This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 119Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comcontent to the essential organs. The serum potassium level, as shown in the blood test result, does 
not reflect the potassium status of the cell. Low serum potassium values may signify healing, 
because the depleted tissues are reabsorbing potassium, while high figures may be found in 
failures, because the tissues lose it. Thyroid and Lugol’s Solution
It is a fact, known since Dr. Gerson’s day, that most cancer patients are suffering from a low 
basal metabolism. Much of the problem is caused by the chlorine widely used in the purification 
of the water supply, and—worse still—by fluoride. Both remove iodine from the thyroid gland, 
thus reducing its ability to function properly. The thyroid gland regulates the metabolic rate of the 
organism, acting as its thermostat, being capable of raising temperature and producing fever; it 
also affects the immune system as well as the proper functioning of all hormone systems. When 
thyroid and iodine in the form of 1/2 strength Lugol’s solution are added to the patient’s intake, 
the immune system becomes reactivated and healing can begin. The patient’s metabolic rate has 
to be established for a correct dosage, but most cancer patients start with 5 grains of thyroid and 
18 drops of Lugol’s solution (3 drops in each of 1 orange and 5 carrot/apple juices) a day, for 
the first 3-4 weeks only. Then the amounts are reduced to 2 or 2 1⁄2 grains of thyroid and 12 
drops of Lugol’s, and subsequently adjusted according to the Gerson doctor’s instruction . Patients suffering from non-malignant diseases use the less intensive therapy (see Chapter 19 ), 
with much less thyroid and Lugol’s solution. Niacin : (common name for nicotinic acid, or Vitamin B-3) Niacin assists in the digestion 
of protein and helps to open capillary circulation, thus bringing freshly oxygenated blood (from 
the constant intake of fresh juices) to all body tissues. By improving circulation it also works to 
reduce ascites (abdominal edema) and pain. The dosage is a 50 mg tablet 6 times daily, taken 
during meals. This medication often causes the well-known “niacin flush,” a temporary reddening 
of the face and upper chest area, with some itching. This is totally harmless and passes quickly. (Do NOT switch to non-flushing niacin: it is ineffective.) Niacin should be discontinued during 
women’s periods or in case of bleeding of any kind. Liver Capsules : The severely toxic and damaged liver of the cancer patient needs maximum 
assistance to improve its vital functions. The therapy provides this help in the form of liver 
capsules containing dried, defatted powdered liver from healthy animals. Two capsules of liver 
powder are given three times a day, with carrot-only juice. According to Dr. Virginia Livingston, 
the combination of dry liver powder with carrot juice produces abcissic acid,  a precursor of 
Vitamin A, which is essential in attacking tumor tissue. Crude Liver Injections : An additional substance given to aid in the restoration of the liver. It normally contains a small amount of Vitamin B 12. However, since virtually all cancer patients 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 120Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comare anemic, additional Vitamin B 12 is needed to help restore the hemoglobin content of the blood, 
promoting the formation and maturation of red blood cells. It works against different types of 
anemia and even against degenerative changes in the spinal cord. As seen in animal experiments, 
this vitamin is able to restore a wide range of tissues damaged by age, chronic illness, surgery, 
degenerative diseases, or various kinds of poisoning. Intra-muscular Liver Extract (3 cc) with 
added 50 mcg of B 12—a tiny amount, a 20th of one cc) is given daily for four or more months. Later the frequency is reduced to every other day, and still later—sometimes after as much as a 
year—to twice a week. Pancreatin : This is an extract of various pancreatic digestive enzymes, normally needed 
to digest fats, proteins and sugar. Gerson patients don’t consume those substances; however, 
these enzymes are vitally important in the digestion and elimination of tumor tissue. The dosage 
is 3 tablets of .325mg each four times a day—one after each meal, plus an additional dose in 
mid-afternoon. For exceptionally large tumors 2-3 tablets a day of a more concentrated 1200mg 
pancreatin may be added to the patient’s medication. Some patients cannot tolerate pancreatin and 
have to do without it. Dr. Gerson also omitted pancreatin for sarcoma cases. Acidol Pepsin : These tablets supply digestive stomach juices, badly needed by patients 
suffering from chronic diseases, who tend to have insufficient stomach acid and digestive pepsin. As a result they have poor appetite and poor digestion. Since the Gerson treatment is based on the 
patient’s optimum intake of food and juices, the stomach needs help for the intake and digestion 
of food. Acidol Pepsin aids protein digestion and the absorption of iron, while helping to eliminate 
gas and bloating. The dosage is six tablets a day, two to be taken before  each meal. No Acidol is 
given in cases of acid reflux, stomach ulcers or other inflammatory or irritated conditions of the 
stomach. Ox Bile Powder : This helps to emulsify the castor oil, which is used in the castor oil/coffee 
enemas. The powder is mixed into the castor oil and stirred, before the slightly soapy coffee is 
added. Flax Seed Oil : Also known as food grade linseed oil, this contains both essential fatty 
acids (EFA’s): linoleic acid and linolenic acid, and is particularly rich in the Omega 3 series, as 
discovered by Dr. Johanna Budwig. The therapeutic effects of flax seed oil are many:
• It attracts oxygen at the cell membrane and transports oxygen into the cell;
•  It is able to detoxify fat-soluble toxins, and helps to dissolve and remove plaque;
• It is a carrier of Vitamin A, which is important for the immune system; and
•  It removes excess cholesterol, an important function, since patients’ cholesterol levels 
sometimes rise during the initial stages of the Therapy. Dose: two tablespoons daily for the first month, then one tablespoon daily for the rest of the 
treatment. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 121Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCo-Enzyme Q10 : Recently added to the protocol, this co-enzyme is valuable in replacing 
some of the nutrients that were available in the discontinued raw liver juice. It must be administered 
cautiously at first, since some patients are hypersensitive to this substance. To start with, the dose 
is 50mg daily for 5-7 days, then it is increased to 100mg per day , to reach 500-600mg daily. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 122Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 15
Pain Control Without Drugs
A large percentage of patients arrive at the Gerson Therapy hospital in pain, on heavy pain         
 control medication including morphine, codeine, or the two combined, e.g. in the drug  
Oxi-Contin. These drugs are highly toxic, and since detoxifying the body is the basic aim of the 
Gerson Therapy, every effort has to be made to control the patients’ pain without the use of toxic 
drugs. The first tool to achieve this is the coffee enema (see Chapter 13 .) Removing the accumulated 
toxins from the liver enables that vital organ to absorb and release more poisons stored in the body; 
this immediately brings relief to the patient. It does not, however, get rid of the pain altogether: 
mild pain relief drugs, such as aspirin, Ibuprofen or Tylenol might be needed. But these may not 
work if the patient had been used to morphine. In such cases the Gerson doctor will use one or 
more of the following:
Clay packs
Castor oil packs
The “Triad”: 1 aspirin, 1 Vitamin C (500 mg), 1 niacin (50 mg)
Hyperthermia (artificial fever)
Laetrile
Oxygen treatments
Rebounding
This is how to apply them :
Clay (mud) packs
