"The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." — Thomas Edison
Food is information. Every meal speaks to your immune system, your hormones, your gut, your mitochondria — and either supports them or quietly undermines them. Nutritional medicine is the careful, evidence-based use of food, lifestyle and targeted nutraceuticals to restore that conversation.
I'm Jennifer Derham — a BANT-registered nutritional therapist with a BSc in Herbal Medicine (University of Westminster), a Diploma in Nutritional Therapy (International Institute of Nutrition & Health, Ireland) and an MSc in Ethnobotany (University of Kent / Royal Botanic Gardens Kew). With over 20 years in clinical practice, I work from an NHS GP surgery in Fulham — often with patients where conventional medicine has run out of answers.
What I see most often
My practice gravitates towards complex, multi-system or unresolved cases — but nutritional medicine is foundational and benefits almost everyone.
Immune resilience and chronic infections
Recurrent infections, chronic Lyme, post-viral fatigue, long COVID and reactivated viruses (Epstein-Barr, shingles) all sit on weakened immune terrain. Nutritional medicine rebuilds that terrain — vitamin D, zinc, selenium, NAC, glutathione, mitochondrial support — backed by published evidence.
Fatigue, low energy and burnout
Mitochondrial dysfunction, blood sugar dysregulation, nutrient depletion and HPA-axis stress are usually involved. See Chronic Fatigue & Immune Support. Targeted nutritional support, alongside lifestyle medicine, can shift things where rest alone cannot.
Mould-related illness and detoxification
If you've been exposed to a water-damaged building and developed brain fog, fatigue or unexplained inflammation, nutritional support is central — phase II detox (NAC, glutathione, calcium D-glucarate), mycotoxin binders and immune regulation, alongside herbal antifungals. See Mould Illness & CIRS.
Broader conditions I work with
- Gut — IBS, reflux, food sensitivities, SIBO, leaky gut
- Hormones — perimenopause, menopause, PMS, PCOS, fertility and preconception
- Autoimmune & chronic inflammation — Hashimoto's, rheumatoid, psoriasis
- Metabolic — weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, insulin resistance
- Skin — eczema, acne, rosacea
- Children's health, family nutrition, healthy ageing
The evidence
- Immunity & infection: Zinc, vitamin D and vitamin C have well-documented roles in immune defence, with strong meta-analysis support.
- Mould & mycotoxins: Saccharomyces boulardii binds mycotoxins and modulates inflammatory signalling; NAC, glutathione and calcium D-glucarate support phase II detoxification.
- Gut: Probiotic and dietary interventions shown to alter the gut microbiome and reduce IBS symptoms across multiple trials.
- Fatigue & long COVID: CoQ10, B vitamins, magnesium and omega-3s have growing evidence in mitochondrial support and post-viral recovery.
I prescribe based on evidence, your individual biology and what's actually likely to work — not protocols.
Treat the person, not the disease
Two people with the same symptom rarely need the same plan. A thorough case history, a food diary, careful examination and — where useful — functional and biochemical testing inform a programme that fits your biology.
A typical course may include practical eating plans, lifestyle adjustments, gentle detoxification support and a tailored supplement programme. Food first, supplements where they earn their place.
Where appropriate, I combine nutritional medicine with herbal medicine and Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) — the three work powerfully together.
Tests I use
Only what will change the plan, never a fishing expedition:
- DUTCH (Dried Urine Hormones) — sex hormones, cortisol, melatonin
- GI-MAP stool test — microbiome, parasites, yeast, gut inflammation
- Organic Acids Test (OAT) — metabolic, mitochondrial and yeast snapshot
- Full thyroid panel — TSH, T3, T4, reverse T3, antibodies
- Mycotoxin testing — for suspected mould illness
- Food sensitivity (IgG) — for stubborn skin, gut and inflammatory symptoms
- DNA / Nutrigenomics
- Hair mineral analysis — nutrient and toxic element screening
See the Laboratory Testing page for the full picture.
Quality matters — practitioner-only nutraceuticals
The supplement aisle is a minefield. High-street brands are often poorly absorbed, under-dosed or contain fillers and synthetic forms your body struggles to use.
I prescribe practitioner-only brands — the same ones used in research and integrative clinics worldwide. These include food-state supplements (nutrients delivered in their natural matrix), bioavailable activated forms (e.g. methylated B vitamins) and clinical-strength nutraceuticals at therapeutic doses. Quality, dose and form matter as much as the nutrient itself.
What to expect
A first consultation is 60–90 minutes, in person at my Fulham clinic or by online appointment. Follow-ups (45 minutes) usually 2–4 weeks later, then monthly. Most people notice meaningful change within 6–8 weeks; chronic conditions take longer.