Description: Gemmotherapy is the use of extracts of the shoots, buds, and rootlets of rapidly growing plants.  The European manufacturer has a total of 60 different extracts available for use to apply to the stimulation and repair of various organ systems.

Prescription: A custom formula, including 1-15 different extracts will be prepared based on your symptoms and laboratory results.

Dosing: Take 5 drops per day, 3x/day of each herb. Ideally, take 1/2 hour before each meal so as to allow the extracts to be absorbed without delay. But, if you forget, take the drops 3x/day when you remember. The drops can be taken in the mouth directly, swished, held, and then swallowed.

Alternate dosing method: mix the total dose of the herbs in a glass of water at the beginning of the day. Drink 1/3 of the glass 1/2 hr before each meal. Sipping and swishing are ideal.

Duration of Treatment: The first 1-2 weeks of treatment may cause your body to experience old symptoms, which may be a retracing of past disease patterns a process known as the healing crisis. After this period of cleansing, the body will begin to rebuild, and the symptom picture may be noticeably better in a month. Often the disease condition will be largely resolved in 6 months. More chronic degenerative diseases may take longer for more complete resolution. A long term maintenance program of a few key extracts is recommended.

Description of Remedy: The Gemmotherapy remedies are the extracts from the buds of trees and shrubs. The remedies are extracted with several types of solvents (alcohol, water, and glycerin) to extract the full spectrum of phytochemicals.  The glycerin has a sweet taste which makes the gemmo extracts very pleasant.  The buds and shoots are the rapidly growing part of the plant and contain Plant Growth Hormones that stimulate the cells of plants to grow and develop from immature undifferentiated cells into the mature differentiated cells that plants must develop to execute their particular specialized function (e.g. bark, xylem, phloem, roots, and leaves…)

Theory of Action: These same plant growth stimulating factors that can cause the plants to differentiate and produce specialized mature cells may stimulate the immature cells in the tissues of the human body to replace, repair, and regenerate lost tissue, organ, and system function.

Each plant has a particular affinity for a certain type of cell, tissue, organ, and system. It is hypothesized that the buds are effective in producing regeneration because the phytochemicals in the buds stimulate certain cellular processes.  The Plant Growth Hormones in the buds may stimulate the division and differentiation of the more primitive cells that can replace cells that have been damaged. The particular phytochemical effect of each gemmotherapy extract may stimulate a particular type of body cell, which in turn focuses its action of regeneration. This is not a solid theory in the sense of having been observed in the laboratory, but the effect of particular buds stimulating improvement of body function has been observed clinically.

History: This therapy originated in France during the 1950s. The extracts are currently now produced in Belgium and are more widely know and used by practitioners in Europe.  Other manufacturers use a 1:10 dilution of the gemmo extracts, which means that the dose of the HerbalGem extracts can be much lower.

Diagnosis of Condition: The diagnostic process, in preparation to prescribing the appropriate gemmotherapy extracts, is to first take a detailed history, conduct an appropriate physical exam, and perform a detailed blood test. The history allows a symptom-level identification of the organs and systems that are expressing symptoms, the possible causal chain of decay, and the probable originating factors. The physical gives objective data about how the symptoms have expressed themselves in the body. The blood chemistry test is analyzed for indications of metabolic abnormalities which may be expressing themselves on the systemic level.

Prescription: The Gemmotherapy extracts which have been shown to act effectively on those symptoms and metabolic abnormalities are then prescribed. The regenerative effects of the gemmotherapy extracts stimulate the cells of the various organ systems to return to more normal physiology. Since the body has been designed to function and resist the normal stresses of life, when the cells are returned to a more normal, God-given state, the symptoms and debilities will resolve.

Causal Chain of Decay: The treatment strategy ideally includes stimulation of the body to repair organ systems that are at the beginning of the causal chain of decay. For example, excessive reaction to stress may have taxed the adrenal, which taxed the thyroid, which in turn led to fatigue. One approach to treating fatigue is to give a stimulant to oppose the fatigue and give a sense of energy. But, the most curative treatment would be to 1) learn to cope with the stress in a more effective manner, and 2) restore the adrenal function, which can be aided by administering the appropriate complex of Plant Stem Cells.

