By Andrea McBeth, ND
It might sound wild, but sterilized poop from extraordinarily healthy people might just be the microbial boost your gut didn’t know it needed.
Before you click away, hear me out: what makes healthy poop uniquely powerful is the complex, thriving microbial ecosystem it represents. It’s a biological treasure chest filled with tens of thousands of tiny molecules, called postbiotics, which support gut resilience, immunity, brain health, and more.
To unpack what’s inside ThaenaBiotic®, we’ll walk through the biology in simple terms, explain why these metabolites matter, and dig into some fascinating science behind them.
What exactly is a "Postbiotic"?
You’ve heard of probiotics (living beneficial bacteria) and prebiotics (fibers feeding those good bacteria). Postbiotics complete the trifecta. At Thaena, we define postbiotics specifically as:
"The full spectrum of beneficial metabolites and nutrients produced by a healthy gut ecosystem, captured safely through our patented sterilization method."
Unlike traditional probiotics—often mistakenly thought to work by colonizing your gut (a discussion for another time)—postbiotics don't rely on living bacteria at all. Instead, postbiotics deliver immediate, stable, and consistent support without concerns about bacterial survival or temporary colonization.
Think of prebiotics as fertilizer, probiotics as the planting of seeds, and postbiotics as the ready-to-harvest nutrients your gut cells immediately recognize and utilize.
Why poop?
Healthy human stool is unique because it reflects an exceptionally balanced microbial ecosystem. While we commonly think of poop as waste, in a microbial sense, it’s much closer to a rich, fertile compost teeming with thousands of beneficial molecular nutrients.
Just as gardeners value nutrient-rich manure to help their crops flourish, microbiome experts recognize healthy stool as a valuable source of metabolites (postbiotics)—small molecules that our gut and body need for resilience and well-being. ThaenaBiotic® harnesses exactly this nutrient-rich environment, safely sterilizing and packaging it for consumption.
How it’s made: Sterilized but intact
ThaenaBiotic® is created by carefully collecting stool from rigorously vetted donors—extraordinarily healthy individuals who pass comprehensive medical, dietary, and lifestyle screenings. Their microbiomes represent ecosystems most of us simply cannot cultivate ourselves due to modern lifestyles, antibiotic exposure, and less diverse diets.
We then use our patented sterilization method—high-heat autoclaving—to kill all bacteria, fungi, and viruses, while preserving the precious metabolites they produce. This sterilized material is then pH adjusted, freeze-dried, mixed with organic citric acid and packaged in oral capsules, resulting in the world’s first human-derived postbiotic supplement.
From DNA to Metabolites: Why microbes matter (and how)
To understand ThaenaBiotic®, we need a quick biology refresher—high school style:
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DNA is like the recipe book of life, storing all genetic instructions.
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RNA copies specific recipes from the DNA cookbook.
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Proteins are the actual dishes cooked from RNA instructions.
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Many proteins are enzymes, tiny molecular machines that convert ingredients (like dietary fibers) into beneficial molecules (metabolites)
In your gut, microbes use enzymes to transform fibers and prebiotics from your food into thousands of unique metabolites. These metabolites act as signals and nutrients, directly impacting your gut lining, immune system, and even your brain.
Inside ThaenaBiotic®: Meet the "hero molecules"
While ThaenaBiotic® contains over 14,000 distinct bioactive molecules, here are five groups of hero molecules that work synergistically—even at incredibly small concentrations:
1. Short-chain fatty acids(e.g., butyrate)
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What they do: Fuel colon cells, support barrier function, modulate inflammation, and influence gene expression by acting as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors.
2. Indoles (e.g., Indole-3-propionic acid)
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What they do: Activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), calming inflammation, protecting nerve cells, and promoting balanced immune responses.
3. Secondary Bile Acids (e.g., Lithocholic acid)
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What they do: Bind to receptors like TGR5, enhancing gut motility and metabolic health, reducing inflammation, and supporting insulin sensitivity.
4. Polyphenol-derived metabolites (e.g., Urolithin A)
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What they do: Trigger cellular "spring cleaning" (mitophagy), improving mitochondrial function, and slowing age-related decline.
5. Nucleotide derivatives (e.g., Inosine)
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What they do: Gently modulate immune responses, promote tissue repair, and support energy metabolism.
6. Sphingolipids (e.g., Sphingosine-1-phosphate)
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What they do: Strengthen intestinal barrier integrity, modulate immune cell trafficking, and support balanced inflammation and metabolic signaling.
7. Polyamines (e.g., Spermidine)
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What they do: Enhance cellular repair processes, support gut barrier regeneration, and promote longevity pathways by inducing autophagy and stabilizing DNA.
These are just examples. It’s their combined complexity that sets ThaenaBiotic® apart from isolated, synthetic, or single-strain probiotic and postbiotic products.
Oxidative stress: An emerging discovery
After developing ThaenaBiotic®, our deeper explorations revealed another fascinating layer: many of these metabolites strongly influence oxidative stress and redox balance.
In simple terms, oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals (reactive molecules) and antioxidants in your body. Excessive oxidative stress damages cells, contributes to inflammation, and accelerates aging.
Our C. elegans (tiny worms that are longevity research models) studies showed that ThaenaBiotic® metabolites not only directly reduced oxidative damage but also activated genes responsible for antioxidant protection, mitochondrial health, and metabolic, immune, and cognitive resilience. The worms treated with ThaenaBiotic® even out performed (healthspan) those treated with powerful longevity drugs like rapamycin and reseratrol.
While we didn’t initially create ThaenaBiotic® specifically targeting oxidative stress, this exciting discovery has reshaped our understanding of why it works so effectively.
What about non-metabolite components?
It’s true—ThaenaBiotic® includes small amounts of microbial debris, prebiotic fibers, and cell fragments naturally found in stool. While not the stars of the show, these components provide gentle immune stimulation and structural support. They complement, rather than drive, the therapeutic power.
The real magic remains in the metabolite mixture itself—the thousands of small molecules your body knows how to use immediately.
Real-world stories
Science is compelling, but real-world results truly speak volumes. Here are two anonymous patient experiences shared by people using ThaenaBiotic®:
“...This product has helped my chronic stomach issues better than anything I’ve tried. I kind of feel like a ‘normal’ person again and I haven’t felt that way in years. I’ve even started reintroducing foods that used to give me issues and I’m happy to report I can eat bread again! And I’m sleeping better!...”
“I'm experiencing an improvement not only with bowel movements, but also with gut tolerance. I have started to carefully [and] slowly include raw vegetables in the form of salad and very slowly introducing raw apple. Both of which I am tolerating. Thank you to Thaena for creating this therapy.”
(These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)
Wrapping it up: More than just poop
ThaenaBiotic® redefines gut health supplements by embracing the complexity and power of the entire healthy human gut ecosystem. It’s not about isolated bacteria or a few synthetic compounds—it’s about thousands of molecules working together, created naturally by microbes, captured safely by science, and delivered directly to your gut.
Sterilized poop might seem wild, but the potential for enhancing resilience, reducing oxidative stress, and supporting overall health is real—and profoundly exciting.
The garden within you is waiting for the right conditions to thrive again. ThaenaBiotic® brings those active signals — human to human, ecosystem to ecosystem — to help it bloom.