The Microbiome Revolution with Andrea McBeth, ND | Rubin On Point Podcast
What if resilience begins in the gut? 🦠 In this episode of Rubin On Point, Dr. Dan Rubin sits down with Andrea McBeth, ND—naturopathic doctor, entrepreneur, and CEO of Thaena—to explore the hidden power of the microbiome and postbiotics in healing, cancer care, and human vitality.
From fecal transplants to mitochondria, fermented foods to cutting-edge supplements, this conversation bridges science, philosophy, and lived experience.
Together, they uncover how our inner ecosystem shapes resilience—and why postbiotics may be the breakthrough tool for the future of medicine.
📌 Topics include:
The story and science behind fecal microbiota transplants (FMT)
How the microbiome and mitochondria co-evolved
Post-biotics: what they are, why they matter, and how Thaena is leading the way
Microbiome diversity, fiber, and fermented foods
Cancer care, immunotherapy, and microbiome restoration
Rethinking resilience at the cellular (and human) level
👩🔬 About Andrea McBeth, ND
Andrea McBeth, ND, is the founder and CEO of Thaena, a pioneering microbiome therapeutics company. She earned a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry (molecular biology focus) from the University of San Diego, and a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM).
Early in her career, Andrea directed her ND clinical practice toward functional GI disorders and autoimmunity, launching one of the first stool banks for fecal microbiota transplantation to treat Clostridioides difficile infections. She later served as president of GastroANP and as adjunct faculty at NUNM, where she developed and taught graduate courses on the microbiome’s role in nutrition.
Driven by the interface between gut microbes and human health, Andrea invented ThaenaBiotic, the first human-derived post-biotic supplement. She now leads Thaena’s efforts to translate cutting-edge science into safe, scalable treatments that restore microbial balance and transform patient care.
🌐 Connect with Thaena
Website: thaena.com
Instagram: @thaena.inc
Facebook: facebook.com/thaena.inc
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thaena-inc
Whether you’re a clinician, a person navigating cancer, or simply fascinated by the gut-brain connection, this episode will shift the way you see health, healing, and human potential.
👉 Subscribe for more conversations on resilience, cancer care, and integrative medicine.
Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome to Rubin On Point
00:43 – Introducing Andrea McBeth, ND & Thaena
02:00 – The story of fecal microbiota transplants (FMT)
05:12 – Microbiome as a hidden organ system
06:00 – Fat mouse, skinny mouse study & obesity
07:21 – Aging, resilience, and microbiome transfer
08:07 – Microbes as messengers: postbiotics & hormones
09:08 – How the microbiome impacts mood, brain, and health
10:04 – Microbiome diversity, environment, and evolution
12:10 – Microbiome and pharmacology (metformin, GLP-1, Ozempic)
13:30 – Evolutionary biology: mitochondria as ancient bacteria
16:38 – Mitochondria, energy, and resilience
20:57 – Microbiome feeding mitochondria (butyrate & short-chain fatty acids)
23:12 – Gut-brain signaling and mitochondrial energy
24:03 – What are prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics?
27:17 – Why postbiotics from healthy donors matter
29:04 – Early childhood microbiome & resilience
33:26 – Mass extinction of microbes & modern lifestyle
37:26 – B. infantis, breast milk, and tribal microbiome diversity
39:47 – Creating Thaena: the first human-derived postbiotic supplement
41:13 – Safety, innovation, and cancer care applications
44:07 – Microbiome and immunotherapy response (PD-1, PD-L1)
46:37 – Postbiotics in oncology and pediatrics
48:29 – Building resilience before cancer treatment
49:09 – The probiotic debate & role of fermented foods
52:33 – Practical tips: fiber, fermented foods, diversity
53:33 – Andrea’s message on resilience & microbiome health
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