The Budwig Protocol is the common name for the diet and lifestyle developed by Dr. Johanna Budwig in the 1950’s to help restore otherwise hopeless, advanced cancer patients back to health.

 Note: “The Budwig Protocol for Cancer” was originally published on January 26, 2011 and has been updated in 2024.

The Budwig Protocol For Cancer

Dr. Johanna Budwig has been referred to as a top European cancer research scientist, biochemist, blood specialist, German pharmacologist, and physicist. She is known and highly respected around the world, even still today as Germany’s premier biochemist.

In the 1940’s, she discovered a new process of analyzing the composition of fats using chromatography paper. She used this to distinguish unsaturated fats from saturated fats which led to her further study of polyunsaturated fats and eventually her discovery of the danger of trans-fats. (I’ll get more into this below.)

Her discovery of the effect of fats in the overall health of the body led Dr. Budwig to become interested in understanding anything that could interfere with the natural process of cellular oxygen uptake in healthy cells and eventually cancer cells.

Dr. Otto H. Warburg

Dr. Warburg and the Metabolic Cancer Theory

Following the work of Dr. Otto Warburg (himself a Nobel Prize winner,) Dr. Budwig studied how cancer cells are anaerobic- this means that they thrive in a low-oxygen environment. Instead, they rely primarily on GLUCOSE (sugar) to survive.

This is the reason that people with cancer should avoid processed sugar as much as absolutely possible – because isolated sugar fuels cancer cell replication through aerobic glycolysis, or sugar fermented into lactic acid.

Even though Dr. Warburg discovered this and studied it further, he passed away before he was able to find a way to restore the anaerobic cancer cell to its original aerobic, healthy function and metabolism. This is where Dr. Budwig came in.

Dr. Budwig developed her “Oil-Protein Diet” to combat cancer in the 1950’s in post-war Germany when the use of chemotherapy for cancer was in its infancy. Picking up where Dr. Warburg left off, Dr. Budwig believed she discovered the reason why our healthy cells become anaerobic in the first place.

According to her, it is quite simple:

In order for our bodies’ cells to process oxygen as fuel, they need certain enzymes to be present in the fat content of the foods we eat.  However, because so much of the Standard American Diet (SAD diet) consists of chemically-treated, processed, sugar-laden, denatured foods, the necessary enzymes our bodies require for cellular respiration have been destroyed and in some cases even replaced by manufactured fats (i.e. trans fats) which are completely useless to the body.

Over time, this sets up a whole host of problems from heart disease, to skin and lung problems, to brain and liver problems, to diabetes and immune deficiency syndromes, to cancer. Simply put, to remain HEALTHY, our cells NEED to be able to process oxygen and use it efficiently, and the Budwig diet provides this.

The “Oil Protein Diet” and Cancer

Dr. Budwig discovered that when she combined sulfur-rich proteins like quark (common in Europe) or cottage cheese (U.S. equivalent) with highly unsaturated essential fatty acids, like those rich in omega-3’s found in flaxseed oil, the unsaturated fatty acids bonded molecularly with the sulphuric proteins.

This bond made the flaxseed oil water-soluble, enabling it to be absorbed instantly and effortlessly through the cellular membrane.  In turn, the instant flood of vital nutrients, energy-rich electrons, and essential enzymes to all cells (remember, the enzymes were what was missing in the first place) acted as a spark that re-ignited their ability to burn oxygen, thus encouraging restoration of ALL cells to a healthy aerobic state.

Skepticism

Skeptical of this, in 1990, Dr. Budwig’s findings were re-examined by Dr. Dan C. Roehm M.D. FACP (oncologist and former cardiologist).  After his own testing, Dr. Roehm concluded:

“This diet is far and away the most successful anti-cancer diet in the world. 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

Dr. Roehm added: “I only wish that all my patients had a PhD in Biochemistry and Quantum Physics to enable them to see how with such consummate skill this diet was put together. It is a wonder.”

As Dr. Roehm mentions, it is important to note that even though the cottage cheese-flaxseed oil mixture is the cornerstone of the Budwig’s diet, it is NOT the entirety of her lifestyle protocol.  Dr. Budwig also emphasized the importance of raw foods, a vegetarian diet, low stress levels, and healthy amounts of sun exposure. More detailed information on the science behind CCFO as well as how to implement Dr. Budwig’s full protocol can be found in her two books: Flax Oil As a True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer and Other Diseases, and The Oil-Protein Diet Cookbook.

