Tips For Helping To Maintain Digestive Health

Did you know that over 70 million Americans suffer from digestive issues such as irregularity? According to recent national study, one of the more common digestive issues--irregularity--affects about 26 million Americans. Irregularity can impact a person's overall well-being and have a negative effect on his or her quality of life.

Symptoms of irregularity include bloating and heaviness, as well as pain and trouble going to the bathroom. These symptoms can become particularly problematic and inconvenient.

There are a number of ways to help deal with irregularity, including drinking water, exercising and eating high-fiber foods. In addition, The Dannon Company recently introduced Activia®, a tasty, lowfat yogurt that was developed to help address the issue and contains a natural probiotic culture. Probiotics, meaning "good for life," are living microorganisms, which upon ingestion in sufficient quantities provide additional health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

Activia, which contains the natural probiotic culture Bifidus Regularis™, is clinically proven to help regulate the digestive system in two weeks, when eaten daily as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Activia works by helping to reduce long-intestinal transit time-the time it takes food to pass through the digestive system.

"Irregularity is a source of true discomfort for many people who experience feelings of being heavy and bloated-a person's entire day can be ruined by even a mild digestive problem," said Michael Roizen, MD, Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice President for Biomedical Sciences at SUNY Upstate. With Activia, there is finally a great-tasting food that helps regulate your digestive system. Each four-ounce serving is also a good source of calcium and contains five grams of protein.

Try these additional tips for dealing with irregularity:

Keep Moving

Doctors say exercising just three times a week can help people's digestive health. If you can't make it to the gym, try to at least add more movement into your day. Take a quick walk at lunchtime and choose the stairs instead of the elevator. Every little bit helps.

Have A Drink

Dehydration can sometimes worsen or even cause irregularity. Doctors recommend people drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Try keeping a water bottle at your desk at work or carry one with you at home. Doing so can help you remember to drink throughout the day.