This week I thought I would look at the Budwig diet and the Budwig blend simply because in the last couple of weeks several visitors have mentioned this to me so it is certainly worth a visit.
What is the Budwig diet?
It was a programme invented by a Dr. Johanna Budwig in 1951 she was a biochemist, physicist and cancer expert and a leading expert in fat metabolism. The Budwig diet despite its age still holds credence with many health guru’s these days.
It was based on the theory that the diets of most people with cancer and those with other serious diseases were found to be very deficient in certain essential fatty acids. They are Called essential because they are vital for good health but can only be got through diet as we do not make them ourselves.
She found after years of research and clinical trials, that to increase the amount of essential fatty acids in the diet, by using her blend, was hugely beneficial. It was shown to reduce tumour size and in some cases even eradicate the tumour even for those people who were chronically ill.
Budwig recorded all her cases and her published research is full of thousands of testimonials from people around the world that were diagnosed with terminal cancer but were completely cured by the Budwig diet. According to the author Johnathan Chamberlain in his book Cancer Recovery Guide some adherents claim that it can help cure 90% of cancers. This figure is of course speculative as the protocol has not been subject to randomized control studies.
What’s the theory behind the Budwig diet?
There is a theory behind the Budwig diet which is all linked to keeping cells as healthy as they can be by increasing the amount of oxygen that reaches them.
- For oxygen to reach all the cells of the body it must be carried by haemoglobin (part of the blood). Omega 3 (which we discussed in this blog if you want a refresher Blog on Omega three) is needed to keep haemoglobin in a healthy way but the omega 3 needs to be in a water soluble state. This can be achieved by using a protein that contains sulphuric acid (i.e. cottage cheese or quark) and a blend of flax seed oil which is rich in the essential fatty acid omega 3. This encourages a high oxygenated environment in the cell. The part that might be of particular interest is that it was understood that cancer cells do not thrive in this highly oxygenated environment! This theory was first brought to attention by Otto Warburg in 1931 long before Johanna Budwig, he showed that not only was oxygen the enemy of the cancer cell but could kill it. This is an opinion shared today by many of those that have researched into cancer so she was quite modern in her thinking.
- As well as using her blend on a daily basis she was very much against the use of saturated fats from animal products, and processed fats and oils (hydrogenated). This was because these fats did not contain the essential electron to create an oxygenated environment. Sounds a bit complicated but I think we can take her word for it. Chemistry a bit beyond me!!! She also advocated a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, with no sugar or salt, a message we have heard many many times before.
So what is the Budwig blend?
Blend together 450g of low fat organic cottage cheese with 6 tablespoons flaxseed oil and enough water to make it soft like a custard consistency, have this throughout the day. Or another protocol that is recommended is to have 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds 6 times a day mixed with 1 or 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. This can be increased to 10 times if necessary. You can add some agave syrup to this or freshly chopped fruit. One important note of caution is that if you were to follow this protocol to avoid all other supplements as they may interfere with its effectiveness.
Whether you try the Budwig blend or not it is worth remembering that omega 3 has strong anti inflammatory properties and cancer is an inflammatory process, as is all chronic disease. Flaxseed oil is also very rich in a Lignan called Secoisolariciresinol(SDG) what a mouth full!!!. Research shows that this SDG has a direct influence on oestrogen metabolism by blocking the receptor sites on the cells and stopping the action of oestrogen in stimulating cancer cells. It also supports the liver in its role at detoxifying excess oestrogen out of the body. All good stuff.
It is important to note here that I am not claiming that the Budwig protocol cures cancer if I could I would be walking on water. Far from it I am informing you of another protocol that you may choose to look into more deeply. Having said that, I am a great advocate of omega 3 for general good health. Not only is it associated with being beneficial for those with cancer but has been shown quite clearly to be beneficial for good brain function, mild depression, protective against heart disease, skin health and more. In fact I have a whole book dedicated to just the benefits of omega 3 in the diet.
Other food sources of omega 3 apart from the flax oil used in the Budwig blend are oily fish especially salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil. It is interesting to note that if you rely on seed rather than oils for the omega 3 content you have to eat 3 times the amount of seeds to get the same benefits as from the oil and it is important that the seeds are cracked to release the oil either by using a blender or through thorough chewing.
A note about supplements If you choose to use a supplement of omega 3 fish oil make sure that you buy types that are free from dioxins and PCB’s which are associated with contaminants found in fish. You can now readily buy Krill oil which is very rich in omega 3. Krill are very tiny shrimp like creatures which are a major food source for fish and seals. Together with plankton they form the largest biomass in the ocean. They are at the very bottom of the food chain and their primary home is the clear blue water of the Antartic, so they do not contain the contaminants associated with some fish oils.
A very simple recipe for a Moorish snack
- Put some pumpkins seeds and sunflower seeds in a bowl sprinkle generously with Tamari sauce.
- Mix to lightly cover the seeds (they should not be drenched). Spread on a baking tray and bake in a moderately hot oven till the seeds are sticky.
- Remove from heat and once cool store in an airtight container and use to nibble on between meals.
Blog Originally written by Caroline Oct 2012