Recently updated on October 6th, 2025 at 09:38 am
Have you ever wondered how your gut health compares to other people? Yakult recently conducted a survey of gut health across the UK to answer that very question, looking for the percentage of people who feel healthy most of the time.
Unfortunately, the results weren’t good. Only around 11% of people reported that their gut health was excellent, leaving 89% of people with cramps, knots, gas, and other issues.
Gut Health
Gut health is something that has been declining across the world since the introduction of processed and industrial foods. Only a tiny fraction of people get the micronutrients and fibre levels of their ancestors, leading many people to experience gut problems.
Why is my Gut Health in Decline?
One major issue driven by sugar is acid reflux disease. This happens when the acid in the stomach goes upward into the gullet and causes burning sensations and pain.
Another issue is constipation. Many people can go for up to a week without passing a stool, while the normal daily frequency (using data from indigenous African populations) seems to be between two and three times daily, with a stool weight approaching 500-1000 grams (as opposed to the roughly 150 grams passed in the West).
Brands like Yakult believe that part of the solution is to populate people’s guts with more bacteria. The idea is to bolster the number of healthy microbes down there to ensure bad bacteria don’t take over.
Learn more about the gut health situation in the UK from the Yakult infographic below and discover more about which regions of the country are best off:
Discover Yakult’s infographic guide: The Gut Habits of the Nation
Last updated on October 6th, 2025 at 09:38 am
