Poop Science: Fecal Transplants Effective In Treating Ulcerative Colitis, Study Finds

Poop transplant provides hope to those who suffer inflammatory bowel disease that may lead to ulcers in intestines. A new study suggests that fecal microbiota transplantation may be an effective approach in treating ulcerative colitis.

The Poop Transplant

Poop transplants or fecal microbiota transplantations are currently used as a treatment for clostridium difficile infection. However, this process is also found effective in treating ulcerative colitis as suggested by a study presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2016 on May 21. Natural World News reported that fecal microbiota transplantations prove promising as a substitute treatment for patients, who are resistant or intolerant to conventional ulcerative colitis treatment.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is a treatment that involves the transplantation of fecal matter from a healthy individual to another patient. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that can lead to long-term inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract, the Daily Mail explained. The ulcerative colitis mostly affects the innermost lining of the large intestine and rectum, which is often followed by rectal bleeding, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

"In recent years, researchers have gained a better understanding of the gut microbiota and the critical role it plays in health and disease, including conditions like ulcerative colitis," Sudarshan Paramsothy, MD said in a press release. Paramsothy is a gastroenterologist from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

How Did They Find It Effective?

For the study, the researchers enrolled 81 patients with active ulcerative colitis across three Australian study sites. Forty-one of the participants underwent fecal transplant treatment. The remaining 40 participants were given a placebo or non-active treatment.

For eight weeks, those who underwent fecal microbiota transplantations were instructed to conduct enemas to be self-administered five days a week. On the day of the fecal microbiota transplantations, the patients had significantly less diversity in their gut bacteria compared to the donor's gut bacteria, Live Science reported.

Researchers found that 27 percent of the patients who received fecal microbiota transplantations reported no symptoms of ulcerative colitis. They also found that patients' digestive tract recovered or substantially healed. After three months, the diversity of the patients' gut bacteria almost resembled that of the donors.

According to Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, around 700,000 adults in the United States suffer from ulcerative colitis, which includes loose bowel movement, persistent diarrhea, bloody stool and stomach cramps. Learning this, are you willing to donate your poop? Don't forget to leave your comments below. To know more about ulcerative colitis, check out this video: