Throughout our lives our bodies are being filled with a variety of disease and cancer causing pollutants. These toxins reach us through the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medicines we take and the water we drink. As more of these poisons are used every day and cancer rates continue to climb, being able to turn to a proven, natural, detoxifying treatment like the Gerson Therapy is not only reassuring, but necessary.

The Gerson Therapy is a powerful, natural treatment that boosts your body's own immune system to heal cancer, arthritis, heart disease, allergies, and many other degenerative diseases. One aspect of the Gerson Therapy that sets it apart from most other treatment methods is its all-encompassing nature. An abundance of nutrients from thirteen fresh, organic juices are consumed every day, providing your body with a superdose of enzymes, minerals and nutrients. These substances then break down diseased tissue in the body, while enemas aid in eliminating the lifelong buildup of toxins from the liver.

With its whole-body approach to healing, the Gerson Therapy naturally reactivates your body's magnificent ability to heal itself - with no damaging side-effects. Over 200 articles in respected medical literature, and thousands of people cured of their "incurable" diseases document the Gerson Therapy's effectiveness. The Gerson Therapy is one of the few treatments to have a 60 year history of success.

Although its philosophy of cleansing and reactivating the body is simple, the Gerson Therapy is a complex method of treatment requiring significant attention to detail. While many patients have made full recoveries practicing the Gerson Therapy on their own, for best results we encourage starting treatment at a Gerson Institute licensed treatment center.

The Gerson therapy has been developed by the German Physician Dr. Max Gerson to treat cancer and other diseases. It is based on the role of minerals, enzymes, and other dietary factors. There are 3 key parts to the therapy:

Diet: Organic fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to give the body plenty of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients. The fruits and vegetables are low in sodium (salt) and high in potassium.
Supplementation: The addition of certain substances to the diet to help correct cell metabolism (the chemical changes that take place in a cell to make energy and basic materials needed for the body's life processes).
Detoxification: Treatments, including enemas, to remove toxic (harmful) substances from the body.

The Gerson therapy is based on the idea that cancer develops when there are changes in cell metabolism because of the buildup of toxic substances in the body. Dr. Gerson said the disease process makes more toxins and the liver becomes overworked. According to Dr. Gerson, people with cancer also have too much sodium and too little potassium in the cells in their bodies, which causes tissue damage and weakened organs.

The goal of the Gerson therapy is to restore the body to health by repairing the liver and returning the metabolism to its normal state. According to Dr. Gerson, this can be done by removing toxins from the body and building up the immune system with diet and supplements. The enemas are said to widen the bile ducts of the liver so toxins can be released. According to Dr. Gerson, the liver is further overworked as the treatment regimen breaks down cancer cells and rids the body of toxins. Pancreatic enzymes are given to decrease the demands on the weakened liver and pancreas to make enzymes for digestion. An organic diet and nutritional supplements are used to boost the immune system and support the body as the regimen cleans the body of toxins. Foods low in sodium and high in potassium are said to help correct the tissue damage caused by having too much sodium in the cells.

How is the Gerson therapy administered?

The Gerson therapy requires that the many details of its treatment plan be followed exactly. Some key parts of the regimen include the following:

Drinking 13 glasses of juice a day. The juice must be freshly made from organic fruits and vegetables and be taken once every hour.
Eating vegetarian meals of organically grown fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Taking a number of supplements, including:
Potassium.
Lugol's Solution (potassium iodide, iodine, and water).
Coenzyme Q10 injected with vitamin B12. (The original regimen used crude liver extract instead of coenzyme Q10.)
Vitamins A, C, and B3 (niacin).
Flaxseed oil.
Pancreatic enzymes.
Pepsin (a stomach enzyme).
Taking coffee or chamomile enemas regularly to remove toxins from the body.
Preparing food without salt, spices, or oils, and without using aluminum cookware or utensils.

