Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT)

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is a medical procedure in which processed stool from a rigorously screened, healthy donor is transferred into the gastrointestinal tract of a recipient — via colonoscopy, enema, nasoenteric tube, or oral encapsulated preparations — to restore microbial diversity and functional balance within the gut microbiota. By reintroducing a broad community of beneficial microorganisms rather than isolated strains, FMT aims to correct dysbiosis and reestablish a stable gut microbial ecosystem. Within nutritional psychology, FMT serves as both an experimental model and an emerging clinical avenue for examining how bidirectional gut–brain–microbiota communication shapes mood, cognition, and behavior.