Would You Have a Faecal Transplant for the Sake of Your Mental Health?
Yes, it’s what you’re thinking it is. And yes, it‘s effective.
One of the most exciting recent developments in modern medicine is faecal microbiota transplant (FMT).This is where faecal matter is collected from a healthy donor (it’s ok; it’s very well screened) and implanted into the colon of the recipient, via the most obvious direct route.
FMT is highly effective in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant gastrointestinal infection caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile, or C. diff. C. diff frequently arises after a course of antibiotics and is often fatal. FMT works by altering the patient’s microbiome, the collection of living microorganisms in the gut.
The success rate for FMT as treatment for recurrent C. diff is well over 90%. The psychological appeal of the treatment is somewhat less. But setting aside any emotive response, the fact is that FMT is highly effective, cheap, and safe. For that reason, more and more physicians in the United States (and more recently in the UK) are performing the procedure.
It all begins with research. Now, with what we know about the gut-brain connection, and the role that bacteria play in influencing the mind, FMT has sparked interest in the field of mental health research too.
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