Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), plus anti-inflammatory diet leads to remission in ulcerative colitis (UC).

In a randomized trial, researchers split ulcerative colitis patients into two groups: an FMT group who was also eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and a standard medical therapy group with no dietary recommendations.

66% of patients in the FMT group showed a positive clinical response at 8 weeks compared to only 36% in the medical therapy group. In the FMT group 60% reached remission and 36% achieved deep remission, while in the medical therapy group, 32% reached remission and only 9% achieved deep remission. A quarter of the FMT group maintained deep remission after 1 year compared to none in the medical therapy group.

Researchers who conducted the study conclude that FMT is a viable treatment option for UC and that the benefits from FMT can be sustained beyond 1 year. They also conclude that dietary therapy may play an important role in maintaining the benefits of FMT on the gut microbiome in UC patients. In other words – what you feed your gut microbes matters!