By Bill Kaufmann
Published Aug 13, 2024
What might seem stomach-turning could prove a key to better mental health, say University of Calgary researchers.
The scientists have embarked on a study to determine if fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) using so-called poop pills can reduce the effects of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
In a U of C lab, technicians on Tuesday prepared a brown liquid in a kitchen mixer, then squeezed the substance into white and blue capsules that’ll be served to study participants that researchers are seeking to recruit.
“Our gut bugs are part of us — they help us sleep, digest food and provide us with vitamins, and seem to have a connection with how our brains work,” said Dr. Thomas Louie, a clinical medicine professor who’s been working with FMT, particularly in treating C. difficile infections, the most common hospital-borne illness.
Early studies suggest altering the microbiome in the stomach can improve signaling between the gut and the brain, said Louie and study leader Dr. Valerie Taylor.