The following studies of the Gerson therapy were published:

In 1983-1984, a retrospective study of 38 patients treated with the Gerson therapy was done. Medical records were not available to the authors of the study; information came from patient interviews. These case reviews did not provide information that supports the usefulness of the Gerson therapy for treating cancer.
In 1990, a study of a diet regimen similar to the Gerson therapy was done in Austria. The patients received standard treatment along with the special diet. The authors of the study reported that the diet appeared to help patients live longer than usual and have fewer side effects. The authors said it needed further study.
In 1995, the Gerson Research Organization did a retrospective study of their melanoma patients who were treated with the Gerson therapy. The study reported that patients who had stage III or stage IV melanoma lived longer than usual for patients with these stages of melanoma. There have been no clinical trials that support the findings of this retrospective study.
A case review of 6 patients with metastatic cancer who used the Gerson therapy reported that the regimen helped patients in some ways, both physically and psychologically. Based on these results, the reviewers recommended that clinical trials of the Gerson therapy be conducted.

Dr. Vaman
www.medaku.com

I came across this authentic research explanation on the mechanism how acupuncture works. I am sharing this in this forum.

Acupuncture is a procedure in which fine needles are inserted into an individual at discrete points and then manipulated, with the intent of relieving pain. Since its development in China around 2,000 B.C., acupuncture has become worldwide in its practice1. Although Western medicine has treated acupuncture with considerable skepticism2, a broader worldwide population has granted it acceptance. For instance, the World Health Organization endorses acupuncture for at least two dozen conditions3 and the US National Institutes of Health issued a consensus statement proposing acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention for complementary medicine. Perhaps most tellingly, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service approved acupuncture as a deductible medical expense in 1973.

Although the analgesic effect of acupuncture is well documented, little is understood about its biological basis. Insertion of the acupuncture needles in itself is not sufficient to relieve pain4. An acupuncture session typically lasts for 30 min, during which the needles are intermittently rotated, electrically stimulated or, in some cases, heated. The pain threshold is reported to slowly increase and to outlast the treatment4. The primary mechanism implicated in the anti-nociceptive effect of acupuncture involves release of opioid peptides in the CNS in response to the long-lasting activation of ascending sensory tracks during the intermittent stimulation4–6. However, a centrally acting agent cannot explain why acupuncture is conventionally applied in close proximity to the locus of pain and why the analgesic effects of acupuncture are restricted to the ipsilateral side7,8.

RESULTS
Acupuncture triggers adenosine and ATP metabolites release

ATP is released in response to either mechanical and electrical stimulation or heat. Once released, ATP acts as a transmitter that binds to purinergic receptors, including P2X and P2Y receptors9,10. ATP cannot be transported back into the cell but is rapidly degraded to adenosine by several ectonucleotidases before re-uptake10. Thus, adenosine acts as an analgesic agent that suppresses pain through Gi-coupled A1-adenosine receptors11–13. To determine whether adenosine is involved in the anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture, we first asked whether the extracellular concentration of adenosine increases during acupuncture.

We collected samples of interstitial fluid by a microdialysis probe implanted in the tibialis anterior muscle/subcutis of adult mice at a distance of 0.4–0.6 mm from the ‘Zusanli point’, which is located 3–4 mm
below and 1–2 mm lateral for the midline of the knee4. Adenine nucleotides and adenosine were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet absorbance before, during and after acupuncture (Fig. 1a)14,15. At baseline, the concentrations of ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine were in the low nanomolar range (Fig. 1b), consistent with previous reports16,17. Acupuncture applied by gentle manual rotation of the acupuncture needle every 5 min for a total of 30 min sharply increased the extracellular concentrations of all purines detected (Fig. 1b).

Adenosine concentration increased ~24-fold (253.5 ± 81.1 nM from a baseline of 10.6 ± 6.7 nM) during the 30-min acupuncture session (Fig. 1c). The extracellular concentration of ATP returned to baseline after acupuncture, whereas adenosine, AMP and ADP remained significantly elevated (adenosine and AMP, P < 0.01; ADP, P < 0.05, paired t test compared to 0 min) at 60 min (Fig. 1c). Notably, previous studies have shown that deep brain stimulation is also associated with a severalfold increase in extracellular ATP and adenosine. Similar to electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation delivers electrical stimulation that triggers an increase in extracellular adenosine concentration18.


© 2010 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.
nature neuroscience


1Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA. 2Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 3National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. 4These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence should be addressed to M.N.

