Dietary Dialysis:
The Basis of Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System

By David L. Duffy, MD

In modern times there is an epidemic of chronic diseases. These diseases include hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and asthma. Their treatment consists of taking medications to "control" each condition. Hypertension is aggravated by excess salt, diabetes by excess sugar, coronary artery disease by excess cholesterol, and asthma by excess phlegm.

Over time the body tends to become overloaded. Obesity occurs when a person does not "burn up" the calories consumed in his diet. In diabetes carbohydrates are stored as fat and sugar deposits. With high cholesterol, the accumulation of cholesterol‑filled plaques leads to narrowing of the arteries. A rupture of a plaque may trigger a heart attack.

As Arnold Ehret noted, the chronic symptoms many experience reflect the body's effort to get rid of excess waste material. This is what Arnold Ehret called "mucus". A person experiences nasal congestion and coughs up mucus when he has hay fever, asthma, recurrent colds, or chronic bronchitis. The overload of waste material in the intestines gives rise to symptoms of indigestion, bloating, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Elimination of waste through the skin occurs in an allergic rash, eczema, psoriasis, acne, and boils.

Arnold Ehret's therapeutic goal was for the patient to achieve his ideal metabolism. When a house is really clean everything inside has a place and everything is put in its place. Each individual has genetic strengths and weaknesses. He. may have a tendency to develop certain diseases. Given these limitations each individual should seek a balance of diet and exercise to achieve an ideal weight with maximal energy and well‑being. This is one's "ideal metabolism".

In our society being overweight is considered "normal". Our ideal weight is less that you think. For example, the ideal weight of a ‑man 5 feet 6 inches tall is 138 pounds. A man 6 feet tall has an ideal weight of 163 pounds. A woman 5 feet tall should ideally weight 107 pounds. A woman 5 feet 6 inches tall should weight 129 pounds. When a person is above his ideal weight, the excess weight not only reflects fat, but also the accumulation of waste material throughout the body.

In modern medicine the treatment for advanced kidney disease is renal dialysis. The patient is placed on a dialysis machine to clean his blood and eliminate waste. The dialysis machine consists of a vat of clean fluid with glucose and minerals. Blood from the patient is pumped through tubing into the dialysis machine. Waste from the blood diffuses into the dialysis fluid and clean blood returns to the patient.

Dietary Dialysis:
The Basis of Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System

As we know from Arnold Ehret's biography, at age 31 he developed Bright's disease, a form of kidney disease in which the body spills blood and protein into the urine. Ehret noticed that his urine contained mucus and albumin. His doctors at first gave him medicine to reduce protein in the urine. He was given a diet of meat, eggs, and milk to replace the albumin lost in the urine. With this treatment his kidney disease worsened. When he went to Italy and Algeria and ate plenty of fruits and vegetables his kidney condition improved.

From this experience Arnold Ehret discovered his "mucusless diet". The mucusless diet consists of "all kinds of raw and cooked fruits, starchless vegetables, and cooked or raw, mostly green leafy vegetables." Building on his own experience, Ehret went on to establish a sanitarium in Switzerland where he applied his mucusless diet healing system.

Arnold Ehret's mucusless diet healing system works along the same principles which underlie renal dialysis. A meal consisting of only fruits and/or starchless vegetables places fluid in the intestines which is similar to the fluid in the renal dialysis machine. Ehret also includes nuts eaten with dried fruit as part of the mucusless diet. The body absorbs water, fructose, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals without other food substances. The body has the opportunity to eliminate waste material which it does not need. Giving the body pure food and stopping the intake of excess, unnecessary food is the essence of fasting. From this perspective dietary dialysis is the basis of Ehret's healing system.

How can Ehret's mucusless diet be applied today? If one wants to lose weight and eliminate waste from the body, one can gradually increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet and reduce the amount of undesirable foods. This is what I call increasing the number of "Ehret meals" each week. As one changes one's diet, one should observe how the body responds and what is eliminated. Each person's optimum diet must be individualized to his unique health factors and food preferences.

After a person has reached his optimum weight and has had a general improvement in his health, what should be his maintenance diet? In my opinion at least 50‑60% of the diet should consist of fruits, and vegetables. Include nuts and dried fruits for protein and energy. Eat meat and dairy products sparingly. A small amount of meat and dairy provides protein and vitamin B12. Eat whole grains in moderation. This provides complex carbohydrates which prevent you from getting hungry and helps maintain your weight. Do not overeat. Avoid junk foods as much as possible. If you go off track and overload your body, compensate with some Ehret meals and get back to your ideal metabolism as soon as possible.

Dr. David L. Duffy, MD graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1971. He trained in Internal Medicine and Ambulatory Care at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, from 1971 ‑ 1975. He continued seeing patients and supervising interns and residents at the Montefiore Medic Clinic until 1980. From 1981‑1988 he had a private medical practice in Oceanside, California. In 1988 he returned to New York to work at Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan. From 1996 to 2005 he served as Section Chief of General Internal Medicine. He also served as Chairman of the Patient Education Committee from 1999 to 2005. His medical office is located at 27‑10 30th Avenue, Suite LA, Astoria, NY 11102. Astoria is in a section of Queens County, NY a part of New York City. Dr. Duffy is only available by appointment. Dr. Duffy can be reached by phone at 718‑932‑9870. Dr. Duffy will not be available for phone, fax, mail or e‑mail consultations.

Mucusless Diet Healing System. Mucusless Diet Healing System

Contemporary Insights to Professor Ehret was written as an introduction to to the 75th anniversary edition of Professor Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System. Mucusless Diet Healing System is available from Ehret Literature Publishing for $4.95 (US) online.Click here to purchase the 75th anniversary edition of Professor Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System.