Clay packs help to relieve ‘hot’ inflammations around arthritic joints and tumors, and in 
other areas of fluid retention. The best clay is Montmorillonite (not of marine origin), which 
also absorbs toxins through the skin. Taken internally in peppermint tea (1/4 to 1⁄2 teaspoonful 
to a cup), clay even helps to clear diarrheas and general food poisoning. Clay packs have long 
been used in many parts of the world. Applied around the head, they are even able to alleviate 
headaches and seizures. The clay pack is prepared by mixing the dry clay powderwith enough hot distilled  water to 
make a spreadable paste, neither too runny nor too dry. A layer about 2-3 mm thick is spread on 
a piece of clean white  cloth, placed on the affected area and covered with a piece of plastic and a 
wool cloth. Secured in position, it can be left in place for 2-3 hours and removed and discarded 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 123Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comwhen it has become dry. Clay packs may be used two or three times a day, as required, but must 
NOT be placed on an open lesion. Castor Oil packs
Warm castor oil packs help to alleviate muscle and bone pain, spasms and cramping, including 
those in the liver area or in any part of the body that is painful. They increase circulation, relax 
muscles and disperse toxicity, and act fast and reliably. To prepare a castor oil pack, a piece of white wool flannel is cut into three identical pieces, 
large enough to cover the affected area. The usual size is about 9” by 11.” One piece of flannel is 
placed on a flat surface and covered with a thin layer of castor oil. The second piece goes on top 
of this and is also spread with the oil. The third piece covers this, making something like a triple-
decker sandwich. This basic pack is laid on the skin over the painful area, covered with a slightly 
larger sheet of plastic to prevent nasty stains on bedclothes or nightwear, and kept securely in 
position with a bandage or other suitable material. Finally a mildly warm ( not hot)  water bottle 
is placed on top of the pack. This is preferable to an electric heating pad, whose electro-magnetic 
output would interfere with the body’s own energy field. The pack can be left in place for several hours or even all day and all night, provided that the 
water in the bottle is replaced as it cools. A few patients have felt discomfort, as the castor oil pack 
increased the liver’s healing activity. In such cases the pack was removed and re-used another 
time. The castor oil pack can be saved and re-used. Some patients reported the best results from 
alternating the clay and the castor oil packs, which is perfectly acceptable. The “Triad”
Dr. Gerson used this combination of three tablets successfully in many cases. Once the 
patient is sufficiently detoxified, the three tablets together act more powerfully than they would 
separately. This combination, now named the “Triad,” continues to work well in pain relief, as 
well as in promoting sound sleep. It consists simply of one regular aspirin, one 500 mg tablet of Vitamin C, and one 50 mg 
tablet of the regular niacin, which is part of the patient’s normal medication. This combination 
may be used up to five times a day, every four hours, if needed. Hyperthermia (Hydrotherapy)
When a patient suffers from pain, especially bone pain, or if she/he is uneasy because the 
expected healing reaction has not taken place, certain procedures can be helpful. One of these 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 124Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comis hyperthermia, a warm water treatment. It consists of immersing the patient up to the chin in 
a tub of unfluoridated water that is considerably warmer than what would be used for a regular 
bath. When the patient has got used to the warmth, the temperature of the water can be cautiously 
increased, by adding more hot water, to 102o  Fahrenheit, or even a little above. The purpose 
of this treatment is not only to increase circulation (which alleviates pain), but also to raise the 
patient’s temperature; in other words, to create a fever. Malignant tissue is sensitive to an increase in temperature and can be killed by fever. Hence 
raising the body temperature to 102o or above is extremely beneficial. We have never seen a 
fever in excess of 104o degrees. True body damage does not occur until the temperature reaches 
106o  plus. A nurse or attendant should be present during hot baths for extra safety, and check 
the water’s temperature with a bath thermometer. The patient may be given some hot herb tea to 
replace fluids lost by perspiration, and have a cool (not ice-cold) cloth placed on the forehead for 
comfort. At the end of the bath, which doesn’t usually last for more than 20 minutes, the patient 
is quickly dried with warm towels and put into a warm bed, allowing his or her body temperature 
to return slowly to normal. Hyperthermia should not be used for patients who suffer from cardiac problems, high blood 
pressure or breathing difficulties, or who, due to age, have a weak heart and constitution. It should 
NEVER be used with fluoridated water. To enhance the effect of the hyperthermia, some cancer patients are also given an intravenous 
injection of Laetrile some fifteen minutes prior to going into the bath. Laetrile, also known as 
Vitamin B-17, is derived from apricot pits. It is non-toxic, even though it contains a cyanide 
fraction. This substance is not damaging to normal healthy cells (after all, the full name of Vitamin 
B12 is cyano -cobalamine! ),  for these cells contain an enzyme, rhodanase, that neutralizes the 
cyanide fraction. Tumor cells, however, lack this enzyme, hence the laetrile is able to attack 
and destroy them. It has also been experimentally established that after a laetrile injection the 
temperature of the tumor rises by up to one degree. When the patient’s full body temperature is 
raised by the hyperthermia treatment, this additionally helps to attack and destroy tumor tissue. Oxygen Treatments
  
Two compounds containing extra oxygen are useful tools of pain control. One is hydrogen 
peroxide, H2O2, namely water, H2O, plus an extra oxygen atom attached to it with a single bond. The other basic compound, oxygen, O2, can also have an additional oxygen atom attached, resulting 
in O3, i.e., ozone. Despite ozone’s reputation as an irritant, properly used oxygen treatments are a 
powerful aid in pain control and healing. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 125Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThese are the four benefits of the oxygen treatment:
• It attacks and kills germs and viruses;
• It attacks and destroys tumor tissue;
• It increases oxygenation of the blood stream; and
• It attaches to toxic free radicals and helps the body to excrete them. H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide, is easily and inexpensively available in drug stores or even 
supermarkets. It comes in a 3% solution, which is safe to apply to the skin, or use in a tub of bath 
water (NON-fluoridated), adding some 2 quarts to the tub. It is even more effective to rub the 
peroxide into the skin after a warm tub bath, to be absorbed through the pores directly into the 
blood stream. It is more difficult to obtain ozone treatment, since this requires a special ozone generating 
machine, and that is generally only available to persons trained in its proper use. There are also 
machines that generate ozone to mix into the bath water, but these are expensive, require an 
oxygen tank, and are not recommended for use in the patient’s home. Rebounding
A small trampoline for gentle rebounding may sound a surprising choice for pain control, 
yet it can serve that purpose extremely well. The patient must be told clearly that he/she must 
not jump vigorously up and down on the trampoline, only raise his/her heels as though he was 
walking, but staying on the spot. This movement causes an increase of weight on the way down, 
