most clear thinking on the genesis of serious diseases and health recovery” including healing cancer. The fact that so far solely three of Dr. Budwig’s works are accessible to the English-speaking world makes it hard, however, to appreciate the true scope and breadth of her protocol and cancer treatment approach. While the situation is naturally better for German readers, even these have easy access only to parts of her work since a number of her books - in fact, the majority - are currently out of print and much determination is called for to find a copy of these books in second-hand stores.

As other researchers who have offered a non-profitable and effective way of healing cancer (or keeping it under control by preventing metastasis), Dr. Budwig and her work have been attacked and silenced by vested medical, industrial and pharmaceutical interests throughout her life (compare History of Cancer Treatment). As summarized by Cliff Beckwith who has kept his prostate cancer under control for over a decade: "Dr. Budwig to my knowledge had over 1000 documented successes. However, her work was not popular with the Oncology Industry in Europe. Her ideas would have meant a lot of losses in the Food Industry [too]; especially in the fats industry.
My cousin, Richard Beckwith, called her probably eleven years ago and talked to her about forty five minutes. She told him that American doctors had come to Germany and been impressed with her work. Then they wanted to try to work out some way to have exclusive rights to her methods in the United States and make a lot of money and she wouldn't do that.
She believed her work was very important and was anxious to see it carried on but no one seemed interested unless they could make a lot of money.
I had Advanced [prostate] cancer and I could not wait for scientific confirmation and began to use these ideas immediately. One thing led to another, none of it planned, and we have seen many folks recover from cancer or have lives greatly extended. A lot of that information is at www.beckwithfamily.com.
That is all based on anecdotal evidence. Other than the evidence in Dr. Budwig's records [as far as they are available in English] that is all there is. No one is doing any scientific testing. That is done to prove the value of drugs for profit and one cannot patent Flaxseed Oil.
...In my view there should be enough on those lists [the evidence reported on two Budwig discussion lists he founded] and what we have seen to at least cause someone really interested in human welfare to be curious."
And it seems likely that apart from financial interests, human failings such as intellectual pride play a part in the silencing and ignoring of Dr. Budwig’s apparently often life-saving discoveries. Cliff Beckwith again: “For the most part one cannot expect the doctors to place any real credibility to the use of FO/CC [flax oil and cottage cheese]. It seems incredible that anything could be successful other than what they are taught in Med school. Imagine the blow to one's ego if it became official that something with which he or she is not familiar would be found to be much better than the things that were studied 10 years to learn.”

Dr. Johanna Budwig’s Major Discovery

In 1952, Dr. Budwig wrote in a paper entitled On Fat Biology V.  Paper Chromatography of Blood Lipoids, the Tumour Problem and Fat Research: "It is basically proven that highly unsaturated fatty acids are the heretofore undiscovered decisive factor in respiratory enzyme function”, i.e. constitute the second part of the “equation” that nobelist Otto Warburg* had been unable to find. What sounds insignificant to the layman’s ears, is arguably one of the greatest breakthroughs in medicinal science: from that moment onward we have known that the highly unsaturated fatty acid is the decisive factor achieving the desired effect of cellular respiratory stimulation. Working in conjunction with sulfurated amino acids (protein), the highly unsaturated fatty acid plays a part, even the critical part, in the ”bridging” taking place between fats and protein, in the absorption AND utilization of oxygen, in all growth processes, in the formation of blood and in many other processes. Working from this theory, Dr. Budwig was able to help a great many cancer patients with the scientific oil-protein diet of flaxoil plus cottage cheese she designed (the “Budwig diet”), which allows cancer cells to start ”breathing” again. A few physicians followed in her footsteps, such as Dr. Dan C. Roehm from Florida or Dr. Robert E. Willner (Miami).

Unsolicited visitor’s comment on Healing Cancer Naturally’s Budwig Diet pages: ”I have been educating myself on the Budwig protocol and your site is by far the most informative.” ~S. G.

