Illinois Woman Follows Holistic Gerson Therapy to Treat Her Cancer

Illinois fashion designer Amy Johnson is gaining Internet fame after treating her aggressive clear-cell carcinoma with an alternative method known as Gerson Therapy. After her doctors discovered her cancer in a precautionary surgery, they suggested she begin chemotherapy, but Johnson just didn’t feel right about using the harsh treatment.

Gerson Therapy, also known as the Gerson Method, was discovered in the 1920’s by Dr. Max Gerson. He originally developed it to treat his migraine headaches, but he later used it to cure diseases like tuberculosis and cancer. Although the treatment is not FDA approved to treat such diseases, many patients who have used it report successful results. Those using the method commit to consuming a regimented, organic, diet filled with plant-based foods. The biggest component of the nutrition regimen is made up of raw, cold-pressed juices, which are consumed every hour, up to 13 glasses per day.

Once Johnson decided that chemotherapy wasn’t for her, she began to juice fruits and vegetables at home to treat both her cancer and her Hashimoto’s Thyroid disease. She and her mother even traveled to Mexico to the Gerson Institute to learn the intricacies of the method and strictly follow it at home.

In order for Gerson Therapy to be successful, it requires strict adherence to juicing and meal preparation, as well daily detoxifying methods like coffee enemas. Patients following the method usually consume 20 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables per day and perform up to 5 coffee enemas daily. Johnson says her journey using the Gerson Method was a tiresome one. After the first day, she nearly collapsed imagining how hard it would be.

But after two years of hard work, Johnson is cancer free. She always considered herself a “healthy” person, and even her family and friends were shocked to hear of her cancer diagnosis. But her idea of what it means to be healthy has changed greatly since she began the Gerson Therapy. Although she doesn’t follow the method strictly anymore, she does make juicing a regular part of her life, and she does now feel truly “healthy.”

The Gerson Method is not a good fit for everyone, and it’s important to consult your doctor before beginning any kind of treatment. The National Cancer Institute does warn people that the method should not replace conventional treatments. But for Johnson, it’s what worked, and she’s passionate about making that known.

Johnson has now committed herself to educating the public about the Gerson Therapy by sharing her story. She hopes to reach people who are looking to treat disease in an alternative way, or even those who are just searching for new ways to prevent disease from starting in the first place. By sharing her story, she believes she could be passing along knowledge that just may save someone’s life.