Donating to a good cause in any capacity is a noble thing to do—and that’s why you should consider becoming a stool donor.
Now, you may be thinking, “Why would anyone want my poop?” Well, it isn’t actually your poop that we’re after. We’re looking for specific bacteria—selected for their pharmacological properties—that may be present in your poop. If they are, we isolate these bacteria to be used for the development of potential therapeutic treatments for people suffering from serious diseases, such as recurrent C. diff.
Now that you know the potential impact that donating your poop can have, we hope you’ll be interested in becoming a stool donor. Participants must satisfy stool donor requirements that cover current medical and family health history as well as certain aspects of your lifestyle. Think you’ve got what it takes? Read through some initial requirements below to find out if you could potentially qualify.
1. Do you have regular bowel movements?
2. Are you between the ages of 18 and 50?
3. Do you meet our BMI requirement?
4. Do you smoke?
5. Do you have a history of GI disease or alcohol/drug abuse
6. Are you pregnant?
7. Do you live or work near a donation center?
8. Do you have time to donate at a center 3-6 times weekly?
If you’re interested in participating in the GoodNature Program, you must first satisfy our donor qualifications and then complete our multi-step donor screening process. Start by reading through the following seven requirements to see if you are potentially eligible before moving forward. If all of the requirements sound like you, there’s a chance that you may have the microbes that we’re looking for. The GoodNature Program is a wonderful opportunity to potentially make a difference in the lives of those who have serious diseases, such as recurrent C. diff.
Everybody poops, but not all stool is created equal. What we mean by this is that stool can come in various shapes, sizes, and firmness. Researchers at the Bristol Royal Infirmary—a hospital in Bristol, England—have developed a visual guide for stools known as the Bristol Stool Form (BSF) Scale, which helps us distinguish abnormal stool from “healthy” stool.
For our stool donation program, we seek donors with regular bowel movements of the Types 4 and 5 varieties on the Bristol stool chart. Ideally, you also poop an average of one to three times a day and maintain a consistent diet and routine. We seek consistent quality and quantity of stool from our donors, thus regular bowel movements sit atop the list of our stool donor qualifications.
The GoodNature Stool Donation Program requires that our participants be between the ages of 18 and 50. If you do not fall between the ages of 18 and 50, unfortunately, you are not able to participate in the program at this time.*
*You may still be a part of the GoodNature Research and Development program, however, so don’t forget to opt in to learn about those opportunities when you apply or you can do so at any time here.
In order to participate, you must fall into our acceptable BMI range. GoodNature donors should have a BMI that falls between 18.5 and 29.9, a range that the CDC classifies as generally healthy. 1 You can calculate your BMI with the adult BMI calculator found here. Feel free to also consult the weight chart below for a better idea of a healthy weight for individuals of a given height.
Please note that while BMI can be used as a screening tool, it is not diagnostic of the health of an individual. You should consult a trained healthcare provider for proper health assessments whenever evaluating health status and/or risks.
In order to be eligible to become a donor with the GoodNature Program, you must be a nonsmoker. If you are a regular smoker, unfortunately, you are unable to participate in the program at this time.
We seek individuals with no history of gastrointestinal disease. Some of the most common GI diseases are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and Clostridioides difficile.
We also require that participants have no history of alcohol or drug abuse. This is due to concerns brought up in research over the potential for substance abuse to alter the gut microbiome. 2
We do not currently allow pregnant women to participate in the program. During pregnancy, the rise in estrogen and progesterone levels in the mother’s body may alter gut function and microbiome composition.3 For the purpose of our program, we are seeking consistency from your microbiome. Unfortunately, for this reason, you will not be able to participate if you are currently pregnant. We do, however, encourage you to keep us in mind for the future.
In order to be eligible to become a GoodNature donor, you must live or work near one of our donation centers. Our centers are open before work hours and during lunchtime to make it as easy as possible to fit into your daily schedule. We currently have two centers:
If you live near one of these areas, we would love to meet you! In addition to living near a donation center, we expect our donors to visit their local center to make a donation four to six times per week. We will always do the best we can to be flexible for our donors and work with you so you can make your donation center visits a regular part of your weekly routine.
