Rudolf Breuss's Diet

Rudolf Breuss was an Austrian naturopath who wrote “The Breuss Cancer Cure,” a book in which he states his theory about why cancer occurs. According to Breuss, people get cancer primarily because of the solid foods they eat. Breuss recommends a 42-day diet of vegetable juices and tea to help eliminate cancer from the body. Clinical research has not evaluated the effectiveness of this diet to treat or manage cancer. You should speak to a medical professional prior to starting any diet, including the Rudolf Breuss diet.

The Theory

Breuss bases his theory on the unproven assumption that cancer cells live on and in solid foods. Specifically, he says carcinogenic processes are dependent on proteins. Therefore, Breuss’s diet contains no protein and allows you to eat only vegetable juices and special teas. Breuss claims that upon completion of the diet, your body will work to destroy tumors on its own. He also says this diet can help to both cure and prevent different types of cancers.

The Juices

Breuss’s diet is extremely strict; you are not allowed to eat or drink anything other than the recommended juices and teas for the entire 42-day diet period. In his book, Breuss gives explicit directions on how to prepare and drink the juices and teas. The vegetables used for the juices include carrots, celeriac, beetroot, black radish and potatoes. However, the specific juices you prepare will depend on the specific types of cancer you want to treat or prevent. Bruess recommends using all organic vegetables and removing any vegetable sediments before consumption. The maximum amount of juices per day is 500 milliliters.

The Teas

Breuss designates three teas for treating and preventing all types of cancers -- sage, kidney and cranesbill tea. Sage tea contains sage, St. John’s wort, peppermint and balm. Kidney tea contains horsetail equisetum arvense or balm, stinging nettle, knotgrass and St. John’s wort; and cranesbill tea contains geranium red cranesbill. Breuss recommends drinking all of the teas at a specific ratio of water to tea, and sugar is not allowed with any of the teas.

Considerations

Before deciding on this diet, you should consider several factors. First, according to the Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Cancer website, Breuss's plan varies somewhat depending on which translation of the book you read. For instance, some translations state that people should not receive radiation while on the diet, but this is not mentioned in the English translation. Additionally, after the 42-day diet period, Breuss recommends gradually incorporating salt-reduced, light food for another two to four weeks before returning to your regular diet. He also advises that after finishing the diet you should never eat reheated food.