Based upon her research findings, Dr. Budwig was not only against processed foods and supplements (no pills) but also against chemotherapy, radiation and drugs, and in a less categorical manner, surgery (see interview). And, rare as that may be, she also was aware of the critical importance of sunlight as well as the spiritual, mental and emotional factors in healing cancer and other illness. That said and as hinted at above, it is important to keep in mind that the fuller details of her published thought on healing cancer are not currently known/accessible in the English- and most of the German-speaking world, thus making all efforts presently undertaken at implementing and spreading the word about Dr. Budwig’s discoveries in English a grassroots movement liable to be enlarged as more details become known to the general public via correctly translated editions of more of her books.

* Dr. Otto Warburg, twice Nobel Laureate, awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1931 for his research on cellular respiration, explains: “The growth of cancer cells is initiated by a relative lack of oxygen. Cancer cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment...Cancer has only one prime cause. It is the replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body’s cells by an anaerobic (i.e., oxygen deficient) cell respiration.” Going into greater detail in The Prime Cause and Prevention of Cancer, he writes: “...the cause of cancer is no longer a mystery, we know it occurs whenever any cell is denied 60% of its oxygen requirements. Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation. All normal body cells are thus obligate aerobes, whereas all cancer cells are partial anaerobes.” Compare Otto Warburg On The Prime Cause & Prevention of Cancer: Respiration of Oxygen in Normal Body Cells vs. Fermentation of Sugar in Cancer Cells.

Basic Introduction to Dr. Budwig’s Diet, Fats, Essential Fatty Acids and Related Subjects

The basis of Dr. Budwig’s diet or protocol is the ingestion of a special oil-protein mixture in the form of organic cold-pressed flaxseed oil plus cottage cheese or “quark” (a dairy product readily available in German-speaking countries made from various types of milk and roughly similar to cottage cheese), to balance an oversupply of omega 6 fatty acids and hydrogenated fats in the Western diet and to provide an immediately available abundant supply of essential omega 3 acids. Of all plant oils, flax oil is the richest source of these omega 3 acids (naturally occurring variations not considered, 100 g of oil contain 72g of polyunsaturated fatty acids, 54g of which are omega 3 acids). This oil is combined with protein (or more precisely, sulphurated amino acids** such as liberally found in quark/cottage cheese) to allow the highly unsaturated fatty acids to become water-soluble, thus bypassing the need for an (often) diseased or impaired liver to break down the unsatured fat by its own efforts. Quote: “The lipotropic protein connections, e.g. Cystein, as they are found in ... cottage cheese or nuts are able to make water-soluble the ...highly unsaturated fatty acids in seed oils. And that is what matters. When you mix together ... cottage cheese and linseed oil in your blender the fat becomes water-soluble” and thereby immediately available for use by the body. In this manner, the necessary “spark plugs” are provided for cells to “breathe”, optimally detoxify and function, even more so when additionally combining the flax oil cottage cheese mix with an optimised sugar-free diet devoid of respiratory poisons [substances which inhibit cellular respiration] but containing much raw organic food (compare excerpts from Dr. Budwig’s Flax Oil As A True Aid and Nutrition page).

Dr. Budwig’s diet (which, when properly applied, is an entire protocol and involves not only ingestion of the above oil-protein mixture, but also a healthy minimally processed vegetarian diet, freshly ground flaxseeds, sunlight, stress management, “Eldi” oils, etc.*, has literally pulled people back from death’s doorstep. Based on this evidence and its ease of implementation, it may be the quickest and easiest move to take for many stricken with a cancer challenge and/or those who are looking for an often fast-working approach to health recovery. In fact, eminent alternative & conventional cancer treatment researcher Lothar Hirneise considers Dr. Johanna Budwig’s protocol the indispensable nutritional basis of any healing plan for cancer patients.
* Compare Complementary therapies Dr. Johanna Budwig recommended and
   endorsed.