and makes the patient feel weightless for an instant on the top of the bounce. This stimulates and 
increases the lymphatic circulation, which in turn helps to overcome blockages and pain. The 
gentle ‘walk’ on the trampoline may be repeated up to five or six times a day, but each exercise 
must not last longer than 30 seconds. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 126Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 16
Understanding Healing Reactions 
 
   
Healing reactions, also known as flare-ups, are an essential part of the Gerson Therapy. It is 
important that patients should understand their nature and function before embarking on the 
full treatment, since healing reactions are somewhat paradoxical experiences: although they can 
produce a number of unpleasant symptoms, they should be welcomed as evidence that the therapy 
has kicked in and is working well. So let’s see how and when this necessary process is likely to begin. As a rule, after the first 
few days on the full Gerson program the patients feel better, suffering less pain, their appetite 
improves, their external or palpable tumors are beginning to reduce; naturally they are greatly 
encouraged by these positive developments. That is the moment to remind patients that a healing 
reaction may be on the way, and to explain how it is going to promote detoxification. Without 
proper preparation the sudden shift from well-being to its opposite would be hard to bear! When the body is first turned around from advancing cancer (or other chronic diseases) 
towards healing, what Dr. Gerson called the healing mechanism  is being activated, and the 
immune system begins to kick in. What happens is that the body produces a healing inflammation 
and releases toxins from the tissues, producing a massive toxic load that has to be eliminated from 
the liver. The process is sometimes accompanied by a healing fever and even spells of depression 
and panic. On top of all this the patient may also experience nausea, toxic stools, lack of appetite 
and even aversion to food or drink, especially to the green juices. There can also be more gas than 
usual, plus difficulties with the coffee enemas (due to increased toxic pressure from the liver). Without advance warning the patients may feel that their condition is worsening; they are weak, 
nauseated, uncomfortable, sometimes even the pain that had been reduced returns to some extent. What with the risk of depression, which is one of the possible side effects, patients may even 
wonder whether the Gerson Therapy is causing their condition to worsen. However, the Gerson 
doctor or practitioner, who recognizes these symptoms as signaling a welcome healing reaction, 
is able to reassure patients and dispel their panic. The first flare-up is usually relatively short, since the body is not yet able to carry out 
serious healing in its weakened condition and is only just beginning to respond. But even that 
early start can produce impressive results. Along with the attack on malignant tissue, the body 
also begins to heal old injuries, fractures, lumpy scars, and serious conditions including long-
standing high blood pressure and even age-onset diabetes. This process cannot be held back or 
stopped, since the body is not able to heal selectively! In other words, it does not only heal the 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 127Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.compresent life-threatening disease but also clears up all other damage, whether old or new. That 
is what the totality of the Gerson Therapy means. Thanks to it, cancer patients have overcome 
allergies, long term migraines, arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions that have troubled 
them for any length of time. How do patients react to a flare-up? Only a general answer can be given, based on the 
reactions of a majority of cases. Since each person is different and has a different medical past 
with different damages to the body, each healing reaction is also different! Neither is it possible 
to give an exact answer to patients who wish to know how long a flare-up will last. In many 
cases the first reaction is mild and only lasts from a few hours to a day or two. The second one 
is normally longer and somewhat heavier, since the body and its immune system have to some 
extent been detoxified, strengthened with the enzymes and nutrients contained in the raw juices 
and supported by the medication, and as a result it is able to respond more powerfully . In most cases this second flare-up can be expected around the sixth week of the therapy. The 
third reaction occurs usually around 3-3 1⁄2 months into the treatment and is the heaviest one. But 
please remember that this is not a timetable cast in concrete, only what we have observed in a 
majority of cases. Reactions are also different in chemotherapy pre-treated patients (see Chapter 
18.) What to do for the patient in a flare-up, who is unwell, upset, dismayed? What NOT to do 
is to stop the Therapy, give no coffee enemas or juices, for doing so would drastically stop the 
healing process! Yet we must help the patient to endure the discomforts of the flare-ups. Here are 
the best ways to do so:
Nausea :  If despite the nausea the patient is able to drink the juices, by all means continue 
to provide them. If he or she develops a severe aversion to the green juice, warm it gently 
(undiluted) to body temperature by standing the container in a warm water bath, pour the juice in 
the enema bucket and infuse it rectally as a retention implant. This is not an enema and should not 
be expelled. The patient should lie comfortably in bed, with legs pulled up in the fetal position, 
and allow the juice to be absorbed. Patients who are temporarily unable to drink any juices can 
have them administered rectally (all, except the orange juice), and should be encouraged to drink 
warm oatmeal gruel and plenty of peppermint tea, partly to settle the stomach and also to supply 
the necessary liquids which would normally be provided by the juices. To prepare Oatmeal Gruel,  place one ounce of oats and 5 ounces of water into a pot and 
bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, then strain through a fine tea strainer, to remove 
all solids, but then press the oats as far as possible through the strainer, in order to obtain a liquid 
somewhat denser than water. Drink while warm. For patients severely sensitive to juices during a flare-up, two ounces of gruel can be poured 
into a glass and topped with no more than 6 ounces of juice. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 128Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comPeppermint tea  helps to relieve nausea, digestive discomfort and gas. Peppermint or 
spearmint is easy to grow in the backyard and spreads quickly. A heaped tablespoonful of fresh 
leaves makes one cup of tea; add boiling distilled water, cover and let steep for 12-15 minutes. Strain. If you use tea bags, make sure they are organic. One tea bag easily makes two cups. Or if 
you buy loose leaves, which is preferable, put a tablespoonful of leaves in the pot, pour two cups 
of boiling distilled water over them, and proceed as above. It is a good idea to leave peppermint tea in a thermos on the patient’s bedside table, in case 
he or she gets thirsty at night. Pain : Castor oil packs and/or clay packs can be applied locally. (see Chapter 15 ). The patient 
will also be weakened and should rest in bed. Unless he/she has been given heavy doses of 
morphine prior to starting the Gerson Therapy, the ‘pain triad’ may be useful, consisting of one 
aspirin, one 500 mg tablet of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, not sodium ascorbate), and one regular 
50mg tablet of Niacin. This triad can be taken every four hours, if needed. In cases of prior 
morphine or other heavy pain-medication, it takes time to clear the body of those drugs,before the 
pain triad can become effective. Keep trying, it will work eventually. Depression : As mentioned before, it is not unusual for the patient to be depressed, temporarily 
