Dr. Max Gerson: The Man Big Pharma Tried to Erase (and His Healing Soup Recipe)

They called him a quack. They tried to erase his name. But his patients — some with terminal cancer — walked away healed.

This is the story of Dr. Max Gerson, the German-born physician who pioneered a nutritional therapy so effective against degenerative diseases — including cancer — that the U.S. Congress held hearings on it.

And then Big Pharma crushed it.

Once you've read this blog, check out our blog on compounds for cancer support.

Gerson Testifies Before Congress — and the Truth Is Buried

In 1946, Dr. Gerson presented 10 documented, terminal cancer cases to the U.S. Senate at the Pepper–Neely Anti-Cancer Bill (S.1875) hearings.

He didn’t just show testimonials — he brought:

• X-rays
• Lab reports
• Biopsy records
• Physician affidavits

He had real patients, fully recovered, sitting in the courtroom.

His work was entered into the Congressional Record, and S.1875 aimed to allocate $100 million toward funding non-toxic, nutritional cancer therapies.

Then Big Pharma lobbyists stepped in.
The bill was killed.
The mainstream media blacked it out.
And Gerson’s published research disappeared from U.S. medical libraries within a decade.

His daughter, Charlotte Gerson, later claimed her father was poisoned and murdered while working on his final book. 

What Dr. Gerson Believed

Dr. Gerson believed that chronic disease — including cancer — is caused by two main factors:

• Toxicity
  • from processed food, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, metabolic waste
  • Leading to sluggish liver, cellular poisoning, and immune dysfunction
• Nutritional deficiency
  • due to soil depletion, processed foods, poor digestion, and enzyme loss
  • Leading to poor cellular repair, hormone imbalance, and mitochondrial collapse
    

Dr. Gerson saw cancer not as a localized tumor to be cut or radiated — but as a systemic breakdown of metabolism and detox pathways.

His therapy was designed to:

• Flood the body with nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants
• Detoxify deeply at the cellular level
• Restore liver function and potassium/sodium balance
• Rebuild the immune system

Juicing, Enemas, and Cellular Detox

At the heart of the Gerson Therapy are two main protocols:

1. Fresh Organic Juices

13 times per day, every hour (never without coffee enemas, to prevent autointoxication, which can lead to severe poisoning and even death)

• Cold-pressed juices deliver live enzymes, vitamins, and minerals straight into the bloodstream.
• Juices bypass digestion and directly feed cells.

Why it works:
Gerson believed that disease can’t thrive in a nutrient-dense, oxygen-rich internal environment. Juices restore that environment quickly.

2. Coffee Enemas

Yes, coffee — but rectally.

• Caffeine stimulates the liver’s bile ducts
• Encourages glutathione production of up to 700% (the body’s master antioxidant)
• Flushes out toxins through the colon instead of recirculating them

Click here to get your coffee enema kit

Gerson used up to 5 enemas per day, especially for cancer patients.

Important Disclosure: Gerson Therapy should only be done under trained supervision. If done incorrectly (especially coffee enemas or potassium supplementation), it can lead to electrolyte imbalances or toxicity.

The Potassium-Sodium Balance Principle

Gerson taught that modern diets overload the body with sodium and starve it of potassium — creating cellular dehydration and dysfunction.

Sick cells swell with sodium and lose their electrical charge.
Potassium, he believed, was key to restoring mitochondrial function and flushing sodium out.

So he banned:

• All salt and sodium
• Baking soda
• Preserved or packaged foods

And he loaded patients up with potassium from fresh plants and a potassium compound supplement.

Gerson-Approved Potassium-Rich Foods

These are emphasized heavily in his protocol:

• Carrots 
• Leafy greens (chard, kale, spinach) 
• Potatoes (white & sweet) 
• Apples 
• Tomatoes 
• Oranges 
• Bananas 
• Beets and beet greens
• Celery
• Avocados 
• Parsley and herbs 
• Squash & zucchini

All organic and prepared without salt, oil, or frying.

Gerson-Approved Shopping List

• Organic carrots (25–40 lbs/week)
• Organic apples (green preferred)
• Celery
• Leafy greens (spinach, chard, romaine, kale)
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes (russet & sweet)
• Garlic & onions
• Lemons
• Beets
• Parsley
• Non-irradiated organic coffee (for enemas)
• Distilled water
  
• Enema kit 
• Cold press juicer

The Official Gerson Hippocrates Soup Recipe

This soup was part of every patient’s daily intake — designed to gently detox the kidneys, provide electrolytes, and nourish the gut.

Dr. Gerson’s Hippocrates Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium celery root (or 3–4 celery stalks)
• 1 medium parsley root (or handful fresh parsley)
• Garlic (1–2 cloves)
• 2 small leeks or 1 large leek
• 1½ lbs tomatoes
• 1 lb potatoes
• 1 medium onion

Instructions:

1. Wash but do not peel (peels contain minerals)
2. Chop roughly and simmer on low for 2–3 hours
3. Press through food mill (no blenders — oxygen destroys nutrients)
4. Consume fresh, daily

Gerson believed this soup nourished the “detox organs” (liver, kidneys, gut) and helped restore electrolyte balance. It is low in sodium and rich in bioavailable potassium and enzymes.

Want to learn more?

Check out these additional resources:

• Check out our blog on compounds for cancer support.
• Book: A Cancer Therapy: Results of 50 Cases – by Dr. Max Gerson
• Book: The Gerson Therapy: The Proven Nutritional Program to Fight Cancer and Other Illnesses  
• Film: The Gerson Miracle (2004 documentary)
• Clinic: Gerson Health Centre (Tijuana, Mexico)

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