Created by German physician Max Gerson, the Gerson Diet is part of an overall therapy program designed to treat and cure cancer and other chronic diseases. The full Gerson Therapy involves taking coffee enemas and supplements along with the diet to help boost the immune system and stimulate the metabolism.
History
Dr. Max Gerson developed Gerson Therapy during the 1920s. Gerson believed a diet rich in organic foods and juices could help detoxify the body and aid in healing, serving to combat cancer and other chronic ailments like diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Gerson's daughter, Charlotte, has carried on her father's work, establishing the Gerson Institute in 1977. Located in San Diego, California, the Gerson Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding alternative, non-toxic treatments for chronic diseases.
Function
Considered a metabolic therapy, the Gerson Diet believes an accumulation of toxins within the body leads to disease. By eating an organic, vegetarian diet, individuals avoid the fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals contained in many foods. According to the Gerson Therapy, these contaminated foods lower the body's potassium supply and increase sodium levels, changing the metabolism of cells. As a result, toxins build up in the body and suppress the immune system. The Gerson Diet's strict regiment of juice drinking supposedly corrects this sodium imbalance and revitalizes the liver, helping flush the body of malignant cells.
Foods
The Gerson Diet recommends consuming low-sodium, low-fat vegetarian foods and drinking large amounts of vegetable and fruit juices. In the diet's initial stage, the only sources of protein should be potatoes, oatmeal and carrots. As the diet progresses, legumes and grains may be added for additional protein. Flaxseed oil serves as the diet's only source of fat since it includes linolenic acid and linoleic acid, two essential fatty acids instrumental to cell health.
Features
Extremely detailed, the Gerson Diet not only declares what foods a person can eat but also all aspects of eating, including when the foods should be eaten, how often they should be eaten and how the foods should be prepared. Gerson Diet followers drink juice from approximately 20 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables each day, with one glass of juice taken each hour for 13 hours. The diet also includes regular coffee enemas and vitamin supplements for added potassium and B12.
Warnings
According to the American Cancer Society, the Gerson Diet has produced no scientific evidence to support its claims of being a cancer cure and the mainstream medical society has yet to accept the therapy's principles. The American Cancer Society also warns against the dangers of coffee enemas, stating they could cause infections, dehydration, constipation, colitis, electrolyte imbalance or even death.
