Gerson Diet

The predominantly vegan diet and health regimen known as the Gerson Therapy was invented by German physician Max Gerson in the early 20th century. Gerson claimed that his diet could cure cancer as well as alleviate many other chronic illnesses. His patients were required to eat vegan foods and drink a glass of organic juice every hour that they were awake. They were prescribed enemas made of coffee and castor oil, and initially were required to drink several glasses of calf liver oil on a daily basis. The calf liver oil was replaced by carrot juice when several of his patients fell ill with an infection linked to the calf liver concoction. Gerson believed that patients should not consume most animal products and that all food and juice should be fresh and organic. Patients did not drink water nor were they allowed to eat berries or nuts and they were given Vitamin C and iodine supplements.
While Gerson documented his claims in the book A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases, the modern medical community is completely sceptical of both his research and his success at curing cancer. They have found no scientific evidence supporting his therapy, and in fact, most feel that it is potentially quite dangerous. Gerson’s Therapy has been blamed for the death of a number of cancer patients, and is illegal to market in the United States. While Gerson’s diet does have some support in the alternative medical community, most practitioners continue to have serious concerns about its nutritional inadequacies as well as its ability to cure cancer.