While Dr. Johanna Budwig’s proposed diet and basic protocol IS easy to implement in daily life (see Dr. Johanna Budwig: The practical implementation of my oil-protein diet), and for “how-to” details on the Budwig diet, start with Making the Flaxseed Oil plus Cottage Cheese or Quark Mixture. Budwig Linomel Breakfast Muesli Recipe, Oleolux Recipe, Quark-Flax Oil Mayonnaise Recipe as well as the very extensive Budwig Diet & Protocol FAQ I have compiled from an authentic Budwig source currently available in English as well as the 13 original German-language books by Dr. Budwig I own), the subject of fats and fats metabolism is rather complex and possibly far from fully understood by scientists today. To facilite both a deeper understanding of this area and the implementation of Dr. Budwig’s natural cancer treatment and healing protocol if you are so inclined, I have compiled a file containing both further “how-to” information on the Budwig diet and protocol and general and scientific information on fats & essential fatty acids plus related subjects gleaned from various websites. I have edited the information for link and other accuracy as well as obvious redundancy. Additionally, I have included links to further ”fat”, ”flax oil” and ”Budwig” reference pages and a tabulation of the unsaturated fatty acid content of various oils.

Download information file on Budwig diet & protocol and fats
in zip (compressed) or doc format (currently being updated).

I’d also like to refer you to Dr. Johanna Budwig’s available English-language books, with some people expressing particular appreciation for her oil-protein cookbook. One comment reads: “I have found that one of THE MOST VALUABLE, yea NECESSARY items one should get for following the Budwig diet is Dr. Budwig's ‘Oil Protein Cookbook.’ It demystifies all kinds of things for you, and has OVER 500 recipes in it to make sure [you] will be getting all the things Dr. Budwig wanted her clients to get in their diet.” I too believe it is essential for anyone “serious” about implementing the Budwig diet with the aim of healing from serious disease such as cancer to at the very least own Dr. Budwig’s inexpensive oil-protein cookbook. It would seem best to also read her book “Flax Oil as a True Aid” and to make sure to share these books with others, both to possibly help them prevent and heal from serious disease. More comments.

Research Studies On Animals Into the Effects of Flaxseed and Flaxseed Components (Lignan, Lignan Precursors & Oil) on Cancer and Tumor Growth***

A 2002 animal experiment on the ”[e]ffect of flaxseed supplementation on prostatic carcinoma in transgenic mice” found that a ”diet supplemented with 5% flaxseed inhibits the growth and development of prostate cancer in the TRAMP model”.

Aiming to ”investigate the effects of flaxseed supplementation on prostatic neoplasia in the transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate (TRAMP) model”, a ”total of 135 male TRAMP mice 5 to 6 weeks old were randomized to a control group (AIN-76A diet) or an experimental group (AIN-76A diet plus 5% flaxseed by weight). One half of the mice in each group were treated for 20 weeks and the remainder for 30 weeks. At autopsy, urogenital tissues (four prostatic lobes, seminal vesicles, and emptied bladder), lungs, lymph nodes, and grossly abnormal tissues were collected for histologic evaluation. RESULTS: Of the control mice, 100% developed prostate cancer versus 97% of the mice in the flaxseed group. The tumor/urogenital weight was 3.6 +/- 0.4 g in the controls versus 1.9 +/- 0.2 g in the flaxseed-treated mice (P = 0.0005). At 20 weeks, no significant difference in tumor grade was seen between the two groups; however, at 30 weeks, the flaxseed-treated mice had significantly less aggressive tumors than did the controls (P = 0.01). The prevalence of lung and lymph node metastases was 13% and 16%, respectively, in the control mice versus 5% and 12%, respectively, in the experimental group (difference not significant). After 20 weeks of treatment, cellular proliferation (Ki-67) differed significantly between the control and experimental groups (38.1 +/- 2.03 versus 26.2 +/- 2.03; P <0.0001), and the apoptotic index (deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling) was 1.45 +/- 0.14 versus 3.3 +/- 0.31 (P <0.0001). Similar differences were seen after 30 weeks of treatment.
The original NCBI report with references

A 2002 animal experiment on “the effect of flaxseed (FS), the richest source of lignans and alpha-linolenic acid, on growth and metastasis of established human breast cancer in a nude mice model” concluded that “Dietary flaxseed inhibits human breast cancer growth and metastasis”.

