This title may seem clickbait. Because for some people this sounds insane. However, it is 100% true. I am a poop donor. And the story gets ever crazier. People may be cured from a certain disease with my poop. I say may because I am a poop donor in a scientific research program. Today I want to tell you why I am a poop donor and how I got here.
The research
In september 2022 I saw a call to action on the Instagram of The Dutch Association for Veganism. The medical research hospital in Amsterdam (AMC) was looking for vegans for a specific research. They were looking for vegans who were willing to become a poop donor. Why? Because the gut bacteria of vegans might be able to cure people who have a certain liver disease: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD NASH).
People who suffer from obesity and diabetes type 2 have a high risk to develop NAFLD NASH. Right now, there is one solution to NAFLD NASH: losing weight to the point where someone is no longer overweight and exercising on a regular basis. This research aims to find a second solution. There are implications that a good set of gut bacteria plays a role in preventing NAFLD NASH. And which people have the healthiest gut bacteria? Right, vegans. In this study my gut bacteria are used for poop transplantations. Earlier research has shown that this works, but that was a small research. This research I’m contibuting to is bigger and more extensive. The poop transplantations will be combined with probotica as well, to see if that combination works even better.
Poop transplantations
So yes, you read that right. I am a poop donor, and my poop will be used for poop transplantations. I deliver my poop to the AMC (I’ll tell you more about that in a sec), they liquify it, make powder from that and put it into pills. These pills are then given to people who suffer from NAFLD NASH, simple as that. It’s not a direct poop transplantation, but indirect. The medical term is fecal microbiota transplant (FMT).
The proces of becoming a donor
In September 2022 I read the call to action from AMC. Straight away I e-mailed them and they then gave me some more information and gave me some criteria. I needed to have a ‘healthy’ BMI, be able to donate within 2 hours after I pooped and I had to be vegan for over 3 months at that point. I checked all the criteria and applied. Next up, there was a first screening on the phone. This consisted of a list of questions which I had to answer. The questions went from how often I could donate, to my medical history and even what the structure of my poop was and all that. It was extensive.
After that screening I was selected as a potential donor. I think I had good chances because I live close by (60 minutes to the AMC), have been vegan for over 5 years, have a stable relationship, am already a plasma donor and have quite a healthy lifestyle (limited alcohol-use, no drug use and I excersize frequently). Then it was time to actually test my poop, twice. I received a small bottle which I had to put a small sample of my poop in and then bring it to the AMC (see pictures below). Once there, I also gave some blood for testing and I did a perineum test. After that I donated some poop once more. All to make sure I had no diseases or such. And I have to be screened every three months to make sure I am still a good donor.
A poop donor
A few weeks after the screenings I heard I was selected as a donor. And I was so happy about that! Now, I donate about twice a week. The actual donations are a bit different from the screenings. For the screenings I just needed to bring a small sample of poop to the AMC. For the actual donations I received a big container, to put all my poop from one bathroom visit in.
I included some pictures below to show you how that works. It’s a plastic holder you put between your toilet and the toilet seat, and in the holder you put the container to poop into. Once I am done pooping I write down the time and date and take it straight to the AMC in a coolbox with cooling elements. This takes about an hour. One there they take the container filled with poop and hand me a new empty one for the next donation.
Pooping at a set time
The first few donations were a bit of a struggle. I didn’t know much about my pooping schedule. But for the donations I had to bring the poop to the AMC in a time range, between 8:00 AM and 11:59 AM. I then found out it’s hard to poop ‘on command’ haha. In the first weeks I even cancelled one donation because I did not have to poop until 11:59 AM. But after a while I found out that I usually poop exactly one hour after I eat a meal. So if I want to be at the AMC at 10:00 AM, I leave from home at 9:00 AM and eat my breakfast at 8:00 AM. I don’t know exactly why I have to be in the AMC in the morning, I think the researchers only work in the lab in the morning or something.
Why I am a poop donor
I take part in this research because I want to help and create positive impact. If this research shows that people can be cured from NAFLD NASH with these transplantations, I have helped the medical world a bit and that feels great. I just feel like it’s my duty to help where I can. For that same reason I am a plasma donor, stemcell donor, organ donor and am growing my hair to donate that as well.
However, this research offers me something extra. And that is money. For every donation or screening I receive 50 euros and the travel expenses that I made are covered. The study is about two years and I am expected to donate about 90 times, adding up to 4500 euros. If I didn’t get any money I would also participate in the research, but this money makes it a lot easier. It takes about 5 hours a week to travel to the AMC to donate.
So yes, I am a poop donor and that feels very good! I am contributing to something positive. Also, this study supports veganism. The fact that they want the gut bateria from specifically vegans only says a lot if you’d ask me. I think a whole-foods plant-based diet is healthiest for humans. And I am telling everybody around me about this study. Because it’s cool, but also because I hope it makes them think. Veganism can cure.
Yours sincerely,
Romee