“Flaxseed has always been capable of performing miracles.”
Dr Johanna Budwig, The Oil-Protein Cookbook, 1952

Dr Johanna Budwig  The Budwig Protocol   The Budwig Diet

Dr Johanna Budwig (30 September 1908 – 19 May 2003) was a German biochemist and doctor. She carried out pioneering research into dietary fats and was one of the first scientists to identify how different fatty acids function in the body and the effects they have on health.

Much of her work focused on the role of omega-3 fatty acids in protecting the body from cancer and other diseases. The Budwig Protocol has its roots in Otto Warburg’s hypothesis that cancer develops when cells fail to respire correctly. Warburg proposed that, deprived of sufficient oxygen, cells switch to fermenting sugars.

During the 1950s she was also one of the first scientists to recognise the damage caused by trans fats in industrially produced foods. She became unpopular for publicly opposing parts of the food industry.

Dr Johanna Budwig was a woman of great wisdom and a brilliant scientist. The protocol she developed was a practical, common-sense approach to caring for the sick, combining spiritual care with an original diet designed to help the body overcome disease.

Better Balance of Fats

While many doctors treated illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, infertility, inflammatory, degenerative and autoimmune conditions with aggressive drugs—or regarded them as incurable—Dr Budwig believed that many were partly caused by an incorrect balance of dietary fats. She believed that restoring the right balance, together with a healthier diet, could help the body recover.

Linseed, a common food and fibre crop in Germany and Eastern Europe, had long been regarded as a health food. It became the cornerstone of her treatment of cancer, and it was her scientific understanding of how to use it that made her approach unique.

The Budwig Diet combines omega-3 from cold-pressed linseed oil with sulphur-rich proteins from quark, together with fibre, lignans and antioxidants from freshly ground linseed, plus plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. Together these provide the basis of the Budwig Diet.

Natural Foods, Natural Healing

The Budwig Protocol uses no expensive drugs and, in its original form, no supplements—just simple, wholesome foods.

It is not surprising, therefore, that there has not been research on the scale devoted to new cancer drugs and, at present, there is no strong clinical evidence demonstrating its effectiveness against cancer. There are, however, many websites around the world dedicated to the Budwig Protocol, containing numerous personal accounts from people who believe it has helped them.

Photo: Linseed flowers. Linseed is the principal ingredient of the Budwig Diet.

A Holistic Approach

The key components of the Budwig Protocol include:

• Natural sunlight for vitamin D
• Gentle exercise
• Foods rich in antioxidants
• Omega-3 fats
• Freshly ground linseed
• Probiotic foods
• A diet low in sugar
• Stress reduction
• Avoidance of damaged and processed fats

Modern research supports many of these individual principles as contributing to good health, including regular exercise, reducing highly processed foods, eating more fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, and ensuring an adequate intake of omega-3.

From the early 1950s until 2002, Dr Budwig treated patients using what became known as the Budwig Protocol. The best-known part of this is the combination of cold-pressed linseed oil with quark (a very low-fat German cottage cheese), also known as the Flax Oil-Cottage Cheese (FO/CC) Diet.

Thoroughly blending the linseed oil with quark produces a stable emulsion in which the sulphur-rich proteins interact closely with the oil. Dr Budwig believed this made the omega-3 fats easier for the body to absorb and use.

The Budwig Protocol has now been followed by people around the world for more than seventy years. It remains one of the best-known alternative dietary approaches for people living with cancer.

Dr Johanna Budwig wrote many books and scientific papers on the role of fats in health and the treatment of cancer. Several, including her recipe book for the Budwig Protocol, have been translated into English.

Photo: Single linseed flower.

She was a vegetarian, enjoyed cooking, and lived to the age of 94.

The Budwig Protocol

The Budwig Protocol is gentle and pleasant to follow. It aims to help the body support its own healing by promoting good overall health.

Dr Johanna Budwig was not only a brilliant scientist but also a practical and compassionate person. Much of the protocol reflects good, old-fashioned common sense when caring for someone who is unwell: plenty of rest, freedom from stress, warm drinks, gentle exercise, sunshine, fresh air, a nutritious diet and healthy bowels.

While no specific claims are made on this site regarding its effectiveness in treating cancer, it is certainly an excellent diet for people recovering from illness. It is easy to follow, highly nutritious, tastes good and provides an excellent balance of wholesome foods. It was designed to be both a healing diet and a healthy way of life.

Dr Budwig recommended that the protocol and full diet should be followed for at least seven years.

Photo: A typical Budwig Diet breakfast muesli containing freshly ground linseed, apple, banana, quark, Budwig Cream (FO/CC), honey, cinnamon, raspberries, Brazil nuts and walnuts.

The Budwig Diet

The Quark and Linseed Oil Cream Diet (Flax Oil-Cottage Cheese Diet, FO/CC)

The Budwig Diet looks, in many ways, like the sort of sensible diet our grandparents might have recommended for someone who was ill or convalescing—a balanced diet, but with the important addition of linseed and quark.

The diet has three main parts.

Foods you should eat

Cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil blended with low-fat or fat-free quark, freshly ground linseed, warm drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, sauerkraut juice, vegetables and fresh fruit.

The diet is carefully designed to provide plenty of probiotic, fibrous, raw and naturally fermented foods to encourage a healthy digestive system and support a balanced gut microbiome.

Foods you can include

Whole grains, rice, pulses, seeds, nuts, potatoes, root vegetables and small amounts of hard cheese. A little raw honey may be used for sweetening. Naturally lacto-fermented pickles are allowed, as are modest amounts of chocolate and wine.

Foods to avoid

The diet avoids all other added fats, refined sugars, and highly processed foods. Meat and fish are not specifically forbidden, but they are not included as part of the Budwig Diet, which is generally regarded as meat-free.

At first the diet may seem to exclude many of your usual foods, but it can become rich, varied and delicious once you adapt it to your own tastes.

The daily diet is based on regular meals using the recommended foods. These can be prepared as soups, stews, curries, sandwiches and many other dishes. As long as you stay within the principles of the diet, there is plenty of scope to adapt it to suit your own lifestyle and preferences.