Dietary flaxseed inhibits human breast cancer growth and metastasis and downregulates expression of insulin-like growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor.
Chen J, Stavro PM, Thompson LU. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E2.
Recent studies indicate that diets rich in phytoestrogens and n-3 fatty acid have anticancer potential. This study determined the effect of flaxseed (FS), the richest source of lignans and alpha-linolenic acid, on growth and metastasis of established human breast cancer in a nude mice model. Estrogen receptor-negative human breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-435, were injected into the mammary fat pad of mice (Ncr nu/nu) fed a basal diet (BD). At Week 8, mice were randomized into two diet groups, such that the groups had similar tumor size and body weight. One continued on the BD, while the other was changed to BD supplemented with 10% FS, until sacrifice at Week 15. A significant reduction (P < 0.05) in tumor growth rate and a 45% reduction (P = 0.08) in total incidence of metastasis were observed in the FS group. Lung metastasis incidence was 55.6% in the BD group and 22.2% in the FS group, while the lymph node metastasis incidence was 88.9% in the BD group and 33.3% in the FS group (P < 0.05). Mean tumor number (tumor load) of total and lymph node metastasis was significantly lower in the FS than in the BD group (P < 0.05). Metastatic lung tumor number was reduced by 82%, and a significantly lower tumor trend (P < 0.01) was observed in the FS group. Lung weight, which also reflects metastatic tumor load, in the FS group was reduced by 20% (P < 0.05) compared with the BD group.
Immunohistochemical study showed that Ki-67 labeling index and expression of insulin-like growth factor I and epithelial growth factor receptor in the primary tumor were lower in the FS (P < 0.05) than in the BD group.
In conclusion, flaxseed inhibited the established human breast cancer growth and metastasis in a nude mice model, and this effect is partly due to its downregulation of insulin-like growth factor I and epidermal growth factor receptor expression.
The original NCBI report with references

A 1996 animal experiment aiming “to determine whether supplementation with flaxseed, its lignan or oil fractions, beginning 13 weeks after carcinogen administration, would reduce the size of established mammary tumors (present at the start of treatment) and appearance of new tumors in rats” concluded that “the S.D. in flaxseed appears to be beneficial throughout the promotional phase of carcinogenesis whereas the oil component is more effective at the stage when tumors have already been established.”

Flaxseed and its lignan and oil components reduce mammary tumor growth at a late stage of carcinogenesis.
Thompson LU, Rickard SE, Orcheson LJ, Seidl MM. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Flaxseed, a rich source of mammalian lignan precursor secoisolariciresinol- diglycoside (S.D.) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), has been shown to be protective at the early promotion stage of carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine whether supplementation with flaxseed, its lignan or oil fractions, beginning 13 weeks after carcinogen administration, would reduce the size of established mammary tumors (present at the start of treatment) and appearance of new tumors in rats. Dietary groups consisted of the basal diet (BD, 20% corn oil) alone or supplemented with a gavage of 2200 nmol/day S.D. [S.D., equal to level in 5% flaxseed (F)], 1.82% flaxseed oil (OIL, equal to level in 5% F) or 2.5% or 5% flaxseed (2.5% F and 5% F, respectively). After 7 weeks of treatment, established tumor volume was over 50% smaller in all treatment groups (OIL, 2.5% F, 5% F, P < 0.04; S.D., P < 0.08) while there was no change in the BD group. New tumor number and volume were lowest in the S.D. (P < 0.02) and 2.5% F (P < 0.07) groups. The combined established and new tumor volumes were smaller for the S.D., 2.5% F and 5% F groups (P < 0.02) compared to the OIL and BD groups. The high negative correlation (r = -0.997, P < 0.001) between established tumor volume and urinary mammalian lignan excretion in the BD, S.D., 2.5% F and 5% F groups indicates that the reduction in tumor size is due in part to the lignans derived from the S.D. in flaxseed. However, there was no relationship between new or total tumor development and urinary lignan levels. The effect of flaxseed oil may be related to its high ALA content. In conclusion, the S.D. in flaxseed appears to be beneficial throughout the promotional phase of carcinogenesis whereas the oil component is more effective at the stage when tumors have already been established.
The original NCBI report with references

A 1992 animal experiment aiming to determine “whether flaxseed decreases the risk for colon carcinogenesis” concluded that while the observed effects were “not linearly related to the level of flaxseed fed, it suggests that flaxseed feeding may reduce the risk for colon carcinogenesis”.