As noted above, successful donor candidates typically live or work 15-20 minutes from one of our GoodNature centers. In addition to living near a donation center, we expect our donors to visit their local center to make a donation three to six times per week. Donors who cannot meet these expectations may be discontinued from the program. We will always do the best we can to be flexible for our donors and work with you so you can make your donation center visits a regular part of your weekly routine.
If you’ve made it this far, we’re hopeful that all of the above descriptions apply to you. If that is the case, we invite you to get started, apply now! If it’s determined that you qualify for the program, you can expect to be contacted for next steps. If you have more questions about what we do, you can visit our FAQ to learn more. We appreciate your interest in the GoodNature Stool Donation Program!
If you’d like to stay in the know on the benefits of stool donation, you can also join our mailing list. Make sure to express interest in being a donor for research and development too. If you’re not qualified to be a daily donor, you may be able to support future research instead.
1Assessing Your Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published September 17, 2020.
2Zhou Y, Weinstock GM, Bubier JA, Russell JT. The Gut Microbiome and Substance Use Disorder. Frontiers in Neuroscience. Published August 31, 2021.
3Edwards SM, Cunningham SA, Dunlop AL, Corwin EJ. The Maternal Gut Microbiome During Pregnancy. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2017;42(6):310-317. doi:10.1097/NMC.0000000000000372
Roughly half a million C. difficile infections occur each year, yet only 30% of Americans are familiar with this debilitating condition.
Here at GoodNature™, we are supporting the development of potential therapeutic treatments for serious diseases, such as recurrent C. diff. Read on to learn more about this disease to understand our mission and how you may be able to join us in the fight against recurrent C. diff.
Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is a bacterium that can occur in the human gut and cause severe diarrhea and colitis (an inflammation of the colon). These bacteria can be found in the air, in water, or on everyday items such sinks, countertops, and doorknobs. If C. difficile bacteria manage to get into your intestines and grow out of control, the result is infection.
C. difficile has been classified as one of the greatest microbial threats to human health by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 2019. It is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infection in the United States and is responsible for the deaths of more than 20,000 Americans each year.
A considerable portion of patients suffer from recurrent episodes of C. diff infection (CDI), with one in six patients reportedly experiencing recurrence within the following 2-8 weeks of their first infection. Understanding this disease and developing effective treatment options are pressing issues. Currently, one in 11 people over age 65 diagnosed with a healthcare-associated C. diff infection die within one month.
Infection can be mild to severe, and the most common symptoms of CDI include stomach cramps and watery diarrhea. Some people with CDI can become very sick, and severe cases of C. diff can be life threatening.
Symptoms of severe CDI may include:
In addition to the physical symptoms, recurrent C. diff, can take an emotional toll, filling patients with fear and anxiety and affecting their psychological wellbeing as well.
Now that you know about C. diff, recurrent C. diff and the potential severity of the disease, you may be wondering what you can do to help. There are a few ways that you can get involved in the fight against this serious disease.
One way that you can help fight C. diff is by learning as much as you can about the disease and raising awareness. The Peggy Lillis Foundation is a great place to start if you want to learn about C. diff and the progress being made on potential treatment options. You can also find resources related to donating monetarily and attending programs and events that support the cause. If you have had experience with C. diff you might want to consider volunteering as an advocate for the Foundation and supporting their patient support network.
If you really want to go the extra mile in the fight against serious diseases, such as recurrent C. diff, consider becoming a stool donor through the GoodNature Program where we are pursuing the development of a new breed of potential treatments known as microbiome therapeutics. If you satisfy all of our eligibility requirements and successfully make it through our health screening process, you may get the chance to make a difference. If you want to find out if you qualify for the GoodNature Stool Donation Program, apply now. If you satisfy the initial criteria, you will be contacted with next steps.
Want to learn more about what we do at GoodNature? Check out our FAQ. To stay up to date with the latest happenings, you can also join our mailing list. Make sure to express interest in being a donor for research and development too. If you’re not qualified to be a daily donor, you may be able to support future research instead.
