G.E.M.M.

1. What is the G.E.M.M. Protocol?

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. As the function of individual cells returns to normal, so too does the function of the disordered organs and systems that had allowed disease to flourish.

You might be surprised when your G.E.M.M-accredited clinician asks 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, your G.E.M.M. clinician will tailor your treatment programme, sequentially addressing all key aspects of cellular function. As you progress through the G.E.M.M. levels, you will find symptoms disappearing as your overall state of health  improves. 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.

1. The G.E.M.M. protocol is a way to improve your gut and overall health by utilising your body’s own defence mechanisms and healing abilities. It utilises an inclusive diet together with effective natural therapeutics to encourage your body to heal itself.
2. The G.E.M.M. Protocol (Gut Ecology & Metabolic Modulation) is a unique system of health care with a focus on restoring normal function to all human cells, organs and systems, beginning at the cells lining the gut.
3. The G.E.M.M. Protocol addresses the root causes of ill-health through optimising the function of all human cells. The Food-First philosophy of the G.E.M.M Protocol is designed to educate and sustain long-term food and lifestyle changes to empower your own self-care and prevention of future illness.

2. Why is G.E.M.M. different from other gut repair systems?

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.

1. The human body is an interconnected network of many different types of cells. No single body organ or system can function independently, so it makes sense to use treatment approaches that focus initially on the function of the microscopic cells before attempting to treat specific poorly-functioning organs which may have led to disease.
   Working at the cellular level, the G.E.M.M. principles have their foundation in the integration of several branches of science including Nutrigenomics, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Immunology.
   Both gentle and effective, G.E.M.M. aims to restore and maintain the inbuilt defensive mechanisms within every cell of the body, progressively improving organs and systems that have been functioning poorly.
   Your clinician will initially focus on the single layer of cells lining the digestive tract – the gut epithelium. These remarkable cells are directly connected to the cells of the immune network below them. Restoring balance to the Gut-Immune interface creates the foundation for healthy communication with the trillions of other cells throughout the body. In this way, targeting gut function is the first step in restoring overall health.
2. G.E.M.M.’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it is a lifestyle approach that utilises the principles of a branch of Nutrition Science called Nutrigenomics. This is the study of how foods and specific food molecules influence the expression of our genes. Such food molecules activate ‘switches’ within our cells; if the source of these molecules is health-promoting food, our protective genes are ‘turned up’ – but if the molecules are from ‘junk’ food, these health-promoting genes are ‘turned down’ and the disease-promoting genes are ‘turned up’.
   No other programme harnesses Nutrigenomics to optimise the function of the cells of the Gut-Immune interface as the bridge that targets disease in other parts of the body.
3. G.E.M.M. focuses on foods and nutrients that improve the functioning of your genes. This is accomplished by a diet of inclusion, not exclusion. Most other systems try to force change by excluding many nutritious foods, an approach which can cause nutritional deficiencies.
4. G.E.M.M relies largely on the ability of food molecules to mobilize the body’s own defences, beginning at the cells lining the gut. G.E.M.M activates the capacity of these cells to maintain and regulate the environment within the digestive tract and body as a whole.
5. Rather than trying to micro-manage individual microbes within your gut, G.E.M.M utilises foods that allow the gut cells to ‘decide’ on the correct microbial balance. This approach means that your native bacterial flora can flourish whilst the undesirable species are out-competed; gradually the appropriate balance is restored, utilising the remarkable properties of the single layer of cells lining the gut.

3. How are G.E.M.M clinicians qualified to use this approach?

To enrol in the Gut Ecology & Metabolic Modulation (G.E.M.M.) Course, a clinician must demonstrate prior qualifications that meet a minimum standard of education in an appropriate healthcare discipline. After completing the foundation training, the clinician can be accredited as a G.E.M.M Clinician by undertaking additional assessment and regular upskilling. Annual Upskilling is required to maintain active accreditation.

4.  Is this programme underpinned by science?

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.

5. Does G.E.M.M. require a specific ‘diet’?

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., most food intolerances become a thing of the past.

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 at the door to enjoy foods that are both delicious and nutritious!

Because the G.E.M.M. approach is to implement treatment at the cellular level, ALL the cells of your body should benefit. What this means is that the name of your condition doesn’t matter very much. G.E.M.M. adopts the principles of Nature to restore cellular function in whatever tissue or organ your condition lies.

As a guide, most patients will experience substantial improvement within 3 months; more complex and longstanding conditions may take longer. On the other hand, many patients feel beneficial changes in just a few weeks. As you see your symptoms disappearing, you will know that there are important cellular changes taking place.

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 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.