Full Budwig Protocol Schedule

(From Dr. Budwig’s Cookbook)

Pre-Breakfast:

Drink 8 ounce glass of sauerkraut juice

Breakfast: 

Budwig Linomel-Muesli

• using a coffee grinder, grind 2 Tbsp flax seeds, set aside
• Combine 1 tsp honey,  3 Tbsp milk, and 3 Tbsp of flaxseed oil and blend with immersion blender.
• Gradually add in 3.5 ounces (100g) of cottage cheese or quark and blend some more. A little more milk can be added.
• You can flavor this mixture differently each day with nuts, berries, banana, fruit juice, shredded coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, etc.
• Always eat the oil-protein mixture within 20-25 minutes of making it

Mid-Morning Snack:

Drink 8 ounces freshly juiced carrot, celery, beet, or apple juice (or a combination).

Lunch:

Raw salad with Oil-Protein mixture on top

• To make oil-protein mixture, blend 2 Tbsp flaxseed oil, 2 Tbsp milk and 2 Tbsp cottage cheese or quark. Once blended, combine with mustard, Celtic sea salt, choice of herbs, or salsa.

(You can see all of my cancer fighting salad recipes HERE or in my Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Guide with over 25 recipes and 5 days of meal plans HERE.)

Afternoon Snack:

Drink 8 ounces of pure vegetable-fruit juice combo with 1-2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed oil.

Dinner:

Should be light and early, around 6pm.

• Cooked rice, buckwheat, or oats paired with vegetable soup and Oleolox (read more about how to prepare in Dr. Budwig’s cookbook. I haven’t personally eaten it.)

My Thoughts: 15 Years After Cancer

It has been 13 years since I originally wrote this post, and I have learned a lot about Dr. Budwig’s findings since then. Most importantly (and kind of surprising,) was that once I really dug into her cookbooks, I realized that the cottage cheese-flaxseed oil recipe I had been following from Bill Henderson’s book for many years was not at all what Dr. Budwig had her patients doing.

Whereas Bill Henderson’s “mixture” was a full dose of cottage cheese (2/3 cup) and flaxseed oil (6 Tbsp) once a day WITHOUT the ground flaxseeds, Dr. Budwig instructed her patients to eat a smaller dose (3.5 ounces of cottage cheese + 3 Tbsp flaxseed oil then add 2 Tbsp freshly ground flaxseeds) several times a day along with fruits, vegetables and their juices.

Even with Bill Henderson’s deviation from Dr. Budwig’s ratio, I ate his version of the Budwig mixture below for seven years and my cancer was in remission after six months and has been in remission since.

Here’s the recipe I used:

Simple Budwig Mixture Recipe: (from Bill Henderson’s “Cancer Free” book)

• 2/3 cup organic cottage cheese (I like Nancy’s brand since it does not have carrageenan or other additives.)
• 6 tbsp flaxseed oil
• optional: add berries, bananas, or nuts to taste and also stevia

Directions: Mix by hand first and then blend it with an immersion hand blender until the oil is completely mixed with the cottage cheese. A large coffee cup or soup bowl (see picture above) has worked best to mix it in. Then add other ingredients if you would like. A great video demonstrating this can be found here. Note: It is very important to mix just the cottage cheese and flaxseed oil FIRST! Wait 5 minutes after blending, then add the other ingredients and consume mixture within 25-30 minutes of making it. It cannot be stored for later as it loses its potency.

You can also try the Chocolate Budwig Pudding, Strawberry Budwig Smoothie, and Vanilla-Cinnamon Budwig Smoothie.

Frequently Asked Questions

Since 2008, I have also had some really challenging and well-informed questions from you guys, so I’m going to go over some of those here as well:

How long do you need to stay on the Budwig protocol?

I ate the Budwig mixture (from Bill Henderson’s book Cancer-Free: Your Guide to Gentle, Nontoxic Healing) along with my mostly raw vegan, organic diet for SEVEN straight years with VERY little deviation. I remember reading many years ago that Dr. Budwig recommended staying on her diet for at least FIVE years after remission, so I felt like seven years was sufficient, especially because I was still laser-focused on staying away from processed sugar, striving for gut health, and eating a mostly plant-based diet.

Now at the 10 year mark, I feel confident with my decision to transition off of the Budwig mixture at the seven year mark and it probably could have happened sooner, but no sooner than 5 years.

Do I need to add ground flax seeds to the mixture and do they need to be freshly ground?

Over the years I have learned that I never was actually on Dr. Budwig’s Protocol, something readers clued me into over the years with questions, mainly about whether I used ground flaxseed on my cottage cheese-flaxseed oil mixture. (I didn’t.)

