Reliable Cancer Therapies

Resumen

This information is compiled by Reliable Cancer Therapies and is based on the professional information.
 Last update: May 2012.

The Moerman therapy is an approach based on insights developed by Dr Cornelis Moerman (1893-1988), a GP from Vlaardingen, the Netherlands. According to Dr Moerman, cancer is a result of a deficient diet and can be cured by replenishing depleted nutrients and by ensuring that the body is not unnecessarily taxed. Treatment consists of a diet, known as the Moerman diet, plus supplementation of eight substances (vitamins and minerals) specifically chosen by Dr Moerman. The choice for these eight elements, as well as the dosage prescribed, is based on his descriptions of ‘minor clinical symptoms’.

The Moerman therapy focuses on bringing vitality to the entire body, restoring it to optimum condition and so stimulating the immune system. Its effects are not only therapeutic, but also preventative.
 

¿Qué es?

Dr Moerman’s vision

Dr Moerman rejected the generally-held consensus in mainstream medical circles that cancer is primarily a localized cellular process. According to him, achieving good health means seeking out a balance between two opposing states: life force and mortality. As long as life force can maintain itself, mortality is reduced and suppressed. But when life force is diminished, mortality will have the opportunity to manifest itself in the body. Thence the metabolism is disrupted (Dr Moerman referred to this as ‘derailment’) and, eventually, a cancerous tumour develops. According to Dr Moerman, the cells’ visible malignant proliferation – in other words, the cancerous tumour – is a late symptom of disruption throughout the entire metabolic system and occurs as a result of deficiencies in essential nutrients after an extended period of unhealthy eating. It can also occur in situations in which the body requires increased amounts of essential nutrients but is unable to get them via food intake. Heredity can also be involved. Because every human being is unique, metabolic processes differ and the amounts of the various essential nutrients required can vary from person to person.
Dr Moerman also indicated the usefulness of his methodology in the prevention of cancer. According to him, optimum nutrition can prevent cancer occurring as a result of dietary deficiencies, and it can also reduce the likelihood of cancer developing as a result of other factors.

Diagnosis

For Dr Moerman, cancer patients’ complaints and symptoms provided the main clues. When examining a patient, he would evaluate not only the tumour and any metastases, but also look for signs of deficiency in any of the individual nutritional elements and expressions of disruptions of the metabolic system. He believed that these signs of deficiency (which he referred to as ‘minor clinical symptoms’) appear in people who go on to develop cancer long before a malignant tumour becomes apparent. Although the minor clinical symptoms themselves are not characteristic for cancer, their appearance together do suggest that it is a possibility.

The minor clinical symptoms determine which nutrients a patient needs as well as which dosages are required. They are as follows:

• Skin changes: dryness, hardening of the skin, calluses on the soles of the feet, hard granules in the pores (visible with magnification), flaking in response to rubbing and characteristic colour changes;
• Changes to the mucous;
• Changes to the colour of the tongue and the inner surfaces of the lips, with the colour occasionally resembling that of horse meat;
• Cracks in the corners of the mouth, an unpleasant taste in the mouth and bad breath;
• Scaly rings around the nostrils;
• Abnormalities in the fingernails. Nails are often hard and brittle, with clear stripes on the surface (Manchester nails);
• Hair problems. Hair becomes dry, loses its shine;
• Subtle signs of oedema and pressure sensitivity along the insides of the calves;
• Apathy, fatigue, loss of vitality;
• Bleeding gums when teeth are brushed;
• Unexpected bruising as a result of minor injury;
• Slower than normal wound healing;
• Increasing fatigue that is not a result of the patient’s activities;
• Blood tests that show micro-organisms, anaemia, alkalosis and increased blood sedimentation rate;
• Decreased appetite, weight loss and a craving for acidic foods;
• Constitutional traits and heredity (i.e. others in the patient’s family have died of cancer).

Treatment

The cancer treatments focus on repairing disrupted metabolic function through a specific diet and with the addition of essential nutrients. This prevents the cancer process from spreading further, and can even cause it to disappear over time.

Dr Moerman described eight nutrients as the most important (although if each of the separate components of the B-complex are counted separately, the total comes to eleven):

• vitamin A
• vitamin B-complex (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, nicotinamide)
• vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• vitamin E
• citric acid
• iron
• iodine
• sulphur/selenium

The Moerman therapy consists of two components:

1. The Moerman diet (a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet);

• Fresh vegetables (may be in the form of juice);
• Fresh fruit (may be in the form of juice; lemons are particularly important);
• Unrefined grains (especially whole-wheat bread and brown rice);
• Legumes (especially green peas);
• Dairy products (especially organic buttermilk, organic cheese, butter and possibly organic milk and egg yolks).

