The G.E.M.M. Protocol (Gut Ecology & Metabolic Modulation) is a unique system of health care designed to harness the principles of Nature in helping to restore normal function to human cells. The focus is on supporting the gut-immune network and cellular function, so your body has a stronger foundation for repair, regulation and long-term wellbeing.

As your G.E.M.M-accredited clinician, I will ask you questions about your digestion, even if you are not aware of any such issues. That's because the digestive system and its underlying immune network are the starting point for addressing a whole range of common disorders. The cells of the Gut-Immune Network send thousands of biochemical signals throughout the body, normalising the function of many cells in other parts of the body. When your cells are functioning at their peak, your body can begin to repair itself, regardless of the names of any conditions you may have.

The science of Nutrigenomics plays an important role in the programme’s success. Nutrigenomics is the science that investigates how certain food molecules are like signals that ‘talk to our genes’, promoting either health or disease, depending on what foods we eat.

After considering your health history and current health status, I will tailor your care programme, sequentially addressing all key aspects of cellular function. As you progress through the G.E.M.M. levels, you may begin to notice changes in symptoms, tolerance and overall wellbeing. The culinary and lifestyle skills you will learn as a G.E.M.M. patient will enable you to maintain your new sense of wellbeing for the rest of your life.

A most important difference lies in the fact that G.E.M.M was developed to mimic the principles of Nature. G.E.M.M is based on replicating the natural processes human cells use to maintain and repair themselves.

The initial G.E.M.M. focus is on restoring essential balance within the ecosystem of the gut, rather than on using specific medicines, probiotic supplements or plant extracts to destroy undesirable gut bacteria or other microbes.

Although G.E.M.M. uses several Nature-compatible formulations as medicines to help restore this balance, it relies heavily on specific ‘functional’ foods that send chemical signals to activate protective genes. By ‘talking to’ our genes, these food molecules can beneficially influence repair and minimise the inflammatory processes that lead to disease. In this way, these food molecules act a bit like a volume control that can ‘turn up’ or ‘turn down’ the expression of our genes. With no need for anti-microbials, probiotics or high-dose vitamins, G.E.M.M is a gentle, yet powerful approach for restoring and maintaining good health.

Because GEMM integrates several branches of science, the knowledge base and the relevant education process is complex. G.E.M.M. clinicians are required to have practical knowledge of human physiology and biochemistry. These entry requirements are essential prior to a clinician undertaking the G.E.M.M. Course, with clinicians typically qualified in Integrative Medicine, Naturopathy, Nutrition Science, Nutrigenomics and Dietetics.

Annual upskilling is required of G.E.M.M. clinicians to maintain their accreditation.

The G.E.M.M. Protocol was developed by Australian Nutritional Biochemist, Dr Christine Houghton PhD, who after several decades in clinical practice, realised that existing therapies for addressing gut health, metabolic and other chronic diseases were not effectively targeting the underlying causes of ill health. It was the combination of her scientific knowledge and extensive clinical experience that led her to the realisation that any truly effective approach needed to mimic the principles of Nature.

All aspects of the G.E.M.M. Protocol have their foundation in peer-reviewed scientific evidence, with the accompanying nutrigenomically-active G.E.M.M. formulations based on food-derived ingredients for which clinical trials demonstrate efficacy.

G.E.M.M. was launched in mid-2019, the culmination of two years of her in-depth research on integrating the key elements of the sciences of Cell Biology, Microbiology, Immunology and Nutrigenomics. The evolving sciences that underpin G.E.M.M. are regularly incorporated into annual G.E.M.M. Clinician Upskilling sessions.

For many other programmes targeting digestive health, it is common practice that patients are required to exclude long lists of foods in order to obtain relief of symptoms. Such food intolerances are typically the result of a severe imbalance in the gut ecosystem and although avoidance may provide temporary relief, the G.E.M.M. approach, by correcting the underlying causes, quickly restores tolerance to previously-reactive foods.

Restrictive diets suggested in other programmes and followed over weeks and months are likely to lead to nutrient deficiencies, a situation that further reduces the person’s ability to heal and repair. Recognising the power of food as medicine, by contrast, G.E.M.M. promotes a Diet of Inclusion, not Diets of Exclusion. The food choices for a patient following a G.E.M.M. programme are so much more enjoyable - and G.E.M.M. patients don’t experience the added emotional stress of having to conscientiously avoid long lists of restricted foods.

A few foods may need to be excluded initially when embarking on G.E.M.M but you will not be required to undertake any tests to establish what can or cannot be eaten. The knowledge and skills of your G.E.M.M. clinician will establish what you can eat, guiding you through the process of introducing different foods as your system repairs. With G.E.M.M., as gut function and tolerance improve, you may be able to reintroduce a broader range of foods over time.  The ultimate aim of the G.E.M.M. Protocol is to encourage a diverse array of minimally processed whole foods which are introduced sequentially as you progress through the programme. With G.E.M.M, you will leave fad diets behind and can enjoy foods that are both delicious and nutritious!

The G.E.M.M. Protocol is designed to stimulate healing and repair at a cellular level. To sustain the beneficial changes you are likely to experience, it will be necessary for you to maintain the new diet and lifestyle practices you will have learned.

With such a diverse array of health promoting foods from which to choose and a genuine desire to stay well, it becomes remarkably easy to maintain the new lifestyle habits.

The human body contains literally trillions of cells, grouped into different types of tissues, organs and systems. Each one of these remarkably complex cells contributes in its own unique way to your health. When these cells aren’t working at their peak, lots of things can start to go wrong – and that means that disease is likely to develop in that particular group of cells.

Because the G.E.M.M. approach is to implement treatment at the cellular level, the aim is to support cellular function across multiple body systems.

What this means is that the name of your condition doesn’t matter very much.

G.E.M.M. adopts the principles of Nature and may restore cellular function in whatever tissue or organ your condition lies.

The length of the treatment phase of the G.E.M.M Protocol will vary from one person to another.  It will be dependent upon a range of factors which include the nature and extent of your health issues, your genetic predisposition and how readily you can adopt the necessary lifestyle changes.  Your clinician may be able to provide approximate timeframes based on the information you provide, together with his or her clinical experience in treating other patients with similar conditions.

As a guide, many patients may experience substantial improvement within a few weeks, whereas more complex or longstanding conditions may take longer. When symptoms reduce, you will know that there are important cellular changes taking place.

The G.E.M.M Protocol is underpinned by the same principles Nature has used to sustain human life on this planet for many thousands of years. With the benefit of modern Nutrition Science, G.E.M.M has been developed to incorporate those diet and lifestyle habits which have the most impact on human health.

As these factors are gradually introduced into each patient’s programme, specific nutraceutical formulations are selected to hasten and support progress. As you move through the various G.E.M.M. Levels, your clinician will guide you in establishing the dietary and lifestyle habits best suited to the maintenance of your long-term health.

The systems of the gut and its underlying immune network are intimately connected. While targeting digestive health is the first step of the G.E.M.M. Protocol, the second step focuses on restoring appropriate communication between the gut and its underlying immune network. Complex biochemical signals are involved in this two-way communication. The way in which G.E.M.M. influences these signals is one of the key factors that separates G.E.M.M. from other
programmes.

The immune system governs so much more than infection control; it is equally responsible for dealing with inflammation, allergies and autoimmune conditions. One of the most significant benefits of using G.E.M.M. to restore the gut-immune interface is that this helps to remove intolerances to foods, a common and distressing problem.

To a large extent, it is the integration of several complex branches of science that makes G.E.M.M. unique in its approach to any infective, allergenic or inflammatory condition.