Dr A. Ferenczi and Beetroot therapy From 1950, Alexander Ferenczi, MD, a Hungarian cancer therapist, at the Department for Internal Diseases at the district hospital at Csoma, Hungary, began putting patients on a diet of red beetroot (raw or juiced) which they ate in addition to their normal diet. Patients ate up to 1kg daily. The patients he worked with had all previously received chemotherapy and radiation but were, at the time he started to treat them with beetroot juice, mostly at the final, cachexic, stage. Brief details of this treatment were reprinted in the Australian International Clinical Nutrition Review for July 1986. One case study he reported was a 50 year old man referred to as D. S., who had a lung tumor "After 6 weeks of treatment the tumor had disappeared...After 4 months of treatment he gained 10kg. (22lbs.) in weight. The improvement lasted for about 6 months." All other tests confirmed that he had the symptoms of a clinical recovery. However, he discontinued taking the beetroot, the cancer returned and no further treatment could save him. Ferencsi worked with a number of patients and in all cases there was clear clinical improvement from the use of beetroot. Beetroot was, in one case, so successful in attacking the tumour that the patient died from the toxic overload that resulted. This suggests that anyone following this regime should accompany it with a daily detox - perhaps the coffee enemas that Gerson recommended. From this, two lessons must be taken on board. People with cancer should start the beetroot therapy as early as they can, perhaps building up slowly from 250 grams a day to a kilo, reducing the intake in the event of nausea, but maintaining the beetroot intake for years as a maintenance regime. In fact, for those of us who do not yet have cancer, regular beetroot consumption is clearly to be recommended. The active ingredient is believed to be the purple coloring chemical anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are widely present in fruit and vegetables particularly those that are dark red and purple and research is showing that they have many health benefits. Source: update of the book Fighting Cancer: A Suvival Guide (www.fightingcancer.com) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.