"Who is Dr. Johanna Budwig?
Dr. Johanna Budwig is one of Germany's top biochemists as well one of the best cancer researchers throughout all of Europe. Born in 1908 and lived to be 95. She has been nominated seven times for the Nobel Prize. Dr. Budwig is also a published author, holds a Ph.D. in Natural Science, and is one of the greatest authorities on diet and its relation to health and well-being. To say that she is a highly intelligent, learned and accomplished scientist would be the understatement of the year!Dr. Budwig's views on "good" versus "bad" fats:Nowadays, if you want to know the difference between "good" and "bad" fats, just make a quick trip to your local bookstore or health food market. Books and magazine articles abound on which fats we should be eating, and which ones we should avoid. We are becoming more familiar with unusual sounding terms like "hydrogenated" and "polyunsaturated," and if asked, you could probably even give a reasonable definition of an "essential fatty acid."Not surprisingly, however, Dr. Johanna Budwig was way ahead of the game. Over 50 years ago Dr. Budwig lectured on the connection between "bad" fats, like hydrogenated margarines, and illness, as well as, the importance of essential fatty acids. In a speech that she delivered on November 2, 1959 in Zurich, Switzerland, Dr. Budwig said,(**) "Without these fatty acids, the respiratory enzymes cannot function and the person suffocates, even when he is given oxygen-rich air. A deficiency in these highly unsaturated fatty-
acids impairs many vital functions. First of all, it decreases the person's supply of available oxygen. We cannot survive without air and food; nor can we survive without these fatty acids. That has been proven long ago."Clearly, Dr. Budwig understood the connection between diet and health. She recognized that with the advent and popularity of hydrogenated and overprocessed oils came an increase in the rates of several serious illnesses. She realized that the way foods are now processed eliminates virtually all of the essential fatty acids. So, Dr. Budwig decided to focus her career on finding the dietary solution or cure to the list of diseases that affect so many people in the world.Dr. Budwig's extensive research:(**) Dr. Budwig has spent a lot of time in her career studying the blood of cancer patients. In fact, one of her observations came about after 30 years of painstaking research. Dr. Budwig noticed that people who were seriously ill with cancer always had low levels of two specific substances in their blood: phosphatides and lipoproteins. She also observed that in healthy, cancer-free people, these two compounds were present in normal amounts that were sufficient for good health.(**) Additionally, Dr. Budwig found that cancer patients typically had an odd greenish-yellow substance in their blood, instead of normal amounts of hemoglobin. She realized that this discovery undoubtedly explained why cancer patients are so often weak and suffering from anemia. Dr. Budwig also discovered that in general, blood that comes from a healthy person contains far greater levels of Omega 3 essential fatty acids than blood samples taken from someone who is ill.From her research, Dr. Budwig realized that her theories connecting diet and health were absolutely correct. She theorized that if just the right combination of nutrients were introduced to cancer patients, perhaps the unusual greenish-yellow gunk would go away and healthy red blood cells would return. She began to test her hypothesis on cancer patients, involving a combination of organic flaxseed oil and quark, a dairy product common in Germany that is very similar to cottage cheese.Why flaxseed oil?Dr. Budwig chose organic flaxseed oil because it is the richest source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, as well as being well-tolerated by most people and easily assimilated. She opted to mix the oil with quark because of its high levels of sulfurated protein (cottage cheese contains similar amounts, as does yogurt or skim milk). She knew from her extensive studies that this type of healthy oil requires a sulfurated protein in order for it to be utilized in the body. Specifically, when the protein combined with the oil, Dr. Budwig discovered that the flaxseed oil would actually become water soluble, meaning that it would be absorbed more easily. Taking flaxseed oil without the sulfurated protein found in quark, cottage cheese or yogurt is not inherently harmful, but in order to achieve results like Dr. Budwig a combination of the oil and protein is necessary.Amazingly, Dr. Budwig found that after only three short months on her flaxseed oil-quark combination, cancer patients began to improve. Tumors shrunk in size, patients' strength returned, and further blood analysis showed that the infamous greenish-yellow substance did indeed go away. Phosphatide and lipoprotein levels returned to normal, and red blood cell amounts were once again at healthy amounts. She was even able to help the patients whose doctors had told to "go home and die." Clearly, Dr. Budwig had hit on something big in the world of cancer research!In fact, after over 10 years of clinical research, Dr. Budwig's combination of 2 tablespoons of organic flaxseed oil combined with one quarter cup of cottage cheese has been used successfully in Europe to treat a variety of diseases in addition to cancer, including arteriosclerosis, eczema, stomach and intestinal disorders, arthritis, and strokes.After reading about Dr. Budwig's numerous successes with flaxseed oil, many other scientists became interested in studying its many benefits. A great number of studies have looked at flaxseed oil's ability to help with a variety of serious diseases and health conditions, and the results have been impressive. In fact, you would be hard pressed to come up with a reason not to supplement with flaxseed oil. You owe it to yourself and your health to at least give it a try. After all, Dr. Budwig is approaching the century mark in age and she has been eating flaxseed oil combined with quark for years! Just think of what it could do for you, your health, and your longevity!References:Budwig, Dr. Johanna, Flax Oil as a True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer, and Other Diseases, 1992, pages 5-59Various internet sources"Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the read. It is not as technical as a lot of articles I've seen, but it is a great primer on the benefits of this simple food combination. Used in conjunction with the diet she recommends, it is a significant cancer-fighter in its own right, and is at the heart of Bill Henderson's anti-cancer program.
