Gerson therapy, coffee enemas and 'detox' regimens
The Gerson regimen prescribes hourly juices, a strict low-salt vegetarian diet, supplements and several coffee enemas a day, and is sold at clinics in Mexico. It has never shown benefit in any controlled study, and coffee enemas have caused fatal electrolyte disturbances and infections.
Overview
Developed by Max Gerson in the 1930s and promoted for cancer since the 1940s, the regimen claims to detoxify the body and restore metabolism. The NCI PDQ summary finds no controlled trials showing benefit; a 1990s retrospective comparison of melanoma patients from the Gerson Institute lacked a valid control group, and a 2010 prospective study of a related metabolic regimen (Gonzalez, pancreatic enzymes) in pancreatic cancer found survival about a third that of patients on gemcitabine. Coffee enemas have caused deaths from hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia, septicaemia from Campylobacter and amoebae in unpasteurised liver juice, and rectal burns. The regimen is demanding and expensive and, because it usually replaces chemotherapy, is associated with the worse survival seen in alternative-medicine users generally. Alkaline, 'anti-cancer' and juice-cleanse diets share the same lack of evidence without the enema hazards.
How it works
No mechanism; the 'toxins' are undefined and the liver and kidneys do not require enemas or juices to function.
- Widely known, so evidence-based counselling is possible
- No controlled evidence of benefit
- Deaths from electrolyte disturbance and infection
- Usually replaces effective treatment
Latest papers
topQuery for this technology: (TITLE:"Gerson therapy, coffee enemas and 'detox' regimens" OR ABSTRACT:"Gerson therapy, coffee enemas and 'detox' regimens") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Gerson therapy, coffee enemas and 'detox' regimens, not a curated reading list.
Pages like this
not linked directly; found by shared links- TechnologyLaetrile (amygdalin, 'vitamin B17')
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care, evidence:harm.
- TechnologyEssiac, Hoxsey and other 'herbal cancer cures'
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
- TechnologyBlack salve and other escharotic pastes
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Misinformation and unproven therapies, Melanoma and the tags complementary, supportive-care, evidence:harm.
- TechnologyCurcumin and turmeric
Shares Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets), Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
- TechnologyMistletoe extracts (Iscador, Helixor)
Shares Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies, Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Melanoma and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
- TechnologySt John's wort: an interaction to avoid
Shares Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care, evidence:harm.
- TechnologyAntineoplastons (Burzynski clinic)
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.
- TechnologyFenbendazole, ivermectin and other internet 'repurposed cures'
Shares Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment, Evidence-based integrative oncology, Misinformation and unproven therapies and the tags complementary, supportive-care.