Let’s talk poop. Ok, you’d probably rather not. I understand. But if you’ve ever been to a nutritionist or naturopath, you will know that we are obsessed with all things relating to food and how it travels all the way through to your bowels and out.
We can understand a lot about your health through food transit times! This can give us much insight into what is happening with your gut microbiota (the good and the bad bacteria) and how it may be out of balance.
We even have a poop chart called Bristol Stool chart as a guide:
By Cabot Health, Bristol Stool Chart - http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/46082.pdf, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41761316
When the bad bacteria are running the show (gut dysbiosis) your health can take a drastic dive. And it not only manifests in the gut. Conditions like depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, allergies and skin issues can all be related to an imbalance in the gut. Your poop carries many of the answers about what is going on.
This is where a treatment called Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) comes in. The process of transferring a healthy donor’s faeces to a patient suffering from gut microbial imbalance is hoped to restore the microbiome diversity.
If you are feeling squirmish just about now, don’t worry, there are several methods used to do this. The 'stool' could either be administered through infusion e.g. via an enema, colonoscopy, or naso-gastric tube or less intrusively, in a capsule with freeze-dried material via the mouth.
Some experts are saying FMT has proven to be beneficial for patients suffering from Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and they are hoping to find more and more positive evidence in treating other gastrointestinal diseases, including colitis, constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and many other conditions that are untreatable with recurrent symptoms. There is even some hope for people suffering from neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s.
I have been interested in knowing more, not because I suffer from any of these conditions but know that many of you do. I have found lots of different theories in favour of this process. What really fascinates me is that there is some anecdotal evidence suggesting that the recipients can gain some metabolic traits of the donors eg change of body shape and different mindset. If this can be proven through more research, the outcomes can be phenomenal!
After posting on my Instagram story saying that I was investigating FMT, I was contacted by several women who have undergone this treatment in Australia. If this sounds like something you would like to know more about, contact your GP and look at some of the links I have added below:
https://www.tga.gov.au/tga-regulation-faecal-microbiota-transplant-fmt-products-australia
Yours in health,
(BHSc Nutritional Medicine)
This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that have read on this blog or in any linked materials.