Flaxseed supplementation and early markers of colon carcinogenesis. Serraino M, Thompson LU. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Since flaxseed ingestion produces potentially anticarcinogenic lignans in the colon, this study determined whether flaxseed decreases the risk for colon carcinogenesis. Following a single injection of azoxymethane (15 mg/kg body wt.), five groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat (20% corn oil) basal diet with or without supplementation with 5% or 10% flaxseed meal (FM) or flaxseed flour (FF) for four weeks. Upon sacrifice, colons were examined for aberrant morphology and cell proliferation. In the descending colon of supplemented groups, the total number of aberrant crypts and foci were significantly reduced by 41-53% and 48-57%, respectively. The labeling index (LI) was also 10-22% lower in these groups, except for the 5% FM group. While these effects are not linearly related to the level of flaxseed fed, it suggests that flaxseed feeding may reduce the risk for colon carcinogenesis.
The original NCBI report with references

A 1991 animal experiment tested flaxseed for its effect on early markers of risk for mammary carcinogenesis:

The effect of flaxseed supplementation on early risk markers for mammary carcinogenesis.
Serraino M, Thompson LU. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Since lignans have been suggested to have some cancer-protective effects, flaxseed, the most abundant source of lignan precursors, was tested for its effect on early markers of risk for mammary carcinogenesis. Supplementation of a high-fat diet with flaxseed flour (FF) or defatted flaxseed meal (FM) (5% or 10%) reduced the epithelial cell proliferation by 38.8-55.4% and nuclear aberrations by 58.8-65.9% in female rat mammary gland, with optimum effects seen with the 5% FF.
These protective effects were accompanied by increases in urinary lignan excretion indicating that they may be related to the ability of flaxseed to provide lignan precursors.
The original NCBI report with references

More research studies incl. on humans

***Note by Healing Cancer Naturally:
Personally, I don’t advocate animal experiments for the reasons sketched below. I am including the above pertinent research however (since it has been done in any case) in support of the efficacy of the “Budwig diet” for those who believe that test results are transferrable to human beings (and to my knowledge they occasionally are).
More generally speaking, animal experiments could justifiably be called “as useless and dangerous for humans as cruel to animals” (e.g. thalidomide was tested safe on rats while penicillin would have never been allowed for human consumption had it initially been tested on guinea pigs or hamsters, since it kills those species!). For a good summary re ”Does animal testing help human medicine?” see for instance www.saav.org.za, and for thalidomide & an entire online book 'ANIMAL RESEARCH TAKES LIVES - Humans and Animals BOTH Suffer' see www.health.org.nz. Dr Irwin D Bross PhD writes, “There is no good factual evidence to show that the use of animals in cancer research has led to the prevention or cure of a single human cancer.” Full quote of Dr Bross and others under On Cancer Research.
There are better alternatives that do not involve cruelty to animals and give much more reliable results for humans (such as tests performed on human cell cultures). These humane and solely reliable test methods just need to be implemented, and if a sufficiently large part of the public calls for them, they will be applied - to everyone’s benefit! Please consider joining this call!

The subject of cancer research based upon animal models of human disease is in fact of such major importance that Healing Cancer Naturally now devotes many pages to it. Learn about the detailed scientific arguments and the fundamental implications of the issue of animal experimentation for everyone’s health, recovery and safety, making it a possible matter of life or death for many, here.

Comments on Dr. Budwig’s work

As mentioned above, Dr. Budwig and her work have been attacked and silenced by vested medical, industrial and pharmaceutical interests throughout her life (compare History of Alternative Cancer Treatment).

A very balanced comment by Dr. Vincent Gammill of the non-profit Center for the Study of Natural Oncology reads:
“ Budwig's observations were correct, but her conclusions require clarification. Flax oil or FSO/CC [cottage cheese] is not in and of itself an anticancer diet. It simply helps correct (perhaps even overcorrects) an omega-3 deficiency in our diet. This can affect many pathways ranging from prostaglandins to cellular immune function.” In fact, Dr Armin Grunewald, MD, Dr. Budwig's nephew concurs when he writes, "Dr. Budwig's approach is not a method of healing cancer but a technique which strengthens the body's own immune defence against cancerous cells.”
But perhaps it doesn’t even matter how the “Budwig diet” is called (which, as mentioned, involves an entire “protocol” comprising healthy diet, sunlight, stress management, etc., when properly applied). As the German saying goes “Wer heilt, hat recht.” (The one who heals is right). And Dr. Budwig’s protocol has a respectable track record of (sometimes near-miraculous-seeming) healings.

