Charlotte Gerson

Cancer. Hepatitis. Migraines. Arthritis. Heart Disease. Emphysema. For years, the medical establishment has called these chronic or life- threatening diseases "incurable." But now, the Gerson Therapy offers hope for those seeking relief from hundreds of different diseases. Juice your way to wellness. One of the first alternative cancer therapies, the Gerson Therapy has successfully treated thousands of patients for over 60 years. Now, in this authoritative revised and updated edition, alternative medicine therapist Charlotte Gerson and medical journalist Morton Walker reveal even more on the powerful healing effects of organic fruits and vegetables. Not only can juicing reverse the effects of many degenerative illnesses-it can save lives. "The Gerson Therapy" shows you: How to beat cancer by changing your body chemistry; Special juicing techniques for maximum healing power; and, How to combat allergies, obesity, high blood pressure, AIDS, lupus, and other diseases. This unique resource will help and inspire anyone who has ever said, "I want to get well. Just show me how." "The Gerson Therapy" offers a powerful, time-tested healing option that has worked for others - and can work for you!… (més)

The Gerson therapy is said to be effective and its basic premise makes sense: detoxify the body and provide it with nutrients. The former with coffee enemas, the latter with "voluminous amounts" of fresh juices. But it costs more than $5,000 per week, and insurance might not cover it. Of course, some of these things you can do for yourself, at home, once you understand the program. But the full program involves a lot of work, which conflicts with the patient's need for rest. Does healing really need to be this rigorous? "Saturating" the body with nutrients might be counterproductive. Nutrient intake needs to be adjusted to the digestive capacities of the patient.

Some of its dietary recommendations are questionable: a diet "overcooked by most standards." While forbidding nuts, sprouts, and avocados, the program allows oatmeal and baked potatoes, despite cancer-causing acrylimides in cooked starches. It recommends Lugol's solution, which contains potassium iodide; the Natural Hygiene school considers this form of iodine to be toxic. The Gerson therapy is 100% salt-free, to its credit, but this means that iodine deficiency can be an issue. In my opinion, it is safer to get your iodine from a natural source such as seaweed than from Lugol's solution.

Is cancer a disease of excess or of deficiency? Is it caused by too much of something or too little of something? The Gerson program assumes both to be true. It aims to detoxify and replenish at the same time. But can this be done? Can the body effectively detoxify itself while it is being “saturated” with nutrients? Fasting is nature’s way to detox, very different from the Gerson way. A clean-up mode is called for in the beginning, not “voluminous” intake of anything. The nutrient therapy can come later, during the rebuilding phase, after the body has been prepared and thoroughly detoxified.

The Gerson program makes more sense than most, but is inaccessible to most people. There are other programs that are more accessible, such as Herbert M. Shelton's Natural Hygiene protocol, which is 100% non-toxic. Shelton’s program begins with a fast.… (més)