Received 16 March; accepted 27 April; published online 30 May 2010; doi:10.1038/nn.2562
Adenosine A1 receptors mediate local anti-nociceptive effects of acupuncture
Nanna Goldman1,4, Michael Chen1,4, Takumi Fujita1,4, Qiwu Xu1, Weiguo Peng1, Wei Liu1, Tina K Jensen1,
Yong Pei1, Fushun Wang1, Xiaoning Han1, Jiang-Fan Chen2, Jurgen Schnermann3, Takahiro Takano1,
Lane Bekar1, Kim Tieu1 & Maiken Nedergaard1

Nasal rinsing ( Jal Neti) has a long history amongst Yoga, meditation and breathing exercise enthusiasts. Many people consider routine nasal rinsing to be as much a part of their personal hygiene as teeth brushing and bathing. The constant exposure to air pollution, secondhand
smoke, breathing bacteria, and mucus-forming diets makes this form of personal hygiene particularly important today. I see a number of patients with asthma, chronic cough, frequent URT infections every day in Chennai. This simple procedure ( that costs nothing!) can provide huge relief & even eradicate mild conditions. Please share this with all your patients to breathe free to a healthy life.

Chronic low-grade infection in the nasal passages and sinuses is very widespread today. Japanese medical research has associated this with a wide range of health problems. Aside from the obvious respiratory system afflictions like sinusitis, chronic cough and asthma, nasopharyngitis affects the body through a number of mechanisms:

1. Chronic focal infection can eventually become systemic and cause inflammation and/or weakness of soft tissue (fascia, ligaments, tendons and muscles) throughout the body. Soft tissue dysfunctions as wide ranging as sciatica, neck pain, shoulder pain, TMJ, diaphragmatic
problems and fibromyalgia have been successfully treated in part or completely through long-term cleansing of the nasopharyngeal system.

2. Unresolved infection chronically stresses many of the coping mechanisms of the body, resulting in fatigue of and imbalances in the autonomic nervous system. For example, Physicians in Japan have successfully treated illnesses involving autonomic nervous system
imbalance such as essential hypertension and depression by resolving chronic nasal and sinus infection through the rinsing program described below.

3. Sinus congestion puts pressure on the sphenoid bone, which in turn can affect pituitary functioning and, with this, the entire hormonal system (the pituitary gland is one of the control towers of the body’s hormonal system).

At the very least, a routine nasopharyngeal rinsing program will provide you with improved sense of smell, improved sense of taste, a heightened clarity of thought, and increased sense of vitality.

Required Materials:
A Nasal Rinsing Device (dropper or netty pot), Bancha tea or echinacea and goldenseal combination, sea salt.
Preparation of Nasal Rinsing Solution:

Prepare a rinsing solution with a pinch of sea salt for every quarter of a cup of strong green tea (Bancha tea).

The point is to create

a hypertonic solution so that water does not cause swelling of the tissues. Salt content can be adjusted, as you become familiar with the procedure. Bring the solution to body temperature, by cooling it or mixing in some cold water.

The Rinsing Procedure:
- Fill the nasal rinsing device with the solution.
- Hang your head over a bathtub or sink.
- Place your thumb over the large hole on the rinsing device.
- Rotate your head 90 degrees to the right.
- Plug your left nostril.
- Insert the tapered hole of the device into your right nostril.
- Release your thumb from the large hole.
- Allow the solution to drain by gravity (do not inhale) into your nose.
- The solution will eventually work its way to the back of your throat (this may not occur the first time, but when it does, spit the
solution out)
- Perform this procedure with at least two rinsing device volumes through each nostril.
- After each volume, gently blow out through the rinsed nostril to expel loosened material (plugging the opposite nostril while you do this)
Frequently Encountered Problems / Concerns:
Depending on how congested your system is, you may find it takes several times before the procedure runs smoothly. It may take several times before encrusted material is moistened and dislodged. Do not force things. Be patient.

The rinsing procedure may produce uncomfortable burning sensations and headaches the first few times you try this. You may need to adjust the salt content. You may need to ensure you are not using chlorinated tap water. But be patient. After a few days, these problems will pass and you will be on to a brighter and clearer experience. Do not stop at the first signs of discomfort.
You can perform this with water and sea salt but the green tea is found to have an antibacterial effect. Some people also use 10-15 drops of Echinacea tincture (or equal proportions of Echinacea, Goldenseal and Dandelion) with the sea salt.