With the Moerman diet, the aim is to ingest as many enzymes as possible by drinking the freshly-squeezed juices as soon as they are made and by stimulating the digestive system by drinking lemon juice. Sugar, products to which sugar is added and refined products such as white flour should not be eaten. All food should be organic and of the best quality. Preferably, it should come directly from the natural environment, be grown or raised without the use of chemical or synthetic substances, and be eaten as fresh as possible and processed as little as possible during distribution and preparation.

Dr Moerman realized that people can also suffer from deficiencies of nutrients that have not yet been identified. A balanced diet is sufficient to prevent these deficiencies from occurring.
 

2. Prescribing nutrients and other elements that the body requires according to the patient’s complaints and the progression of the illness, in particular, of the minor clinical symptoms described above.

Funciona?

Research carried out by Dr Moerman

Dr Moerman’s research focussed on a quest for optimum health. He investigated substances capable of returning the life force to its optimal condition. To that end, he studied the relationship between the performance of his carrier pigeons and the food that they were given, concentrating mainly on quality rather than quantity. Dr Moerman linked knowledge of recently identified vitamins to the physical condition of cancer patients to develop the carefully balanced diet which bears his name, supplementing it with eight essential elements. At the end of 1939, he began treating cancer patients using his own diet guidelines and the eight essential elements, later adding other vitamins, trace elements and substances naturally produced by the body.

There have been no scientific studies to examine the effects of the Moerman therapy in cancer patients. Retrospective research was carried out to examine the effectiveness of the Moerman therapy for individual cancer patients, the results of which were consolidated in a book describing cases and including the responses of mainstream and alternative scientists.

No scientific studies have shown that the Moerman therapy is effective.
However, studies showing the preventative effects of nutrition, vitamins, minerals and trace elements are now increasingly common.

Es seguro?

The Moerman diet is comprised of foods that are part of a healthy diet. Patients considering the Moerman therapy are advised to inform their doctors so that they in consultation with the Moerman therapist can consider the range of treatment options available.

Side effects

The diet can have undesired side effects. Should that occur, it should be adapted with the help of a doctor or dietician.

Supplements should only be prescribed by a doctor who has sufficient knowledge of their use and effects, especially when dosages are high. Special care should be taken when prescribing vitamin A to female cancer patients.

Interactions

In combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, the Moerman therapy should be supervised by a doctor who is knowledgeable about the use of dietary supplements. Because of the possibility of interactions with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, supplements and/or the diet may occasionally require temporary adaptation so as not to interfere with classic therapies.

Resumen

This text was written by Hans Stoop and has been reviewed by Lieve Vanschoubroek (RCT).
 

The Moerman therapy is an approach based on insights developed by Dr Cornelis Moerman (1893-1988), a GP from Vlaardingen, the Netherlands. According to Dr Moerman, cancer is a result of a deficient diet and can be cured by replenishing depleted nutrients and by ensuring that the body is not unnecessarily taxed. Treatment consists of a diet, known as the Moerman diet, plus supplementation of eight substances (vitamins and minerals) specifically chosen by Dr Moerman. The choice for these eight elements, as well as the dosage prescribed, is based on his descriptions of ‘minor clinical symptoms’.
The Moerman therapy focuses on bringing vitality to the entire body, restoring it to optimum condition and so stimulating the immune system. Its effects are not only therapeutic, but also preventative.
 

¿Qué es?

Dr Moerman’s vision

Dr Moerman rejected the generally-held consensus in mainstream medical circles that cancer is primarily a localized cellular process. According to him, achieving good health means seeking out a balance between two opposing states: life force and mortality. As long as life force can maintain itself, mortality is reduced and suppressed. But when life force is diminished, mortality will have the opportunity to manifest itself in the body. Thence the metabolism is disrupted (Dr Moerman referred to this as ‘derailment’) and, eventually, a cancerous tumour develops. According to Dr Moerman, the cells’ visible malignant proliferation – in other words, the cancerous tumour – is a late symptom of disruption throughout the entire metabolic system and occurs as a result of deficiencies in essential nutrients after an extended period of unhealthy eating. It can also occur in situations in which the body requires increased amounts of essential nutrients but is unable to get them via food intake. Heredity can also be involved. Because every human being is unique, metabolic processes differ and the amounts of the various essential nutrients required can vary from person to person.
Dr Moerman also indicated the usefulness of his methodology in the prevention of cancer. According to him, optimum nutrition can prevent cancer occurring as a result of dietary deficiencies, and it can also reduce the likelihood of cancer developing as a result of other factors (1-6).

