Johanna Budwig

Johanna Budwig

Johanna Budwig (30 September 1908–19 May 2003) was a German biochemist and author. She developed the Budwig protocol, a supposed anti-cancer diet.

Budwig protocol

The Budwig protocol (or Budwig diet) is an anti-cancer diet developed by Budwig in 1952. The diet is rich in flaxseed oil, mixed with cottage cheese and milk, and meals high in fruits, vegetables, and fiber. The diet also avoided sugar, animal fats, salad oil, meats, butter, and especially margarine. She claimed that within 3 months, some patients on this diet had smaller tumors, some had no tumors left, and all felt better.

Evidence for the effectiveness of the Budwig diet is limited as most research has only been done on cell culture studies and experiments on rats and mice with inconsistent results. Such studies suggest that flaxseed may possibly be beneficial for cancers in mice. Some small studies have been done in humans which suggest flaxseed may be beneficial in reducing the risk of prostate cancer but more studies would be necessary to confirm any effects. There is no reliable evidence available for the effectiveness of the full Budwig protocol, though it is said that "thousands of cancer patients" in Europe went on the Budwig diet after it was publicized.

Claimed Nobel Prize nomination

Proponents of the Budwig protocol often claim that she was nominated for a Nobel Prize either six or seven times. However, the names of the nominees are never publicly announced, and neither are they told that they have been considered for the Prize. All nomination records for a prize are sealed for 50 years from the awarding of that prize. As there are no limits on nominations—any university professor in the world may nominate as many people as he or she chooses—thousands of people are nominated for these awards each year.

Prosecution

After creating and using the "Budwig Protocol" on a number of patients, Budwig was "prosecuted by the medical establishment for malpractice" in Germany for having used flax oil on patients, even though they had untreatable cancers. Though there were many court cases filed against her, "in each instance the courts exonerated her because case histories supported the benefits of her treatment methods."

Papers by Budwig

• Prof. Dr. H. P. Kaufmann, Dr. J. Budwig: Zur Biologie der Fette V: Die Papier-Chromatographie der Blutlipoide, Geschwulstproblem und Fettforschung Chemischen Landes-Untersuchungsamt Nordrhein-Westfalen und dem Deutschen Institut für Fettforschung. Münster i. W., Artikel erschienen in Fette und Seifen Nr. 54, S. 156-165, 1952.
• Budwig J (October 1953). "[Remarks on Homann and Otto's, Treatment of cancer patients with positive-pressure ether.]" (in German). Hippokrates 24 (19): 600–1. PMID 13128655. 
• Budwig J (October 1956). "[Cytostatic or cytodynamic control of cancer?]" (in German). Hippokrates 27 (19): 605–12. PMID 13376028. 
• Budwig J (February 1971). "Photo-elements of life as an anti-carcinoma factor, successful as a preventive and in the progressive state of the illness". Minerva Ginecologica 23 (3): 115–7. PMID 5579726. 
• Cousin M, Budwig J (1972). "[Air pollution by smoking or the smoke of the others]" (in French). Rehabilitation 25 (1): 34–6. PMID 5084629. 

Works by Budwig

• Die elementare Funktion der Atmung in ihrer Beziehung zu autoxydablen Nahrungsstoffen 1956
• Krebs, ein Fettproblem (Cancer - A Fat Problem), 1956
• Öl-Eiweiß-Kost 1956, 1965, 2000 Sensei Verlag (2000) ISBN 3932576640 ISBN 978-3932576645
• Kosmische Kräfte gegen Krebs: Elektronen-Biologie 1966 Hyperion-Verlag (1966) ASIN B001OS4H4W
• Laserstrahlen gegen Krebs 1968
• Fette als wahre Hilfe gegen Arteriosklerose, Herzinfarkt, Krebs u. a. 1972
• Das Fettsyndrom (The Fat Syndrome), 1972
• Der Tod des Tumors (The Death of the Tumor) 2 vols. 1977
• Fotoelemente des Lebens, auch zur Überwindung der Erkrankung an Krebs 1979
• Krebs. Das Problem und die Lösung Sensei Verlag (1999) ISBN 3932576632 ISBN 978-3932576638
• Kochen, braten und backen mit Kartoffeln Nebel Verlag Gmbh ISBN 3895553174 ISBN 978-3895553172

Translated into English

• The Oil-Protein Diet Cookbook, Apple Publishing Co. Ltd., Vancouver (Canada) (1994) ISBN 0969527225 ISBN 978-0969527220
• Flax Oil As A True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer And Other Diseases, Apple Publishing Co. Ltd., Vancouver (Canada) (1994) ISBN 0969527217 ISBN 978-0969527213
• Cancer: The Problem and the Solution Nexus Hirneise - Handels GmbH; (2008) ISBN 3981050215 ISBN 978-3981050219
• The Budwig Cancer & Coronary Heart Disease Prevention Diet: The Revolutionary Diet from Dr. Johanna Budwig, the Woman Who Discovered Omega-3s Freedom Press (2010) ISBN 1893910423 ISBN 978-1893910423

Translated into French

• Les maladies attribuables aux graisses alimentaires, (translation of Das Fettsyndrom, 1959)

Translated into Croatian

• Rak – problem i rješenje [Cancer – the Problem and the Solution], Omega lan d.o.o., Zagreb; (2007) ISBN 978-9539573605
• Uljno-proteinska kuharica [The Oil-Protein Diet Cookbook], Omega lan d.o.o., Zagreb; (2009) ISBN 978-9539573674 (together with Laneno ulje kao istinska pomoć kod arterioskleroze, srčanih udara, raka i drugih bolesti [Flax Oil As A True Aid Against Arteriosclerosis, Heart Infarction, Cancer And Other Diseases])

External links

• Works by Budwig in the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek