The Hirsch Institute in Apple Cider Vinegar isn’t real, but this holistic therapy is just like it

So, Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar tells the “true-ish” story of an influencer called Belle Gibson who claimed holistic treatments cured her cancer, but actually lied about having cancer in the first place. In the show, another influencer called Milla really does have cancer, uses a holistic health plan called the Hirsch Institute. Here’s a proper deep dive into the real health plan that inspired Apple Cider Vinegar’s Hirsch Institute. Please don’t try it.

Is the Hirsch Institue in Apple Cider Vinegar real?

No. But the character Milla in Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar appears to be based on a real influencer called Jessica Ainscough. She had a rare type of cancer called epithelioid sarcoma, and wrote lots of blog posts about how she was going to cure her cancer with a holistic programme called the Gerson Therapy regime. This is extremely similar to the Hirsch Institute in the show. Please note that there is no scientific evidence that the Gerson regime can cure cancer.

Milla in Apple Cider Vinegar
(Image via Netflix)

What is the Gerson Therapy regime?

An American doctor called Max Gerson invented it in the 1920s. His (very unproven) theory is that cancer and degenerative diseases are caused by eating too much salt and having a metabolism imbalance. He believed his special diet would cure cancer. Right.

His daughter continued his work and founded the Gerson Institute. The organisation refers people to clinics, not unlike the treatment centre where Milla goes in Apple Cider Vinegar. There’s one in Sweden, and another in Mexico. Jessica Ainscough visited the clinic in Mexico.

Here’s the exact Gerson programme

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Please do not attempt to drink this much fruit juice
(Image via Netflix)

Cancer Research UK lists the exact regime. Please note that the webpage says at the top: “There is no scientific evidence to use it as a treatment for cancer.”

You’re meant to only eat plant-based organic food that’s high in potassium and low in soda. To achieve this, you should apparently aim to drink 20 pounds of crushed fruit and vegetables a day. This amounts to 13 glasses of fruit juice a day, drunk each hour. (Please note the NHS website advises you to not drink more than 150ml of fruit juice in a day, because it’s a lot of sugar for your teeth). You’re supposed to take various vitamin and enzyme supplements, including potassium, vitamin B12, pancreatic enzymes and thyroid supplements. Some people who believe in Gerson therapy also don’t drink water, or eat anything that’s been canned or frozen.

And to top it off, you’re encouraged to take up to five caster oil or coffee enemas a day. An enema is basically injecting coffee up the rectum. Yes, you read that correctly.

For your information, injecting coffee up your bum has many side effects such as infection and dehydration.

Gerson therapists did initially advice patients to inject themselves with raw calf liver extract. However, they stopped this in the 1980s after ten patients got bacterial infections and were hospitalised.

Apple Cider Vinegar is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Feature image via Netflix