Faecal Transplant Anyone? By Suzanne Laurie, Academic Director of IHS

Jan. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Yes really, says Suzanne Laurie, Academic Director of http://www.instituteofhealthsciences.com .You may already share a lot with close family members (living space, meals, secrets and the like), however one doctor in the UK is now suggesting you share something a little more stomach churning…..oh and that it is transplanted through your nose!

OK – attention grabbing headlines aside, I kid you not and actually this idea is not as crazy as it sounds. It also validates what many alternative healthcare professionals have been saying for years – our bowel flora really do keep us alive. The theory here is simple – this procedure, pioneered by Dr Alisdair MacConnachie from Gartnavel General Hospital in Glasgow, can be used to repopulate the gut with healthy bacteria, which has become unbalanced in some diseases, such as a bacterial infection such as c.difficile. C. difficile infection is often caused by antibiotics wiping out swathes of beneficial bacteria in the gut, giving the surviving C. difficile bacteria room to quickly multiply and produce masses of toxins which lead to diarrhoea. This can be fatal.

It is not difficult to see why the first-choice solution in most hospitals, more antibiotics, does not always work and can lead some patients to developing recurrent infections, not to mention chronic health issues, caused by the devastation the antiobiotics unleash on a large part of their immune system (65% of which is housed in the gut, of which our natural bacteria are perhaps the most important component). Therefore the theory behind faecal transplant is a good one – by quickly adding more bacteria to the bowels, they will compete with C. difficile bacteria and control the infection whilst minimizing damage from inappropriate use of more antibiotics. This is assuming your stool donor houses bacteria you would want to share that is!

Dr MacConnachie has performed just over 20 of the operations since he started in 2003, although the same treatment is also being tested in the US. “Ultimately all the patients I’ve treated, bar one, has got rid of their C. difficile,” he said. Patients are given antibiotics up to the night before the operation, when their medication is swapped for those to control stomach acid. On the morning of the procedure, the donor comes into hospital and produce a sample. A relative is generally used, preferably one who lives with the patient, because living in the same environment and eating the same food means they are more likely to have similar bowel bacteria. About 30g is taken and blitzed in a household blender with some salt water. This is poured through a coffee filter to leave a watery liquid. A tube is inserted up the patient’s nose and down to the stomach and about 30ml of liquid is poured down the tube. Smoothie anyone?!

Dr MacConnachie is keen to point out that this treatment is a last resort (and clearly not for those with a weak stomach) but the results are impressive – there is a reported 90% success rate and many individuals feel better after only a matter of hours – even those with long term debilitating infections. This is great news but lets take a step back. This is definitely an interesting approach and potentially a life changer/saver for some individuals with acute/chronic infections but surely there are a few less icky alternatives that don’t involve ingesting someone else’s digestive waste through your nose? The good news is yes there are and any well trained nutritional therapist or medical herbalist would be able to discuss a number of these with you. However if this new procedure is a first step towards orthodox healthcare professionals moving away from the aggressive use of antiobiotics and looking at using our own bowel flora to fight infection then I for one welcome it with open arms and blender at the ready! Like Dr MacConnachie I can see it may help individuals with many conditions including severe irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea and constipation if patients really have exhausted other natural solutions, their condition has become seriously debilitating or an infection is potentially life threatening. For now though I’ll be sticking to the good old probiotic supplements!

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IHS goal is to be a centre of excellence in Ireland for education and training in nutrition, diet and health and in the clinical practice of nutritional therapy. We are committed to furthering the standards of practice for training and nutritional therapy in Ireland and worldwide. To achieve this goal we have developed up-to-date and scientifically relevant course material and have established a passionate lecturing team of experts in the fields of anatomy and physiology, nutritional therapy, nutritional science, naturopathy, research and development and nutrition clinical practice.

Both IHS directors are qualified nutritional therapists and accomplished lecturers so they are uniquely positioned to understand what it takes to design and deliver meaningful training in the broad field of nutritional therapy. IHS courses combine scientific theory and evidence-based research with a strong focus on practical therapeutic application in a supportive learning environment.