Conners Modified Gerson – Basic 201

“According to Dr. Gerson’s research, the begin- ning of all chronic disease is the loss of potassium (K) from the cells and invasion of sodium (Na) into the cells, and with it water. This causes edema and the resulting malfunctions—loss of electrical potentials in the cells, improper enzyme formation, reduced cell oxidation, etc. The building of almost all enzymes requires K as a catalyst (activating agent) and is inhibited (slowed or stopped) by Na.

“In order to initiate healing then, it is essential to remove excess Na from the cells, reintroduce large amounts of K, and detoxify the system of ac- cumulated intermediary substances and other tox- ins. This is best accomplished by large amounts of K from fresh fruit and juices, detoxification through the kidneys and by enemas, and reactivation of the liver by special liver therapy.

“If this were only a theoretical assumption, it would not be worth mentioning. However, in Dr. Gerson’s many years of experience with all types of chronic disease, this process worked in practice. Degenerative disease could be reversed, eliminated, and the body healed.”—Charlotte Gerson, Appen- dix 1, A Cancer Therapy, pp. 392-393.

“A precancerous development [in the body] . . does mean the pre-stage of any kind of skin cancer, but it does mean a gradual intoxication with a loss of the normal content of the potassium group and the iodine from the tissues of vital organs. That chronic loss opens the door for the invasion of sodium, chloride and water into the cells, producing a kind of edema.

“In my opinion, it must be assumed, as a rule, that sodium and iodine favor undifferentiated, quicker growth, seen in embryos and cancer; while potassium and iodine assure a more differentiated, slower growth with normal cell division.

“Here sodium and potassium are the exponents of two minerals groups with opposite electrical potentials, keeping the body in a controlled equi- librium . .

“Iodine is necessary for higher differentiation and increased oxidation and could be used for that reason against cancer development, but not alone.”— Max Gerson, A Cancer Therapy, p. 197.

So starving the cancer cells of their sodium was an important factor in killing the cancer cell. Another was abundant, good nutrition—which would fill the body with potassium.

“Reading all the [medical] literature, I saw that all the scientists treat the symptoms. These, I thought, are only symptoms. There must be something basic behind them . . Through my work with tuberculosis, I learned that in tuberculosis and in all other degenerative diseases, one must not treat the symptoms. The body—the whole body—has to be treated . . I came to the conclusion that the most important part of our body is the digestive tract . . And at the same time eliminate all the waste prod- ucts . . The liver plays an important role. It eliminates the toxins from the body, prepares them so they can enter into the bile ducts, and can thus be eliminated with the bile;—that is not an easy job