The Gerson therapy was developed by Dr Max Gerson in the 1920's when he inadvertently came across a natural treatment for many chronic illnesses while trying to cure himself of migraine.
The main components of this revolutionary healing therapy include organic foods, juicing, coffee enemas, detoxification and natural supplements.
The Gerson therapy has been used to successfully treat many chronic illnesses including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, herniated discs, thyroid problems and arthritis.
The aim of this therapy is to detoxify the body and replace the toxins with the nutrients that the body needs to operate at its maximum potential.
As Charlotte Gerson, the daughter of Dr Gerson and founder of the Gerson Institute, says 'The body cannot be sick if it is being fed healthy organic produce'.
Patients of the Gerson therapy are given a glass of fresh fruit juice every hour.
This organic juice is rich in the nutrients, enzymes and minerals that the body has been lacking for all these years.
According to Dr Gerson "We give a fresh glass of juice every hour: five glasses of apple-carrot juice, three glasses of plain carrot juice and we give liver capsules with it, four glasses of juice from leafy type greens rich in chlorophyll, iron, nutrients and enzymes.
" In addition to the juices three vegetarian meals are served daily with a fruit plate.
All of this goodness goes through the kidneys and into the tissues to flush all of the toxins out.
The toxins then pass into the blood stream where it is important to help the liver to flush them out of the body, in order to avoid over-burdening it.
This is done with coffee enemas and is a crucial part of the healing process.
We are generally advised by health professionals that meat is important for building strength, but Dr Gerson felt that animal protein was one of the most cancer causing foods and it is not allowed as part of the Gerson Therapy.
At the Karolinska Institute in Sweden a study showed that when any kind of meat is heated to 212 degrees the protein in the meat changed into toxic amides that are highly carcinogenic.
Another study at the University of California found that children that eat three hot dogs a week have a 10-12 times higher incidence of leukemia and brain tumors and cancer.
Another important piece of the puzzle is high potassium levels as opposed to sodium levels.
Pancreatic enzymes are supplemented because they eat away at the protective layer on tumors and allow our body's natural defenses to attack the it.
The liver plays an important part and must be functioning above 35% in order to prevent disease.
The Gerson Clinics in San Diego, Mexico and Warsaw, Poland have had success treating chronic illness for many decades.
As difficult as it may be to believe, it is illegal to treat cancer with alternative methods to chemotherapy and surgery in nearly all western nations including the USA and the UK, and this is why Charlotte Gerson was forced to go abroad to treat patients with this revolutionary healing system.
A study in Japan has found that the Gerson therapy has a 50% cure rate for terminal cancer patients.
The large pharmaceutical companies have a vested interest in the multi-million pound cancer industry and for this reason there does seem to be some resistance to accepting a cheap, natural preventative cure.
For example, on the Cancer Research Website they advise that the Gerson therapy and its fruit juices can be dangerous and promote chemotherapy, one of the most destructive things you can do to your body, as preferable.
We have a long way to go towards taking a more holistic view of our health something Dr.
Gerson was aware of back in 1920.