It is important to eventually run the solution through your nostril to the back of your throat.
It is important not to inhale when allowing the solution to drain into your nostril by gravity.
To obtain lasting and maximum benefit, it is very important to commit to this procedure 4-5 times a week for up to 2 months at a time

Some additional information for Doctors

Nasopharyngitis

Traditionally, the upper respiratory system is the first system in the body to be attacked by external pathogenic factors. These “attacks” will mostly present as ENT (ear, nose throat)
infections, acute common colds and/or the flu. If the pathogenic factor is not treated, it may proceed and invade the inner layers of the body, influencing and disturbing all systems1. In some cases, when the invading pathogenic factor is not sufficiently treated, the patient may appear healthy from a symptomatic point of view but some pathogenic bacteria, virus and/or
fungi may remain alive and they will reside in a hidden location which the initial (sometimes partial) treatment did not reach. This focal infection2 can reside in the body for years, weaken the immune system and erupt every time the body is stressed and/or weakened. In this case,
the upper respiratory system (usually the sinuses, oropharynx and the nasopharynx) may be the
origin of many systemic disturbances.

Upper respiratory system disorders may be caused by and, in turn, cause a multitude of systemic imbalances. For example, the liver may be disturbed by a chronic cough or visa versa;
a swollen liver pressing against the diaphragm might cause a chronic cough. Before treating
specific points for disorders such as asthma, cough or sinus infections, one must find and treat
the underlying causes for the upper respiratory system weakness. Often this weakness stems from the nasopharynx.

According to Shinsaku Horiguchi, M.D., Ph.D. the chronic disturbance of a latent (or hidden) infection at the nasopharynx may cause a multitude of local and systemic problems such as asthma, dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, autonomic nervous system disturbances as well as digestive system disorders, etc.
The chronic swelling of the nasopharyngeal lymph
nodes (pharyngeal tonsil) may press against the first
and second vertebrae (Illustration 67) and cause neck
and shoulder pain as well as chronic headaches,
problems with the upper limbs, etc.

This chronic swelling may also cause an exhaustion of
the immune system resulting in recurring episodes of
common cold and the flu as well as recurring sinus and
ear infections.

Deviation of nasal septum - This condition may be one
of the causes of chronic nasopharyngitis as well as
create a susceptibility to recurring sinus infections
(which, in turn, weakens the immune system).

NASOPHARYNGEAL RINSING

The nasopharyngeal rinsing is a very effective method to eliminate the focal infection and the disturbance field associated with it. This physical treatment of the nasopharynx washes pollutants, pollen, bacteria as well as fungus away and keeps the tonsilar tissue in this area from swelling as well as reduces the possibility for infections. Dr. Horiguchi used to cauterize the
nasoparynx with special instruments dipped into a solution of 1% ZnCl. He used two procedures
for this cauterization, one entering through the nasal cavity and the second through the mouth. In
an acupuncture practice, a sea salt, echinacea and golden seal mixture or a sea salt and Bancha
tea mixture are recommended. The proportions are as follows: In a 1/4 glass of luke-warm water,
one pinch of sea salt should be mixed with ten to fifteen drops of echinacea and goldenseal
tincture8 (one can also use an equal mixture of Echinacea, Goldenseal and Dandelion). A quarter
glass of strong Bancha tea with a pinch of sea salt mixed in it can be used as well.
A dropper full of the above-described mixture should be inserted into the nostril while keeping the head up so that the solution can run through the nose into the throat (Illustration 68). Once the solution is in the throat the patient should spit it out.
Two droppers full are used in each nostril, twice a day. The patient should be reminded that it is very important for the fluid to pass through the nose into the throat.
The following page is an example instruction sheet given to patients who should be on the nasopharyingeal rinsing protocol.
Shinsaku Horiguchi, M.D., Ph.D., used a special instrument to reach the nasopharyngeal area (Illustration 69). His treatments consisted of swiping the nasopharynx with a 1% zinc chloride solution. He would treat a patient twice or three times a week for several weeks until the symptoms associated with chronic nasopharyngitis would disappear.