lose hope, and even go through lengthy crying jags during a flare-up. Such emotional unloadings 
run parallel with the body’s attempts to detoxify: body and mind cannot be separated (see  Chapter 
24.) Often an extra enema helps to ease the upheaval. The patient may even pick a fight for no 
obvious reason with the caregiver. This is less surprising if we consider the metabolic fact that 
aggression produces extra adrenalin, which makes the person actually feel better! The caregiver 
should not be hurt by any unwarranted attacks or accusations. The patient cannot control these 
outbursts and usually regrets them afterwards. Again, a coffee enema can clear the problem. This 
part of the healing reaction should be seen as a psychological clearing. Once the flare-up is over, 
the patient will again be optimistic and forward-looking. Difficulties with the Coffee Enemas : see Chapter 13, pg.128 )
Fever :  This is a welcome response by the immune system, helping to attack the malignant 
tissue. Do not attempt to stop the fever with aspirin or any other drug. Simply make the patient 
comfortable, placing a damp cloth wrung out in cool (not ice) water on the forehead. In nearly 30 
years we have never seen the body reach a temperature that could damage the brain or the liver, 
i.e., in excess of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest we have seen was 104.6 degrees, which is 
uncomfortable but not serious. Since the body is in charge and the therapy activates healing, the 
fever is not produced artificially and the body never heals itself to death! The above covers ways to ease the general symptoms experienced by the recovering patient. However, flare-ups can take many different forms. In one case a lady, recovering very fast from a 
wide-spread melanoma, was absorbing tumor tissues rapidly. One day her son called the hospital 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 129Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comand said, “Last night my mom walked around the house disoriented, talking nonsense and repeating 
herself. So we put her to bed. However, this morning she didn’t really wake up, so we took her 
to the Emergency Room at the hospital. There the doctor said that, naturally, her melanoma had 
spread to her brain and that she was dying. What should we do?” The Gerson doctor urged him 
to take her home immediately from the hospital and administer coffee enemas every two hours 
around the clock. What had happened was that the patient had been absorbing tumor tissue and 
toxins faster than she had been eliminating them. The toxins were then circulating, also reaching 
her brain. But instead of increasing her enemas, she was put to bed! During the night more tumor 
tissue was absorbed, causing her to be semi-comatose by the morning. The 2-hourly coffee 
enemas around the clock cleared the problem and she continued her recovery . Another patient with a very different problem had originally suffered of a carcinoma of his 
jaw, had part of his jaw and palate surgically removed, but the cancer had spread to his lungs. Within about five days of starting the treatment, he developed violent pain in his right leg, forcing 
him to be bedfast. Naturally, like any other cancer patient, this person also immediately assumed 
that his cancer had spread due to the Gerson treatment. However, an X-ray of his leg revealed that 
an old injury to his shinbone had begun to heal. There was no tumor present, and in a few days 
his leg was completely healed. Yet another interesting case: that of a melanoma patient who had suffered from malaria during 
WW II and had been taking first quinine and later atabrine for many years, before finally stopping 
it. As a result he suffered a malaria attack twice a year. One year he thought he felt an attack 
coming, however the usual chills and fever failed to set in. Shortly thereafter he developed the 
first tumor which, at surgery, proved to be melanoma. A few months later another tumor appeared 
and the patient came to the Gerson hospital. There within a few days he developed the chills and 
fever, typical of a malaria attack. The parasite was still in his body; yet when his immune system 
failed, he was no longer able to develop a fever. With the help of the treatment his immune 
system was reacting again and he experienced a typical malaria attack, with his fever going as 
high as 104.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The fever broke toward the morning, but he had to endure 
another night with chills and a high fever. The Gerson doctors did not stop or block the fever, 
only made him comfortable! By the second morning the new tumor had virtually disappeared, 
having shrunk by more than 80% thanks to the restored immune system. The patient suffered no 
further malaria attacks. A middle-aged woman patient with metastasized melanoma also suffered from early stage 
adult onset diabetes and disfiguring osteoarthritis in her right hand when she first arrived at the 
Gerson hospital. Within three weeks her blood and urine tests showed no sign of diabetes, while 
her painful crooked fingers stopped hurting and gradually became straight again. A few months 
later at home she was wakened one night by an agonizing sharp pain  in the right side of her 
abdomen, which, she found, had turned dark red and hot. After her first panic she realized that 
these symptoms were clustered around the scar caused by an appendectomy ( removal  of the 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 130Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comappendix ), carried out 35 years before…It all blew over quickly, leaving her with a barely visible 
painless scar. These are only a few randomly chosen examples. It must be remembered that virtually every 
patient has a long history of health problems that become re-activated while clearing up during a 
healing reaction: old pneumonias that can cause renewed chest pain and phlegm; old, apparently 
healed fractures that ‘act up’ during a flare-up while healing completely; increased cholesterol 
while the plaque within veins and arteries is being broken down and eliminated, and many more 
specific symptoms. The key to recognizing these is that they only last a few days and afterwards 
the patient feels much better. However, if reactions last too long, a blood and urinanalysis test 
may have to be made, or a thorough check carried out to see if the underlying cause is a severe 
infection rather than a healing reaction. Occasionally patients may even suffer from a mineral 
imbalance and might require an IV (intravenous) injection to re-balance their blood. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 131Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comChapter 17
The Full Therapy
Hourly Schedule
The full therapy is prescribed for general cancer patients who are not severely weakened and 
have not been pre-treated with chemotherapy. This schedule covers the first 3-4 weeks of the 
treatment. For subsequent reductions, see annual schedule below:
Enema MealFlax-
seed
OilAcidoll
CapsulesJuicePotassium
CompoundLugol’s
Solution
1/2 strengthThyroid NaicinLiver
Caps.Pan-
creatin
TabletsInjection
Liver &
B12
6:00 
amCoffee
8:00 
am 2Orange 4 tsp. 3 drops 1 gram 50mg3
9:00 
am4 tsp. 9:30 
amCarrot/
Apple4 tsp. 3 drops
10:00 
amCoffeeCarrot/
Apple4 tsp. 3 drops 1 gram 50mg
11:00 
amCarrot2
12 
noonGreen 4 tsp. 1:00 
pm1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple4 tsp. 3 drops 1 gram 50mg3
2:00 
pmGreen 4 tsp. 3:00 
pmCarrot2
4:00 
pmCarrot2
5:00 
pmCarrot/
Apple4 tsp. 3 drops 1 gram 50mg3
6:00 
pmCoffee Green 4 tsp. 7:00 
pmDinner 1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple4 tsp. 3 drops 1 gram 50mg3
10:00 
pmCoffee
For an explanation of the medications, see Chapter 14 . Be sure to follow the directions for 
changes. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 132Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comMake a blank schedule to be filled in later as the medications change and the frequency of 