The late Bill Henderson (whose book and protocol I used to heal), in his quest to simplify an anti-cancer healing protocol that anyone could afford and complete at home, simplified Dr. Budwig’s protocol down to a mixture that could be eaten everyday. For me, I had no problem eating the full amount in one sitting (2/3 cup cottage cheese with 6 Tbsp flaxseed oil)- something Dr. Budwig spread throughout the day into 2 or 3 servings.

If I were to do it all over again- YES- I would add in the ground flax seeds. Would it have been more work? YES. I would have had to have freshly ground my flax seeds with a coffee grinder each morning before work (you can already see in my daily anti-cancer routine– I was jam packed.) I don’t love the additional work and dishes, but it IS part of Dr. Budwig’s original recommendations.

Can I eat the Budwig mixture in two portions or do I have to eat it all at once? Can I store it for later?

For the first 7 years of eating the Budwig mixture, I had no problem eating the Bill Henderson recommended dose of 2/3 cup cottage cheese + 6 Tbsp flaxseed oil, but every now and then I would get a reader message about it being too filling or in some making them nauseous.

I always recommended for them to split the mixture in two (which is actually more in line with Dr. Budwig’s dosing. The only downside to this is it takes double the time and dishes. I also noticed it is more difficult to blend since there is less food for the blender to blend, so more splattering takes place.

Just use 1/3 cup cottage cheese and 3 Tbsp flax seed oil and blend with an immersion blender.

You can not store the mixture for later as it loses its potency.

Even after splitting the Budwig mixture in two, I still don’t feel well after eating it. What should I do?

I sympathized with this after I had my third baby, because for some reason (I blame the lack of sleep, stress, overwhelm, and lack of self-care,) my body began rejecting the mixture and it made me sick! After careful consideration, I began transitioning to a mostly plant-based, still low sugar diet due to some postpartum problems with my gallbladder and digestion.

So I know it happens.

Perhaps it is the sudden change in oil or the dairy or emotional stuff. Who knows. You need to listen to your body. Try it for a little while and try the smaller dosing and if you still don’t feel right about, consider another protocol and work with your holistic practitioner.

I am vegan, lactose intolerant, and allergic to dairy. Are their alternatives?

Dr. Budwig wrote about hundreds of people who claimed to have had a dairy intolerance that did well on her protocol. She believed that the chemical properties of the quark or cottage cheese changed when bound with the electron-rich flaxseed oil.

If you are deathly allergic to dairy, I wouldn’t try it. If you are not, then I’d give the Budwig mixture a try in the smaller dose first over the course of a few weeks. Then add in the second dose or full morning dose.

And regarding the vegan alternative: if dairy products are a moral or biological limitation for you, Dr. Budwig’s approach is probably not the right fit for you. The Gerson Protocol or a variation on that would probably be a better fit seeing that it is plant-based and well-researched and studied as well.

To alter the Budwig mixture would be to stray from what Dr. Budwig confirmed in her research and experience. I might add too that although many vegan alternatives (nuts, coconut yogurt, etc) have been discussed, the sulfuric protein in quark or cottage cheese and the Omega 6 – Omega 3 ratio it maintains with the flax seed oil is the only option that Dr. Budwig herself recommended.

Conclusion:

It’s crazy how much can change in ten years. In revising this article, I realized how much I have learned over a decade and how much scientifically has changed in the acceptance of the metabolic cancer theory. Here are just a few studies still looking into Dr. Warburg’s research and Dr. Budwig’s writings:

Current Published Discussions About Dr. Warburg’s Metabolic Cancer Theory:

2010 Manuscript: The Warburg Effect: How Does it Benefit Cancer Cells?

2010 Manuscript: Understanding the Warburg Effect: The Metabolic Requirements of Cell Proliferation

2006 Study: Induction of oxidative metabolism by mitochondrial frataxin inhibits cancer growth: Otto Warburg revisited

Interviews/ Writings of Dr. Budwig:

Excerpt from: “Cancer- The Problem and the Solution”

Fats as True Aids- Three Lectures By Dr. Budwig

The Budwig Foundation (many primary resources and writings here translated from German!)

Dr. Budwig’s stated that healing must take place in the “body, mind, and soul!” She was firm about healing not just being from her diet, but from all aspects of our lifestyle. (You can read more about the Budwig mixture, and all aspects of an anti-cancer lifestyle in my  Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Guide!)

With that said, I believe that even though I did not use Dr. Budwig’s exact protocol, the amount of oxygen and electron rich flaxseed oil combined with the sulfuric protein in the cottage cheese made a HUGE difference in my recovery and ten year remission from NLP Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience, too! Feel free to leave a comment below.

Want to be notified when new posts are published? SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter above. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

The post The Budwig Protocol for Cancer + FAQ’s (and my experience 15 years later…) appeared first on Anti-Cancer Mom.