Scientists Made a Microbe-Boosting Diet to Help Malnourished Kids Grow

A malnourished child at a camp in Bangladesh. (Credit: Pahari Himu/Shutterstock) One in four children will never grow to a normal height. In developing countries, the number can be as high as one in three. The problem? Malnutrition. Now scientists have developed a diet that can boost key colonies of gut bacteria in malnourished kids. The finding is important because past research has shown these bacteria are essential for healthy growth and development. The study paves the way for a new