enemas and of liver injections with B-12 are reduced. Castor Oil enemas: to be taken every other day or as per Gerson practitioner ’s order. Directions for following the full therapy are given in Chapters 9 through 13. Please study 
them carefully. Annual Schedule
No. of
weeksJuices  Meals
and flax
seed oilAcidol  
pepsinPotassium
com-
pound Thyroid Lugol’s 
solutionNiacin  Pancreatin    Liver & 
B-12 
injection
 Coffee         
Enemas         
                     Castor 
oil 
Enemas
 
    2-31 
Orange
5 apple/      
carrot  
4 Green
3 Carrot 
Regular 
Add 
2 tbs. Flax 
Oil 
3 x 2
caps. 10 x 2 
teasp. 3 x 1⁄2 
tablet 
6 x 1
drop. 6 x 1
tablet . 4x3 
 tabs. One daily Every  
4
hoursEvery 
other
     day
      3same 3 x 2  same. same   3 x 1 same 4 x 2 tabs. same  same    same
         5samesame  same  8 x 2  2 x 1/2 6 x 1  same    same    same  same    same
      4sameAdd  
3oz. yogurt. same  same. 3 x 1/2 same  same    same    same  same    same
      5same6 oz 
yogurt same  same   same same  same    same   same  same 2 
weekly
      4 same 2 x 4 
oz. same  same same      same  same    same   same  same    same
      6samesame  same  same  2 x 1/2  6 x 1  same    same Every 2nd   
     day 2 daily
  .1 
weekly
      6same   same, 
much 
raw same  6 x 2   same  6 x 1 4 x 1    same 2 weekly 2 daily  —- -
      6same     
same   
same    6 x 2   same  4 x 1  same    same     same  same  —-—
      9same   
same    
same    
same  same  same  same    same    same  same   —- -
      9same   
same same   
same   same   same    same 2 weekly 1 daily
      7same 
same 
same  same . same  5 x 1  same    same 1 weekly   same  —- -
           . Depending on test results, thyroid medication may have to be increased or decreased. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 133Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 18
Adapting the Therapy for Chemo-Pretreated 
and Severely Weakened Patients
PLEASE NOTE: the same modifications apply for both categories
Chemotherapy drugs were just beginning to be introduced during Dr. Gerson’s years of 
practice, and their effects were largely unknown. This explains why no reference to chemotherapy 
can be found in his classic book, A Cancer Therapy—Results of 50 Cases. The large-scale use of 
this treatment, based on the theory that strong poisons administered to the cancer patient would 
kill the malignant cells but allow the healthy cells to recover, only built up in the years following 
Dr. Gerson’s death; by now it is used almost universally all over the world. Sometimes it is applied 
as an adjuvant treatment, in combination with other modalities; in other cases it is prescribed 
for patients prior to surgery, to shrink their tumor, more often than not in terminal cases. Many 
doctors, if questioned, admit that at best chemotherapy can only extend life expectancy by a few 
months, and certainly does not promise a “cure.”
Our aim here is not to discuss the positive or negative results of chemotherapy, which are 
amply described by Ralph Moss, Ph.D. ( The Cancer Industry, revised edition of the original 
The Cancer Syndrome,  1989; ISBN#1-55778-075-7, Paragon House, NY) and many others. (see 
Chapter 20, pg. 142 ) We are solely concerned with the changes that need to be made to the Gerson 
protocol for patients who have previously been treated with toxic chemicals. When the Therapy was first practiced 18 years after Dr. Gerson’s death in the first Mexican 
Gerson hospital, the doctors were reluctant to admit patients who had received chemotherapy. There was no mention of it in A Cancer Therapy, which served as their exclusive guide. Later, as 
they became more familiar with the treatment and saw its positive effects, they cautiously accepted 
two chemo-pre-treated patients who begged for their help. At that time, realizing the additional 
damage caused by the highly toxic chemo drugs, the doctors assumed that these patients should 
also undergo the regular detoxifying treatment, to remove the accumulated poisons from their 
bodies. Accordingly, they administered the strict intensive protocol, including the castor oil treatment, 
and were shocked to see that the castor oil began to remove those poisons too rapidly, releasing 
them into the blood stream, actually causing the patients to suffer from an overdose of chemo 
drugs. They had to be transferred to intensive care; fortunately both survived. This incident 
quickly taught the doctors not to give chemo-pre-treated patients any castor oil, moreover to 
work out a somewhat reduced treatment program for them, in order not to over-stress the liver or 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 134Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comrelease toxins too rapidly. Since then we have seen a number of such patients making satisfactory long-term recoveries. But the results are achieved more slowly. Also, since the body is much more toxic owing to its 
load of synthetic chemicals, the results are also somewhat less reliable. (see Chapter 27  for the 
stories of patients who were unsuccessfully treated with chemo before being sent home to die—
yet recovered on the Gerson program). Chemo-pretreated patients also produce healing reactions (see Chapter 16 .) These vary in 
intensity during the first few months. However, as a rule a major chemo healing reaction occurs 
approximately after six months on the Therapy, which is different from the standard flare-ups 
experienced by chemo-free patients. The chemo-burdened patient excretes the toxic drugs still 
stored in his or her organism and suffers disturbances that are similar, though less severe, than the 
ones caused by the chemotherapy. They include some hair loss, nausea, mouth sores, pain, drop 
in red- and white blood corpuscle counts, weakness, and changes in the test results. Some patients 
can actually smell the chemicals being excreted through their skin. Often the enema returns also 
smell of chemicals. Such a six-month chemo reaction can last up to three weeks, after which time 
the patient is much improved. The chemo-caused symptoms clear, the blood picture improves 
once again, the tumors regress more rapidly, hair re-grows and energy returns. After this major clear-out, one important procedure, namely the Castor Oil Treatment  can 
cautiously be added to the protocol. The patient is started on the castor oil enema only . Instead 
of the usual amount, (see Chapter 13, pg. 113 ) only two teaspoonfuls are added to the coffee 
enema for 2-3 weeks, up to twice weekly. If the patient does not react too violently, this amount 
is increased to four teaspoonfuls for another three weeks. Again, if this addition is well tolerated, 
the patient should be given one teaspoonful  of castor oil orally, followed by the usual cup of hot 
sweetened coffee; then, 5 hours later, by the castor oil enema—twice a week. After this again 
slowly the amounts are gradually increased, together with the number of coffee enemas, until the 
patient is able to take the complete regular castor oil treatment and restore the reduced Therapy to 
its full intensive level, as used by regular patients. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 135Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comHere are the details of the modified treatment for chemo-pretreated 
and/or severely damaged patients :
A typical hourly schedule*
Enema MealFlax-
seed
OilAcidoll
CapsulesJuicePotassium
CompoundLugol’s
Solution
1/2 strengthThyroid NaicinLiver
Caps.Pan-
creatin
TabletsInjection
Liver &
B12
6:00 
am
8:00 
am 2Orange 2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg2 3
9:00 
am Coffee2 tsp. 9:30 
am
10:00 
amCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg
11:00 
amCarrot NO21 daily
12 
noonGreen 2 tsp. 1:00 
pm1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg3
2:00 
pmCoffee Green 2 tsp. 3:00 
pm
4:00 
pm
5:00 
pmCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 50mg3
6:00 
pmCoffee Green 2 tsp. 7:00 
pmDinner 1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg3
10:00 
