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Gerson Therapy: Can You Prevent Cancer Through Nutrition

In this article, I'd like to share some information with you about the Gerson Therapy, that for me, was life changing.

Before I get started, let me first say that I have no idea if the Gerson Therapy works. I'm just saying that this potential treatment exists. I don't know if it actually helps get rid of cancer or not. What follows are just my opinions on the Gerson Therapy and dietary interventions for preventing disease.

I recently watched a few documentaries on The Gerson Therapy for healing cancer and they were so intriguing I decided to buy Charlotte Gerson's book.

Her book and The Gerson Therapy Program is about curing cancer and other degenerative diseases through nutrition. After reading her book I will never feel the same about foods or disease treatments again. I know that it has certainly changed my food choices and even want I like to eat. Now that I know the importance of proper nutrition, processed, unhealthy foods don't even taste good to me any more. The same may happen for you as well.

As far as I know, I do not have cancer, but I believe that many aspects of the Gerson Program can be modified to increase your chances of preventing cancer from forming in the first place, as well as preventing many other diseases that plague people, especially as they age.

I was diagnosed with a breast fibroadenoma (which isn't cancer) in 2012 and that completely disappeared just by changing my diet.

If you already have cancer, then you should at least be informed about what your options are. Many people have never even heard of the Gerson Therapy. It isn't highly publicized because there isn't much money in fruits, vegetables, and juice, which are the core of the Gerson Therapy. If you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma, visit mesothelioma.net for information.

About the Gerson Therapy

The Gerson Institute is a non-profit organization that implements a nutritional program for curing cancer that was designed by Max Gerson MD. This program has been continued by his daughter Charlotte, who is the founder of the Gerson Institute, so she can continue the work that her father began. The basic gist of the program is that you can heal yourself from cancer and other diseases by only eating vegetarian, organic foods. The program also requires you to drink 13 glasses of fresh juice (that you must make yourself with a juicer) each day. It is a rather strict diet and no added salt is allowed.

The theory behind the program is that through proper nutrition, the body is nourished and toxins are removed so that it turns the healing mechanisms on to destroy the cancer, while starving the cancer cells at the same time.

Charlotte Gerson

Charlotte Gerson is a living testament to The Gerson Therapy program. She is currently 90 years old and still going strong. She's living proof that longevity and health are strongly affected by nutrition. At 90 she is still active, runs the Gerson Cancer Therapy Clinic, and gives lectures all over the country about proper nutrition and how to cure cancer and other diseases. Despite her age, she doesn't even need eye glasses! She is an intelligent, interesting woman.

The video below celebrates Charlotte's 90th birthday (she was 90 in 2012). If you watch the video you'll see how healthy she is for her age, as well as the many grateful people whose lives were changed by her and her teachings on nutrition. Some people are skeptical that something as simple as changing one's diet can bring about dramatic health results, but the people in the video below certainly seemed to be believe in the Gerson Therapy.

Unfortunately Charlotte Gerson died in 2019. She was 96.

Her Book

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Charlotte's book outlines the entire Gerson Therapy program so you can follow the Gerson Program yourself from home, as not everyone has the resources to go to the clinic. Here is a link to her book on Amazon as well as to her father's book:

I believe both books tell you how to follow the Gerson Therapy Program from home, but I have not read Max Gerson's book yet so I can't say this for certain. I have read Charlotte's book and it is excellent. Her book tells you exactly what you can and cannot eat. If you read it you'll probably never think of food or nutrition the same way again.

As stated before, I have no idea if the Gerson Therapy works for cancer or not, but I'm pretty sure that eating lots of nutritious fruits and vegetables instead of processed foods will most likely make you healthier.

Can Healthy People Follow the Gerson Plan?

Absolutely! Healthy people can also follow the Gerson plan, but if you are healthy and trying to prevent disease, and not cure it, then you may not need to be quite as strict in following the program as someone who actually has cancer. However, even if you are currently a healthy person, the book will probably change the way you eat.

For example, before I read Charlotte's book, dinner for me often consisted of pasta with jar spaghetti sauce. It never really occurred to me that this wasn't a healthy meal. After all, it was vegetarian. Unfortunately, it was also lacking in nutrients.

Now I know better.

Since reading the book, my dinner now usually consists of organic spring mix, with organic tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, ect. In other words, foods that contain vitamins, minerals, and other healthy phytochemicals.

There is also a fabulous recipe in the book for Hippocrates soup, a vegetarian soup recipe created by Hippocrates. I don't eat it a lot during the summer because it is a hot dish, but it is going to be a main staple in my diet this coming fall and winter.

In addition, I've lost 10 pounds since starting this new plan! Without even trying! I've never felt hungry either.

I've also started drinking a glass of freshly made organic carrot juice regularly. I sometimes mix this with apple juice, but only when organic apples are available. Because I believe I am basically healthy, I don't drink 13 glasses of juice each day. The book suggests 13 glasses of freshly made juice.

Eat Only Organic Produce

Try to eat only organic fruits and vegetables when possible. This is very important. I realize that it is sometimes difficult to find organic produce at the store. And yes, it does cost more, but you are also getting more.

For example, there is going to be more nutrition in 1 organically grown tomato, than in 5 tomatoes grown with pesticides and other chemicals.

It isn't only the presence or absence of pesticides and chemicals that affects the food. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are grown differently and so the end product is different as well. There is more nutrition in organic produce than non organic produce.

If you don't believe that there is a difference, buy an organic banana and a non-organic banana and see how much better the organic one tastes. You won't believe the difference.

Additional Resources on the Gerson Therapy

Here is a link to the Gerson Institute Website, Gerson.org, as well as a list of some of the documentaries that got me started on the nutritional path to health. Many of these documentaries can be watched on Netflix or bought on DVDs.

  • Food Matters
  • Dying to Have Known
  • The Gerson Miracle
  • The Beautiful Truth
  • Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

I hope you find the Gerson Therapy and the food documentaries as inspirational as I did.

Also, note that there are many people who are skeptical that changing your diet can improve your health. In fact, most doctors will not tell you anything about how diet effects cancer. Following is a link to a research article about diet and cancer from Nutrition Journal that provides a nice overview with examples of studies on the effect of diet on cancer and cancer prevention: Nutrition and cancer: A review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet.