Brands Become Microbiome Mentors

Recent research by US-based nutrition tracking app MyFitnessPal has found that while awareness of gut health’s importance is high, only 18% of people feel “very” knowledgeable about what contributes to it. To address this, its new Gut Health Nutrition Plan includes nutrition suggestions, quizzes that test users’ knowledge and assess their habits, and check-ins to nudge behavioural change. A gut health recipe collection features high-fibre recipes that pack in fruits and vegetables.  

In Canada, probiotic yoghurt brand Activia has introduced a Gut Health Tracker microsite. According to its 2024 research, 43% of Canadians (rising to 52% among 18- to 34-year-olds) want to improve their gut health but don’t know how. The Tracker offers a quiz on lifestyle habits that affect the gut (diet, sleep, stress and exercise) and suggests ways to maintain or improve gut health. For instance, because pairing protein with fibre is particularly beneficial, Activia suggests eating yoghurt with a piece of fruit and some nuts. Last year, it sponsored a gut health pop-up museum in London.

Driving home the importance of maintaining one’s gut health, American probiotics brand Culturelle launched ProtectTheGut.com, a marketing campaign that highlights the decades-long decline in the diversity of the human microbiome. A two-minute video compares the gut to the Earth’s fragile ecosystem and illustrates the impact of factors such as stress and poor diet on the gut.