Fecal transplants are a relatively new procedure to improve gut health, and a group of researchers theorized that saving a person’s own excrement for future use could be the best way to utilize it.
In an opinion paper published last Thursday in the journal Trends in Molecular Medicine, researchers make the case for autologous fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or FMT — using your own poop to restore your health later in life.
Transplanting a healthy donor’s feces in another person via Heterologous FMT is said to help restore the gut microbiome and boost health. In practice, it would look something like this: a young and healthy person’s stool would be collected and stored to be used later in life. After the stool is processed and stored, it can be delivered in several ways: taken as in capsules, administered rectally via enema or used during colonoscopy.
“Considering the massive (and possibly permanent) loss of our microbial diversity due to industrial advances, the creation of a global ‘microbial Noah’s ark’ is warranted to protect the long-term health of humanity,” the researchers wrote. “However, considering the highly personalized gut microbial compositions and the donor– recipient compatibility issue, creating a personal microbial Noah’s ark using stool banks for future personal use might also be a worthwhile option,” they continued.
The gastrointestinal tract is home to around or more than 100 trillion microorganisms — bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. Now, there is evidence piling up that shows the gut microbiome plays an important role in health and disease, capable of impacting both physical and mental states. When a stool sample is transferred, it brings with it all these microorganisms. It is ideal if the traveling microbiota repopulates in their new home, bringing balance and health.
A gut is healthier when it is home to a diverse array of microbiota. In a recent 2022 study, patients with less biodiversity in their gut were more likely to experience heart failure. Even though guts undergo rapid changes when a person reaches late adulthood, older people with more diverse guts have a tendency to be healthier and live longer.
While more research is still needed to determine exactly how autologous FMT could help people, scientists say it could potentially be useful in combating inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and unhealthy aging, and in rebuilding a patient’s gut microbiome after chemotherapy and heavy use of antibiotics.
Many scientists are hopeful that a better understanding of the gut’s complex relationship to the body and brain will revolutionize how many illnesses are treated, which has led to an increase in research on the gut over the past years. The FDA is particularly interested in the creation of microbiome-based medicines and healthcare solutions.
Still, this is just one potential option in the toolbox for improving gut health. For some, good gut health can be maintained through exercise, diet, reducing stress and getting enough sleep.
In an opinion paper published last Thursday in the journal Trends in Molecular Medicine, researchers make the case for autologous fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or FMT — using your own poop to restore your health later in life.
Transplanting a healthy donor’s feces in another person via Heterologous FMT is said to help restore the gut microbiome and boost health. In practice, it would look something like this: a young and healthy person’s stool would be collected and stored to be used later in life. After the stool is processed and stored, it can be delivered in several ways: taken as in capsules, administered rectally via enema or used during colonoscopy.
“Considering the massive (and possibly permanent) loss of our microbial diversity due to industrial advances, the creation of a global ‘microbial Noah’s ark’ is warranted to protect the long-term health of humanity,” the researchers wrote. “However, considering the highly personalized gut microbial compositions and the donor– recipient compatibility issue, creating a personal microbial Noah’s ark using stool banks for future personal use might also be a worthwhile option,” they continued.
The gastrointestinal tract is home to around or more than 100 trillion microorganisms — bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. Now, there is evidence piling up that shows the gut microbiome plays an important role in health and disease, capable of impacting both physical and mental states. When a stool sample is transferred, it brings with it all these microorganisms. It is ideal if the traveling microbiota repopulates in their new home, bringing balance and health.
A gut is healthier when it is home to a diverse array of microbiota. In a recent 2022 study, patients with less biodiversity in their gut were more likely to experience heart failure. Even though guts undergo rapid changes when a person reaches late adulthood, older people with more diverse guts have a tendency to be healthier and live longer.
While more research is still needed to determine exactly how autologous FMT could help people, scientists say it could potentially be useful in combating inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and unhealthy aging, and in rebuilding a patient’s gut microbiome after chemotherapy and heavy use of antibiotics.
Many scientists are hopeful that a better understanding of the gut’s complex relationship to the body and brain will revolutionize how many illnesses are treated, which has led to an increase in research on the gut over the past years. The FDA is particularly interested in the creation of microbiome-based medicines and healthcare solutions.
Still, this is just one potential option in the toolbox for improving gut health. For some, good gut health can be maintained through exercise, diet, reducing stress and getting enough sleep.