Diagnosis

For Dr Moerman, cancer patients’ complaints and symptoms provided the main clues (1-5). When examining a patient, he would evaluate not only the tumour and any metastases, but also look for signs of deficiency in any of the individual nutritional elements and expressions of disruptions of the metabolic system. He believed that these signs of deficiency (which he referred to as ‘minor clinical symptoms’) appear in people who go on to develop cancer long before a malignant tumour becomes apparent. Although the minor clinical symptoms themselves are not characteristic for cancer, their appearance together do suggest that it is a possibility.

The minor clinical symptoms determine which nutrients a patient needs as well as which dosages are required. They are as follows:

• Skin changes: dryness, hardening of the skin, calluses on the soles of the feet, hard granules in the pores (visible with magnification), flaking in response to rubbing and characteristic colour changes;
• Changes to the mucous;
• Changes to the colour of the tongue and the inner surfaces of the lips, with the colour occasionally resembling that of horse meat;
• Cracks in the corners of the mouth, an unpleasant taste in the mouth and bad breath;
• Scaly rings around the nostrils;
• Abnormalities in the fingernails. Nails are often hard and brittle, with clear stripes on the surface (Manchester nails);
• Hair problems. Hair becomes dry, loses its shine;
• Subtle signs of oedema and pressure sensitivity along the insides of the calves;
• Apathy, fatigue, loss of vitality;
• Bleeding gums when teeth are brushed;
• Unexpected bruising as a result of minor injury;
• Slower than normal wound healing;
• Increasing fatigue that is not a result of the patient’s activities;
• Blood tests that show micro-organisms, anaemia, alkalosis and increased blood sedimentation rate;
• Decreased appetite, weight loss and a craving for acidic foods;
• Constitutional traits and heredity (i.e. others in the patient’s family have died of cancer).

Treatment

The cancer treatments focus on repairing disrupted metabolic function through a specific diet and with the addition of essential nutrients. This prevents the cancer process from spreading further, and can even cause it to disappear over time.

Dr Moerman described eight nutrients as the most important (although if each of the separate components of the B-complex are counted separately, the total comes to eleven):

• vitamin A
• vitamin B-complex (riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, nicotinamide)
• vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• vitamin E
• citric acid
• iron
• iodine
• sulphur/selenium

The Moerman therapy consists of two components:

1. The Moerman diet (a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet);

• Fresh vegetables (may be in the form of juice);
• Fresh fruit (may be in the form of juice; lemons are particularly important);
• Unrefined grains (especially whole-wheat bread and brown rice);
• Legumes (especially green peas);
• Dairy products (especially organic buttermilk, organic cheese, butter and possibly organic milk and egg yolks).

With the Moerman diet, the aim is to ingest as many enzymes as possible by drinking the freshly-squeezed juices as soon as they are made and by stimulating the digestive system by drinking lemon juice. Sugar, products to which sugar is added and refined products such as white flour should not be eaten. All food should be organic and of the best quality. Preferably, it should come directly from the natural environment, be grown or raised without the use of chemical or synthetic substances, and be eaten as fresh as possible and processed as little as possible during distribution and preparation.

Dr Moerman realized that people can also suffer from deficiencies of nutrients that have not yet been identified. A balanced diet is sufficient to prevent these deficiencies from occurring.
 

2. Prescribing nutrients and other elements that the body requires according to the patient’s complaints and the progression of the illness, in particular, of the minor clinical symptoms described above.

Funciona?

Research carried out by Dr Moerman

Dr Moerman’s research focussed on a quest for optimum health. He investigated substances capable of returning the life force to its optimal condition. To that end, he studied the relationship between the performance of his carrier pigeons and the food that they were given, concentrating mainly on quality rather than quantity. Dr Moerman linked knowledge of recently identified vitamins to the physical condition of cancer patients to develop the carefully balanced diet which bears his name, supplementing it with eight essential elements. At the end of 1939, he began treating cancer patients using his own diet guidelines and the eight essential elements, later adding other vitamins, trace elements and substances naturally produced by the body (5).

There have been no scientific studies to examine the effects of the Moerman therapy in cancer patients. Retrospective research was carried out to examine the effectiveness of the Moerman therapy for individual cancer patients, the results of which were consolidated in a book (1) describing cases and including the responses of mainstream and alternative scientists (7-9).

