- 96% of Canadians have a gut health score below 50%, with
over half (56%) suffering from gut upset at least once a
month
- Despite 93% considering their gut health when choosing what
foods to eat, a third (33%) feel overwhelmed by all the gut health
content they see
- To help educate the nation about all the holistic factors
that affect gut well-being Activia has launched its new Gut Health
Program including the Gut Health Tracker - a free tool to
calculate your individual gut health score and receive advice on
maintaining or improving this gradually over time
TORONTO and BOUCHERVILLE, QC,
May 1,
2024 /CNW/ - 96% of Canadians have a gut health score
below 50% according to a new study from the probiotic yogurt
pioneer Activia. Moreover, over half (56%) experience symptoms of
gut upset such as bloating more than once each week, rising to
almost two in three women (64%) and 64% of those aged
18-34.
New research led by Activia reveals that many Canadians lack
understanding about the impact of gut health on overall well-being,
despite 60% of Canadians regularly thinking about their overall
physical well-being and 53% regularly considering their mental
well-being.
Two in five (43%) want to improve their gut health but don't
know how, rising to over half (52%) of those aged 18 to 34.
Additionally, more than half (57%) believe they would have better
gut well-being if they knew how to improve it.
Despite this lack of education and understanding, the majority
of Canadians are conscious of making choices to help their gut
health, with 93% considering gut well-being when choosing what
foods to eat.
In response to the consumer demand for clarity around tangible
actions that can improve gut health, Activia has today launched the
Gut Health Challenge which aims to promote education on how
to take care of the gut. This includes the Gut Health Tracker, a
free tool on Activia's website that asks 29 questions around the
four lifestyle habits that affect gut health: diet, sleep
patterns, stress levels and exercise habits, and provides a
personalized percentage score out of 100. Moreover, the tool
provides expertly curated advice based in scientific research on
maintaining or improving this gut health score over time –
essential for the 96% of Canadians with a gut health score below
50%.
Knowledge of dietary choices that affect gut health
With dietary choices affecting gut health, 93% often consider
gut health when choosing what to eat. 79% of Canadians say they eat
a colourful diet including fruits and vegetables of many colours,
which is important for good gut health. Moreover, 35% could
correctly identify yogurt with berries and nuts as a good snack for
gut health.
The advice provided by the Gut Health Tracker includes
information on dietary habits which contribute to gut health, such
as pairing fibre-based foods with protein food each time you snack
to improve fibre intake. For example, you can pair an Activia
yogurt with a piece of fruit and a few nuts, slice an apple and
have it with crunchy nut butter, or pair hummus with whole grain
seeded crackers or veggie sticks.
The role of a colourful diet plays in maintaining good gut
health
Considering the importance of nutrition to maintain good gut
health, just one in four (26%) say they have a colourful diet most
of the time, with 15% saying they don't have a colourful diet but
would like to. Two in three (66%) eat fermented foods on a weekly
basis, a number slightly higher for women (68%) compared to men
(64%).
The vital importance of sleep habits for gut health
Despite being knowledgeable about the impact of diet on gut
health, when it comes to wider holistic factors such as sleep
Canadians have a long way to go - with just 34% rating their sleep
as 'good' over the past month. The Gut Health Tracker delivers
simple tips that can be easily inserted into daily routines, to
help people take small steps towards implementing positive changes
for their gut health.
Consumer understanding of how physical activity impacts gut
health
Recognizing the significant role of physical activity in
promoting gut health, 60% of Canadians are aware of the beneficial
link between yoga and improved gut health. Moreover, 92% of
individuals engage in regular moderate cardiovascular exercise, and
89% of those prefer to exercise outdoors, which is known to further
enhance gut health.
Stress-reducing hobbies can help improve gut health
Meanwhile, 64% of Canadians have a hobby, rising to 68% of those
age 35-54 with 75% aware that stress-reducing hobbies such as
singing or cycling can also positively affect gut health.
Activia Gut Health Program & Challenge
"With Activia, we aim to tackle the growing volume of confusing
information about gut health. Canadians want clarity on the
tangible steps they can take to support gut well-being and track
their progress - which has proven so important to one's overall
health. We feel it is our responsibility as leaders in this space
to launch informative and innovative tools like this for Canadians
on how they can continue improving their health through food and
showing the power of yogurt. " says Éric Maffert, Senior
Marketing Director of Yogurt Category at Danone Canada.
"We encourage all Canadians to use the Gut Health Tracker to
calculate their starting gut health score, follow the simple
actionable advice provided and come back to the Tracker regularly
to measure how their score improves over time." he
continues.
"In an era of overwhelming nutrition and wellness information,
it's easy to feel like we must do it all for
optimal gut health, however, as a Registered
Dietitian, I firmly believe that it's the return to basics that
yields the most significant health impacts," says Andrea Hardy, Canada's Gut Health Expert. "Activia's Gut
Health Challenge and Tracker simplifies this process for Canadians,
transforming the basics into measurable, meaningful steps toward
achieving digestive well-being."
The launch of the Gut Health Challenge and Tracker follows
Activia's recent unveiling of a new approach to drive education on
gut health to encourage healthy habits. This included a new Gut
Health Challenge campaign aimed at building a good gut health
routine which includes Activia yogurt.
The Activia Gut Health Tracker can be found at:
https://www.activia.ca/en/gut-health-tracker/
Source:
|
Danone
Canada
|
For more
information:
|
Media
relations
|
|
skrupa-carbone@national.ca
|
About the Activia Gut Health
Tracker
The Gut Health Tracker is a free tool that can be found at
https://www.activia.ca/en/gut-health-tracker/. The Gut Health
Tracker encourages people to evaluate their gut health score and
offers expert advice to help them challenge or maintain their gut
health journey. The Gut Health Tracker includes questions across
the four modifiable pillars of gut health: diet, sleep patterns,
stress levels and exercise habits. The Gut Health Tracker does not
seek to diagnose any conditions or offer medical solutions, but
rather encourages healthy consumer habits. The research study was
conducted by Opinium between 28th March and 5th April 2024 with a nationally representative
sample of 2,000 Canadian adults.
About Activia
Activia has been a leader in gut health since 1987, and now has
more than 1,000 products sold in over 70 countries worldwide. Each
pot contains billions of Activia's exclusive live cultures and
simple ingredients from raw fruit to wholesome grains to contribute
to better gut health. The benefits of Activia include 1 billion
active probiotics, daily nutrients (Activia is a source of calcium,
vitamin D and/or potassium) and digestive health support with more
than 109 CFU Bifidobacterium lactis per serving, a
probiotic that contributes to healthy gut flora.
About Danone Canada
Danone Canada is a business unit of Danone and operates from
head offices in Boucherville, Quebec,
and Toronto, Ontario. Danone Canada is the country's
largest consumer-facing Certified B Corporation®,
demonstrating that the company meets the highest standards of
social and environmental performance, accountability, and
transparency. Danone Canada's ambition is to produce healthful
dairy, plant-based products and coffee creamers and beverages,
create economic and social value, and nurture natural ecosystems
through sustainable agriculture. Its portfolio of brands includes
Activia®, Oikos®, DanActive®,
Danone®, Silk® plant-based foods and
beverages, So Delicious® Dairy Free,
StokTM, International DelightTM and
more.
For more information about Danone Canada, visit www.danone.ca,
Facebook (@danonecanada), Twitter (@DanoneCanada) or LinkedIn.
SOURCE Danone Canada