TORONTO, May 28 /CNW Telbec/ - The topic of digestive health rarely makes
it into everyday conversation, yet millions of Canadians experience
gastrointestinal symptoms on a daily basis. From embarrassment and discomfort
to fatigue, decreased quality of life and reduced productivity, digestive
disorders can have far-reaching health and economic impacts. May 29th is World
Digestive Health Day, an opportunity for Canadians to learn how to make
healthy food choices in order to maintain a healthy digestive system.
The importance of nutrition in good digestive health
The theme for this year's World Digestive Health Day is "Optimal Health
and Nutrition", which highlights the importance of nutrition as an integral
part of healthy digestion. "Gastrointestinal problems can result from a number
of factors, including diet and lifestyle", says well-known dietitian Rosie
Schwartz. "The good news is that Canadians can do many things to help prevent
digestive disorders and even improve their digestion, such as eating smaller,
more frequent meals, chewing their food slowly and properly, eating high fiber
foods and foods containing probiotics such as yogurt." World Digestive Health
Day is a perfect opportunity to pay more attention to digestive health and
learn how to use food to maintain and improve digestion and overall
well-being.
World Digestive Health Day
Spearheaded every year by the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO),
World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) aims to raise awareness around digestive
health and provide a forum for the millions of Canadians that suffer from
digestive problems. Symptoms range from constipation, heartburn, bloating and
diarrhea to disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and reflux to deadly
diseases such as colon cancer.
In Canada, CROP study conducted in April 2008 among women aged 18 to 70
showed that 50% of them suffer from digestive problems once a week, frequently
leading to feelings of discomfort and fatigue. The majority of the women
interviewed attributed their digestive upsets to stress and nutrition and 60%
say these symptoms make them feel "uncomfortable".
The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation reports that those with
gastrointestinal symptoms miss nine times as many days of work as those
without symptoms. More than 30% of the worldwide population is affected by
heartburn at least once a month. According to the WGO, digestive disorders can
make people feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, decrease their energy level
and lead them to limit or avoid social activities.
Digestive issues also have an enormous economic impact. The Canadian
Digestive Health Foundation declares that in Canada, digestive disorders cost
the health care system more than any other disease category. They represent
12% of all hospitalizations and about $8 billion of the total direct economic
burden of all health costs. About 18 million days of work are lost every year
due to the affliction. Diarrhea alone accounts for approximately 150,000 sick
days, resulting in an annual cost of $22 million.
As part of WDHD, the WGO is publishing 10 global nutritional
recommendations to help consumers make better choices for their digestive
health. The recommendations include exercising regularly, increasing intake of
fish, maintaining a healthy body mass index, choosing lean meats and consuming
fermented dairy products, especially probiotics with proven benefits on
digestive health.
As one of the world leaders in healthy food and one of few manufacturers
committed to research and development, Danone has been studying probiotic
bacteria - bacterial strains with health benefits - for over 20 years and
understands it's true benefits. Danone's Activia yogurt, which contains the
probiotic strain B.L. Regularis(TM), is the product of the company's extensive
research into digestive health. Activia has been involved in more than
35 clinical trials and has been proven by nine scientific studies on the
digestive system to have beneficial properties, including improved digestive
comfort, reduced bloating and increased intestinal transit.
About the World Gastroenterology Organization
The WGO is a federation of 103 national societies and four regional
associations of gastroenterology throughout the world, representing more than
50 000 gastroenterologists. The WGO believes nutrition is integral to
digestive health and that daily use of proven probiotics can be important for
digestive health.
About Danone Group
In Canada, Danone Inc. is a member of Groupe Danone, a worldwide leader
in healthy food. Its mission is to bring health through tasty, nutritious and
affordable food and beverage products to as many people as possible.
Fulfilling this mission is a major contributor to the Groupe's continuous fast
growth. Groupe Danone enjoys leading positions on healthy food on four
businesses: fresh dairy products (no1 worldwide), waters (no 2 on the packaged
water market), baby nutrition (no2 worldwide) and medical nutrition.
About the WGO-Danone partnership
Danone has joined the WGO in a three-year partnership to raise awareness
among consumers and health professionals of the importance of maintaining
digestive health, as well as collate scientific information on the impact of
nutrition on digestive health. Danone is joining the WGO in launching this
year's World Digestive Health Day on May 29th.
For further information: To book an interview with Ms Rosie Schwartz,
please contact: Theresa Quick, Enzyme Toronto, (416) 535-3939
