Anorexia nervosa is one of the hardest mental health conditions to treat, and the options have barely shifted in decades. A team in London, Ontario, is testing something different, and the anorexia treatment they are investigating starts in the gut.
Researchers at London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, the Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's Health Care London and Western University are testing whether capsules of screened donor gut bacteria can help treat anorexia nervosa. Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Western, co-leads the trial with Dr. Jeremy Burton, a microbiologist and scientific director at Lawson, funded by the Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario.
Why Are Researchers Looking at the Gut Microbiome
Your gut microbiome is the bacterial community living in your intestines, and it does more than digest lunch. It produces chemical signals that reach the brain and appear to influence mood, appetite and behaviour.
Osuch has put it plainly, saying there appears to be a direct link between the gut microbiome and how the brain functions, through chemical signalling that runs upward. A 2023 study in Nature Microbiology documented distinct microbiome disturbances in people with anorexia nervosa. Whether those disturbances drive the illness or follow from it is the question this trial exists to probe.
How Do Fecal Microbiota Transplant Capsules Work
Fecal microbiota transplant, or FMT, is older than it sounds. A laboratory processes stool from screened healthy donors and packs it into capsules that participants swallow. The London team runs an established FMT program under infectious disease specialist Dr. Michael Silverman, and ranks among the world's most active groups applying FMT in cancer care.
The regulatory position often gets reported loosely, so it is worth stating precisely. Health Canada regulates fecal matter as a new biologic drug and no FMT product holds market authorization here. Instead, there is an interim policy on fecal microbiota therapy permitting use outside a trial for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection that has not responded to conventional therapy. Every other use, this one included, runs as an authorized trial.
What Does This Mean for Canadians Living With an Eating Disorder
It is worth being clear about where this sits, because no anorexia treatment of this kind is available yet and nothing here is proven. A study at this stage tests whether an idea is worth pursuing at scale, and plenty of promising ideas do not survive.
The direction of travel is what makes it notable. Care for an eating disorder has long centred on therapy and nutritional support, and those remain the foundation, but relapse is common. Research treating gut biology as part of the picture opens a door that has mostly stayed shut. For the wider version, what your gut is trying to tell you covers how much of this signalling runs both ways.
Where Can You Get Help for an Eating Disorder in Canada
For help for an eating disorder in Canada, the National Eating Disorder Information Centre runs a toll-free helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20, which is 1-866-633-4220, plus live chat and email support. Hours vary by service, so check NEDIC's contact page. A family doctor can also refer you into provincial programs.
Waits are the honest obstacle. Both psychiatric bed wait times and specialist referral waits vary by province, which argues for starting sooner rather than waiting for research to mature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the anorexia treatment being tested in London, Ontario
Researchers are testing whether capsules of screened donor gut bacteria, known as fecal microbiota transplant, can help treat anorexia nervosa. The study examines effects on the gut microbiome and on nutrition. This remains early-stage research rather than an available anorexia treatment, and results are some way off.
Is fecal microbiota transplant approved in Canada?
Health Canada regulates fecal matter as a new biologic drug, and no product holds market authorization. An interim policy permits use outside clinical trials for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection that has not responded to conventional therapy. Every other use, anorexia nervosa included, requires an authorized clinical trial.
Can gut bacteria really affect mental health?
Credible evidence shows that gut and brain exchange chemical signals, and that people with certain conditions display altered microbiome patterns. Research in anorexia nervosa has documented such differences. Whether changing gut bacteria improves symptoms remains an open question, which is what trials like this one are designed to answer.
Where can I get help for anorexia in Canada right now?
The National Eating Disorder Information Centre offers a toll-free helpline at 1-866-633-4220 plus live chat and email. A family doctor can refer you to provincial eating disorder programs, and registered dietitians and mental health practitioners can help directly. Earlier treatment consistently produces better outcomes, so starting sooner genuinely matters.
If you are looking for care now, Medimap can help you find dietitians and mental health practitioners near you with current wait times, and the Medimap Health Hub has more on getting care in Canada.
Disclaimer
This article is general health information and is not medical advice. It cannot diagnose a condition or replace an assessment by a qualified health professional. In an emergency, call 911. For any concern that is not urgent, speak to a doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist. Medimap helps you find and compare providers and does not provide medical care.
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