Research into Gerson therapy
There is no evidence to show that Gerson therapy works as a cure for cancer. A review in the USA by the National Cancer Institute in 2010 found no evidence that it helped people with cancer.
A UK study of 6 patients in the UK in 2007 found that this type of therapy seemed to help people feel better emotionally and reduce their need for painkillers. But the number of patients is very small and so these findings may not be reliable.
It is difficult to draw conclusions from the research that has been done so far. This is because record keeping in the studies was generally quite poor. It is also partly because the therapy itself is very complex and goes on over months or years. During this time, people are often having conventional treatment for their cancer, varying their food and drink intake, and being exposed to a variety of environmental factors that may or may not have an effect.
Some people who promote the Gerson diet give only anecdotal evidence. They use stories about the occasional person getting better as evidence that the therapy works. But scientists and cancer doctors agree that this is not enough evidence to prove that a therapy works. We can't know what other treatments or interventions people may have used, or even if the diagnosis and medical history provided is reliable for a single individual. Before you can be sure of the true benefit of any treatment, you need to compare new treatments with accepted and proven ones within a properly organised series of clinical trials.
