Gerson and baked potatoes

AnnE16

Why does Gerson use baked potatoes in their therapy when I would consider potatoes "white" and starchy food which I thought shouldn't be consumed if you have cancer.  Any ideas?  Any one tried the Gerson diet?

sweetbean

Smiley, Look up the Wellness Warrior in Australia.  She used the Gerson Therapy for a bone cancer and her mother is using it now for BC.  She has a ton of info on Gerson, plus a lot of recipes.

mimikitty

I have the same question as Smiley2.  I followed the Gerson diet from shortly after diagnosis to my surgery date.  I was eating the potatoes and oatmeal religiously until a nutritionist I interviewed advised me against white potatoes due to the high glycemic index that should be avoided for breast cancer.  Since then, I've switched over to sweet potatoes and yams which have a lower value.  I'm now considering glycemic index for all my starch intake.  The nutritionist said I should consume starches that contain no more than 55 at each meal.

Thank you sweetbean for the website recommendation.  She has an amazing story and a wonderful website!

sweetbean

It's very informative about the Gerson Therapy, for sure, which is why I recommended it. I'm not certain how successful it is for her, though.  She hasn't posted any pictures of her arms and I saw a recent comment on one of her blogs posts where she said that some of her tumors had broken through the skin.  She said that it was her body expelling them, but I am extremely skeptical.    Sounds like progression to me.

I think a lot of the recipes look good and very anti-cancer, however, and may be great to include in your treatment strategy.  I would not recommend the Gerson Therapy as a "stand alone" cancer treatment.

mimikitty

Yikes!  I considered using the Gerson therapy alone very early on after my diagnosis.  However, I got frightened when I noticed my tumor seemed to grow, which I could feel as time progressed and was confirmed by the final pathology.  Since my cancer was early stage, I decided not to risk a currently good prognosis with alternative therapy alone.  I did the surgery and am finishing radiation this week.  However, I don't plan on using Tamoxifen and am seeking nutritional/lifestyle changes to supplement that.

candygurl

The Gerson protocol involves feeding the body a low sodium and high potassium diet. According to Charlotte G., an imbalance can feed tumors. And so potatoes are included because they are one of the top sources of potassium. An average white potato has about 700mg of potassium, whereas an average sweet potato only has 300mg. It's important to follow alternative protocols to a"T" otherwise you might not get positive results.  Most failures are from not following the plan correctly.

Some people try to combine different alternative treatments.  They want to throw everything at the cancer, which makes no sense. You have to follow the instructions correctly.  Before playing doctor, you may want to do your research first or speak with an ND. Often many alternative treatments should NOT be used with ANY OTHER alternative cancer treatments or conventional treatments or certain foods.

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The quote below was taken from curezone.com's cancer support alternative forum.   

"The Potassium-Sodium Balance

In the years following Dr. Gerson's death, scientific research in a number of areas has provided explanations of and support for some of the fundamental principles of the Gerson Therapy, including potassium supplementation, sodium restriction, thyroid supplementation, protein restriction, and the use of coffee enemas for detoxification.

The primary focus of the Gerson Therapy is the restoration of the balance between cellular water and salt through potassium supplementation (in the form of potassium gluconate, phosphate, and acetate salts) and strict avoidance of sodium intake. Several papers published since Gerson's death provide a possible theoretical rationale for this aspect of the Gerson Therapy. (2, 15, 16)

The research of Freeman Cope, M.D., has been the most important in explaining the potential value of Gerson's high-potassium, low-sodium regime. Dr. Cope was a salt and water biophysicist, and has been called the father of modern supra-molecular biology.

As summarized in a lecture by Gar Hildenbrand (11), Dr. Cope's work demonstrated that by controlling the types of salts and the water content at the cellular level, one can improve cellular function, regulate cellular energy production, and restore cellular integrity. "

sweetbean

This woman has followed the Gerson Therapy to a T, no doubt.  She says she is cured - I hope that is the case.  But I was really surprised to read her post about her tumors coming through the skin.  That doesn't sound like success to me.  I actually contacted her to ask about it.  I'll let you know what she says.

I think my main issue with the Gerson Therapy is that it is so difficult that most people can't do it.  I mean, how many people can take a  year or two off work to do all the juicing and enemas?  It's definitely not a protocol you could follow with a full-time job.   

mimikitty

Zuvart, thanks for the comments about potassium as that answers the question I had for a while.

Sweetbean, yes, please keep us posted on her reply if you hear back.  I'm very interested to know as well.  I do wish her the best as it seems she is very dedicated to her health as well as sharing what she has learned with others.

sweetbean

Yes, her website is very interesting and great from a health standpoint.  Lots of cool stuff.  I'll keep you posted.

Momine

Mimi, you might want to discuss an ooph with your doc. For early stage ER+ cancer that can give a lot of protection, and it is relatively "easy" in most cases. I can understand your reluctance to go on tamox.

mimikitty

Thank you Momine, but there is no way I would remove my ovaries, which contains a number of other side effects.  Also, I want to get pregnant after some time has passed after this treatment.  I read some preliminary studies showed there is no increased risk of recurrance from pregnancy after treatment and that it may actually help to reduce the risk of recurrance due to reduction of estrogen levels during pregnancy.