The strangest cancer cure i've ever seen

The Strangest Cancer Cure
I've Ever Seen
(Pssst! It may work)

They're a healthy snack favorite for many kids and adults… a favorite pick for many fruit salad recipes… and they make one of my favorite beverages! But can you really cure cancer by eating a diet consisting of nothing else but one fruit? That's what advocates say. Let's look at the evidence. . .

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Besides being the glory of Napa and Bordeaux, grapes are the key feature of a famous cancer treatment that's been around for nearly 100 years. You won't be surprised to learn that opinions differ on how well it works.

The Brandt grape cure is named for its chief proponent, Johanna Brandt. In 1928, this South African naturopathic doctor published The Grape Cure, a book with details about her supposed success in using this grape remedy. The book was updated and republished in 1989 as How to Conquer Cancer, Naturally.

The book details Brandt's experience after she was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1916. She claimed that fasting and eating only grapes actually kept her cancer in check!

Her story might seem far-fetched. But to be fair, it's best to take a closer look at Brandt's claims to see if they have merit.

Why Brandt believed in the healing power of grapes…

The strongest support for Brandt's claims comes from the amazing variety of antioxidants that grapes contain, all of them unknown at the time she came up with her treatment. Scientific research confirms that many of these substances are natural cancer killers.

You probably recognize some of these nutrients that occur naturally in grapes. Resveratrol has received a ton of publicity and is now one of the world's most popular food supplements. But grapes contain many other good things. . .

1. Beta carotene

2. Ellagic acid

3. Catechin

4. Lycopene

5. Quercetin

6. Selenium

Each one of these nutrients is a valuable addition to your diet. Not only does each one benefit your general health but each one is known to be specifically effective against cancer. Ellagic acid is a valuable cancer-fighter. Raspberries are particularly rich in ellagic acid, and it's also available in powdered form.

Lycopene is the "secret ingredient" that makes tomatoes a powerful weapon against prostate cancer. You can easily buy lycopene supplements, and this nutrient is now common in natural prostate formulas for men. Probably all men over 40 should take a lycopene supplement.

Selenium is one of the best-established, most-studied cancer-fighting nutrients. Just about everyone should be taking a selenium supplement. Brazil nuts are a rich source of selenium and one of my favorite snacks.

Likewise for the other nutrients listed above. If you can afford 'em, buy 'em and take 'em.

In addition, the grape seeds are said to contain laetrile, a proven cancer fighter. It's recommended that patients consume the seeds along with the rest of the grape. The seeds can be blended along with the rest of the grape into a juice that may be easier to consume than eating one grape at a time.

How to go about the grape cure

Brandt's grape cure involves daily fasting to help cleanse and detoxify your system. The fasts also are intended to 'starve' cancer cells. Here's a current version of how to do it, as described by one of Brand's "fans". . .

After a 12-hour fasting period of drinking water only—typically from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.—you must follow with a 12-hour period of consuming nothing more than grapes or a juice made from a mash of the fruit and seeds.

This regimen should be repeated in a six-week cycle. The first five weeks follow the fasting and grape juice diet just described. By the sixth week, you can begin to introduce certain foods such as other fresh fruits, tomatoes and cottage cheese.

In the final phase of the diet, a person should continue to eat whole, raw fruits and vegetables. The entire six-week cycle can be repeated as needed.

I should mention that Dr. Brandt, in her book, describes the protocol somewhat differently. She says, "In every case reactions are different. It is, therefore, impossible to say beforehand how long it will be necessary to use grapes only.

"By watching the symptoms — the temperature, the excretions, eruptions, etc., we know when the work of purification is complete. When this point has been reached — and it may last from two weeks to two months — it is advisable to go on to the Second Stage."

In short, reports vary as to the best way to go about the "grape cure."

Doesn't all this sugar feed cancer?

You might know that cancer cells love sugar. So it might seem odd that Brandt would recommend using sugary grape juice to clobber cancer.

