In my quest to become more healthy and active, I came across the Gerson Therapy. Proponents of the Gerson Therapy herald it as a cure for cancer ignored by the Cancer Treatment industry. I have also heard it used for conditions including Fibromyalgia, Lupus, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
I am not a doctor and I don't claim to be. I will try to link you to information pro and con and let you decide for yourself if this is something you want in your arsenal. As with all things, consult your doctor first.
When I first started looking into relief for a few friends with fibromyalgia I came across this video of Denae's story:
(Source)
Proposed Benefits:
- Coffee Cleanse dilates the bile ducts. It also dilates the bile canaliculi (small collectors of bile produced in the liver), AND stimulates them to release bile into the pathways leading to the gallbladder.
- Theobromine and theophylline [found in coffee] ...reduce inflammation in the gut.
- Coffee cleanse greatly reduces or completely eliminates 'Herxheimer effect:' Herxheimer effect typically occurs during body detoxification when the body cannot eliminate released toxins fast enough. Headaches, tiredness, brain fog and other uncomfortable symptoms are typical of Herxheimer effect.
- Visceral nervous system stimulation engendered by the enema fluid increases peristalsis. This speeds the elimination of the toxic bile.
- Coffee cleanse enhances the blood purifying action of the liver... Because
the fluid is retained in the sigmoid colon for at least 15 minutes, and
its beneficial compounds go to the liver via the portal vein, coffee
enema can be likened to a form of blood dialysis. (It is sometimes
referred to as 'caffeine dialysis').
This is because every 3 minutes, the liver filters all the blood in your body. In 15 minutes of retaining the enema, your blood is super-cleansed by the liver five times! - Coffee contains choleretics, substances that increase the flow of toxin-rich bile from the gallbladder. The coffee enema may be among the only pharmaceutically effective choleretics noted in the medical literature that can be safely used many times daily without toxic effects.
Here is the best description I could find on why coffee enemas work:
Glutathione is the primary antioxidant that is prevalent in every cell in the human body.Glutathione is primarily synthesized in the liver where it is abundantly present.Glutathione participates in leukotrinene synthesis for WBC mobilization and is a cofactorfor the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (cellular antioxidant)
The palmitic acid in caffeine increases the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) by600% in the liver and a 700% increase in detoxification in the small intestine.
GST(glutathione S-transferase) makes excess free radicals water soluble for easyelimination from the cells and the body and blocks and detoxifies carcinogens.GST, binds bilirubin and its glucuronides so that they can be eliminated from thehepatocytes (liver cells).
The liver thus uses glutathione to neutralize poisons, e.g., alcohol, caffeine, medications,nicotine, and remove them from the blood. (The amino acid, Cysteine is the limitingfactor as N-acetyl-Cysteine (NAC), in glutathione synthesis, ensuring an adequate supplyof glutathione helps cleanse the blood of toxins and substances.)
80-90% of the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. Theblood carries important nutrients to the liver where they are metabolized into substancesvital to life.
In the same way, exogenous toxic substances reach the liver where they are eitheractivated or transformed into less toxic derivatives. Glutathione plays a crucial role in theliver’s biotransformation system. Biotransformation in Phase One denatures (inactivates)the toxin and Phase Two makes the toxin water soluble to bind with the bile and beexcreted through the feces.
Other sources state this is an unproven hypothesis.
For Fibro, Lupus, and RA, this will be only partially effective without seriously modifying toxin intake so you may want to take a look at the rest of the Gerson nutrition plan.
Here's a snapshot: Vegan, 80% raw.
Dangers:
- Burns from hot coffee! Seriously, people! Have some sense and make sure the coffee is near body temperature.
- Electrolyte Depletion - purging anything rapidly from the body upsets balance. The bile released during this cleanse is very high in mineral salts so you may consider an electrolyte drink such as Pedialite, P90X Results and Recovery Drink, Gatorade, or broths and fresh vegetable juices. This same electrolyte depletion could happen after a long run if rehydrating too quickly. This is more a concern if doing multiple enemas in just a few days.
- Rectum Damage. Insert carefully and try a little lube. Once the nozzle is in, don't make any sudden jerking movements. This is not a time for INSANITY.
