By studying the composition of these compounds in our stool the researchers suggest an accurate picture of our gut microbiome can be generated and future treatment targets to battle conditions such as obesity and diabetes can be developed.

Most classic treatments that work by altering gut health tend to concentrate on either prebiotics or probiotics. Prebiotics are foods or compounds consumed to help support or grow specific types of gut bacteria, while probiotics are actual live microorganisms consumed to engage known health benefits. Recently a third concept has been raised by some scientists as a better way to optimize gut health: Postbiotics.

Postbiotics are the metabolic byproducts produced by the bacteria in our gut. These biochemical substances can affect a range of physiological processes in our body. Postbiotics can traced in a person's stool and this unique biological fingerprint is called a fecal metabolome.

The new research from King's College London began with stool samples from 500 pairs of twins. The study went on to measure levels of over 800 different biochemical compounds found in their stool and known to be produced by various gut microbes. As well as finding interesting key chemical signatures they could directly be correlated with the amount of belly fat a person had. And by utilizing twins, the researchers could also gain a compelling insight into how the make up of a person's gut bacteria is directed by genes as opposed to environmental factors such as diet.