AAP FACTCHECK – A strict health routine called “Gerson therapy” that includes coffee enemas is an effective way of treating people’s cancer, social media users claim.
This is false. Cancer councils, research bodies and oncology experts say Gerson therapy is ineffective for treating cancer and can be highly dangerous.
The “treatment” was developed by German-American Dr Max Gerson in the 1920s and 1930s.
It involves a strict diet that emphasises fresh fruit and vegetable juice, high potassium intake, and low or no sodium, fats or animal protein.
Another key part of the therapy is regularly pouring coffee into the rectum.
This routine supposedly rids the body of toxins and strengthens the immune system which brings the body back to its normal metabolic state so the body can heal itself.
Various social media posts claim Gerson therapy can cure cancer.
“Want to heal your cancer without chemo?” one post reads.
“Look up The Gerson Therapy by Max Gerson. If you give your body what it needs, it will heal itself.”
Another post claims that adding coffee enemas to the Gerson nutrition protocols resulted in them “killing the cancer, dissolving tumors AND getting it OUT of the body”.
John Dwyer, an emeritus professor of medicine at UNSW, said in some cases, following such a treatment plan could either directly kill a patient, or kill them by turning them away from scientifically established therapies.
“There is no evidence that the Gerson regimen can cure cancer,” he told AAP FactCheck.
The Australian Cancer Council described Gerson therapy as “not a valid or effective treatment for cancer”.
The council stated online that it should never be taken instead of treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Cancer Research UK also wrote online that there’s no scientific evidence supporting the use of the therapy as a cancer treatment.
It cites a US National Cancer Institute (NCI) review which found no evidence that it helped people with cancer.
Cancer Research UK also noted that coffee enemas have been known to cause infections, dehydration, fits, salt and other mineral imbalances, heart and lung problems, and death, and that regular, long-term use of enemas can weaken the bowel muscle.
A 2020 review of case reports found three deaths associated with self-administered coffee enemas.
Surgical oncologist Professor David Gorski told AAP FactCheck there’s no plausible biological mechanisms by which coffee enemas could exert anticancer effects.
“The coffee enemas do nothing to ‘detoxify’ the ‘metabolic toxins’ from the ‘dissolving tumour masses’ — or detoxify anything else,” Prof Gorski said.
He added that “the nutrition part of Gerson’s protocol does not ‘dissolve the tumour masses’.”
Medical oncologist Professor Ian Olver said there’s no well-constructed trials that would support the Gerson diet or coffee enemas as being effective in treating cancer, and noted the risk of serious side effects.
The Verdict
False — The claim is inaccurate.
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