- Insecticides on commercially grown coffee are counter-effective. USE ORGANIC. Check out this list of pesticides used in coffee farming. If you drink your coffee instead of retain it for 15 minutes and purge, you may want to switch to organic anyway!
- Proctocolitis- inflammation of the rectum and colon has been reported in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. This report is thorough but does not specify if the coffee used was organic.
- Boil 3tbsp organic coffee per quart of purified water.
- Let cool to about body temperature. (Don't burn the hiney! Don't get hypothermia)
- Fill bag with 3 cups body warm coffee, close all flow valves. Hang higher than body.
I suggest hanging bag on a towel rack and laying on the bathroom floor or in the tub. - Lay on right side in the fetal position and gently insert nozzle into anus.
I suggest some personal lubricant. - Release flow valves, pouring the coffee inside your body.
- Start timer when all coffee is inside you.
Your goal is 12-15 minutes. Once coffee is inside, I suggest closing flow valve, removing the nozzle, and setting aside to clean later. This way if you feel the urge to purge, you can get quickly to the toilet without messy clean-up. - Slowly move to the toilet, sit down, and set your coffee free!
Equipment Needed:
- Enema bag.
You can get a combination enema and douche bag system for less than $10 at most drug stores.
- French Press or other coffee filtration system
Boiling coffee on a stove top, then filtering later is just messy. During the summer of 2011 I cut way back on the coffee . My electric coffee pot died so I bought a french press for size reasons. This works very well for filtering coffee for enemas.
- A blanket and pillow can help make the bathroom floor more pleasant.
- A good book will help pass the time.
- Laying on the right side really seems to help control the urge to purge.
- If doing multiple cleanses over the course of a few days (see warnings above), it may become harder to hold your coffee. Remember that the liver filters most of the blood every 3-4 minutes so hold for as long as you can and get on with your life.
- Stay around the house for a while after cleansing. It may take a few sessions to purge all the coffee and other material in your lowers.
Gena started having stomach problems one night that put her in the emergency room. She was cramping in a way that we thought could be a tubal pregnancy, the ER thought could be an appendicitis, but all tests were inconclusive so they sent us home. Gena has a history of intestinal issues from complications in child bearing so we made an appointment with a Gastroenterologist who can promptly get us in about a month after the call. Her pain was getting worse and starting to creep up her back, turning into many signs of an infected Gall Bladder. The pain in her back only seemed manageable with heat packs. She hadn't been able to poop for a week.
I didn't have any symptoms other than a strange curiosity and the feeling that if I was going to recommend this to people, I better have done it on myself.
We planned two cleanses in one day, 4-6 hours a part. The logic for this is that the first cleanse does great at cleansing the lower section up to and including the Gall Bladder. 4-6 hours later a second cleanse helps really clean out the liver function.
Gena's back pain went away shortly after the first enema. Not much of the fluid came out. Six hours later she did her second cleanse and again was worried that not much came out. A short time later she had her first bowel movement in about a week, relieving much of the pain and pressure. She felt better than she had since the initial pain weeks prior.
I noticed my old friend cystic acne return in just a small spot on my back. I have generally been able to control this with diet since a mostly successful Accutane when I was 16. Since then I have been aware of the liver's connection to hormone regulation which can affect the size and output of the sebaceous glands in the skin. Point is: I threw this alignment out of whack in some way, shape, or form. I have actually seen Shakeology have this same effect the first week after someone first starts taking it. The logic is that Shakeology is flushing toxins out of the liver. Chinese medicine would support this claim on both the coffee cleanse and the Shakeology.
Other than that, I haven't noticed anything yet. I'll keep this post updated as I learn more from followers and as I keep it up. I may make this a quarterly maintenance check.
Links:
Wikipedia: Enema
Wikipedia: Coffee Enema
Wikipedia: Max Gerson
American Cancer Society: Gerson Therapy
Enema-web: Coffee Enema
Health Guardians: The Coffee Enema Now
Peak Health Now: Coffee Cleanse Benefits
Peak Health Now: Coffee Enema Dangers
Coffee Habitat: Pesticides Used in Coffee
American Journal of Gastroenterology: Proctolosis Caused by Coffee Enemas
The Gerson Institute
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