Babies are the purest source of gut bacteria, unsullied by junk food or medicine

It’s healthy, it’s organic, it already comes at a smoothie-like consistency — and it uses a resource that we would otherwise just throw away. What’s not to like about the latest promising probiotic supplement?

Well, there’s the fact that it comes out of a baby’s bottom.

Scientists have created a health “cocktail” made from scouring the nappies of infants and then culturing the bacteria they find within.

After testing the resulting drink on mice and on a simulation of the human gut, they claim it could help people with diseases such as diabetes and autoimmune disorders by improving their production of chemicals called short chain fatty acids.

Scientists are increasingly learning about the importance of gut bacteria to our general health. In particular, diseases related