A new survey from Danone North America discovered that 84% of Americans have become more interested in foods or products that support gut health in the past several years.

However, while Google searches for 'gut health' have more than doubled in the last three years, the survey found 41% of consumers remain unaware of the gut microbiome, and 50% don't realize it can impact gut health, revealing an opportunity for additional education. The survey also shed light on several persistent myths that could be making it difficult for consumers to navigate and best leverage gut health promoting products in an increasingly crowded category.

The Survey Findings: Conducted as a follow-up to a survey the company commissioned in 2021, this latest polling revealed that, while awareness around the gut microbiome has increased slightly, there remains significant work to be done on the education front.  

• Half of Americans are unaware that the gut microbiome can impact gut health, and even more do not realize that it may impact several other top health and wellness priorities for U.S. consumers, including: immune health (56%, down just 1% from 2021), mental well-being (63%, down 4%), healthy aging (54%) and sleep quality (61%).
• Seventy-three percent do not know the gut microbiome is established within the first few years of life.
• And most have difficulty identifying the eating habits and diets that best promote gut health. Only one in 10 consumers can correctly identify a Flexitarian eating pattern (which emphasizes plant-based foods while also incorporating nutrient-rich animal foods) as a diet that best promotes gut health over more restrictive diets like keto and paleo.
• Encouragingly, the survey did reveal that more consumers are becoming aware of biotics, which have been shown to support gut health and the gut microbiome. Most Americans are familiar with probiotics (88%, up 4% from 2021) and prebiotics (76%, up 11%) and 60% are familiar with postbiotics (up 11%).

Top Microbiome Myths, Busted by a Registered Dietitian Kristie Leigh, registered dietitian and Director of Nutrition & Scientific Affairs at Danone North America, helps bust several persistent myths that could be making it difficult for consumers to choose the right products in pursuit of better gut health.

• Myth #1: All fermented foods and beverages contain probiotics. Nearly half of consumers who are familiar with probiotics (49%) assume all fermented foods and beverages provide them, down just 3% from 2021.Fact: Fermented foods and beverages, like kombucha, sauerkraut or sourdough bread, may contain bacteria as part of the fermentation process, but that doesn't mean they contain probiotics. Many fermented foods and beverages undergo processes like pasteurization and baking that kill the live microbes, probiotic or not. Always check the label of the product you're buying to ensure it contains a live probiotic strain. 
• Myth #2: All "live and active cultures" are probiotics. Forty-four percent of consumers familiar with probiotics believe all "live and active cultures" qualify (down 3% from 2021). Fact: Not all bacteria are created equal. Even if a product contains live cultures, those cultures may not have been studied and shown to support health, which is what would make them a probiotic. 
• Myth #3: Probiotic supplements are equivalent to probiotics in food. Forty-five percent of consumers familiar with probiotics still believe that probiotic supplements are equivalent to probiotics in food (down 2% since 2021). Fact: Foods are often considered a better vehicle for probiotics compared to supplements because they buffer stomach acidity, which can help probiotics reach the intestine. This includes dairy foods like yogurt. Another benefit is that with food you're often getting important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein in addition to the probiotics, as well. 
• Myth #4: Prebiotics and probiotics do the same thing for your body. Seventy-one percent of those familiar with probiotics think prebiotics do the same thing for your body (down 4% since 2021). Fact: While both probiotics and prebiotics can support gut health, they do so by doing distinctly different things. Probiotics are live microorganisms that have been studied and shown to provide a health benefit, while prebiotics are dietary fibers that work as food for the good bacteria already in your gut. Both have a unique role, and both are important for gut health and gut microbiome support.

Danone's commitment to continuing to advance the field of gut health and the gut microbiome is evident with initiatives like the Danone North America Fellowship Grant program, which has awarded over $500,000 to support groundbreaking studies on probiotics and human health since 2017. In 2024, for example, this program awarded $25,000 each to Evan Chrisler of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Arushana Maknojia of Baylor College of Medicine to support research that aims to advance probiotic and prebiotic development. Chrisler's research looks at how the timing and type of probiotic consumption affect metabolism and immunity, while Maknojia's examines the way gut microbes influence blood cell production.

"Our mission at Danone North America is to bring health through food to as many people as possible, and research continues to suggest that gut health and the gut microbiome are important pieces of that puzzle in some incredibly far-reaching ways," said Miguel Freitas, PhD, Vice President of Nutrition and Scientific Affairs at Danone North America. "That's why it's important for us to not only help fund research that continues to unlock the power of the gut microbiome, but also to keep a pulse on consumer understanding and sentiment to help us identify and address knowledge gaps in this area and in turn empower consumers with science-backed information they can use in pursuit of their individual health goals."