Moerman Therapy

The Moerman Therapy, also called Moerman method or Moerman Diet is a Cancer treatment from the dutch practitioner Cornelis Moerman (1893-1988). The treatment consists of a diet and extra supplements. Skepticism around the Moerman Method is however large, since the intended effects are never proved scientifically.

Description of the Method

The 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´.

Diet

The original Diet recommended by Moerman is the following :

• No meat or Fish
• No water, Coffe or Tea
• No sugar
• Moderate salt
• Every day half till full litter buttermilk or pap
• Orange juice or especially lemon juice
• Berry-juice
• two egg yolks
• brown bread with cream butter and cheese
• No potatoes, only rice with cream butter and green vegetables, especially salad with cucumbers and tomatoes
• Also other vegetables as carrots are allowed
• wholegrain Rice
• Peas soup (of whole peas) without meat or lard, with onions, carrots and vegetables *Honey
• Olive Oil
• A lot of fruit, escpecially grapes

Cornelis Moerman developed his rules in the thirties of the previous century. Compared with the knowledge of the 21st century, in this time there was scarcely information about dietetics and science of nutrition. Meanwhile there has been a lot of investigation on the influence of nutrients for the prevention and therapy of cancer. This has been the reason to addapt the Moerman Method on various essential points. Some kinds of fat fish are meanwhile allowed, and water and coffee in moderate. Was tea formerly banned, now Green tea is fully allowed.

Nutrients

There are eight key nutrients in this diet:
1) Vitamin A (requires Vitamin D as a catalyst)
2) Vitamin B complex
3) Vitamin C
4) Vitamin E
5) Citric Acid
6) Iodine
7) Iron
8) Sulphur

Scientific investigation on the Moerman Therapy

Moerman made in the beginning several attempts for its therapy to get examined. As he published in November 1949 his first cancer publication at the ministry : "Cancer, post tenebra lux". However there was no reaction on this publication. In 1950, an investigation was performed for the first time by Dr. J.J. Brutèl de la Rivière. He looked at 16 illness histories of patients that had followed the Moerman Therapy followed had. He concluded: "At the communicated treatments results can be borrowed to my opinion no arguments for a cure of cancer through the medicines of colleague Moerman. At the most we would consider to continue the investigations". This investigation was never published, but contained well the outlines for the later "Delprat-report" from 1958.

The Delprat-report

The therapy came in a rapid when on 5 October 1955 in the newspaper for the Zaanstreek, "De Typhoon" appeared an article, in which four patients described to become cured by the treatment of Moerman. The popularity of Moerman increased after that, and in 1956, a commission would examine the therapy under leadership of the general practitioner Delprat. Moerman was initially very glad with this and worked complete with. The conclusion of the Delprat report was however totally destroying for Moerman, and Moerman became embittered. He was convinced that the diet realy works. Therefore he developed a dislike against the Academic medicine, a dislike that would stand in the way for an objective investigation of the method.

Moerman served a complaint in at the "Medical Disciplinary board" against all members of the Delprat-commission, but that led till no results. Additionally he gets charged by the Inspector for public health. However he becomes acquitted by half of the charges, but gets well a fine among because of the fact that he abstains his cancer patients an academical medical therapy. That doen't discourrage him to continue with his method. Moreover through all attention in the media, the patients stream from the whole country.

Commission investigation Moerman Method

In 1979, the SIKON (Foundation Interdisciplinary Kanker Onderzoek of the Netherlands) decided to approach the Delprat from 1958 to a closer analysis. They identified big mistakes in the report and judged the report as strengthen prejudiced. The SIKON-team described their results in the report "How a cancer therapy had no chance", published on 23 March 1979 in the magazine "Intermediair".

As a result of this publication and the growing pressure on the politicians for a scientific investigation of the Moerman Method, therefore the motion Borgman (Christian Democratic Party) was shortly submitted, which became supported among many by the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Erica Terpstra) and the Dutch Labor Party (René Toussaint). This motion led to it that the Ministry of public health and environmental Protection on 22 May 1979 started the "Commission investigation Moerman Method", in which represented experts of the Ministry of public health and environmental Protection, a number of professors and a representative of the SIKON. In two years this commission has putting up an investigation protocol for a new investigation to the value of the Moerman Therpay. This was not easy because of differences in opinion between the commission members, but the commission members finally came to that Academic practitioner and Moerman practitioner each would treat their own patients. An independent physician will check the patients.

On 18 March 1982, this investigation protocol was offered by the ministry of public health and environmental Protection. Minister Gardeniers decided to give this new Moermanonderzoek "the most priority". Remained yet subsidy round this examine to finance. On 25 March 1982 requested minister Gardeniers the Queen Wilhelminafonds (KWF) the expenses of the investigation on it. Within the Scientific Council of the Royal Wilhelminafonds there was large resistance against an investigation to the Moerman Method. More than a half year later the KWF answered that they decided not to subsidize the investigation in these form. They reported not to agree with the SIKON investigation method. Finally there became never an investigation.

Retrospective Investigation Moerman Therapy

Through a modest subsidy of the in 1974 erected "Moerman patient society" an investigation took place in 1986, by the Moerman practitioners Jan Wiese and Engelbert Valstar. In 1991, they published the report "Retrospective Investigation Moerman Therapy" in which 89 patients were interviewed who were cured by the therapy. Furthermore 35 illness histories were described in detail, by which in 21 cases it would be the Moerman therapy that led to the curing, according to the authors. By the other 14 cases it would reasonably supposed. For this examination was, to own say a strict patients selection applied, because it had to be definite that they were treated exclusive by the Moerman Method. From scientific corner becomes this examination became criticized because the investigation methods would not be good The number success cases was brought back in 1992 by internist-oncoloog Blijham till at most 2 to 7.