I feel fabulous. I've just been doing apple cider vinegar shots with the mother.

Nice. I'm all for a bit of parent-child bonding. My mum's more of a traditionalist, though; tequila's her thing.

Not that mother, silly. I'm talking about the one living inside the vinegar.

Oh dear. You've been at the therapeutic mushrooms again. Remember the time you saw that face in your kombucha?

This mother is totally real. It's the name given by wellness types to the gloopy blob of bacteria floating in 'live' vinegar. The mother is the vinegar's healthiest ingredient - the bit that makes all the goodness happen. Which, if you're a mother yourself, will come as no surprise.

The mother is the vinegar's healthiest ingredient.

Mama mia. Tell me more.

Vinegar has been used as a remedy since at least the fifth century and although science around its benefits is a little sketchy, recent studies do support its abilities to reduce "bad" cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. This is largely down to acetic acid, vinegar's main compound. And acetic acid is what happens when you add the mother.

Vinegar starts life as a sugary liquid - say, apple juice. Yeast is added, sparking the fermentation that turns it into an alcohol - cider, in this case. Next, bacteria are thrown in the mix, a second fermentation occurs, and behold: acetic acid, AKA vinegar. Those catalyst bacteria are the mother.

Sometimes the mother is removed from store-bought vinegar but if not, you'll notice its cloudy, murky and - let's be honest- slightly gross-looking presence in the bottle. Choose the one with the mother.

Good dating advice. But when it comes to vinegar, why is this so important?

The mother's bacteria are probiotic and boost your gut's microbiota. The mother is also rich in prebiotics - food for your beneficial bacteria. In short, the mother is very good for your gut.

And we all know that the gut is the new brain, so big yes to that. Anything else?

Studies have also shown that the mother is high in iron, as well as a beneficial phenolic compound called gallic acid, with antioxidant properties.

I can see why you love your mother. So what's the dose?

No more than a tablespoon a day, and best to dilute with water, because of the high acidity.

Ah well, that's mothers for you.

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