Flax Oil As a True Aid Against Arthritis Heart Infarction Cancer and Other Diseases

Johanna Dr. Budwig

1 Johanna Budwig is legendary scientist. End of story.
Johanna Budwig holds Doctoral degrees in biochemistry and theoretical physics. This book is a quick overview in telegram form of research in fats in the year 1959. This is not technical scientific work although from time to time she skirts on some scientific technical issues and drops quite a few names of Nobel Prize winners and the unbelievable precise German scientific works as Rosenfled 1903 extensive work with animals without mentioned his name or directly citing his work.

Thus, unless you yourself do not have a mastery of physics and biochemistry, and a knowledge of the works of many Nobel Prize winner and other brillant biochemists you will not have a full appreciation for this quick twenty to thirty minute telegram lecture.

This is apparent by one of the reviewers rant and raving about static electricity. Well the truth is static electricity is a surface phenomenon of insulators. Biological systems are aqueous and water ionizes. The water molecule H2O dissociates into a positive charged H+ ion and negatively charged OH- ion. The free proton, H+, then binds to a water molecule forming a hydronium ion H3O+. The product of the concentration of [H3O+] ions and [OH-] (bracket signify concentration) ions is a constant called the ionic product of water Kw which is 10-7 mol L-1 at 25 degees C . The concentrations of the [H+] (for brevity the H2O is dropped) ion and the [OH-] ion are rarely equal. In other words, there is an electrical charge imbalance. The Danish chemist S. P. L. Sorensen defined pH (potentia Hydrogenii) as pH = -log10[H+] which is commonly measured with litmus paper. This in short measures the electrical charge imbalance (acidity) in biological solutions.

In short, some of the comments of the reviewers about static electricity, electron rich foods does not pass the litmus test.

And as far as the clinical double blind trials popular with American Medical Association most of it is witch craft compared to Rosenfled well designed scientific studies with flax oil. The probability of learning anything significant using statically studies with over 500 variables when the investigator does not even have a clue to the root variables is lubricous. It proves nothing. Some of these medical investigators are the ones that had a blank look on their face the second day of biochemistry 101 when you throw up the second law of thermodynamics and calculate the entropy of a biological chemical equation to see if it is spontaneous.

It is very sad that when Dr. Budwig recently passed away that a library that can never be replaced burn.

2 Full of absolute nonsense about both physics and medicine
The people who say "it makes so much sense" probably have forgotten any science they learned in school. The book is so rife with errors I'll just mention a couple.

One of the biggest pieces of nonsense is the promotion of "electron-rich foods." All matter has the same amount of electrons as it does protons, otherwise it would carry a static electric charge.

"It is the human being, with his gradual concentration of electrons, ever striving towards the future, who conceals within himself the greatest potential for the sun's energy on earth."

A way to get a gradual concentration of electrons is to shuffle your shoes against a carpet when the weather is dry. That will generally cause a small accumulation of electrons unbalanced by protons. When you get close enough to a conductor such a doorknob or another person there is a shock as the excess electrons jump to the body with the lesser excess charge. Imagine a larger "concentration of electrons."

"Thus, the human who eats refined foodstuffs or food which lacks electron...."

No food could lack electrons, that is physically impossible. It can't even have a relative lack of electrons, or it would be electrically charged, like static cling from the dryer, or worse.

Her characterization of all cancer is patently false: "the only substance which characterised the cancerous cells, as opposed to healthy ones, was isolated fat; the formation of fat in the cell nucleus, cell body and cytoplasm. It was the single distinguishing feature of cancerous cells in contrast to healthy ones."

That is certainly not accepted today. Cancer is much more complicated than that. You can read more information at the NCI site cancer.gov.

I do sympathize with those who are desperate for help. But the whole theory that this book is based on is utter nonsense. The late Dr. Budwig seems to have believed in her theory, but there have been no controlled studies, even retrospective studies, looking at groups of patients who either did or did not go on the Budwig diet. I can't say the diet is nonsense, but the ideas behind it certainly are.

3 The Oil-Protein Diet Cookbook
After reaching late middle-age, I began to see a deterioration in the general health of myself and my friends. Knowing our forebearers reached old age in reasonably good health, I started reading everything from medical reports to junk mail in an attempt to understand what is different in this day from the past. One of the most revealing, and believable, reports I read is a book that is not really a book. It is "Flax Oil as a True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer and Other Diseases" by Dr. Johanna Budwig. The book was not written as a book, but is the actual report she gave as a Nobel Prize winning researcher to her fellows in the medical field. The facts she presented made complete sense, but did not list how the reader could utilize the information. Hence, I ordered her book, "The Oil-Protein Diet Cookbook". In it, she explains how the reader can put her theories of introducing flax oil to the diet in very interesting ways. She has included over 500 simple recipes with which one can incorporate the beneficial flax oil into one's lifestyle. The most helpful part is the recipes for a basic cream to replace the vegetable fat usually spread on our breads and melted over our veggies, and a very simple granola-type cereal one can use in many ways. With these two items, the diet we are used to can easily be replaced with one that may be able to "fix" what is broken in our bodies. She claims the faithful can completely cure such things as cancer, heart problems, and even diabetes. In talking to folks older even than me, some fondly remember having their mothers make them ingest flax seeds in one form or another. Dr. Budwig claims flax seed products cannot possibly hurt, even if taken in large amounts. I am listening to her and have begun to change my ways to hers. She must know something, as she is well into her 90's and still active!

4 Who would have thought of Flax.
Where has this information been hiding for so long? Or more like it, why haven't I taken the time to learn of it. DR. Budwig has done a superb job of detailing the vital importance this "super food" plays in our health. It is a very important key in our heart health. Whether it is in the form of the oil or the powder, or the "lingen rich" fiber. One additional thing I have learned from a site called PapaNature is the benefit of blending of flax oil and Omega 3. PapaNature reinforces Budwig's explanations on the importance of flax in our health. It also offers a choice of products and versions of flax.

5 This is a must reading for all cancer victims.
This book is well written in laymen terms to inform the person who has a threat of cancer of the simple treatment which has a sure cure. It is sad that the medical society has withheld this type natural healing process from the populace. Ms. Budwig very clearly explains the cause and the cure for cancer. It makes so much sense that even though I do not have cancer, I have begun taking the preventive measures which include the use of Flax oil and cottage cheese. I am certaily glad that I read this book. I will buy several for my friends who may suffer from cancer. This is a must reading for everyone. The diet change recommended in this book may have a broad range of benefits for us and our children. Every home library needs to have a copy of this book.