pm
Make a blank schedule to be filled in later as the medications change and the frequency of enemas and liver with B-12 
injections is reduced. Castor oil enemas: NO CASTOR OIL TREATMENTS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. *The exact treatment, specifying the number of juices, enemas, medications, etc. needs to be 
adjusted by a Gerson trained practitioner. For easy reference, here is a summary of the items contained in the schedule:     
10 glasses of 8 oz. each of a variety of juices (apple/carrot, carrot, green, orange) reduced in 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 136Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comseverely damaged patients to eight glasses; or to 10 containing four to six ounces each. For 
such patients up to two ounces of strained oatmeal gruel can be added to each glass of juice to 
ease digestion. (see Chapter 16, pg. 127 )
20 teaspoons of potassium compound (2 tsp. in each of 10 glasses)
11⁄2  to 3 grains thyroid
5 drops 1⁄2 strength Lugol’s solution
5 tablets of 50 mg. Niacin (omit if bleeding is present)
6 capsules Acidol Pepsin
6 capsules of Liver Powder
12 tablets Pancreatin
3 cc liver extract with 50 mcg B-12 (1 intramuscular injection daily)
3 coffee enemas
200 to 600 mg CoQ-10 starting cautiously with one tablet of 50 mg daily
The meals are unchanged, and include two tablespoonfuls of organic flax seed oil daily for one 
month; then 1 tablespoonful daily for the rest of the treatment. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 137Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 19
The Gerson Therapy for 
Non-Malignant Diseases
From his long clinical practice Dr. Gerson was able to establish that a patient suffering from a 
non-malignant disease had a sick, damaged liver, while the liver of someone with a malignancy 
was severely toxic (poisoned). Based on this difference, he adjusted the treatment accordingly, 
creating a less intensive therapy for non-malignant conditions. At the same time he specified that 
if patients in the latter category followed a stricter protocol, closely resembling the full intensive 
therapy, they recovered faster. The less intensive therapy is less demanding and easier to follow, so that patients on this 
regime can continue working. This is a great advantage, since most people depend on their earned 
income and cannot leave their jobs for any length of time. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 138Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThis is a typical hour-by-hour schedule for patients on the less intensive therapy:
Enema MealFlax-
seed
OilAcidoll
CapsulesJuicePotassium
CompoundLugol’s
Solution
1/2 strengthThyroid NaicinLiver
Caps.Pan-
creatin
TabletsInjection
Liver &
B12
6:00 
am
8:00 
am 2Orange 2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg 2 3
9:00 
amCoffee 2 tsp. 9:30 
am
10:00 
amCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 50mg
11:00 
amCarrot2
12 
noonGreen 2 tsp. 1:00 
pm1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drops 1 gram 50mg3
2:00 
pmCoffee Green 2 tsp. 3:00 
pm
4:00 
pm
5:00 
pmCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 50mg3
6:00 
pmCoffee Green 2 tsp. 7:00 
pmDinner 1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 50mg 2 3
10:00 
pm
Make yourself a blank schedule to be filled in later as the medications change and the frequency of enemas is reduced. Depending on the patient’s condition, it is possible to reduce the number of juices from 10 to 
8. These should consist of 4 carrot/apple juices; 3 green juices and one orange juice. However, 
do not reduce it further! Also patients with collagen diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or 
scleroderma) should not take orange juice. Substitute freshly pressed apple juice, carrot or green 
juice. It is understood that the food intake, coffee enemas, caution to avoid toxins in the home, 
etc. all apply. For details of how to pursue the Therapy when returning to work, see Chapter 20, sub-
heading Household Help . Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 139Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 20
Things to Remember
In this chapter we present a number of miscellaneous items in support of your efforts to improve 
and protect your health. Knowledge is power, and the emergence of the so-called ‘expert 
patient’ around the world is a sure sign that more and more people are willing to take responsibility 
for their health and well-being. No doubt you are one of them. We hope you will find the following 
information useful. Orthodox Cancer Treatments
Unlike the non-invasive, non-toxic and holistic cancer treatment contained in the Gerson 
Therapy, orthodox oncology concentrates on the removal or destruction of the tumor by three 
means, namely surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In the following we give brief summaries 
of each. Surgery
In many cases of cancer, patients are able to avoid surgery by embarking on the Gerson 
Therapy instead. However, occasionally a Gerson doctor will suggest surgery in order to ‘de-
bulk’ the patient’s tumor load. It is true that removing a tumor makes it easier for the body to 
deal with the remaining disease in order to heal. This is because malignancies have a different 
metabolism from that of normal cells and release toxins into the surrounding tissue, as well as into 
the blood stream. It stands to reason that this process should be stopped. However, surgery has 
serious negative side effects. To start with, prior to the operation tranquilizers are administered to the patient to keep him 
or her calm and prevent a rise in blood pressure. This is followed by local or general anesthesia 
for the operation, plus fairly heavy doses of antibiotics. On waking up, the patient is in pain and 
receives several doses of pain-relieving drugs. In sum, many damaging toxins are introduced into 
the patient’s organism. In recent times, another problem has emerged. Due to the excessive use of antibiotics and 
poor hospital hygiene, so-called “Superbugs” have come into being, which are resistant to all 
available antibiotics. As a result, large numbers of patients are infected in hospitals with powerful 
staph (staphylococcus aureus) bacteria that can’t be controlled. Especially for cancer patients 
who already have a weak immune system, such infections can be life threatening. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 140Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comNevertheless, under certain circumstances surgery is urgent and must be performed quickly to 
save a life. Such a situation could arise from the development of thick scar tissue that is blocking 
an organ; it could be bleeding from a large blood vessel, damaged by invading cancer, that has 
to be stopped; or a patient may be injured in an accident and the damage needs to be repaired 
urgently. But often surgery does not have to be immediate. For instance, when a patient on the 
full Gerson Therapy needs to go to hospital for some non-urgent surgical procedure, there is just 
enough time to make sensible preparations for the event. It should be borne in mind that once a person is well detoxified, his or her body will react much 
more strongly to drugs, including anesthetics, pain medication and even antibiotics. If a more 
or less detoxified Gerson patient tries to discuss this concern with the regular hospital surgeon 
and/or anesthesiologist, they simply will not understand what he or she is talking about. For that 
reason it is best to prepare the body to accept the unavoidable drugs by making it temporarily less 
sensitive, even though unfortunately this means reducing the effectiveness of the therapy. The 
way to do it is to double the regular daily helping of yogurt, and to serve two or three meals of 
boiled or broiled fish just prior to entering the hospital. This actually puts a temporary stop to the 
body’s self-healing activity. After any necessary surgical procedure it is advisable to leave the hospital as soon as 
