Yes. It’s A Thing.
Lately, I’ve been very interested in gut health, particularly how the health of the gut is associated with many physical, mental and even neurodegenerative disorders. As a gerontologist, my interest also centers on how the gut ages, consequences of the aging gut, and how to keep our gut healthy throughout our lifespan. All of this brought me to a medical procedure I knew little about, fecal bacteriotherapy, or fecal transplants. This is what I have learned.
What Is Bacteriotherapy?
Fecal bacteriotherapy goes by other names including fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), fecal transplantation and simply put, a poop transplant. While the name or procedure may make some people a little nauseous, it has been shown to be effective in treating serious illnesses. Fecal transplants have been used to treat cases of C. difficile, or C. diff., especially treatment-resistant forms of the illness.
C. diff. is a gastrointestinal disease involving C. diff. which colonizes the gut and disrupts the balance of the microbiome, causing severe diarrhea and in some cases death. A health microbiome, or gut microbiota, houses hundreds or microorganism species that live in the digestive tract and assist with digestion, immune function and protection against harmful pathogens. The gut can be recolonized with health bacteria, which is effective in promoting gut health as well as, believe it or not, mental health.
The Gut-Brain Axis
Researchers have discovered an important connection between the gut and mental health and it lies on the gut-brain axis. This is an essential two-way highway of communication between the brain and the gut, especially the microbiota of the gut. Because of this connection, there is evidence that over use of antibiotics has negative health consequences on the gut, stripping it of much needed health bacteria.
Once good bacteria is destroyed by overuse of antibiotics, people are left susceptible to a number of not only health problems, but mental health and emotional issues as well. Mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, and even autism seem to have a clear link with gut health and researchers are finding more about the gut-brain axis all the time. It appears that this powerful link between the gut and the brain is responsible for brain development, function and behavior.
How is a Fecal Transplant Performed?
Ok, this is where it gets a little gross. A fecal transplant involves taking stool samples from healthy donors and getting it into the colon of the individual seeking treatment. It is usually performed by colonoscopy, where the colonoscope is advanced throughout the entire colon. A donor’s stool is mixed with a saline solution, strained through filters and then prepared for the colonoscopy. The liquid is usually brown and contains lots of good bacteria. This takes place in either a hospital or a physician’s office.
Donors must be free of antibiotic use for 2-6 months before donating their stool. They will undergo medical screening including blood tests which determine if the donor is free of hepatitis A, B, and C, HIV, and syphilis. Stools also need to be examined for any parasites and C. diff.
The idea behind this procedure is that by putting good bacteria into the sick person’s colon, it will flourish and bring balance back to the gut as well as help treat any other illnesses. A fecal transplant restores the gut’s healthy balance of good bacteria, which is necessary for many physical, mental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Researchers have tested the effectiveness of fecal transplants for many health conditions including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, autism, depression, anxiety, food allergies, diabetes, diabetic neuropathy and obesity.
Final Words on Fecal Transplants
While it may make some people uneasy, a fecal transplant or bacteriotherapy can be an effective treatment for people who suffer from a variety of physical, mental and neurodegenerative conditions. In the United States, we tend to over-rely on antibiotics and one of the results of this is destruction of good gut bacteria and associated illnesses including C. diff., irritable bowel syndrome, depression and anxiety. Our gut needs good bacteria to protect us from illness. Fecal transplant may be an option for some people to get health bacteria into their gut and restore their health.