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

 The G.E.M.M. Protocol is a way to improve your gut-immune function and overall health by utilising your body’s own defence mechanisms and healing abilities. It utilises an inclusive diet, together with effective nutrigenomic therapeutics to encourage your body to heal itself.
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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.
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​How are G.E.M.M clinicians qualified to use this approach?

G.E.M.M Accredited Clinicians must first meet a minimum standard of qualification in the field of human nutrition before they enrol in the Foundations Course. Thereafter, clinicians must undertake an accreditation assessment and continue with annual upskill courses to maintain their accreditation.​
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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.
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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.

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

G.E.M.M. promotes a diet of Inclusion, not diets of exclusion. A few foods may need to be excluded initially when embarking on G.E.M.M but 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.
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Will G.E.M.M. give me long term results?

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.
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What conditions does this approach treat?

Whilst G.E.M.M. initially addresses the function of the gut, it then works to improve the function of all bodily systems. The nutrigenomically-active ingredients in the formulations together with the underlying diet help to improve the function of all the body’s cells at a fundamental level.
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How long will this programme take?

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. Please head over to 'What to Expect' for more information.
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Is G.E.M.M. a lifestyle approach?

​G.E.M.M is a holistic programme that requires balance across all aspects of an individual’s health. Some people may need to work more on their sleep and rest routine, whereas others might need to work more on how they exercise.
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Will G.E.M.M. help to improve my immune function?

​Most of the immune system resides just beneath the cells lining the gut, explaining why G.E.M.M addresses the gut-immune systems as a first step. Restoring appropriate balance to the gut and its underlying immune network thereafter impacts other parts of the body.