A more deplorable (and quite subjective) comment on the Budwig diet has been furnished by Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known US doctor with an alternative bend. His “case in point” serves to illustrate how many help-seeking people can be kept in ignorance by the words of “authorities” they so implicitly trust. Dr. Weil’s website carries an article on Dr. Budwig where he notes “All of this sounds fanciful to me.” and concludes “I certainly would not rely on a combination of flaxseed oil and cottage cheese as a treatment for any form of cancer.”

As various members of a Budwig forum commented:

“My question is this, how do these so called brilliant doctors watch thousands of people die, due to withholding valuable lifesaving information such as the flaxoil/cottage cheese... sleep at night?”

“My feeling is this, sometimes mainstream medical doctor's have just enough alternative healing knowledge, to be VERY dangerous. It's better if they make no statements at all, until they decide who and what they are going to stand for. Too many innocent people will hear a doctor say a few words about natural, alternative methods, and then believe everything that doctor says. It's just very deceptive and misleading if you yourself are not educated. When I think about how many years it's taken me to get where I'm at, I shudder to think about the chaos going on inside the heads of people just starting out in their journey of searching out alternative protocols.”

“It's been going on since the 1930s--since Morris Fishbein representing the AMA destroyed Royal Rife and all his records. You can read it (and weep) in a book called The Cancer Cure that Worked by Barry Lynes [currently out of print]. Had Rife been able to share his discovery with the world, cancer would have long ago ceased to be. The few people, like Richard Schulze the herbalist, who have cured so many by natural means and refused to play the game, have been put out of commission and many wind up in jail.”

“Self delusion as a result of worshipping money and status. Gross lack of research as a result of relying on tainted studies or the lack of studies to allow continued worship of money. Simple evil.”

“No doubt he has done a lot of good, but when anyone answers to two kings, it makes me highly suspicious of anything they do and say. Another one, Dr. Rosenfeld, is not as stupid as he appears. He lies thru his teeth to stay in the good graces of the powers that be. Anytime anyone tells a half truth, or leaves out part of the truth to create a false illusion, which Rosined does every time he is on TV, I am forced to put him on the list not to be trusted. At times, I think Dr. Weil does the same thing. So how can any of us trust their beliefs and statements?”

“I have not read a lot of Andrew Weil's stuff, but I can certainly see that he has become a wealthy fellow with a "cult" following! That is one reason I have not read a lot of his stuff!
By the way, he says, about Dr. Budwig's 7 nominations for the Nobel Prize, that ‘anyone can get nominated.’ How about if this year, I nominate you and you nominate me for the Nobel Prize? Deal? LOL! Weil almost makes it sound like Budwig greased some palms for those nominations just to be able to tout her FO/CC regimen! LOL!” (by Elliot Yudenfriend)

"I respect a doctor who can say 'I don't know.' I don't respect one who denigrates without knowing and further presumes the scientific results to be 'fanciful'."
 

Memorable Quotes on Dr. Budwig's work

Some of the following quotes already appear in other sections on this page but are additionally included here.

"This diet is far and away the most successful anti-cancer diet in the world".
Dr. Dan C. Roehm M.D. FACP (oncologist & former cardiologist)

“I suggest that all those who find it necessary to add other protocols or to add supplements to it have not even given the Budwig Protocol half a chance. They just don't look beyond the flaxoil/cottage cheese part. There is much more to it than that. It is a scientifically well thought out, all natural approach to health, that has a tremendous rate of success and track record... and it costs next to nothing. I think that if it were very expensive and much money could be made on it, it would be much more popular because it would be pushed by business. But as it stands, it doesn't lend itself to it. So you have to take it at practically no cost or go for some other high priced methods.”
Wilhelm H

“It's not the results of the ‘bone scans’ or ‘CTs’ which are of crucial importance ... but whether the cancer can be gott