Since a deficiency in function of one organ often produces collateral damage, it is important to also treat the other organ systems that were damaged by being called upon excessively to compensate for a weakened organ or excessive stress. For example, in the case of excess stress producing adrenal fatigue, there may be collateral damage to the thyroid, digestion, immune system, heart or other tissue. The need to treat these collateral symptoms would be indicated by the presence of symptoms and/or alteration in laboratory values out of the optimum ranges.

Another example would be a person with a chronic infection. The acute infection may have gone chronic because the body could not generate an effective immune response to throw it off. Stimulating the body to regenerate the weakened portion of the immune system is appropriate. One diagnostic measure of immune competence is the Lymphocyte Subset Panel.

If the body has is exhibiting symptoms of hormonal weakness such as in the area of sexual function or desire, menstrual pain or excess, or peri and postmenopausal syndromes (hot flashes, moodiness, urinary tract infections, and premature aging of the skin – then testing male or female hormones may be indicated. Such tests can include a 24-hour urine test to look at the overall level of hormonal function (adrenal and gonadal) or a more pointed test such as testosterone levels for libido issues.

If the immune system was weakened from lifestyle choices, e.g. stress or poor nutrition, this should be concurrently rectified. Often toxicity from internal or external sources can cause the debility. Consider a detoxification regimen with the Gemmotherapy extracts and other detoxifying protocols such as Zeolite, colon cleansing, antioxidants, and liver detoxification factor repletion.

The center of many illnesses is the digestive system. The pancreas may be weak and not putting out the digestive enzymes needed to properly alkalinize the food contents leaving the stomach. Dysbiosis may result from disturbance of the colon bacteria and yeast population after taking antibiotics.

Excessive stress over a long period of time may result in a depleted adrenal function, which may result in the adrenal glands poorly controlling inflammation.  Allergies may also develop due to deficient liver function detoxification, poor digestion due to an insufficient breakdown of complex molecules in food resulting in inflammation, leaky gut, and excessive exposure to allergens.

Treatment of the body as a whole system: Thus, a general strategy for deeply restoring health is correcting the underlying causes of the symptoms, while supporting the other damaged systems. Some of the foundational elements of healing include proper recovery and repair of mind and body from incidents of trauma/shock, resolving the issues of excessive stress, restoring adrenal function, liver function, detoxification, proper diet, GI repair, and normalization of immune cell function to clear infection, tumors, and autoimmune sensitization.

Sometimes the body may need assistance to maintain life. In such severe situations, including heroic interventions such as IV antibiotics to kill an overwhelming infection, or surgery to repair an injury may be necessary. But, after the acute phase is over, the body must be repaired to recover from the treatment.

Cleansing/Healing Crisis/Retracing: The beginning of the Plant Stem Cell therapy may produce symptoms of old disease conditions as the tissues are cleansed of previously incomplete healing. Usually, the symptoms are not serious, and even those who are sensitive can tolerate this process. If the symptoms are just a little unpleasant, it should be tolerated for the duration of the cleansing process and it will usually last only 3-5 days, and not usually longer than a week or two. In general, if the symptoms are not too unpleasant, the patient should continue on with the therapy and push through the short period where the body is developing a new metabolic equilibrium.

Hypersensitive Patients: If you know you are sensitive or have a strong history of disease conditions, you can minimize the symptoms of the cleansing and disease reversal process by starting at a lower dose. For the very sensitive patients, start at 1 drop of the complex of Gemmotherapy extracts initially and raise the dose as the symptoms of cleansing resolve. For those who just want to be cautious, start at 5 drops, and if well tolerated, continue to increase the dose 5 drops at each successive dose until the full dose is reached. If unpleasant healing symptoms occur, then temporarily lowering the dose is acceptable to reduce the intensity of a strong healing crisis.

Lifestyle and Adjunctive Therapies: The Plant Stem Cell therapy stimulates the body to regenerate the cells needed to return a weakened organ to more full function. During the regenerative process, the patient must supply the supportive therapies of adequate nutrition, rest, exercise, water, sunshine, detoxification, prayer, positive attitude and expectation, forgiveness and appreciation, and keep all relationships within their proper boundaries. Such ongoing activities and attitudes are the foundations of health. Other therapies such as enzymes, minerals and vitamins, amino acids, and other nutrients may be indicated to help support the body and will be prescribed as necessary to aid in healing and/or maintaining healthy body function.