Gerson Juice Diet

The Gerson juice diet is a special dietary therapy used to treat a variety of severe, chronic health problems, including heart disease and cancer. The Gerson diet seeks to promote healing by flooding the body with cancer-fighting nutrients found in nature. Drinking raw, organic juice is a key component and perhaps the most recognizable element of the treatment program. In order to create the conditions in the body necessary for healing, however, proponents of the Gerson diet stress that all of the dietary and lifestyle guidelines should be followed precisely. Please consult your doctor before starting any new dietary regimen or alternative treatment.

History

Max Gerson, the founder of the Gerson diet, was born in Germany in 1881. After becoming a physician, he developed a special diet to treat his own debilitating migraines. He began prescribing the diet to his patients, who reported that the diet cured other chronic health problems as well. After moving his family to New York in order to escape Nazi persecution, Gerson began focusing on the use of his diet for cancer treatment. His book "A Cancer Therapy: The Results of 50 Cases," was published in 1958, the year before his death. His daughter Charlotte continued his work, founding the Gerson Institute, which holds workshops for consumers and trains medical professionals in Dr. Gerson's therapies.

Juicing

The foundation of Dr. Gerson's therapy is the regular consumption of juice made from raw, organic produce. Gerson therapy recommends that patients suffering from cancer and other degenerative diseases drink 13 8-oz. glasses of juice daily. According to the book "The Gerson Therapy," written by Charlotte Gerson and Dr. Morton Walker, fresh organic juice provides the body with all of the vitamins, nutrients and minerals required for healing. Juices also allow patients to consume vast amounts of nutrients in a short period of time. Patients on the Gerson juice diet typically consume 17 to 20 pounds of fresh organic produce daily, most through juice and some through vegetarian meals.

Other Components

In addition to juicing, Gerson therapy also includes the consumption of three vegetarian meals daily. Protein, salt and fat intake are restricted. Potassium supplementation is used to restore dysfunctional cells that have been damaged from excess sodium. Other supplements and vitamins are also used. Another key element of Gerson therapy is the regular use of coffee enemas. According to the Gerson Institute, coffee enemas help remove toxins from the body by stimulating liver function and bile flow. Severely ill patients may undergo coffee enemas as often as every four hours.

Duration

Severely ill patients may remain on the Gerson juice diet for two years or longer. After that time, many patients elect to remain on a plant-based diet consistent with the Gerson therapy's dietary recommendations. "The Gerson Therapy" recommends that no more than 10 percent of the patient's diet consists of foods that do not meet the plan's guidelines.

Considerations

No studies on the effectiveness of the Gerson diet have been published in scientific journals, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the Gerson juice diet for the treatment of cancer or other diseases. The University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center advises that "taking too many enemas of any kind can cause changes in normal blood chemistry," which could affect the proper functioning of the muscles, heart and other organs. Cancer patients should consult a medical professional to determine the best diet to follow and which other forms of treatment to use. Talk to your doctor before making any major diet or lifestyle changes.