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Exploring Your Gut & Microbiome

Demystifying Gut Health: An Expert Q&A with Andrea Hardy

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Incorporating the power of delicious and simple foods into your diet, like Activia probiotic yogurt, can help support your gut health and overall wellbeing.  

A healthy life starts from the gut which plays an important role in supporting a strong immune system, enhancing nutrient absorption, and promoting overall health and well-being.

It’s important to consume a diverse range of fibre-rich foods, stay hydrated, manage stress, get regular exercise, prioritize sleep, and eat probiotic foods like probiotic yogurt.

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The power of daily probiotic yogurt for all ages

Incorporating probiotic yogurts into your daily routine can contribute to your digestive health, regardless of your age or dietary requirements.

Activia, the pioneer of probiotic yogurt, driven by science and backed by decades of research, boasts an exclusive probiotic strain and contains more than one billion probiotics per serving. When consumed twice (two servings) a day for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, Activia yogurt may help reduce the frequency of digestive issues such as bloating, gas, discomfort, and rumbling.

Whether it’s in a breakfast bowl or drinkable format when on the go, probiotic yogurt caters to different needs and preferences, making it even easier to enjoy the benefits. 

We chatted with Andrea Hardy, a registered dietitian, Canada’s Gut Health Expert, and long-time partner of Activia to debunk common gut health misconceptions.

Andrea Hardy

Registered Dietitian & Canada’s Gut Health Expert 

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Is it true that all fermented foods are probiotics? 

Not necessarily. A food only counts as a probiotic if it possesses the right amount of microbes that have been shown to have health benefits. Some fermented foods might lack these live cultures, as food processing such as pasteurization can destroy bacteria. Looking for terms such as ‘active probiotics’ on packaging can help confirm you’re reaping probiotic benefits.

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Is it true that all probiotics have the same health benefits?

No, not all probiotics are the same. Different strains can have different effects on the body. For example, Activia contains the exclusive probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis, contributing to healthy gut flora. The addition of this exclusive probiotic strain is what makes Activia one of the few probiotic yogurts on the market.

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Are regular gas, bloating, and discomfort a typical part of digestion or should they be cause for concern? 

While occasional digestive discomfort can be normal, regular occurrences of these symptoms may indicate an underlying gut issue. Consult a physician if these symptoms occur weekly or more frequently, or if they significantly affect your daily life.

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Is eating a high-fibre diet enough for gut health?

While fibre is crucial for gut health, a balanced diet is essential. Incorporating a variety of different colours and types of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains fuels those microbes and fosters a healthy gut microbiome. However, it’s vital to make probiotic-containing products a regular part of your diet. Probiotics are living organisms that thrive on consistency, not intensity. Choosing an option that is affordable, delicious, and easy to incorporate into any lifestyle is a simple way to maintain gut health at any age. 

To support better gut health, Activia recently launched its Gut Health Challenge, including The Gut Health Tracker which allows users to assess their personalized gut health score and receive expert insights into how they can maintain or improve their existing lifestyle habits to support digestive wellness.  


Start your gut health journey by taking Activia’s Gut Health Tracker test, available at activia.ca/en/gut-health-tracker.

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