No scientific studies have shown that the Moerman therapy is effective.
However, studies showing the preventative effects of nutrition, vitamins, minerals and trace elements are now increasingly common (10-15).

Es seguro?

The Moerman diet is comprised of foods that are part of a healthy diet. Patients considering the Moerman therapy are advised to inform their doctors so that they in consultation with the Moerman therapist can consider the range of treatment options available.

Side effects

The diet can have undesired side effects. Should that occur, it should be adapted with the help of a doctor or dietician.

Supplements should only be prescribed by a doctor who has sufficient knowledge of their use and effects, especially when dosages are high. Special care should be taken when prescribing vitamin A to female cancer patients (16-19).

Interactions

In combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, the Moerman therapy should be supervised by a doctor who is knowledgeable about the use of dietary supplements. Because of the possibility of interactions with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, supplements and/or the diet may occasionally require temporary adaptation so as not to interfere with classic therapies (12, 20-24).

References

References

1. Retrospectief onderzoek naar de Moermantherapie bij kankerpatienten.
Sdu uitgeverij Plantijnstraat, ‘s Gravenhage. ISBN 90 202 4374 8
In verschillende hoofdstukken wordt de wetenschappelijke literatuur beschreven, over o.a.: ‘Spontane’ regressie van maligne tumoren en De Moermanmethode in het licht van wetenschappelijk onderzoek.

2. Het kankervraagstuk. C. Moerman. 22 april 1958.

3. Kanker kan genezen. Cornelis Moerman. ISBN 90 202 4873 1.

4. Solution to the cancer problem. Cornelis Moerman

5. Mijn Kankeronderzoek verricht in de dertiger jaren. C. Moerman

6. Dokter Moerman. C. van Groningen en A. Ronhaar, arts. ISBN 90 6120 1691.

7. Valstar E. Moermantherapy; the balance of 50 years of conflict. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1992 Apr 4;136(14):709-10.

8. Löwenberg B, Oosterhuis JW. Moerman therapy; evaluation of a 50-year effort. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1992 Feb 8;136(6):262-3.

9. Van Dam FS. Increased use of alternative diets and other alternative treatments for cancer patients: Houtsmuller (diet) is in,Moerman (diet) is out. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1999 Jul 3;143(27):1421-4.

10. Walter RB et al. Vitamin, mineral and speciality supplements and risk of hematologic malignancies in the prospective vitamins an lifestyle (VITAL) study. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention 2011; 20: 2298-2308.

11. Ross. SA. Nutritional genomic approaches to Cancer prevention research. Exp Oncol 2007; 29, 4, 250-256.

12. Getoff N. Vitamin free radicals and their anticancer action. Review. In Vivo. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(4):599-611.

13. Mathers JC. Overview of genes, diet and cancer. Genes Nutr. 2007 Oct;2(1):67-70.

14. Mathers JC. The biological revolution - towards a mechanistic understanding of the impact of diet on cancer risk. Mutat Res. 2004 Jul 13;551(1-2):43-9.

15. “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective” 2007. Het tweede wetenschappelijke rapport van het internationale World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) netwerk.

16. Ross AC et al. Application of a key events dose respons analysis to nutrients: a case study with vitamin A. Clin. Rev. in food science and nutrition. 2009: 708-717.

17. Chan A, Hanna M, Abbott M, Keane RJ. Oral retinoids and pregnancy. Med J Aust. 1996;165(3):164-167.

18. Ross AC. Vitamin A and retinoids. In: Shils M, Olson JA, Shike M, Ross AC. ed. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 9th ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999:305-327.

19. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Vitamin A. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 2001:65-126.

20. Hu YJ et al. The Protective Role of Selenium on the Toxicity of Cisplatin-Contained Chemotherapy Regimen in Cancer Patients. 1997; 56:331-341

21. .Ajith TA et al. Ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol protect anticancer drug cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity in mice: a comparative study. Clinica chemica Acta 2007; 375: 82-86

22. Tripathi R et al. Anticancer Activity of a Combination of Cisplatin and Fisetin in Embryonal Carcinoma Cells and Xenograft Tumors. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2011 ; 10: 255-268.

23. Willox JC et al. Effects of magnesium supplementation in testicular cancer patients receiving cis-platin: A randomised trial. Br. J. Cancer 1986;54:19-23

24. Pace A et al. Neuroprotective Effect of Vitamin E Supplementation in Patients Treated With Cisplatin Chemotherapy. 2003;21:927-931
 

La Dieta de Moerman

Terapia de Moerman

The Moerman Diet

Moerman Diet