‘Right gut bacteria may beat poor diet’

Manipulating bacteria that live in the gut may be a new way to treat millions of children suffering chronic malnutrition. Research suggests that the right microbes can get the most out of a poor diet.

Researchers culled intestinal bacteria from babies and toddlers in Malawi, where malnutrition is common, and transferred them to mice for study.

Tweaking gut microbes improved growth — even though the animals didn’t eat more, or more nutritiously.