possible. On returning home the full therapy is resumed, even omitting yogurt for a week or 
so and stepping up the enemas temporarily to four or more, in order to clear out the toxins that 
have been introduced. Afterwards the patient returns to the level of treatment he or she was using 
before preparing for the hospital visit. Diagnostic Surgery
When a mammogram or MRI discovers a ‘suspicious’ lump or ‘shadow’ in the breast area, 
the doctor as well as the patient need to know the exact nature of the lump. The physician will 
usually suggest an urgent biopsy and examination of a tissue sample, to ascertain the situation. The next step is a “lumpectomy,” i.e., the removal of the breast lump. If in the surgeon’s 
experience this is likely to be malignant, he will also examine the surrounding tissue, especially 
checking the underarm lymph nodes to see if the malignancy has spread. The problem is that when 
he starts to dissect the lymph nodes, he is likely to take out not just one or two, but as many as 
eight or ten. In orthodox medicine this is done to give the oncologist the information he requires 
for choosing what he considers appropriate chemotherapy drugs for the patient. However, if the 
latter has already decided to reject chemotherapy, it is pointless to remove a lot of lymph nodes. To do so would damage her circulation and cause swelling of her arm, due to the accumulation of 
blocked fluid, and this in turn would lead to severe discomfort and even make the arm virtually 
useless. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 141Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comSo how can this risk be avoided? As a matter of routine, before any surgery the doctor requires 
the patient to sign a release, stating that he is allowed to do anything he deems necessary or best, 
under whatever circumstances he may encounter. If the patient agrees to such a general release, 
she may end up having too many lymph nodes removed. Instead, she should state in the release 
that she does not agree to the removal of more than two lymph nodes. Radiation
Radiation can be used for medical diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The earliest exposure 
of patients to radiation is in the form of X-rays, for diagnostic purposes. These are comparatively 
the least harmful. Other diagnostic tools include CAT scans (CT, Computed Tomography 
Imaging), which uses a large amount of X-rays to produce detailed images from several angles 
of the patient’s body, arm or leg. The only diagnostic tool that does not use X-rays is Magnetic 
Resonance Imaging (MRI), which utilizes radiofrequency waves and a strong magnetic field to 
produce clear pictures of internal organs and tissues. If the initial investigation results in a cancer diagnosis, the patient is advised to have a course 
of radiotherapy, usually consisting of 30 treatments. Although the technique has been greatly 
improved in recent years, aiming to limit the radiation solely to the affected area of the patient’s 
body, severe damage in the form of burns can still occur. According to the official allopathic view, 
radiation burns are virtually impossible to heal; yet the damage is almost entirely reversible by the 
Gerson technique. Dr. Gerson’s book, A Cancer Therapy—Results of 50 Cases, features a patient 
(Case #11) who had been pre-treated with 88 applications of deep X-rays, and was left severely 
burned. Worse still, his cancer recurred. Interestingly on the Gerson Therapy his spreading 
lung tumors and lymph nodes disappeared faster than the radiation burns. However, he healed 
completely and lived for almost 50 years in good health. In cases of oral cancers radiation treatments are particularly destructive, since they cause 
the salivary glands to dry up. The resulting dry mouth keeps the patient from sleeping and 
requires constant sipping of water, to moisten the dry mouth. Yet we have seen patients’ mucous 
membranes reverting to normal after radiation damage in less than two weeks on the Therapy. In general, Gerson doctors rarely use radiation treatments. There is only one specific case in 
which they can be useful, namely in easing the extreme pain of bone cancers or bone metastases, 
which are difficult to control and heal more slowly than malignancies in soft tissues. In order to 
help the patient, a very few (sometimes just 3-5) radiation treatments are used to stop the advance 
of the tumor and alleviate the pain. Radiation is preferable to pain management with drugs, 
which—being toxic—interfere with healing. Since radiotherapy makes drugs unnecessary, the 
bone can heal and the pain does not return. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 142Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comChemotherapy
Since about 1960, chemotherapy has been one of the main tools of orthodox cancer therapy. It has many varieties, but they all have one thing in common: they are highly toxic. The purpose 
of using them is to kill cancer cells and thus eradicate malignant tumors. However, no form of 
chemotherapy exists that doesn’t also kill healthy cells. The way these toxic chemicals are supposed to work is by interfering with the metabolism of 
malignant cells and stopping their rapid division. They do this; but there are other cells and tissues 
in the human body that also divide rapidly, namely the bone marrow, which among other things 
produces the white blood cells essential to immunity, the mucous membranes of the intestinal 
wall, and the hair follicles. These are seriously damaged by the chemotherapy’s toxins, resulting 
in reduced immune function, nausea, vomiting, intestinal bleeding, mouth ulcers and loss of 
hair. Eventually the damage becomes much wore. Patients report loss of memory, children have 
learning difficulties. Heart, lung and kidney damage have been reported, together with a much 
higher incidence of infections. Chemotherapy drugs are subject to constant innovations, often motivated by financial 
considerations. One of the latest drugs, Gemzar, that had originally been accepted for the 
treatment of lung and breast cancer, has now also been cleared for use in advanced ovarian 
cancer. There is no evidence to show that this drug extends life; on the other hand it worsens the 
side effects of previously used chemotherapy drugs; however, it is very expensive. Recent reports 
state that one course of Gemzar treatment, consisting of six doses given over six months, costs 
about US$12,600. Chemotherapy can claim a few triumphs, achieving true cures. But these are limited to rare 
and special cancers, such as for instance women’s cancer of pregnancy, called choriocarcinoma. A 
type of lymphatic cancer known as Burkitt’s lymphoma, found mostly in certain areas of Africa, 
has also been cured in some 50% of cases. An additional area of success has been the control of 
many acute childhood leukemias, where some 50% of child patients survived over five years. Testicular cancer is also claimed to be curable, and indeed a good number of recoveries are on 
record. Unfortunately these successes only refer to rare kinds of malignancy. The most common 
types, such as breast, prostate, lung cancer, and more recently colon cancer, have not shown a 
good response, even though chemotherapy is almost always administered in such cases. A telling and alarming summary of the use of chemotherapy in late cases was given as long 
ago as 1972 by Dr. Victor Richards in his book, Cancer—the Wayward Cell: Its Origins, Nature, 
and Treatment (Berkeley,University of California Press, 1972). In his book Richards states that 
while even palliation  (pain relief and mild tumor shrinkage) occurs only “for brief duration in 
about 5 to 10% of the cases, chemotherapy serves an extremely valuable role in keeping patients 
oriented toward proper medical therapy, and prevents the feeling of being abandoned by the 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 143Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comphysician. These potentially useful drugs may also prevent the spread of cancer quackery...”
