Gerson therapy, a dietary approach that has been used by some to treat cancer and other diseases, focuses on the role of minerals, enzymes, hormones, and other dietary factors in restoring health and well-being. Salt, spices, and aluminum cookware or utensils are not used when preparing food.

Gerson therapy was named after Dr. Max B. Gerson, who initially developed this approach to treat his migraine headaches. Dr. Gerson's therapy first came to public attention in the 1930s as a treatment for a type of tuberculosis. Gerson therapy was later used to treat other conditions, including cancer. In a presentation before a Congressional subcommittee in 1946, Dr. Gerson estimated that about 30 percent of cancer patients treated with his therapy had a favorable response. In 1947, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reviewed 10 cases submitted by Dr. Gerson. However, because the patients were also receiving other anticancer treatments, the NCI could not determine whether the patients' condition was due to the Gerson therapy or another treatment. The NCI has not conducted any further evaluation of Dr. Gerson's therapy.

No treatment works for everyone, every time. Even in the brochure of Gerson Institute, it states that "Although we feel that Gerson Therapy is the most comprehensive treatment for disease, we don't claim it will cure everything or everyone."

The Gerson Institute does not own, operate, or control any treatment facility. They only maintain a licensing program with clinics to ensure that patients are receiving true, 100% Gerson care.

Some cancer patients living in Singapore have tried Gerson Therapy administered locally. In order to ensure that you are receiving true, 100% Gerson care, please look out for the following :

1. Patient's condition
   
   Do not start the Gerson Therapy without the supervision of a Gerson practitioner if any of the following conditions apply :
   
   
   • Chemotherapy
     
   • Diabetes
     
   • Brain metastases
     
   • Severe kidney damage
     
   • Foreign bodies such as a pacer, breast, implants, steel plates or screws
     
   
   
   
2. The Gerson's Diet
   
   The Gerson's Diet is a naturally high in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, micro-nutrients, extremely low in sodium and fats, and rich in fluids. The following is a typical daily diet for a cancer patient :
   
   
   • Thirteen glasses of fresh, raw carrot/apple and green-leaf juices prepared hourly from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
     
     
   • Three full vegetarian meals, freshly prepared from organically grown fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A typical meal will include salad, cooked vegetables, baked potatoes, vegetable soup and juice.
     
     
   • Fresh fruit and fresh fruit desert available at all hours for snacking, in addition to the regular diet.
   
   
   
3. The Gerson's Medications
   
   All medications used in connection with the Gerson Therapy are classed as biologicals, materials of organic origin that are supplied in therapeutic amounts.
   
   
   • Potassium compound
   • Lugol's solution
   • Vitamin B-12
   • Thyroid hormone
   • Injectable Crude Liver Extract
   • Pancreatic Enzymes
   • Enemas of coffee or chamomile
   
   
   
4. The Gerson's Detoxification Programme
   
   A very important part of the Gerson Therapy is frequent detoxification of the tissues and blood. This is accomplished through a variety of means, first and foremost through the use of coffee enemas.
   
   Other means of detoxification include castor oil, used as an additional stimulant of bile flow and as another way to enhance the liver's ability to filter blood.
   
   
   
5. The Gerson's Education
   
   Patients must have a complete understanding of the Gerson Therapy so that they may effectively continue the regimen at home after leaving a licensed facility. To learn more about the Gerson Therapy, please visit their web site at http://www.gerson.org
   
   
   
6. Gerson's recommended juicers
   
   Juicing is an essential component of the Gerson Therapy. To ensure reliable results, the patient will need to purchase an appropriate juicer. Dr Max Gerson's research indicates that cancer patients must have a two-stage juicer with a separate grinder and hydraulic press. The companies which manufacture the grinder-press-type juicer are Norwalk and K&K in the United States.

The Gerson Therapy calls for the daily consumption of organically grown fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and various supplements with organic origin that may not be readily available in Singapore. Even if these supplements are available, their quality may not be similar with those use in the Gerson Institute. For example, pancreatic enzymes require special storage, the quality may be compromised due to improper handling in the course of delivery from one country to another.

True organically grown fruits and vegetables are not readily available in Singapore. Therefore, cancer patients living in Singapore must ensure that they are receiving the true 100% Gerson care locally. Otherwise, much financial resource will be wasted and the poorly administered Gerson Therapy may worsen the patients' health.