Budwig Protocol

Dr. Budwig’s Diet: Vegan Alternatives to Cottage Cheese/Quark?

On dairy replacements as a source of sulphurated amino acids

Introduction

Some people display allergy symptoms to dairy (lactose intolerance), and some feel uncomfortable using dairy products. This feeling can be due to the way non-organic dairy is produced - with unspeakable cruelty to the animals, including their stressful and painful killing when "ready for market" or no longer profitable - and to the fact that even in organic husbandry, the male offspring and to my knowledge, the cows themselves are killed when they don't "perform" (lactate) sufficiently to remain financially viable.

My thinking here would be in terms of “global” karma: can we (as individuals and as a species) truly hope to base true and permanent health on the suffering and death of other sentient beings?^[1]

On Vegan Alternatives to Cottage Cheese/Quark

For a vegan alternative to cottage cheese/quark or for use while travelling, some suggest to try BioSan's "Companion Nutrients" (Nature's Distributors [Arizona] at 1 [800]-624-7114). One capsule is guaranteed to "activate" (i.e. make water soluble) one tablespooful of flaxseed oil.

Note, however, that Dr. Budwig disregarded companion nutrients completely when she was asked by a Swedish professor for quark alternatives for his client, Bill Clinton. This and the fact that they have a completely different make-up than cottage cheese and are man-made - not a more natural food as always recommended by Budwig (remember that she was against processed foods and supplements/pills) - makes them a very unlikely candidate as a dairy replacement. Quote:

”As far as I am concerned companion nutrients should not be given as an option to dairy. Dr. Budwig did not... I believe it to be misleading, playing into the pockets of pill makers. There is no indication that it works.“

Another possibility might be the use of vegetable protein powder instead of cottage cheese. If you opt for powdered vegetable protein, I would advise to make sure it is soy-free.

As mentioned, to date there seem to be hardly any cancer healing testimonials on record achieved with the help of proposed cottage cheese substitutes such as BioSan’s Companion Nutrients, powdered vegetable protein or others. I do know however of one case of an apparent cancer cure which did involve the regular use of tofu (a soy product) instead of quark/cottage cheese.

This doesn’t automatically preclude the possibility of more such healings being achieved, of course. In fact, there have been health improvements (such as the limiting or reducing of cancer, at least in animals) reported through the sole use of flaxseed oil and/or meal without added sulphurated proteins/amino acids (as found in cottage cheese, nuts etc.) [compare Research Studies On Animals Into the Effects of Flaxseed and Flaxseed Components on Cancer and Tumor Growth].

Dr. Budwig herself warned against the “unaided” use of liberal amounts of flaxseed oil by cancer patients (she does authorize the addition of smaller servings of pure flax oil in her oil-protein diet cookbook and her other [as yet untranslated] cookbook she wrote for the healthy homemaker).

On using plant sources of sulphurated (sulfur-containing) amino acids

Some commonly suggested substitute food sources of the sulfurated amino acids^[2] methionine and cystine, which make the flaxseed (and other) oil water-soluble and which are so richly present in cottage cheese, include nuts, vegetables such as leeks, chives, onions and garlic as well as, according to Karen Vago in “Protégez votre corps”, legumes, cabbage, red peppers, asparagus and egg yolk as a non-vegetable source.

Quoting Wilhelm H., a Budwig-knowledgeable source who has researched this subject in considerable depth: “It is a common misconception that the former can be substituted for cottage cheese or quark in the Budwig Diet. Based upon USDA food tables, leeks, chives, garlic, cabbage, red pepper and asparagus contain sulphur but not sulphurated proteins in any appreciable amount... it is not the sulfur in vegetables that we are after but the sulfurated proteins.

So while these vegetables (as well as many other foods) do contain sulphurated proteins, which is good in a general sense, they do not contain them nearly at the levels required for the Budwig flaxoil/cottage cheese mixes.

To take leeks as an example: leek has only 9% (broccoli 11%) of the sulfurated proteins in a 100 grams serving found in an equivalent weight serving of quark or cottage cheese. One might think that since leeks have so much less calories than cottage cheese, that one could easily consume 11 times the amount of leeks in weight to reach a similar caloric amount and simultaneously the same sulfurated proteins amount in one’s flaxoil/’sulfurated protein’ mix.

But for preparing the equivalent of Dr. Budwig’s recommended morning muesli mixture which calls for 100 grams of quark, for instance, one would have to consume 1.1 kg of leeks with one’s flaxoil. That is a lot to eat at any meal. Also, leeks don’t have the protein concentration to make the oil water soluble. So leeks etc. are not a viable substitute for quark and cottage cheese in the Budwig diet.

Egg yolks would be a better choice but they are much too fatty for consideration in the Budwig diet. They contain about 31% fat. That is close to the fat content of whipping cream. Remember, the motto is very low animal fats” [since Dr. Budwig generally classifies animal fats as “respiratory poisons”, see explanations in the Budwig FAQ inhibiting cellular respiration].

And as to the question whether nuts could be used as a substitute for cottage cheese in flax oil/cottage cheese: “...[N]uts are very good ..., but as a substitute for COTTAGE CHEESE in flax oil/cottage cheese they are questionable.

A few months ago I investigated possible alternatives for dairy products in the Budwig Diet because of frequent requests for substitutes. I found that nuts and seeds have a very high level of sulphur containing proteins. I came up with examples such as X number (or grams) of almonds provide the same protein level as COTTAGE CHEESE for a given quantity of flaxoil. So far so good.

Then someone pointed out that this would increase the omega-6 level and therefore upset the omega-3 to -6 balance. That was a good point. But what we both missed was that the high proteins in nuts and seeds are already balanced with oils by nature, I would assume at or near an optimum level. I did not take the already present oils into acount in the equation. By adding flax oil, this natural balance is upset. We will not reach the proper oil/protein proportion that we get with dairy as recommended by Dr. Budwig.

Therefore, I see two problems with using nuts as a dairy substitute: Too much omega-6 and too little sulphur proteins relative to the total oils.”

The author concludes, “There really is no good substitute for dairy products in the Budwig Diet. ... the flaxoil/cottage cheese mixture changes the two components into a different food which is easier to tolerate. (As one person reports: ‘For many years I have been unable to tolerate dairy but have no problem with flaxoil/cottage cheese’). I guess we should believe Dr. Budwig when she says that she has never had a patient who couldn't tolerate quark (cottage cheese) as part of her Oil-Protein Diet.”

On using plant sources of sulphurated (sulfur-containing) amino acids: Dr. Budwig's notes

The only instance where Dr Budwig mentions substituting non-dairy sources of sulfurated amino acids is found in a book called Fettfibel ("Fat Primer") which she wrote for "average", healthy individuals. Here she mentions that when making oleolux (a combination of coconut and flax oil), in lieu of the "double bond protectors" garlic and onions one may also use foods such as walnuts, hazelnuts and rolled oats to stabilise the double bonds of the flax oil.

See details in the Budwig FAQ To make oleolux, are there alternatives to garlic and onions?. Since Dr Budwig nowhere else but in conjunction with healthy individuals making oleolux suggests such possible substitution, it seems clear that she did not recommend this practice to cancer patients.

On using plant sources of sulphurated (sulfur-containing) amino acids: a reader’s comment

“After reading the paragraphs on nuts and why they ultimately would not work (fat content), [I’d like to add] that some grains have relatively high levels of methionine and cystine as well as low levels of fat. Oat bran, wheat germ, and quinoa would be possible choices to look into, among others. Mashed beans might be another thing to think about--according to the database I looked at, 1 cup of kidney beans would be slightly lower in methionine than 1/3 cup cottage cheese, which is not quite as bad as trying to eat pounds of leeks.”

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) as a valid alternative?

See this intriguing animal cancer healing report.

Also compare

Tips, Suggestions and Testimonials For Dairy/Cottage Cheese/Lactose Intolerance and Sensitivity as well as Why Organic Dairy. Additionally see Introduction to EFT (Healing Mind and Body By Reestablishing Healthy Energetic Flow). I recommend EFT as a complement to the Budwig diet & protocol among other reasons since it reportedly has healed lactose intolerance.

A landmark Budwig book

"Budwig Diet — How To Get It Right — The Ultimate Guide" was written by German Budwig scholars Michael Bierschenk and Ulla Schmid to "fill in all the gaps" and rectify the many misleading errors spread by self-appointed Budwig "experts". This important book also discusses lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy. Published in 2023 on Amazon as a Kindle and a paperback, it is also available as a downloadable PDF at a special introductory price.

Footnotes

1 See for instance www.farmsanctuary.org and www.hfa.org (the US Humane Farming Association).

2 Methionine, cystine, and cysteine and their derivatives owe their designation of “sulphurated amino acids” to the fact that they contain sulfur in addition to carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Incidentally, they are also well-known as an effective cleaning "squad" for all toxic substances we ingest because they attach themselves to pollutants and carry them out of the body. One example: methionine and cysteine aid in lead elimination (according to Karen Vago).

Related section

For the most comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the subject worldwide, see

Budwig Diet.

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