Deploring the use of chemotherapy, Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D., writes in his book, The Cancer 
Industry: Unravelling the Politics,  Paragon House, New York, 1989: “In Richards’ view it is 
worthwhile to risk putting patients through possible nausea, vomiting, dizziness, hair loss, mouth 
sores, and even premature death simply in order to keep them ‘oriented toward proper medical 
therapy’ and away from ‘cancer quackery.’” In other words stopping them from looking for help 
other than what is provided by orthodox medicine. In most chemotherapy drug packages the 
warning states that this very drug is known to cause cancer. The seriousness of chemotherapy’s toxic effects may be best seen in an oncology nurses’ 
manual. It warns nurses who only prepare the drugs for administration that they may experience 
“significant risk” of damage to the skin, reproductive abnormalities, hematologic (blood system) 
problems, and liver and chromosomal lesions. Nurses are also instructed “to never eat, drink, 
smoke, or apply cosmetics in the drug-preparation area.” (From Questioning Chemotherapy, by 
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D., Equinox Press, 2000.) Breast Implants
These are the choice of some breast cancer patients, mainly for cosmetic reasons, but they 
can have serious health consequences. Of course it is understandable that post-mastectomy 
patients wish to make up for the loss of one or both breasts. However, there are risks in the 
procedure, depending on what materials are used for it. The worst choice is a silicone-filled pad, 
which has been known to burst and release the silicone into the surrounding tissues. In one case 
we have seen this caused serious toxicity in the entire chest area, as well as migraine headaches 
and extreme weakness, to the point where the patient became bedfast. The Gerson treatment 
cleared most of the trouble: the patient got rid of the migraines, regained her energy and was able 
to function normally. If other fillers are used, bursting is less of a problem, except that the implant is still a foreign 
material, which the body attempts to reject. It cannot do so, since the implant remains firmly in 
place; this in turn causes constant irritation, which is particularly dangerous for patients who had 
mastectomies for breast cancer. Weighing up the pros and cons of implants, it stands to reason that 
cosmetic considerations are less important than the avoidance of a recurrence. Household Help
The only serious drawback of the Gerson treatment is that it is highly work-intensive, almost 
the equivalent of a full time job. Much time, energy and sustained effort is needed to produce 
10-13 eight-ounce glasses of freshly made juice a day every hour on the hour, besides preparing 
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author .Page 144Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comthree daily meals and coffee concentrate for enemas, plus securing the constant supply of large 
amounts of organic produce needed for the smooth running of the program. The produce needs 
to be washed and prepared for juicing and cooking, salads and vegetables have to be made ready 
as near mealtimes as possible in order to safeguard their freshness—and of course all this is 
accompanied by the constant washing of dishes. Moreover, this daily routine, taking up nearly 
eight hours, must continue non-stop seven days a week. Obviously seriously ill patients, or even less ill ones, cannot cope with such a demanding 
schedule. Irrespective of their condition, patients must rest if they are to heal. This cannot be 
repeated too often, for many people, especially members of the patient’s family are not clear 
about this. Healing, the body’s heroic effort to defeat disease requires energy; a sick person’s 
already diminished energy must be reserved for that. In other words, a whole person is needed to fulfill the Therapy’s requirements. In many cases 
a spouse or some other family member is willing and able to do the work, but the intensity of the 
non-stop tasks will soon exhaust a single person. In this case a kitchen helper has to be hired and 
trained. In fact it is best to have two helpers, each one working several days a week. Choosing the right helper is important. It is unwise to engage a nurse trained in allopathic 
medicine, since she might not approve of the nutritional regime and could try to add items of 
her choice. Likewise, a ‘gourmet cook’ would probably find the Gerson way of food preparation 
difficult to handle. The ideal choice would be a kind and open-minded person, willing to be 
trained in the exact requirements of the job. Some patients have found it helpful to approach 
their Church to provide volunteers. The best way is to arrange for several volunteers to schedule 
continuous assistance, so that they take turns if one or the other is unable to attend. Since the hourly preparation of juices with all the other tasks keeps the helper busy, a cleaner 
may also be needed once or twice a week.
Healing_the_Gerson_Way.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author. Page 119Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www. thegersonway. comcontent to the essential organs. The serum potassium level, as shown in the blood test result, does 
not reflect the potassium status of the cell. Low serum potassium values may signify healing, 
because the depleted tissues are reabsorbing potassium, while high figures may be found in 
failures, because the tissues lose it. Thyroid and Lugol’s Solution
It is a fact, known since Dr. Gerson’s day, that most cancer patients are suffering from a low 
basal metabolism. Much of the problem is caused by the chlorine widely used in the purification 
of the water supply, and—worse still—by fluoride. Both remove iodine from the thyroid gland, 
thus reducing its ability to function properly. The thyroid gland regulates the metabolic rate of the 
organism, acting as its thermostat, being capable of raising temperature and producing fever; it 
also affects the immune system as well as the proper functioning of all hormone systems. When 
thyroid and iodine in the form of 1/2 strength Lugol’s solution are added to the patient’s intake, 
the immune system becomes reactivated and healing can begin. The patient’s metabolic rate has 
to be established for a correct dosage, but most cancer patients start with 5 grains of thyroid and 
18 drops of Lugol’s solution (3 drops in each of 1 orange and 5 carrot/apple juices) a day, for 
the first 3-4 weeks only. Then the amounts are reduced to 2 or 2 1⁄2 grains of thyroid and 12 
drops of Lugol’s, and subsequently adjusted according to the Gerson doctor’s instruction. Patients suffering from non-malignant diseases use the less intensive therapy (see Chapter 19 ), 
with much less thyroid and Lugol’s solution. Niacin : (common name for nicotinic acid, or Vitamin B-3) Niacin assists in the digestion 
of protein and helps to open capillary circulation, thus bringing freshly oxygenated blood (from 
the constant intake of fresh juices) to all body tissues. By improving circulation it also works to 
reduce ascites (abdominal edema) and pain. The dosage is a 50 mg tablet 6 times daily, taken 
during meals. This medication often causes the well-known “niacin flush,” a temporary reddening 
of the face and upper chest area, with some itching. This is totally harmless and passes quickly. (Do NOT switch to non-flushing niacin: it is ineffective. ) Niacin should be discontinued during 
women’s periods or in case of bleeding of any kind. Liver Capsules : The severely toxic and damaged liver of the cancer patient needs maximum 
assistance to improve its vital functions. The therapy provides this help in the form of liver 
capsules containing dried, defatted powdered liver from healthy animals. Two capsules of liver 
powder are given three times a day, with carrot-only juice. According to Dr. Virginia Livingston, 
the combination of dry liver powder with carrot juice produces abcissic acid,  a precursor of 
Vitamin A, which is essential in attacking tumor tissue. Crude Liver Injections : An additional substance given to aid in the restoration of the liver. It normally contains a small amount of Vitamin B 12. However, since virtually all cancer patients 
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To reactivate the immune system and promote healing.
What is the purpose of Lugol's solution in the Gerson Therapy?
5 grains of thyroid and 18 drops of Lugol's solution.
What is the recommended dosage of Niacin for the first 3-4 weeks of the treatment?
Stop the therapy, give no coffee enemas or juices.
What should not be done during a flare-up?
Start with 50mg daily for 5-7 days, then increase to 100mg per day, and eventually reach 500-600mg daily.
What is the recommended dosage of CoQ-10?
Double the daily yogurt intake and serve two or three meals of boiled or broiled fish, and temporarily omit the full Gerson Therapy to stop the body's self-healing activity.
What should be done to prepare the body before a surgical procedure?