Brandt said the water fast makes the cells hungry. When you ingest grapes or a grape juice mash, cancer cells will gobble up the sugar like piranhas!

But cancer cells pay a high price for pigging out on this tasty meal —because it also contains the very nutrients that can cause these cells to fizzle and die! The sugar in grapes functions as a sort of Trojan horse that induces cancer cells to open their doors wide and allow the cancer-killing nutrients to come in, too.

Not just ANY water and grapes will do!

Water is said to be an essential part of the grape cure. And the type of water you use plays a large part in how well the grape diet works.

You should only use natural, purified, or ionized water throughout the fast. If you choose ionized water you'll be reaping the benefit of alkalinizing the body. Because cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment, many alternative therapies aim to tip the body toward an alkaline state.

Don't even think about substituting distilled or tap water! These treated waters can deplete key minerals from your body. Plus they typically contain chlorine and possibly fluoride chemicals.

Brandt's recommendation is to consume at least 1 gallon of water daily. According to advocates of this therapy, the higher water intake makes cancer cells hungry. This is what makes them consume higher quantities of the grape nutrients.

As for the grapes, organic Concord grapes are preferable because they contain high levels of resveratrol, which provides heart health benefits and doubles as a cancer killer.

When Brandt first penned the Grape Cure, she noted that "science has not yet discovered what elements in the grape break down malignant growths." Now we have a better idea, and resveratrol is almost surely one of the reasons that some people report success with this treatment.

Despite having only partial knowledge about grapes, Brandt agreed with the title bestowed upon them in Germany, namely the "Queen of Fruits!"

She further wrote, "Abnormal growths, cancers, tumors, ulcers, abscesses and fibrous masses seem to be dissolved by the powerful chemical agent in the grape. Diseased tissues and fatty degenerations, every form of morbid matter, is apparently broken up into minute particles and thrown into the blood stream to be carried to the organs of excretion."

So does the fasting and grape diet really work?

Many people say "YES!" The evidence is nearly all anecdotal. To my knowledge, no studies support the Brandt approach, but that's not unusual when it comes to alternative cancer treatments.

I respect anecdotal evidence — which should properly be called "case study" evidence — and I think mainstream medicine should pay far more attention to it. First person accounts from patients suggest that some folks have tried the Brandt grape cure and successfully beaten cancer.

I've spoken with one or two patients who ate a large amount of grapes along with doing a variety of other alternative cancer treatments. By doing this you'll benefit from the rich nutrients in grapes even if you don't go in for the whole Brandt plan. But you won't benefit from the "Trojan horse" ploy whereby the cancer cells are starved for the sugar they need, then "tricked" into consuming the cancer-killing nutrients in grapes.

Most of the known, major nutrients in grapes can also be obtained in supplements — resveratrol, ellagic acid, selenium (of course), and the rest. Naturally, fresh fruits and vegetables are preferable as a source of these nutrients, but it's easier and more practical for most people to take the supplements.

I also wonder where one is supposed to get large quantities of fresh Concord grapes in the winter. I think it would be just about impossible.

Everybody's different, every type of cancer is different. It wouldn't surprise me if there are a few people reading this who beat cancer by following the pure, disciplined Brandt approach. If you did, or if you know someone who did, by all means let me know (my email address is at the bottom of this newsletter).

Some critics of the regimen point out that Brandt's recommended diet is deficient in many essential nutrients. They also say it can cause constipation, cramps, diarrhea, and undesirable weight loss.

So it's not really possible or practical to make a flat-out recommendation about this treatment. Even Brandt acknowledged that anyone considering this treatment should consult with a doctor and ask him or her to watch the results.

But this much I firmly believe: the supplements we take and the food we eat really are the key to defeating cancer. The last issue had an even more important example than this one. If you missed it, scroll down and read it now. . .

Best regards,

Lee Euler,
Publisher