lawyer of naturopath who produced fecal transplant material to treat autism claims he’s 'not bound by science'
reports indicate the naturopath was using fecal microbiota transplantation, or fecal transplants, to treat symptoms of autism, constipation and other diagnoses at his clinic in mexico.
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according to reports, naturopath jason klop was using fecal microbiota transplantation (fmt) to treat symptoms of autism, constipation and other diagnoses at a clinic in mexico.
a lawyer for a b.c. naturopath fighting an order to stop producing materials for fecal transplants told the b.c. supreme court that naturopaths are “not bound by science.”
jason klop, a naturopath based in fraser valley, british columbia, is fighting a public safety order placed on aug. 19 by the college of naturopathic physicians of b.c. the order stopped him from producing, selling and promoting products containing fecal material in canada and abroad. affidavits submitted to the college indicate klop was using fecal microbiota transplantation (fmt) to treat symptoms of autism, constipation and other diagnoses at a clinic in mexico.
“what does it take for a naturopath to do something unbecoming in a field that is so broad and open to interpretation?” klop’s lawyer, jason gratl asked the b.c. supreme court, according to cbc news. “naturopaths may rely on science, but they are not bound by science.”
gratl claimed the field of naturopathy has few restrictions and practitioners regularly rely on non-conventional sources of knowledge. the lawyer representing the college disagreed.
“this notion that it’s anything goes, in my respectful submission, that’s not accurate,” angela westmacott said, indicating the college has set out prescribing standards that suggest practitioners follow evidence-based practices.
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previously, cbc reported klop charged as much as $15,000 us for fecal transplants at a clinic in mexico.
fecal transplants to treat autism an unproven concept
fmt is a procedure in which stool is transplanted to a recipient via a colonoscopy, enema or via pills (orally) to help repopulate the flora in the digestive tract.
currently in canada, fecal transplants are only approved for treatment of clostridium difficile infection that has not responded to more conventional therapies. c. difficile is a bacteria that infects the large intestine and can become life-threatening if not dealt with.
klop’s linkedin profile references a published study that used “antibiotics, a bowel cleanse, a stomach-acid suppressant and fecal microbiota transplant for treatment of gi symptoms, autism-related symptoms, and gut microbiota.” the study had only 18 participants, with no control group or blinding procedure. a follow up two years later published in nature scientific reports says the researchers observed “significant improvements” in the targeted symptoms.
however, other research pushes back on this concept that the gut biome causes symptoms of autism. a different study, published in cell, indicates that children with autism often have different eating behaviours, causing an altered gut biome — not vice versa.
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fecal transplants can also be dangerous — especially on vulnerable patients — and much more data is needed to understand the risks.
“the significant risk is that the donor’s fecal material contains pathogens, such as e. coli, which, even in very small quantities, can cause illness or death to the recipient,” according to the college of naturopathic physicians of b.c.
klop claims the college does not have jurisdiction over sales to foreign buyers, even though the fmt materials are produced in canada.
emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on instagram and twitter @jonesyjourn.
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