An Effective Cancer Diet – The Budwig Protocol
In my never-ending quest to find answers and alternative treatments for cancer, I came across the Budwig Protocol.
This is a natural cancer diet created by a biochemist and pharmacist in the 1950’s. It’s an excellent option when you’re looking to decrease your cancer risk or support cancer recovery.
It’s important to remember that traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, simply kill cells – both healthy and cancerous.
What is the Budwig Protocol?
Dr. Johanna Budwig was a German biochemist and pharmacist. She also wrote numerous books and devoted her life to create a diet to be used in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Budwig was nominated for a Nobel Prize seven times.
The thesis of Dr. Budwig was that the blood of a seriously ill cancer patient is deficient in special types of fats. She believed that these deficiencies allowed cancer cells to grow and multiply.
The Budwig Diet emphasizes healthy fats (omega 3s), high antioxidant foods (especially fresh veggies), and probiotic foods. Specific foods in the Budwig diet included cottage cheese, yogurt, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. Dr. Axe recommends (and I fully agree with him) adding anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as turmeric and black pepper.
Dr. Budwig also advised increasing vitamin D levels through sun exposure.
How Does the Budwig Protocol Work?
The goal of the Budwig Protocol is to get rid of cancer cells by increasing oxygen to your body’s cells by eating healthy fats. It’s recommended that you eat multiple servings of the diet’s recipe every day.
Here is information from the Budwig Center:
START YOUR DAY – Drink a glass of pure water.
FRUIT: 2 or 3 servings of fruit. The body is in a ‘cleansing’ mode in the morning and fruit is perfect. 10 minutes later eat your breakfast. Fruit takes 10 minutes to digest, but other foods take 2 or 8 hours. So never eat fruit (especially melons) after or with other food as this will cause gas and indigestion.
VEGETABLES: Cooking and boiling vegetables at temperatures of more than 105 F (41 Celsius) is destroying important enzymes in the food, instead steam cook your vegetables which releases 5 times the amount of vitamins than most raw vegetables. When possible eat the potato skins as that is where the vitamins are.
Here are the foods to avoid (or at least reduce):
- Sugar
- Seafood (shellfish, octopus, eels, clams, oysters, lobsters, and shrimp)
- Pork
- Dairy (reduce daily intake, but enjoy cottage cheese/quark “muesli”)
- Soy
- White flour
- Refined oils
Here are the foods to eat:
- Mixture of flaxseed oil and cottage cheese (*see below)
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Beans
- Whole grain
- Fermented foods
- Herbal teas
The Budwig Diet
Remember, 1 tablespoon of flax oil plus 2 tablespoons of organic low fat cottage cheese or quark is recommended for every 100 pounds of an individual. The recipe can be adjusted according to dosage needs as well as for its intended purpose to treat the severity of cancer symptoms.
- Place 1 tablespoon of cold pressed flaxseed oil into a glass container.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons of organic, 2% or higher fat cottage cheese OR quark.
- Never by hand, and preferably using an immersion blender, blend the two foods for 1 minute. This will result in a whipped cream like consistency.
- Grind 2 tablespoons of either golden or brown flaxseeds in a coffee grinder for 1 minute until an airy, fluffy appearance results. Place ground flaxseed in a separate glass bowl. Add the cheese and oil mixture to the ground flax seed and stir with a spoon to combine.
Additional add-ins including organic fruits, nuts, and spices can be added on top for a tasty meal.
Tips:
- Always grind flaxseeds fresh and consume within 15 minutes of grinding
- Mix organic 2% (or higher) fat cottage cheese and flaxseed oil in a 2:1 ratio and blend until no visible oil remains floating
- Do not mix in added ingredients until final cheese mixture results
Health Benefits of the Budwig Protocol
- Supports cancer recovery – the Budwig center treats many different types of cancers, including breast, kidney, ovarian, colorectal, leukemia, non Hodgkins lymphoma, thyroid, prostate, and more
- Reduces inflammation – foods with high levels of omega 3s, as well as foods high in antioxidants reduce inflammation. Not to mention that the foods to avoid on the Budwig diet all cause inflammation.
- Improves cellular health – “eating healthy fats, including omega 3s, supports cellular membranes, which is foundational when it comes to overall health” (source).
- Supports heart health – by reducing inflammation and eating healthy foods, you can reduce cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.
Budwig Clinics
This cancer protocol is strict, yet effective. So it’s recommended that you receive assistance from an expert. There are Budwig clinics around the world that provide personalized treatments. In addition, their website has lots of resources, including approved recipes.
Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links.