Max Gerson cancer cure diet therapy. Other Common Name(s): Gerson Diet, Gerson Method, Gerson Treatment, Gerson Program

Gerson therapy is considered a metabolic therapy, and is based on the theory that disease is caused by the body's accumulation of toxic substances. Practitioners believe that chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides contaminate food by lowering the potassium content and raising the sodium content of fruits and vegetables. Food processing and cooking adds more sodium which changes the metabolism of cells in the body, eventually causing cancer.

According to practitioners, people with cancer have an excess amount of sodium, far outweighing the potassium in their bodies. The fruit and vegetable diet, which is part of Gerson therapy, is used to correct this imbalance and revitalize the liver so it can begin to rid the body of malignant cells. Coffee enemas are claimed to eliminate dead cancer cells (detoxification), and relieve pain.

The goal of metabolic therapy is to eliminate toxins from the body and enhance immune function so that the body can "fight off" cancer. Liver extract injections, pancreatic enzymes, and various supplements are said to stimulate metabolism. Proponents of metabolic therapy claim that it addresses the underlying cause of disease rather than treating the symptoms.

Gerson therapy requires following a strict diet that involves eating a low salt, low fat, vegetarian diet, and drinking juice from approximately 20 pounds of freshly crushed fruits and vegetables. In addition, patients are given 3 or 4 coffee enemas a day. Various other supplemental substances, such as pepsin, potassium, niacin, pancreatin (a digestive enzyme), and thyroid extracts, are ingested to stimulate various organ functions, particularly the liver and thyroid. Sometimes other treatments such as laetrile, hydrogen peroxide, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and shark cartilage are also recommended.

The Gerson Institute does not own or operate any medical facilities; however, it refers patients to clinics they license. Individual clinic fees often exceed 4,000 per week, and treatment may last from a few months to 10 years or more. The Gerson Institute also offers a home therapy package.

One of the oldest nutritional approaches to cancer treatment, the Gerson therapy was developed by Max Gerson, MD, a German doctor who emigrated to the United States in the late 1930s. He designed the dietary program in order to treat his own migraine headaches. He later expanded his method to treat other conditions such as arthritis, tuberculosis, and cancer. In 1945, Gerson published a preliminary report of his results in treating cancer in the Review of Gastroenterology. After his death in 1959, his work was carried on by his daughter, Charlotte Gerson Strauss, who established the Gerson Institute in 1977.

There have been no well-controlled studies to support the beliefs and practices of the Gerson therapy. The Gerson Research Organization conducted a retrospective review and reported that survival rates were higher for patients with melanoma, colorectal and ovarian cancers who participated in the Gerson program compared to those who did not at another institution.

According to a critique in a major peer-reviewed journal, the explanation for how the method is supposed to work does not follow the established scientific principles of basic nutrition, biology, and cancer immunology.

There are a number of significant problems that may develop from the use of this therapy.

If not done correctly, coffee enemas can lead to electrolyte imbalances. Continued home use of enemas may cause the colon's normal function to weaken, worsening constipation problems and colitis.
Enemas should be given only under guidance by a well trained colon hydrotherapist or studied to be done properly.

Alternative Medicine: Expanding Medical Horizons. A Report to the National Institutes of Health on Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the United States. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1994. NIH publication 94-066.

American Cancer Society. Questionable methods of cancer management: 'nutritional' therapies. CA Cancer J Clin. 1993;43:309-319.

Hildenbrand GL, Hildenbrand LC, Bradford K, Cavin SW. Five-year survival rates of melanoma patients treated by diet therapy after the manner of Gerson: a retrospective review. Altern Ther Health Med. 1995;1:29-37.

Murphy GP, Morris LB, Lange D. Informed Decisions: The Complete Book of Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery. New York, NY: Viking; 1997.

University of Texas Center for Alternative Medicine Research in Cancer. Gerson summary. University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center

US Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Unconventional Cancer Treatments. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1990. Publication OTA-H-405.

Note: This information was reprinted from the American Cancer Society's Guide to Complementary and Alternative Methods. Copyright(c)2000, American Cancer Society. This information may not cover all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or interactions, is not intended as medical advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor who is familiar with your medical needs